“I used to complete my home assignments on time. I used to respect my teachers and follow their guidelines.” -typical thoughts of an educator teaching 21st-century students.
Are these familiar thoughts, whether you are an educator or a parent?
Well! Parents and Educators! Please wake up to the new reality. Your guidelines are not going to be “ followed” just because you are a parent or an educator. That is not essentially due to a lack of respect. It is because children of today evolve a sense of identity very early on. They are confident, young individuals with a wide variety of knowledge at their fingertips. They question the status quo and are curious about everything around them. Just imagine these young individuals turning into adults and transforming their community, city and world around them with their ability to question, think, act and inspire.
Let us work with them with these possibilities in mind. To convert these possibilities into a reality, parents and educators have to see themselves as guides, facilitators, mentors and coaches. They can no longer give unilateral instructions and expect children to follow them. It has to be dialogical and facilitative. Give them the context and purpose, they will love to think, act and do.
“Just focus on the possibilities. The limitations will take care of itself.” said someone and I would like to leave all parents and educators to work with children from this space of possibilities.
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You all must be wondering what I'm talking about. Is CHEMISTRY just like a usual subject, No! It's more than just that. Chemistry according to the dictionary is the emotional interaction between two people. And that’s how my English teacher explained it as I was completing my Writer’s Effect question. English class was just over and I was already bombarded with tons of words, synonyms and perplexing phrases. Paragraphs and lines seem to be endless and the feedback for my answer was not what I expected. I was disappointed in myself.
“I need a break’, I thought to myself, standing up as the Chemistry teacher walked in. But I desperately wanted to run to the playground.
And here I was sitting in Chemistry class learning the periodic table. But all I was dreaming of was my interaction with my one and only friend, just relaxing in the corridor, endless conversations on topics which for the world might seem silly.
“Surya, are you dreaming!” I could hear my teacher call out. “What did I just say? “
I froze. Jolted from daydreaming by her loud voice, I muttered “I was listening ma’am”
“Then, if H2O is water, what is H2SO4?” Giving one stern look she repeated her question.
I blabbered “Swimming four laps in our community pool, ma'am”.
What happened next is for me to know and for you to wonder.
Having said this, I have a profound appreciation for Chemistry.
Chemistry is like Lego! Ideas and frameworks can be broken down into smaller pieces and then reassembled in different ways to build something entirely new. You’ll find with each new thing you learn, everything else you’ve learned before makes more and more sense as the concepts all start to piece together.
If you agree with me, put on your safety goggles, grab your periodic table, and embark on an adventure that will ignite your curiosity and ignite your passion for chemistry!
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