Independence
I've been on vacation in Michigan for the past few weeks and my family spent some time “up north” at a house on a lake. My favorite part was seeing the joy my two boys experienced with the child-size kayaks my mother brought. Once they learned a few basic things about paddling and launching they were independent, getting in and out of the water when they wanted as we set on the deck and watched.
They learned new skills and were able to apply them in meaningful ways. My 7 year old decided to voyage across the lake in his kayak and succefully made the two hour trip with my husband following along. This child who tells me that making his bed is “too hard” was movated to accomplish a huge task that he set for himself.
We offer opportunities that are similarly engaging and challenging for our students every day. Many of the factors that made kayaking so engaging and fun for my children as they worked are the same things that make TAB work.
Choice. I presented kayaking as a choice and let them decide. It was an option they both selected independently because they were interested. This gave them control of how they spent their time. Both boys chose how long they wanted to kayak and what to do, which included imaginary play. They each made different choices that were right for them, sometimes collaborating, sometimes playing alone.
Support. Adults helped them with safety gear like life vests and shared rules to follow. We showed them how to paddle and helped them launch. We also chose a kayak size that was right for them. The next time they kayak they will need less support.
Structure. We had the gear they needed ready to go and showed them how to care for it. We picked kayaks and life vests that were the right size. We also modified the activity based on what we knew about the lake, which was very shallow so we were comfortable watching from the dock. If the lake had been deeper the structure of the activity would have changed.
Exploration. Once they knew how to use the boats safety they were free to explore within the parameters we set. They were able to learn through safe trial and error how to do things like turn and get their boats out of the water. We were there to help when needed, like when Theo wanted to paddle across the lake.
The combination of these elements created the conditions needed to support an amazing and fun experience for my children, one that gave them both independence and the support they needed. It also made me think about how I incorporate these concepts in my classroom and where I could add or change what I do to support independent and joyful learning - the perfect thing to think about as I head into a week at the TAB Institute.
How do you you use choice, support, structure and exploration in your classroom to create engaging learning experiences?
Happy summer!