Continuing the series that I started before Christmas is part 4 of the round-up of posts from the NYT [1] "Debate" [2], this post actually comes off as a little different because it's the first post [3] where I take a little bit of an issue. Luckily I don't disagree with the message, merely with the language in it.
The author, Tara Chklovski, reminds readers that teachers are busy enough trying to teach the basics and that "ongoing individual feedback to 20-plus students with 20-plus unique projects" is an unsustainable goal. To help remedy that situation and inspire kids to be excited exploratory thinkers, she shifts focus back to the home front...albeit softly. She says that "Parents can pick up the baton and lead their children on a journey of true exploration and discovery." Her entire post is sprinkled with cans and shoulds as if what seems (to me) like attentive parenting has become optional. Maybe I'm lucky. Maybe what I take for granted as my upbringing where the walks with dad, the kitchen time with mom, and the family outings to libraries and museums are special, not the norm.
Mrs. Chklovski links to her own blog over at Iridescent [4] outlining in more detail ways for parents to be active and engaging in their childrens' lives. Her language is stronger in that post, with less of a suggestive tone and offering real solutions. I don't understand why this kind of engagement should "surprisingly" (as she says in her closing sentence) lead to more enthusiastic learners and prepare them to ask deeper, more meaningful questions as they grow up. I would absolutely like to think that when I have kids I would naturally want to actively engage them at a matter of just being a parent. Of course, I say this now without kids or any experience of being a parent- I know how positively tiring it is, in theory. I guess we'll see how it goes when I actually settle down.
"'Children spend much more time at home than at school. Their parents know them intimately, interact with them one-to-one, and do not expect to be paid to help their children succeed. The home environment offers 'teachable moments' that teachers can only dream about.' -David Peterson" [4]
But because of this, Mrs. Chklovski, it's not something parents simply can do. It's something they must!
[1] http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/12/10/math-and-science-for-more-than-just-geeks
[2] http://jsphmeany.blogspot.com/2013/12/ny-times-debate-and-my-reaction-to-it.html
[3] http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/12/10/math-and-science-for-more-than-just-geeks/parents-can-help-their-kids-scientific-educations-simply
[4] http://iridescentlearning.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-case-for-parents-as-best-science.html#more
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