There are two ways to tackle a new skill.
You can teach yourself, or you can be taught. Our schools overwhelmingly rely on the second, but I’ve watched children learn both ways, and I think the first is far superior.
A child who knows how to teach herself will boldly attack a new problem. She will try, fall, try again, push herself to comprehend. She might need encouragement, but she never needs coaching to develop a skill–only to hone it!
A child who waits to be taught is hesitant, apprehensive without direction. She needs direct instruction – orders, essentially – to grasp even the most basic mechanics of a new skill, and won’t progress without further order.
It’s harder, no doubt, to guide kids into teaching themselves. But the ownership, the boldness, the curiosity they develop along the way tell me that their future is solid.
Teachers: recommit to teaching less this year. Teach less so your kids can teach themselves more.