When I was a student teacher, some twenty odd years ago,
One of the teachers I was working with told me a story.
The gist of it was that Ya gotta teach ‘em how to staple.
What she meant by this story was that if you want a child to do something you need to teach them exactly how to do it. You can’t assume they know how or they know how you want them to do it. You have to show them.
In my twenty first year as a teacher,
I’ve revisited this advice.
I’m teaching everything.
How to put a block away.
How to wipe a paintbrush on the side of the water container.
Where the pencils go.
Where the erasers go.
How to walk across the room.
How to turn on the water.
How to wash their hands.
The list will go on. All year, the list will grow.
I gotta say, now that I’m teaching them how to staple,
It’s the best start of the school year I’ve ever had.
Trevor (@trevorabryan)