When I taught fifth and sixth grades, my students and I used
to get together with younger children for cross-age activities. I always prepped my students by reminding
them that the younger students looked up to them and watched them closely all
the time.
“Remember, they are learning from everything you do – even when
you don’t want them to,” was my mantra, and more than once one of my students
learned the hard way that their preschool buddies were eager to copy all their
behaviors, not just the positive ones.
As a beginning teacher in my mid-twenties, I learned that
this is the case for older children too.
One of my close friends had a younger sister who was a student in my
fifth grade class. Their family had a
home daycare and took care of several preschool aged children. My friend told me with great joy one day that
her sister’s favorite activity was to play school with the children in the
daycare, and that she always played the teacher – ME!
To my great embarrassment, when we got
together with our friends, my friend loved to share how I sounded as a teacher –
as played by her sister. It was
flattering to know that she wanted to be like me. And some of the things that came through in
her play were just how I hoped I came across as a teacher. But some of it made me cringe – she indeed
sounded just like me, even at my most unflattering!
I share that not to make us even more self-conscious than we
already are as parents. All of us have
had that jarring experience of hearing how we sound or seeing our gestures and
expressions through our children. But as
conscientious parents who care about their children’s learning, it is a good
reminder that while trips to museums and educational toys are wonderful gifts
we give our children, we can also rest assured that the times when we are just “hanging
out” as a family are valuable learning experiences as well.
Seabury is blessed with parents who value learning and who
support their children’s education each and every day. Teachers at Seabury know that when papers go
home, parents will look at them and talk with their children about what they
are learning. They take their children to interesting places and recognize
learning doesn’t just happen at school. They want to make use of each and every
moment – to do parenting “right.”
As we approach a long Thanksgiving weekend, I encourage
parents to consider how much your children are learning from the everyday
moments when you are just hanging out or doing “regular” things. From
seeing a working mom or dad take time to slow down and read a book or take a
bubble bath. From spending time watching
a fun movie or playing a game together. From
going grocery shopping and trying to figure out how much pumpkin pie Grandpa is
going to eat this year. From watching
you orchestrate how to get the turkey and the potatoes to be done at the same
time.
In our children’s lives, whether they are in preschool or
middle school, each moment is a learning moment – not just those we plan to be
intentionally educational. As parents
who care deeply about our children’s learning, we sometimes put a great deal of
pressure on ourselves to plan educational activities for our children and feel
guilty when we aren’t doing something “valuable” with their time. While those moments are wonderful and important,
we can give ourselves permission to just be with our children as well.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! Enjoy time with your children. And take time to read a good book - your
children will benefit and so will you!
- Sandi Wollum
- Sandi Wollum
