This post is a follow up to “The Three Emotions Every Student Brings to School”
What do kids yearn for? Answers. Same as adults, although we that are grown aren’t as persistent.
The Conflict
Yearning is a conflict in contradictions. We want to be honest yet hidden. We want to make others laugh yet we don’t want to be laughed at. We wan
t to be taken seriously, yet not too seriously. We want to be loved, yet from a distance. We want to be known, yet remain private.
Each is a battle and they’re all rooted in one fact. We are created in God’s image and likeness, yet we carry our human nature in a fallen world of sin.
No wonder why each carries a seed of strong yearning.
Giving Answers and Stealing Wonder
I want to know the best answer and I want to trust it. I see children aching with the same desire. They want to know the best answer and they want to trust it.
So what do we do? We let them find their answers when they are curious. Let them find their answers. As adults, we tend to chip away at the inquisitiveness of our kids. We provide sharp, concrete answers way to often. The child takes those answers, trusts them, and finds no room to discover their own conclusions. When framed answers are delivered and the learner trusts those answers completely, the magic of inquiry fades.
I don’t want to steal our children’s curiosity and wonder. It’s one of the most beautiful traits of the young. It’s hard to tread lightly this way. I steal their questions and squash them with a rote, mundane response. The child will usually give me numerous chances, asking the same question many times. Offering no room for discovery I simplify my answer even more, every time. Finally the student either trusts my answer or loses a desire to explore and know themselves. I steal their curiosity and wonder. With this I hinder their growth and development. The only thing that is grown in the student is ignorance. The last thing this world needs is another ignorant generation. Look at today’s headlines to see what ignorance breeds.
Keep Them Yearning
If you know anything about me from my blog or ebook you know that I value the learner’s curiosity and inquiry. With these a child’s yearning should be met. Not with my sorry excuse for an answer.
How do we foster curiosity and inquiry? If you’d like to explore deeper, I’ve linked a prior post related to each strategy.
- Create a safe environment through relationship.
- Invite inquiry and promote exploration.
- Do not spit simple finite answers but allow the student to draw their own conclusions.
May you find purpose in your yearning.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
–Matthew 5:6