Sunday, May 18, 2014

Quote-A-Day: Day 138

Never underestimate the power of true .

So, I'm sitting on my front porch while my toddler naps in the car.  Today we took a drive down to Northern New Jersey to meet up with a few of my college buddies and their kids.  We were celebrating one of their birthdays, and in true style, my friend went all out with a petting zoo, pony rides, the whole nine.

My daughter had a blast, and loved Cocoa, the pony.  Fun was had by all.

As much fun as she had at the party, she was totally amazed with the work taking place on the Tappan Zee Bridge.  As we crossed the span, her face was literally pressed against the window glass, engrossed with the size of the cranes and barges in the water.  She was asking questions a mile a minute, and I did my best to answer them.  While I had no problem pointing out the barge and the cranes, for instance, there were some quesetions she asked that I had absolutely no idea about.

What's so amazing about all this?

The fact that what we might consider commonplace or "simple" can be an amazing experience for others.  That sense of wonder, that feeling of absolute amazement, is a necessity in education.

And often, we never know when that feeling will arise, instead only knowing what it is when it appears.  So, we have to embrace that sense of wonder at all costs; and search it out when it seems like it is somewhere else.

Those few minutes seeing my daughter transfixed by the bridge-building equipment were proof to me that she learned something.  Whether or not she becomes interested in bridges and building them isn't the point.  Rather, the fact that she enjoyed learning about something new so much that she couldn't take her eyes of it shows just how powerful "wondering" can be.

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