What I Wish I Knew Before I Started

Mr. Jon showing Butterflies how to
decorate their Valentine's Day bags

Just because I’m bored…
…doesn’t mean the child is. Our tendency as adults is to be efficient – get it done and move on. We move quickly, absorb quickly, and bore quickly. On the other hand, our children absorb slowly – enjoying the experience a whole lot more.

Children live in the present and are not compelled to think about “later” and all the things that need to be done (as we adults have to). Their orientation is to what is in front of them and they unconsciously seek to get every bit of flavor from the experience. We tend to move them on too quickly, before they have absorbed all of the value from the exercise.

The Child's Pace
Teachers tend to create more frustration than boredom in their students; frustration because we move them on before “they” are finished. As adults, we move from activity to activity to forestall boredom.

We have to realize that our children do not have that mindset, but one of wanting to explore every facet of the challenge in front of them. And then once they have mastered it, they want to repeat it to enjoy the process again and the comfort of success.

When Do Children Get Bored?
Children get bored when they are not engaged. But once engaged, their minds have a greater capacity of sustaining activity that may be wearying to us. Their activity offers them untold joys, feelings, and accomplishments.

To the child it is not the finishing of the task that gives satisfaction – it is the task itself. As adults, when we finish cleaning the house, we don’t start all over again (unless we have obsessive compulsive disorder). But for the child, the activity is the reason for the activity – not just the accomplishment.

Busy or Stalling?
So, as a teacher, how do you know when a child is deeply engaged in an activity versus stalling in a comfort zone and not challenging themselves to move further? That is something else I wish I knew before I started. My answer will not give you a simple formula – you will have to observe and know your children.

The personality of the child gives you some clues. Is the child a perfectionist? Is the child timid? Is the child afraid of making mistakes (perfectionist parents?)? Is the child lazy? Does the child need a better diet, more rest, vitamins? All of these can be factors. The good news is that most children will move along at the appropriate time – if you stay out of the way.

One way to stay out of the way is to make sure your environment is going “deep instead of wide.”