Essential Questions

by Graham Scharf

Do actions speak without words?

July 29, 2009

0 comments // Published in purpose  

Actions need words
Since children learn to see the world continually in the context of relationships, it is tempting to think that actions matter and words don't. As I've already said, actions matter tremendously. Yet actions are interpreted by language. For example, if I see a young child running toward the street, and a car is coming, I would grab him quickly and firmly by the arm so that he wouldn't run into traffic. That experience of being grabbed by the arm is not yet explained to the child until I use words. When I get down on eye level, I can explain to him, “I saw you running toward the street, and I saw the car coming, and I knew that if you didn't stop, you might run into the street and be hit by the car. I grabbed you to protect you so that you wouldn't get hurt.” That explanation is critical. Without words, my brusque grasp seems gruff and unkind.

Words need words
This is not just the case with physical actions. Words themselves need to be interpreted with words. Not infrequently, I need to correct my five-year-old daughter in words. I tell her to share, or to be careful, or to clean up a mess that she has made. Yet unless I take time to talk about these words, she can interpret them in ways other than I intend. Most characteristically, children at this age want to please their parents, and so when she hears me say, “Don't do that,” she can internalize it as, “Don't let Daddy see you do that.” I have to take time to talk about integrity, and why it matter so much that she does what it right even when she knows that I am not around.

What words help?
The words that are most helpful are the ones that answer the question "Why?" Why did you grab me by the arm? Why did you ask me to say "please"? Why did you insist that I pick up my toys? When children understand the why behind others' words and actions, they sense that there is purpose, meaning and stability. That thoughtful order provides the safe environment in which they can flourish. 

Lesslie Newbigin put it succinctly and wittily: "Words without deeds are empty, but deeds without words are dumb."

Are we asking the right questions?

September 12, 2008

0 comments // Published in responsibility, purpose  

In educational design it is important to settle on the right essential questions. What do I want my students (or audience) to understand, or be able to do? In effective education, a teacher correctly identifies the essential questions, and helps students to develop the understanding or skills defined by those questions. However, if the teacher is not asking the right questions, the students may develop understanding and skills, but not have the complete picture.

For example, an elementary teacher is preparing a geometry lesson to teach a square's unique traits. He might ask, "How many sides does a square have?" If this is the defining question of his lesson, the students may learn well that a square has four sides - but remain confused as to the difference between a square, a rhombus, a rectangle and a trapezoid. Obviously, the essential question is, "What traits define a square?" The students who answer the question successfully will know that it does have four sides, and that it also has four equal sides and four equal angles.

With respect to education, and public education in particular, the questions that I keep hearing are: How can we fix education? How can we improve graduation rates and standardized test performance? How can we eliminate the performance gap? All of those are important questions, but do they begin at the beginning? Are they the essential questions?

There are at least two questions that may bring to light flawed assumptions of the current dialogue, and consequently begin a more meaningful discussion:

  1. Who is responsible for the education of children?
  2. What is the purpose of education?

About

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Graham Scharf
Graham is a father, the husband of a pediatrician, a former NYC Teaching Fellow, and co-founder of Tumblon. He has worked in team development, taught in an urban public school, been a full-time dad to his two young daughters. Graham spends most of his time reading, gardening, and exploring playgrounds, parks, libraries, zoos and museums.

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