Education, upholds
the fundamental belief that all children are born with the ability to interpret
ideas and information depending upon their exposure to a limited or extended
horizon. They hold distinct views and opinions and often hold strong conviction
when provided with a platform to express. Sadly however, this journey of
self-discovery is more than often curtailed owing to ‘authoritative attitudes’
and the ignorant logic of ‘obedience’.
Thinking is a
skill that needs to be developed in the early years to establish the child as a
Thinking Individual. Children need to be taught to value their capacity to
think and use it as a successful tool in their journey to self-actualization.
To reach their complete potential and be able to unfurl their learning using
reason and logic as supreme.
To make this
possible, they need to explore their thoughts frequently, understand the
relevance of words to communicate these thoughts effectively and be able to
justify their strong stance or views. Self-expression is a combination of
the many soft skills such as critical observation, communication,
collaboration, conflict resolution, persistence, negotiation skills etc.
Children, who
are nurtured in a tolerant and opinion friendly environment, grow up to become
confident and whole people. Their ability to express their choices and likes
and dislikes defines them as healthy and positive spirits. On the contrary,
regulating the child’s thought process based on set notions and accepted norms
can lead to a starkly unfulfilled and unproductive life.
The skill to
reason is primary to learning and logical expression. Therefore it is extremely
important to inculcate the right attitudes that lead to a sound base. The most
important attribute to reason is undoubtedly “Curiosity”. The urge to find out.
The excitement to embark upon a new adventure. Curiosity must be accommodated
with an open minded dialogue and by providing a platform to examine the
diversity of thought. Here, the freedom to explore possibilities is crucial to
building up a claim. The autonomy to share their profound proposals and designs
without the fear of being ridiculed and rejected.
Once the mind
starts to investigate, it leads up to the next level of reason that is “Respect
for Evidence”. Here children meet up with the lessons of acceptance and logical
progression in arguments. At this point, it is most important to communicate
without losing the focus. All the space that is required for a fair and comprehensive
study and interaction should be provided to the children maintaining the facts
and realities. This will develop their ability to differentiate between
argument and discussion. The tact of listening as much as speaking. The need to
validate propositions.
Sometimes,
while in the process to make sense, the road to success meets up with a dead
end. It creates uncertainty and leaves the child with many clues but no
confirmation of the truth. This can be a very frustrating and demotivating
process. In this scenario, it is important to create a ladder of achievement
that indicates a percentage of success attained with each step. The belief that
success lies in the journey and it is important to applaud any amount of
growth. The value of contribution made to the dialogue to reach a certain
conclusion is an integral part of the process and in the end, every voice
matters.
Expression is
simpler when children are little toddlers imbibing pictures from their familiar
environment and surroundings. They accept them to be the only facts and as soon
as they experience a different perspective, they fall into an internal
conflict. A significant aspect of their social development, conflict is the
catalyst that triggers and enhances the mental capacity to reason and develop a
dialogue. The argument can however leave them empty and disillusioned if not
handled with sensitivity and the tools of reflection with honesty. Critical
analysis or reflection is a character building tool that boosts the thinking
power of an individual. It indicates a celebration of the sound mental growth.
Perseverance
is yet another key to the kingdom of success. It encompasses the positive
energies of a child to the faith in finding out the unknown. Here again, the
significance of the teacher, parent or society is unmatched. The support that
pushes the child forward in the forest of discovery can very well absorb the
patience and determination needed to come to some conclusion. The fear of
failure can easily take over the power of rationale and any miscalculation in
these attitudes can hinder the growth of a child as a thinking individual.
There is fear of developing a quitter. Here again, the absence of a platform to
express disappointment and distress can lead to unhealthy perceptions of self and
low self-esteem. To keep the operation in action, we need to release our fears,
our sense of loss and inner turmoil to be able to replenish our faith and sense
of optimism.
Reason is
monumental in nature. It can be very animated or at the same time completely
apathetic. In both cases, it is up to the child to use his/her imagination to
help others understand the evolving logic. This is a creative process that
surprisingly leads to many undiscovered paths and can lay down the foundation
for a complete new standpoint. It is considered to be the only true potential
that can help strengthen the quality of thinking or rather the ability to think
beyond the facts. The debate that leads to infinite possibilities is
fundamental to self-expression.
Teachers, often
come across children in the classroom who amaze them with their capacity to
think differently or in a unique manner. The lessons are much more fun, when
they challenge the idea presented. There are no set formulas in a thinking
classroom. There are no decided conclusions in a logical debate. The idea is to
explore every abstraction and listen to all intentions without holding any
judgements.
I read an
interesting story in a book titled, “Teaching Children to Think” by Robert
Fisher where one of the parent was telling a teacher:
“My son was
almost two and we were on the street for a walk. As we stood round the corner,
a man wearing a soldier’s costume appeared on the road seated quite proudly on
his trotting horse. My son got really excited and shouted, ‘look daddy, there’s
a big dog!’ I immediately responded, ‘It’s not a dog son, it’s a horse.’ And to
this day I regret having jumped to that conclusion. I wish that I had
investigated his thoughts a little more to get a glimpse of his world inside
that had lead him to believe the animal to be a dog. I had encroached his space
to share his beliefs and hypothesis.”
It is indeed
a great lesson to have been shared. Often as teachers and parents, we jump to
conclusions closing budding questions and probabilities to new inventions. We
find it convenient as it saves us time and wins us some pattern of obedience.
Our responses mostly highlight authority and rigidity. We categorize the
vividly imaginative mind to be dull and washed out. The plethora of
possibilities is left unexplored and the sprouting speculations are silenced.
Thinking or
making reason is linked to some form of emotion at the core. The motivation to
learn comes from striking a balance between the logic and the emotional drive
to prove the claim right or wrong. The gravity and value of transferring these
‘thinking skills’ to our children, can at no point be undermined. Autonomous
thinkers are logical orators. They are emotionally and socially optimistic and
self-assured. Self-expression is every child’s right and it greatly determines
his/her well-being and representation as a complete individual asserting his individuality
with respect for diverse perspectives.
