Friday, May 13, 2011

You never expect it

Young children always look at things in a way you would never expect. I was reminded of an example the other day.
In kindergarten we spent much of the first day going over classroom rules. Because 5 year olds usually can't read, I posted three pictures at the front of the class to remind students of the rules. We discussed each one so they would be perfectly clear.
The first showed a little girl raising her hand. The second was a child sitting properly on the floor, legs crossed and hands in their lap. The third picture showed a little boy with his finger held up to his lips as if to say,"Shhhhh", reminding kids to be quiet.
One day when I asked if anyone knew what that picture reminded us of, one student raised his hand and said, "Don't pick your nose."

What I learned: Never assume that a child understands things the way you see it.