\u201cKids will never understand fully if you just tell them the answer.\u00a0 They have to break it down and understand it, take it piece by piece \u2018cause if you get it straight on you\u2019ll never know what happened. Like if you\u2019re building something you\u2019ll never understand how it\u2019s built, you can never build it again because you don\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
You might think this quote comes from an experienced teacher who has worked with many students over years of seeing how they learn best. \u00a0Someone who has found that over time best practices have shown that individuals must spend time with material and grapple with their own understanding in order to learn for understanding. \u00a0However, this weekend I heard a fifth grade student named Jessica say this very quote in a video.<\/a>\u00a0 Words of wisdom from this young student who has experienced learning in a way that has been very meaningful to her. \u00a0Another teacher puts it this way:<\/p>\n “We’re asking students to do things that, at first, may be a little beyond them. But because of the way we present it, they find that they can do it. They’re not finding out how to do it by listening to the teacher explain. \u00a0They’re experiencing themselves as people who are capable of learning increasingly difficult skills<\/strong>. Confidence comes from knowing that “I can do it!” – Ted Swartz, Ph.D.<\/em><\/p>\n