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A Teachable Moment?
May 16, 2014
Don't praise your furnace when the house is cold.
-Russian proverb
-Russian proverb
In The Goodness of Rain, Ann Pelo describes being with 16-month-old Dylan on a beach when Ann spots two bald eagles in a nearby tree...
"My heart skips a beat. What a glory, to stand so close to these two fierce-beaked, strong-bodied raptors! I gesture to the tree, telling Dylan with excitement, 'That cry is the call of eagles. There are two of them in that cottonwood tree!' Dylan peers upward for a moment, then returns her attention to the stony beach, and to the many rocks waiting to be flung into the water.
"I wrestle with whether I ought to urge Dylan to attend to the eagles. To be so close to the wildness of eagles is an extraordinary thing. But the tree and the sky and the eagles quilt together in shades of gray, brown, and black; it's difficult to make out the eagles in the tree, if you don't know what to look for — and Dylan doesn't. She doesn't know 'eagle,' the word or the raptor. This is an opportunity for her to learn 'eagle,' yes, but only with some determined effort by both of us.
"I decide not to force the moment. Dylan delights in her rock throwing, and she's well ensconced on the beach, toes right at the water's edge. I could ask her to look for the eagles in the tree, could point her toward their bright white heads as a way to identify them, could, in these ways, introduce her to eagles. But I don't know how to communicate what I really want her to know: that it is a rare and holy thing to stand beneath twin eagles. The words I would fumble my way to would be inadequate to capture the signifying grace of he eagles' presence — and, anyway, they'd be unintelligible to Dylan, only 16 months old. There is no instruction to offer. What I can give Dylan, in this moment, is my reverence, my glad astonishment at our good fortune, my upward gaze, and wordless watching."
Developing an Ecological Identity in Young Children |
"Reading The Goodness of Rain made my heart soar. With her beautiful descriptions of guiding young Dylan into seeing the details of the natural world around her, Ann Pelo offers us a clear picture of how we can offer children a strong sense of place in their upbringing." – Margie Carter Join author Ann Pelo on her year-long journey as she nurtures the ecological identity of a toddler and discovers for herself what it means to live in relationship with the natural world. |
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Comments (5)
Displaying All 5 CommentsUnited States
This book refreshed my thinking about teaching, reaffirmed the importance of being in the moment thoughtfully and teaching at the pace of the child I was with. I switched to teaching toddlers after 15 years of teaching 3-5 year olds and this book was integral in helping me make that transition, to help me see the learning in moments not filled with talk and pushy teaching techniques. It's a beautiful read for parents and teachers.
Resources for Infant Educarers
Ojai, California, United States
My three year-old granddaughter chose the name "Tip Toe Forest" for the wooded area on my property one soft beginning of her growing sense of reverence for the natural world. As she, her twin brother and I walked along the leaf-strewn way among the trees, I was home with myself in their midst. I never knew I could feel so connected again to that world while becoming my inner self's hope for lightness of being. Thank you, Ann Pelo, for pointing the way for us grown-ups to look down and revere the world through the eyes of these sentient beings who embrace us all with their vision.
House of Neuville Jewels
Dallas, Tx, United States
Our teachable moment for a child might not mean anything to him/her.
Young children are learning new things all the the time. It was the adult's teachable moment, for herself to enjoy the eagles,
and let the child continue to enjoy the rock-throwing. All was in perfect order.
East Coast Migrant Head Start Project
Lakeland, Florida, United States
I always look forward to the ExchangeEveryDay offerings. They are so good at getting to the heart of our work and play with children. This story took my breath away. What speaks to us of natural beauty is indeed a most worthy offering to share with children but how clearly this guides us paying attention and knowing when to do this and when to allow the flow of a child's focus and delight.
Creativity in Learning
Cumberland, ME, United States
This is a stunning passage. Ann Pelo’s writing captures so beautifully both her spirit and Dylan’s. Dylan’s delight in rock throwing and water and the beach equals Ann’s awe, as an adult, in coming upon the eagles. Ann’s respect for Dylan’s 16-month-old wonder is quite moving.
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