This quote by Maria Montessori think about how I have been teaching and am going to teach the Lil Tiger going forward. It really made me see things (in this case education and life skills) in a different light.
“Do not tell them how to do it. Show them how to do it and do not say a word. If you tell them they will watch your lips move. If you show them, they will want to do it themselves”.
The other day, after reading this quote, the Lil’ Tiger came up to me with a problem. She asked if I could help her unzip her favorite pencil case. Instead of just unzipping it for her, I told her to look at my hands. I unzipped and zipped the pencil case a couple of times without uttering a single word and gave the pencil case back to her, zipped, and told her it’s her turn to do it. The Lil’ Tiger unzipped the pencil case with ease and the look on her face was priceless. To know that she has done something for herself was amazing.
The next day, she was sitting on our lounge room floor with her wooden blocks, Papa Nic came over and together they built buildings and houses. I was observing from the kitchen and I could see her just watching Papa Nic built his house with full concentration. They both said nothing. She then copied what he did and her house looks exactly like his. Amazing.
On Sunday, I was making tortillas to freeze, and the Lil’ Tiger decided to sit and watch me in the kitchen. As I was kneading the dough (again quietly without saying a word), I could see from the corner of my eye, she was trying to copy my hand movements and muttering to herself. She sat there watching me for a good half hour and then went to her table and played with her playdoh. She copied everything I did, kneading and rolling out the tortilla and told me she made “tortia” as well, just like mummy!
It is really amazing how the mind works. We, well I, spend so much time telling the Lil’ Tiger or any one how to do things over and over again and 4/5 times, I fail at it. This is the reason why! They were watching my lips! They were listening to me instead of watching what I was doing. Even I learn better that way. That was how I learnt to crochet. By watching youtube videos on mute because I find all the talking and instructing very distracting. Now why hadn’t I thought that it would be the way the Lil’ Tiger would learn as well? Maybe I should start showing her how to do it instead of telling her how it’s done from now on.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? DO YOU AGREE?
