Article Link: http://stage.exchangepress.com/article/the-power-of-ordinary-moments/5014152/
We are teachers. We devote our professional lives to the study and support of young children as they venture forth into a complex world. This world may differ from culture to culture, but children all over the world express great joy in the ordinary.It is true, almost by definition, that ordinary moments fill most of the child's day. Indeed, at the end of the day the ordinary moments constitute the child's story . . .
n An infant discovers her wiggly toes;
n A toddler balances food on a fork;
n A three year old pretends a shoe is a phone;
n A preschooler squeezes a popsicle out of a plastic wrapper;
n A kindergartener laughs because his opened book is upside down.
Ordinary moments are the pages in the child's diary for the day. If we could resist our temptation to record only the grand moments, we might find the authentic child living in the in-between. If we could resist our temptation to put the children on a stage, we might find the real work being done in the wings. If we understood the great value in the ordinary moments, we might be less inclined to have a marvelous finale for a long-term project. We appeal to educators everywhere to ...