At a homeschooling meeting, Mary (a homeschooling mother of two girls) used the wonderful phrase "uninvited teaching". I thought about this term as I read various books and articles about learning. Most of my education was what could be called uninvited teaching. I was taught certain things because I was a certain age not because I was interested in the topic and therefore "invited" the teaching. It seems to me, however, that some things one does need to be taught (at a certain time?) and perhaps the secret is to be watching for those sometimes elusive moments when that teaching is invited. Shortly after this meeting, I purchased a book on geography. It has some blank outline maps in it, and I thought it would be great to launch into some geography with my kids. Mary's phrase popped into my mind and made me think"Would this be uninvited teaching?", and then, "Would a time come when it might be invited?" I decided to wait for a few days to see if an opportunity would come up. About two days later, my nine-year-old son came to me and said, "Mom, I need some maps because I am trying to sort out my stamp collection, and I don't know where all the countries are. Can we make some maps that will help me?" Ah-h-h, invited teaching! HE wants the maps because of a project HE is interested in. Intrinsic motivation is another term for it - wanting to learn or do something because it is of interest to YOU - not because someone else says you must learn or do it. This kind of learning is remembered a lot longer than most uninvited teaching. I think part of the success of homeschooling is looking for those moments, and taking advantage of them when they happen. -Marilyn Powell (From the March 2000 issue of "Nanaimo Community Home Learners" newsletter. Reprinted with permission.) |
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The Armchair Academic "Uninvited Teaching" |
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This page was last updated on: October 24, 2002
At a homeschooling meeting, Mary (a homeschooling mother of two girls) used the wonderful phrase "uninvited teaching". I thought about this term as I read various books and articles about learning. Most of my education was what could be called uninvited teaching. I was taught certain things because I was a certain age not because I was interested in the topic and therefore "invited" the teaching. It seems to me, however, that some things one does need to be taught (at a certain time?) and perhaps the secret is to be watching for those sometimes elusive moments when that teaching is invited. Shortly after this meeting, I purchased a book on geography. It has some blank outline maps in it, and I thought it would be great to launch into some geography with my kids. Mary's phrase popped into my mind and made me think"Would this be uninvited teaching?", and then, "Would a time come when it might be invited?" I decided to wait for a few days to see if an opportunity would come up. About two days later, my nine-year-old son came to me and said, "Mom, I need some maps because I am trying to sort out my stamp collection, and I don't know where all the countries are. Can we make some maps that will help me?" Ah-h-h, invited teaching! HE wants the maps because of a project HE is interested in. Intrinsic motivation is another term for it - wanting to learn or do something because it is of interest to YOU - not because someone else says you must learn or do it. This kind of learning is remembered a lot longer than most uninvited teaching. I think part of the success of homeschooling is looking for those moments, and taking advantage of them when they happen. -Marilyn Powell (From the March 2000 issue of "Nanaimo Community Home Learners" newsletter. Reprinted with permission.) |
"A child should have mudpies, grass- hoppers, waterbugs, tadpoles, frogs, mud turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts, trees to climb, animals to pet, hay fields, pine- cones, rocks to roll, sand, snakes, huckle- berries and hornets - and any child who has been deprived of these has been deprived of the best part of his or her education." -Luther Burbank |
