Learning- anytime, anywhere

Student:"RAWR! I'm a dinosaur! I eat other animals!!"
Me: "So, you're a carnivore?"
Student: *blank stare*
Me: "A carnivore eats meat."
Student: "yes, I'm a carnivore."
AHHHHH, LEARNING!!

Student: "I like to play in the sand"
Me: "Look what I have. I have a tablespoon. You have a teaspoon. Which one is bigger?"
Student: "The tablespoon."
Me: " I wonder how many teaspoons fit in a tablespoon. Let's find out. You get a spoonful of sand and put it in the tablespoon. How many was that?"
Student: "three"
Me: "So, there are three teaspoons in a tablespoon."
AHHHHH, LEARNING!!

I love how with children, anything can become a learning experience. These are both events that happened with children at work, and they both were learning experience. With children, they have basic knowledge, and it's the teacher's job to help them build onto that. It's part of Inquiry, but not the main focus of this blog.

A child came up to me with a toy dinosaur, and he left learning what the word carnivore meant without a textbook or worksheet. A child and I were playing in the sand and she learned about measurements without a word problem. Every opportunity is a learning opportunity.

As a teacher, it's important to turn every opportunity into a learning opportunity. You just have to keep your eyes open for them. With children, they're naturally curious and want to soak up everything they see. As a teacher, it's important to constantly be on the lookout for moments of education or insight. There are all kinds out there.