I have discovered the hardest but most important thing about student inquiry. This thought has been building in me for a while. For a long time I have had an inclination that I was on to something, but I now know I've got it.
The hardest yet most important thing we can teach children is to learn how to change their mind about something.
Where else other than student inquiry do the children really get a chance to develop their thoughts and ideas along a path only to find that they are way off. The skill of developing a hypothesis, then proving or disproving it is very important. The problem is children are driven (Often Blindly) to prove that they are right because that's what people do. No one ever wants to be wrong.
The thing I have struggled to do the most tho this year is to help children change their mind without blatantly saying; "Sorry but that is wrong and doesn't fit with the rest of your research."
I am working hard at the moment to help the kids make these changes. It's been hard this unit particularly because we all thought we knew so much about being healthy.
Keep up the great deep and meaningful reflections Sam.
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