What can children do? What do they want? What do they need?

The intentional teacher pauses to think about how they want to start the year. How will you build on children’s strengths?

Here are a few prompts to get you started. 

Children can…

Children want…

Children need…

Maybe it is time for a little webbing! (See the Chapter on Following Children’s Interests for more on brainstorming ideas with colleagues and children.)

What did you come up with?

Here are a few thoughts from us that guide our thinking about intentional teaching and learning that is relevant to children’s lives. 

It is a powerful list. Imagine classrooms where this happens all the time.  It happens by building strong images of children.

Now make some connections to what children need in order to learn – beyond of course the basic needs of food, shelter, etc.

This equally powerful list speaks to children’s need to feel their power as learners. This is cultivated by compelling and interesting provocations and the list begins to address some practices that support children’s learning experiences and their evolution as learners.  

Consider what you think children can and want to do, and what they need to do it.  Do you provide the space for the things you believe in?  Why or why not?  What would need to change for you to have your teaching experiences reflect these lists?  

What would you add to these lists? How would your colleagues or staff respond? Try kicking off the school year with this exercise at your opening meetings. We would love to hear what is on your list. The online course has lots of opportunity for this kind of reflection and you can register here! Let us know if you are interested in group rates.