Wobble... This word and the idea of it really got me thinking today. I feel like wobble is good and we should embrace it, but it is not an easy task. I read a quote today that I think embodies this idea:
"In a day, when you don't come across any problems - you can be sure that you are traveling in a wrong path." - Swami Vivekananda
I think seeing wobbling as this will help me in the future when faced with things that make me feel uncomfortable and uneasy. These are things I know I should dive into and just experience, but again, it is very difficult. This got me thinking about all of the expectations that we put on our students and how they must feel when faced with something that makes them wobble. I saw a direct link to motivation here. Often, if I am in a situation where I feel wobbly I often back down and shy away from it. I don't want to put as much effort into it because I don't get it or can't figure it out. I get frustrated and then my motivation is very low. This probably happens with our students more frequently than we think.
I think if we present things in the right way and allow students time to recognize their wobbliness and work through it, that is when learning is present. Giving students time...Giving students time... Giving students time.... I repeat this because I realize this is an area where I am wobbly. I am always ready to move on even when my students might not be. What would happen to motivation if we give students time to recognize their wobbliness and work through it?
I appreciate your honesty here Monica. Sometimes its so easy to just ignore those moments when we feel uncomfortable instead of embracing them and pushing through them. But as you said, we are modeling behavior for our students so we have to be willing to feel the wobbliness and embrace it so that they realize its okay to do the same.
ReplyDeleteWhat I love about this idea of wobbliness is the word itself. Its kind of a fun, non-threatening word. It gives language to this kind of somewhat "icky" feeling I've had before. But, because the word is so non-threatening and almost fun, it changes my perspective on this idea. It makes it okay to be in a wobbly space. It doesn't have to be scary.