Heartfelt Answer

There is a practice of one way students answer a question at ESA that I'd like to share, a practice that works with intelligence, compassion and confidence simultaneously.  It goes like this:

A teacher asks the class a question, and tells  the students to place a "thumbs up" next to their hearts when they know the answer.   The students are given a period of time to work on the problem silently, and when the teacher sees a certain number of students holding the answer- and sometimes this number is everyone- the teacher then calls on one of them.

This method of responding accomplishes a number of things different from the more traditional "raise your hand and I'll call on the first one" approach.  First of all, placing a thumb up over your heart area feels different than shooting your hand up.... try it!  Also, waiting to respond allows for the answer to sink more deeply into your experience.  And by giving others the chance to come up with the answer is an expression of the  group journey and not just about getting it right yourself.  Sometimes the teacher will write another more difficult problem on the board for the first responders to chew on while waiting for the others, but sometimes just being in the space while others are working it out is a practice of patience, generosity, and self-reflection.

I was having dinner with a friend the other night and he re-counted how in a social gathering he has to work hard on listening to others in a group and letting them reach their own conclusions instead of trying to "seal the deal" for them.  We can give our children a wonderful gift by having them learn the joy, beauty, and power of waiting, waiting in the spirit of allowing others to find their own truths.

My blog is going to take its own holiday break and will be back on December 1st.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  

Steven