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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Our Guide


It turns out that learning
how to teach, has really helped
me learn about Teachers.


Recently I've been struggling to figure
out how to guide children
to explore.

Steven E. Gutstein Ph.D. said,

"Guides act as a catalyst, 
leading Apprentices to the 'edge' of their competence
 and inviting them to take one step beyond,
 but not forcing or demanding that they do so. 
They view themselves as a 'potentiating' 
and not a 'directing' force. "


Therapy then is getting the student 
to the "edge", and it is there
on the edge where the student
will grow the most.

However, the instructor should have
enough foresight to not give the
child a challenge that 
he or she cannot handle.


The teacher's role then is to:
Provide Opportunity
Support and
Give Suggestions

And the student's role is to:
Push themselves
Take suggestions
and to rely on their Guide.


This type of guidance works
well with autism in a therapy session
but, let's be honest, there's a bigger message
here as well.

It's only as we allow 
ourselves to be pushed to the "edge"
that we will truly reach
our potential.



We have to learn to rely on our Guide,
to remember that he will never give us 
a task that we cannot handle.

We HAVE to take his suggestions,
no matter how contrary to our
simple minds they seem.



Because.
When we're pushed is
when we can truly learn and grow.