TIDEs: Let Go!

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge”

Albert Einstein

You never know what happens when you let go, but you have to let go to know what happens. That is why students should be allowed to express themselves in a conducive and enriched environment. Teaching bell to bell is not realistic; students need a moment to escape into their inner selves and share their thoughts with peers. Most creativity is birthed in a moment of silence and student-centered learning.

The Unilever company identified four phases of creativity (Mostert, N. M. 2007): “getting into contact with the problem, incubation time to think about a solution, the ‘aha’ moment when you think of an idea, and action to share the idea with others.” They implemented a “five minutes of silence” in their creativity sessions to allow participants to generate ideas. The business (real) world is practicing the act of silence for brainstorming and team inputs. The strategy is applicable in classroom today by allowing students to team up and hold "teacher-free' (student-centered) discussion.

Letting go occurs in different form and shape. In flipped classroom, Jackie Gerstein suggests that, “authentic, often hands-on, experiences and student interests should drive the learning process, and the videos, support the learning rather than being central or at the core of learning.” It is all about students.

The following video by Coldwell Banker depict some of the hidden knowledge and skills possessed by children and can only be tapped when they are let loose to explore real life experiences. Children in the video demonstrates their knowledge of science (colors), social studies (village and family), math (geometrical shapes they drew) and Language art (description of real estate). Something happens to children when they are let loose.