Creative Tutors of Cypress-Fairbanks

Poor Thinker vs. Good Thinker

"The poor thinker dashes madly after a quick answer; the good thinker takes his time and really looks at the problem, spends quality time with it...The good thinker can take his time because he can tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty; he can stand not knowing for extended periods.  The poor thinker can't stand not knowing for any amount of time; it drives him crazy not to know.  All breakthrough learning occurs amidst great confusion and deep mystery, in the vast space of unlimited possibility that shows up when we embrace these things.  So many possible solutions and often downright miracles are flushed down the drain in the rush to get and have the answer."  John Holt

Jimmy

Categories: Parent | Permalink | 2 feedbacks »

Comments:

Comment from: sid in katy [Member]

10/21/09 @ 06:50

Teachers bemoan the fact that their students are not critical thinkers and refuse to let them figure out, or at least attempt to figure out what the answers are, as the students' interests guide them. When I ask a kid why a historical figure did what he/she did, at first I get no answer. Then, with probing and prompting questions, I lead them to find the answer for themselves. History becomes a story with all its humanity and holds their interest. Literature becomes fascinating as an expression of the great creative art that it can be. Math becomes a great puzzle to be solved with connections to what is really happening in their lives. Science becomes a series of events, like history, as we explore the same experiments scientists have done before. We repeat them and report them, even when they turn out differently than was expected. We have fun searching for why the experiment did not work, just as Thomas A. Edison did in his more than 1500 light bulb failures. And a great teacher can show how all of this is relevant to the student's own life and seizes on opportunities that occur every day to show that relevance.

For more on this in the American education system please go to JohnTaylorGatto.com. That is why I am having so much success in teaching as a tutor one on one to students who want to get through the American education system with something more than TAKS scores and A’s assigned by martinets.

Sid in Katy

Comment from: Johnny Ogletree [Member]

10/21/09 @ 15:17

I have a similar approach with teaching on Sundays and at home with my kids. God said is best when He said, "let us reason together" and how Paul went to the synagogues to reason with those present. In other words, we have to enter into conversation and dialogue, allowing the mind to churn and digest what all have presented, discussing all angles and information until we come to the conclusion that reveals the truth. One of my father’s favorite quotes is “dialogue reveals incoherent thoughts”, and I believe this to be true as well.

Much like churning butter, the cream will eventually rise, but this is the result of much hard work, time and effort. I do believe that our microwave society in some way has harmed our learners, making our next generation of minds more download oriented as opposed to input and dictation. We have become accustomed to downloading information and using applications just minutes after the connection has been made, and with learning, we all know this isn't the case. Few of us can download process and use information just after the first encounter, and take longer to master the information and application than usual.

We must thus, train our kids to learn to think and to enjoy the journey of wrestling with the unknown, understanding that our greatest discoveries were made from someone asking a question, and working until they have found a solution. If we can't do this, the future is very grim, because education will become frustrating to the learner.

Sid, you are an awesome teacher, and thanks for posting Jimmy. This is an awesome thought.

Johnny O

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Meet Johnny & Quinita Ogletree | Owners

Johnny grew up in Houston and there after receiving his graduate degree. He has spent time working with and serving families and children for over nine years, as a mentor, family therapist, and substitute teacher. Johnny earned a B.S. in Political Science and Master of Divinity at Samuel D. Proctor School of Theology. He has spent most of his time working in the community as a role model and mentor and has worked as the Pastor of Community Life for over five years. Currently working as Teen Pastor there, Johnny has a heart for children and enjoys seeing them excel and reach their full potential.

Quinita attended Virginia Union University under a Presidential Scholar Award and obtained a B.A. in Psychology and Master of Divinity from the Samuel D. Proctor School of Theology. She has recently completed work on her second Masters degree from University of Houston in Educational Psychology, and is now enrolled at Texas A & M in pursuit of her Doctorate. Quinita hails from a family of educators who have served the public for over 30 years. Quinita has worked in the field of education for over eight years, as an Assistant Director of Preschool and Christian Academy; teacher at a NAEYC accredited school, tutor, and nanny. She is a life-long learner, who is interested in seeing children enjoy excelling academically while pursing scholarly endeavors. She is passionate about equipping children with educational skills that will transform their lives and prepare them for a rewarding career. Her job requires her to develop and implement an after-school program and supervise a staff and deal directly with parents and student of all ages.