I have been thinking a lot about the magic of childhood recently. I think the combination of Fourth of July family get-togethers, preparing for my daughter’s upcoming wedding, and the news of Michael Jackson’s death culminated to spark sentimental childhood memories and re-sparked my interest in inquiry-based learning as it applies to our students.
No childhood is perfect and not all childhood memories are happy, but I do believe I am blessed when I compare my childhood and that of my children to the childhood experience of a celebrity like Michael Jackson. I cherish happy family and (mostly) happy school memories. It seems probable that Michael Jackson’s talent was shadowed by a childhood that many of us could not imagine. Fame, talent, and high parental expectations seemingly impacted Michael’s life and happiness. I never heard or saw Jackson’s video Childhood until his recent death (yes, sometimes I do believe I live in a vacuum called adulthood). When I watched and listened to Michael in the video he seemed to be singing chords of sadness and regret. I posted the video and lyrics at the end of this post.
Obviously, we cannot create happy childhoods for every child we encounter, but how do we as parents and educators help make childhood memories magical? I don’t think money or inflated compliments create everlasting memories for children. Taking time to go for a hike, playing a game, reading a book, or working on a project creates everlasting memory-forming magic that cannot be replaced by audience applause or a computer program. And certainly, no activity replaces conversation that involves giving a child your undivided attention. Encourage your children and students and help them find something they can be passionate about. Learning can be fun and rewarding year round, especially in the summer when students have more time to experience and explore topics of interest.
A twitter friend recently sent me a a direct message twitter asking if I knew of any sites or could offer advice that would help her five-year old continue to develop her interest in birds. (I twitter about the birds in my feeder a lot; I am intrigued and fascinated by any species that can take flight and land gracefully on a small perch.) My response to my friend was this…buy your daughter a pair of binoculars, a bird feeder, and bird seed. I should have taken my advice a bit further (but, twitter only allows 140 characters after all). When children show an interest in anything whether it is birds, flowers, the latest comic character….whatever…support that interest by going to the library for books. Sit with the youngster and help him look for additional information online using a child-safe search engine. Have you used Ivy’s Search Engine Resources page? It is a wonderful portal that features numerous kid-friendly search tools…a great resource, especially for younger children.
Summer is the perfect time to give children [all ages] an opportunity to immerse themselves researching topics that they enjoy and value. Provide graphic organizers and journals so eager learners can record information and facts they encounter during the immersion/research stage. Support children’s inquisitive natures as you encourage them to share their new-found knowledge. Children can write reports, create digital storybooks, develop a wiki or blog, or simply share information at the dinner table. You will be surprised at how eagerly children will share information about a topic that truly interests them. My children still talk about our summer fossil hunting excursions and remember all the wildflowers and trees we used to identify while hiking.
Here is the Michael Jackson video that helped spark the thoughts that lead to this post….
And here are the lyrics to the song in the video…
Have you seen my Childhood?
I’m searching for the world that I come from
‘Cause I’ve been looking around
In the lost and found of my heart…
No one understands me
They view it as such strange eccentricities…
‘Cause I keep kidding around
Like a child, but pardon me…
People say I’m not okay
‘Cause I love such elementary things…
It’s been my fate to compensate,
for the Childhood
I’ve never known…
Have you seen my Childhood?
I’m searching for that wonder in my youth
Like pirates in adventurous dreams,
Of conquest and kings on the throne…
Before you judge me, try hard to love me,
Look within your heart then ask,
Have you seen my Childhood?
People say I’m strange that way
‘Cause I love such elementary things,
It’s been my fate to compensate,
for the Childhood I’ve never known…
Have you seen my Childhood?
I’m searching for that wonder in my youth
Like fantastical stories to share
The dreams I would dare, watch me fly…
Before you judge me, try hard to love me.
The painful youth I’ve had
Have you seen my Childhood…
(I found these lyrics on the A-Z Lyrics Universe site)
We all seek our chidhoods from time to time, whether our memories are happy or sad. Rest in peace Michael.
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Here is a magical little bonus site I created as a Magic portal a while ago: Abracadabra! Inquiry-based learning isn’t just for kids, you know!
