Chapter 3: Opening the Way to Understanding: Getting Children to Think About Their Own Thinking

In hindsight, my journey into teaching began long before I became a teacher. As a schoolgirl in Barbados, I was always taught to just listen and do as I was told by teachers. I knew that I had a voice and something to say but, I was not allowed to do so. For a child to ask any adult, especially teachers “why,” of any situation or to question a request from them, was not the expectation. Just the opposite was true. We were expected to just follow along.

There were no opportunities to develop my curiosities in the environment that was my school life. “Trouble” or “not smart” were ways in which I was seen. If at any time I went outside the established tight boundaries, “mischievous” was added to a growing list that described the me, they saw. I struggled in school as I tried to fit the mold. “Following along” was what I needed to do. So, I tried hard to do it. Even as a child, I knew this was not how I learned best. Any questioning that led to expressing oneself, and thinking for oneself, was frowned upon—discouraged. Children were not allowed to question. The consistent message to children was “Do as you are told.” Because rote learning was the only way to learn, my classmates and I got really good at following a script. By doing this, we were praised by the teachers as excellent students.