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Teaching Tips June 1, 2009 |
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by Lori Coeman 
This month's character trait is purposefulness. It reminds us of the vision God has for our homeschooling. Purposefulness keeps us going, even in the sometimes tedious drudgery of everyday life.
Whereas purposefulness deals with our overall vision for homeschooling, this month's teaching tip deals with a time-proven principle in learning: taking it one step at a time, no matter how small the step. This is known as the Daffodil Principle. Here's the story behind the principle. There was a remote church situated on the side of a mountain. Next to the church was a path with a sign that read: “Daffodil Garden.” As you followed the path, you turned a corner and were greeted by a most marvelous sight. Pouring down the sloping mountainside was a rush of gold. A vast field of daffodils planted in sweeping rivers of color, with each variety adding it's own ebb and flow to the scene. There were five acres of flowers in all. Where did the flowers come from? From just one woman. Her cottage stood in the middle of it all. On the patio there was a sign posted that explained the display. “Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking.” 1. 50,000 bulbs. 2. One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain. 3. Began in 1958. Over forty years ago one woman began to implement her vision of beauty one bulb at a time. Year after year. One day at a time. The accumulated effort forever changed the landscape around her. So when your child is struggling with a particular skill and progress seems slow, remember the Daffodil Principle. When you look at the stack of worksheets or papers to review, remember the Daffodil Principle. When you have to remind your child week after week to do a certain chore, remember the Daffodil Principle. The Daffodil Principle reminds us that sometimes progress isn't obvious. When you are on your knees in the garden, getting “down and dirty,” and all your efforts are focused on the small patch of soil in front of you, it's impossible to see the vast array of color splashed along the mountainside. As long as you can see some small progress being made – the hole dug for the bulb, the bulb in place, the soil acting as a protective covering, or the tiny sprout poking through the soil – that's all that matters for the moment. Over the long haul, the progress will become apparent. The same is true in teaching. Especially when you are trying to teach a skill that is the opposite of a child's natural way of learning. It takes time. Progress can be slow, even almost non-existent. But it's there. One bulb at a time. Be sure to teach the Daffodil Principle to your child. It can help your perfectionist not to give up trying when he or she doesn't master a skill the first time it is tried. It can motivate your concrete learner to keep practicing a skill even when he or she can't see an immediate reason to learn it. It can rein in your global learner when he or she doesn't want to bother with the details. Of course, the Daffodil Principle is not new. Isaiah 28:9-10 tells us that knowledge is passed along line by line, precept upon precept. Learning is a journey that is taken one step – or bulb – at a time until it results in a beautiful display of God's design for your child. That is the beauty of homeschooling. |
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