Transparent Feelings

I received an invitation to visit a school-age classroom where children explored the meaning of self with materials. The following are the notes from my observation.

Two children are sitting at the light table. On the table are several recycled jars filled with colorful transparent materials. A sign on the table invites the children to explore a question. “How do you feel today?”

The two children are sitting side by side, working in silence. On occasion, one child looked over to the other child and said something about their work. 

The children are working slowly while choosing items from the jars and experimenting by placing materials on the lighted surface in different patterns.

From my observation vantage point, these are the only interactions I can see. The children worked at the light table for an hour. On occasion, they took breaks to look at their work and talk a little before creating again. 

After an hour, the work period ended, and the children gathered for a meeting to share stories and songs.

The observer (me) had limited knowledge of what was happening. I only observed this one day, and I am unaware of the learning journey that led to this provocation. Is this observation still a valuable experience?

One of the questions explored in a learning story is, what does the experience mean to the witness?

This observation was meaningful because it was part of a more extensive self-examination. The documentation in the classroom shared that the investigation was an extension of a more comprehensive research question the children explored for much of the school year.

Often when visiting another classroom, there are clues about their learning journey in the environment that reveal themselves as we practice observation. Including observation into our daily routine opens windows into our learning community.

The provocation invited children to investigate themselves utilizing different materials and contexts than previous provocations. Changing materials and research methods open new opportunities for children to connect to the questions they are exploring. Changing materials invites children to begin or further their investigation of self. 

The investigation invited children to work together, share images and words about themselves, and engage in a deeper social connection. 

There was a different provocation related to this work in another classroom where children painted in tandem, sharing images and words.

The possibilities of the provocation invited educators to be open to the variety of materials at their disposal. As educators, we can embrace the possibilities of materials and create opportunities for children to explore a question from different perspectives.

All materials are in play for the possible provocation of a question. As educators, we can experiment and reflect on our ideas about materials with other educators. 

Exploring self with different materials creates opportunity. Sharing documentation with the community invites families to experience the learning journey. Seeing a child’s expression of self with other materials, dimensions, and patterns offers a depth of examination. Parents will recognize and embrace this expression as part of the co-learning process. 

What invitations have you offered children that feature many levels of materials and processes to explore the same question?