One of the many moments that had me reflecting on how I loved to teach was when I lifted the toilet and saw a surprise. You read that right. I lifted the toilet seat and saw a bus. We had been fitting shapes into puzzles all day. A toddler took that to the next level and used real world examples. Trial and error, and learning what fits and what does not.
I wish I knew where I was while this experiment was being executed, but I believe it likely took seconds. However, the results were easy enough for me to interpret. The bus indeed, fit in the toilet. Success!
I was shocked but found it incredibly humourous. Taking our learning and applying it to daily life, no matter how old you are is a vital skill and one teachers need to help foster. Learning from a classroom setting that does not transfer into the real world is not as useful as learning that inspires, transfers and adds value to your life. Learning is lifelong, and takes a varied amount of steps to attain a goal. Trades, manufacturers, architects, chemists are only a few that use higher spatial reasoning and awareness in their careers. Who knows where they started to develop their skills?
It could have easily been one bus in a toilet…
