How to teach children to think in an original
A Life / / December 19, 2019
A new book by the psychologist Grant "Originals" Adam (Originals) is useful to both parents and teachers. It Grant writes about how to teach children not to be afraid to take risks, exhibit curiosity and thinking outside the box. Journalist on nprED Elissa street has selected the most interesting advice.
Adam Grant (Adam Grant)
An expert on relations between psychology professor from the Wharton School of Business, the bestselling author of "Take or give away."
For parents
Encourage children to take risks
One of the major mistakes of many parents - the introduction of too many rules. The rules do not teach children to think for themselves. Because of them, the children try to either completely avoid risk, or risk only in those cases when it is possible to avoid punishment. But the fear of risk does not allow the child to try something new and unusual to seek ways out of the situation.
So more emphasis on values rather than rules. For example, instead of "This is what you can do, but that can not be" better to say: "These are the principles that we value in our family, let's talk about how you want to use them."
Well, you need to completely abandon the rules and not to entrust children to any household chores? Not. The policy itself - it's not bad. The main thing - to explain why they are important. It is not necessary to focus only on carrots and sticks. Better to say, "Here's what our rules. Here's what they mean to us. Here's how they are related to the fact that we value. "
Explain to your child why you need something from him
So you teach a child to justice. Charging some things around the house, explains: "This is why it is important that the house was clean and tidy" or "That's why we take care of their things." Children love it when they can do something to help and participate in family life. If you properly formulate domestic duties, the child will not feel that they limit his freedom.
for teachers
Use mosaic method
This method It was developed in 1971 by psychologist Elliot Aronson. It implies that students are working together on some project and depend on each other. "Perhaps we will teach children to listen to each other and respect each other, if we entrust them with joint projects that are going like a mosaic", - said Aronson.
For example, students are given the task to study the biography of a historical figure, and then talk about it to the class. All the students are divided into groups, each working on a specific period of the life of this man. Then the project is put together and everyone talks about his part.
This not only helps children to better understand each other, but also gives them the opportunity to look at the problem from a new perspective, that is, developing their original thinking.
The correct approach is to work in groups
Studies have confirmed that the group work is not always effectiveProductivity Loss in Brainstorming Groups: A Meta-Analytic Integration. . If you put together five students and have a brainstorming session, the idea received as a result will not be as original. And in general they will be less than in the case, if each of the students to work independently.
This complicates the work of teachers and runs counter to the conventional wisdom that one head is good, two is better. Here are several reasons why group work is not as effective as it seems.
First, it is simply impossible to talk all at once. As a result, some of the ideas and some of the students are not heard. Secondly, there is the so-called threat to the ego, because we are afraid to look stupid, and do not express their most unusual ideas aloud. Well and thirdly, the unwillingness to stand out.
Usually speaks a couple of popular ideas, and everyone in the group agrees with them, not trying to propose some radical new way to solve the problem.
Therefore it is best to give the students time to work on their own, and only then assemble them into groups to discuss ideas. As a group, just easier to evaluate which ideas really can be applied in life.
Do not be afraid of procrastination
In addition to well-known procrastination there is also prekrastinatsiya. Prekrastinatory like to get down to business as quickly as possible and to finish it before the appointed time. It's great impact on productivity, but for creativity is only a hindrance.
If we are immediately immersed in the work, we do not give yourself time to think about the problem.
If we finish early, we just do not have time to approach the task outside the box and stop at the very first idea. So procrastination in this case only plays into our hands.
So teachers can approach this problem: charge for a job, and give students time to work on it. Then extend the deadline the work and advised to return to the ideas that students first shallows. This will give them the time and opportunity to approach the task more original.
Of course, if you postpone everything until the last moment, no creative ideas will not appear in their place there stress and a desire to somehow have time to date. In this situation, we stop at the first came to a head the idea. Therefore, it is important to teach children how to balance: to wait for the right moment, but still perform tasks.