Yoda, And Reading With 4th Graders

“Truly wonderful the mind of a child is.”

     –     Yoda, from Star Wars, Episode II:  Attack of The Clones

Last week I was called upon to “assist” in our 4th graders’ classroom.  By the time the appointed hour rolled around, I was pressed for time.  A client needed something, and I was struggling with how to tell the story — because it wasn’t necessarily what they wanted (or thought they needed) to hear.

As my iPhone alarm pinged, reminding me to cruise on over to Westlawn Elementary, I was THIS close to calling the school to cancel.

Turns out my client will be happy I went.  I know I am, anyway.

Part of my assignment was to lead the kids in reading a story from their Treasures book, and to ask questions along the way.

Watching and listening to the 4th graders, whether they were big fans of Reading Time or not, really get in to the story, I was reminded how much our “filters” influence our perspective.  Their answers to my questions jumped from the perspectives of relatively blank, 10-year-old slates.  With little pre-disposition to outcomes, they were engaged in rampant “possibility thinking.”  Their answers were influenced primarily by their ideas of what they’d like to have happen next, thanks to not being burdened by a life or career of “tried that.  Didn’t work.”

Their answers led to different questions, which led to ideas about where the story might be going.  And, while they figured out the lesson of the story before they got there, it only increased their enthusiasm to get through the story.

It was pretty danged neat.

When I got back, I called my client.  I asked, “If you were going to write this scenario out like a story for a fourth grade class, how would you begin the story?”  About six questions later, we were at a “happy place” and the lesson of the clients’ story was evident.

I probably ought to donate part of my fee to Mrs. Ingham’s 4th grade class.

Those kids made a difference today.  For a consultant, and his client.  And a 4th graders’ dad.