Connecting the Dots . . .

Laura Secrist
 

One of the traditions that has been a part of my family for years is carving pumpkins. It started when my children were young, and keeps growing. More and more people are added each year now that my children bring their significant others, cousins join us, and grandchildren have begun to arrive.

This was the second year that Madyx came to join in on the festivities. Last year she was five and wasn’t sure she even wanted to touch the pumpkin guts, but this year she was all in and bound and determined to have her carved-pumpkin design be as complicated as those of the “big” kids gathered around the table.

She scoured the design ideas and found just the right one to trace. I knew at a glance that the one she had picked was going to be difficult for her. She had found the letter M in a fancy outline and was determined to make it work. I carefully traced it onto a piece of paper and gave her some words of advice on how to go about tackling the job. After showing her how to use the little pumpkin-carving tool, she began to carve and I walked away, glancing over every once in a while to make sure she was still on the right track.

Madyx worked diligently, carving out her M, and then got to a point where she was stuck. You see, as she was carving by herself, she was doing pretty well, but every once in a while, she would pull out her carving tool and miss a little bit when she put the tool back in. When she went to push out the carved piece, it was loose but wouldn’t come out. It was time for someone to help. 

I sat with her on my lap, and we talked through it. I helped her connect the dots she had made together, and after some hard work we gently nudged the pieces out. It was a masterpiece with a capital M. Madyx was so excited, she grinned from ear to ear. She had done it, all by herself, and the sense of accomplishment was evident to all who were there. 

As the house quieted down and everyone went home, I reflected on what had happened. Here was a little girl who was very engaged and determined to make what she had in mind work for her. I could have told her that it was going to be too hard and given her an easier job that she wouldn’t need my help with. Instead I had chosen to be there as she got started, given her some advice about how to go about doing the task, and then watched as she worked from afar so that she had a sense of independence with her task. At just the right moment I pulled up alongside her and helped her connect the dots as I coached her along to unveil her masterpiece.

As I continued to reflect, it dawned on me how much this was like the Daily 5 model. What goals are we setting with students to help them accomplish something that is not an independent skill for them (yet)? What tools and skills are we giving them to work on this goal independently throughout their Daily 5 rounds? How are we using the conferring notebook to help keep track of who we meet with so that we can provide guidance at just the right moment?

Each day we have the ability to help students connect the dots and watch the masterpiece of learning come to life.