A New Day on the Horizon

For some children, the pandemic was a break from school. It was a break that provided the space for children to play and to think the way they want, explore ideas and try new things. Children got to “think outside the box”  and smash ideas together to create new ideas as solutions to childhood challenges. For example, one of my Littles does not like writing so he used Emojis to do a written response. This kind of thinking requires children to draw on their own thinking and sometimes, the thinking of others who have a set of skills and experiences that are different from theirs. The pandemic allowed children to engage in divergent thinking. Anytime children engage in thinking they are learning, however, divergent thinking allows the mind to go rogue. A rogue mind leads to learning that looks, feels, and sounds different than school learning. School learning is controlled by the teacher and there is little room for students to “think outside the box” of the teacher’s thinking. One of my Little’s described the constraints of school to their siblings this way, “…do you realize that we have to sit in the four walls of the classroom for 7 ½ hours!” Directly from the mouths of babes! What is my Little really saying about his/her school experience?

So as you prepare to reopen school, think about the children who, before the pandemic, were challenged by the constraints of school, the daydreamers and off-taskers. Think about the children who stopped frequently during a 20 minute independent reading time and appeared to zone out.  What if these behaviors are signs of divergent thinking? Consider what is possible if teachers get curious about the behaviors that once were considered disruptive. As a leader who may be looking to “do” school differently, you will want to consider your thoughts about the described behaviors so that you are better able to support teachers in transforming how they respond to divergent thinkers.

Here are some questions that come to mind for me in regards to daydreaming and off task behaviors.

• What about the learning experience is causing divergent thinkers to not engage?

• Does the learning experience require divergent thinkers to critically think or is the experience about rote memorization?

• Is the task cognitively demanding?

When tasks are cognitively demanding, daydreaming and off task behaviors support divergent thinkers’ ability to sustain the cognitively demanding task. Daydreaming and off-task behaviors provide mental breaks to clear the mind for new ways of thinking. I would venture to say that daydreaming and off-task behaviors are necessary for learning and if facilitated could lead to powerful learning. In environments where divergent thinking is encouraged, daydreaming and off-task behaviors are welcomed. Out of the box thinking is fueled by engagement outside of the task one is working on. The more diverse the off-task time, the better the chances are of divergent thinkers creatively and innovatively coming up with ideas that normally would not seem possible. What is possible if the teachers you work with are prepared to tap into these behaviors to move instruction forward?

Here are some questions that come to mind in regards to stopping frequently during the 20 minute independent reading time and appearing to zone out.

• What does it look like to zone out? What does it look like to be reflective? Might zoning out and being reflective look the same?

• What are observable reading behaviors of divergent thinkers?

• What specific information would I need to best support a divergent thinker as they read?

One way for teachers to gather specific information to best support divergent thinkers during independent reading would be to talk with divergent thinkers about their reading. Talking with a divergent thinker about what they are reading is essential for moving the reader to deeper understanding. Here is an example of how I would begin the reading conversation with a daydreamer.

“It looks like you are thinking about what you are reading. What are you thinking about? What in the book made you think that? How does that thinking help you understand the story?”

By taking a few minutes and asking these questions a teacher can gather useful information about how divergent thinkers make sense of text. The teacher also gains a better understanding of whether the book selection is appropriate. With the information gathered, the teacher is better able to make in the moment instructional decisions that would result in a different learning experience for divergent thinkers. What is possible if the teachers you work with begin reading conversations like this? How might these conversations help teachers focus on how the student is coming to an understanding that is relevant and meaningful to the student? 

As you are planning for the reopening of school, consider what supports you want to help teachers with that will support divergent thinkers. In what ways are you preparing for the divergent thinkers in your school that appear to be off task and daydreaming? What do you need to best support teachers who work with divergent thinkers?