Is it normal to have my brain generate more questions than I can handle?


Memories from my experiences while reading the role of tutoring in problem solving came up at many intervals. I think the activity having the children play with the blocks and then receive guidance or hints after a certain amount of time to see their reaction and record their processing and constructions and deconstructions was rather interesting.

Some questions that came up for me –

How would I have played would those blocks? - What type of students was I at that stage? 

Would I have followed the teacher or explored the block she had joined? I knew I would not ignore her as my parents would not be pleased and our culture gives adults power so I would do as instructed.

Were these activities done with me as a child during my learning and development phases or seen as a waste of time?

How will I change my views from direct instruction (which I know is backward) but helps me to achieve my goals to using and encouraging a more constructivist approach regardless of the exams students MUST sit?

Do I need to recommend that teachers teach children to see the mind in its purest form before thinking about teaching at higher levels?

Are parents/guardians/responsible older siblings better teachers because they interacted with children and saw the mind develop?

How are children compared academically around the world and how early does the concept of failing start? - I refer to this point “None of the 3 yr olds could put four blocks together correctly while all the 4 and 5 yr olds did so at once" and also "Increasing age, then is marked not only by success but by the emergence of more complex interlocking sequences of operations."

I explored and used the scaffolding technique in my classroom as I knew my students needed help mastering skills with my guidance. This I realized based on the description of the scaffolding process as outlined in the reading but I know I never did them in that order or even all of them at any given point or some of them ever so can I still say I employed scaffolding in my classroom? I refer to this note - Scaffolding consists of the activities provided by the educator, or more competent peer, to support the student as he or she is led through the zone of proximal development.

Support is tapered off (i.e. withdrawn) as it becomes unnecessary, much as a scaffold is removed from a building during construction. The student will then be able to complete the task again on his own.
For me tapered off would mean constant monitoring which I did not have the time to do so do I need to revisit my use of techniques that I have been using incorrectly all in the name of passing an exam but not really benefiting from the content?

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