Children

BE OBSERVANT

by Jan Bradley
06/07/22
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As I was driving home this afternoon, I saw a boy get off a school bus, pull out headphones and a hand-held device and walk toward home, completely oblivious to anything around him. I thought to myself that if I were a teacher, I would require an assignment as homework, each and every day, that all my students lose the electronics while outside and observe, really observe what is around them.

I would want them to report on the weather - was it sunny or raining, hot or cold, windy or still? They would need to tell what they heard - were birds singing, and if so, can they identify what birds they were? Did they hear dogs barking or any other animals making sounds? Did they hear the wind blowing through the pine trees?

If it's Fall, did they see any trees that have changed color? If it's Spring, did they see any new growth or flowers blooming? If it's Winter, did they notice the shapes of the trees without their leaves? What did they smell - someone burning brush, flowers blooming, dog poop?

If they go outside at night, in their yards or whatever, what phase is the moon in? Did they see any stars or planets, or perhaps the international space station? Can they identify any constellations that they saw? Did they see a shooting star?

Kids need to learn to be observant and learn from what is going on around them. Constant electronic use is detrimental to young minds, and I would be doing my part to help wean them away from that particular mind drug.