Adults at campus have been managing kitchen, buying grocery and food quantities. I as an adult never tried to understand how we learnt this organizing. I think we did not need to know, as we grew in our experience, we learnt more.Now, one of the child has taken up the role, she is our kitchen manager.
It’s so easy when I do with my experience. Ah! It’s so difficult when I have to facilitate. It’s so easy when I have to teach, I donot have to think how I learnt or how others will learn?Ah! When I facilitate, I have to first start with what I do so I donot end up making them dependent on me rather they are empowered and able to think and construct their own learning.
Journey of kitchen manager is no different.
Child who has taken up the role of kitchen manager came up with grocery list. We spent good time in understanding how to decide quantity. It was very easy to tell her the quantities. But it was time consuming to make her think how many different ways one decides and how can she decide. We often choose later option, as this looks time consuming but creates empowered individuals.
Often we are asked ‘ so if you don’t teach them what you do’?And often we say…. facilitate, nothing, guide, makes them think, challenge them, assist them, listen to them…..Often this role is still left with a doubt…. But who teaches them?I think life teaches them, we are just catalyst. It’s difficult to understand ‘how can facilitating help them to learn….’ How do they learn?’ still leaves many puzzled.