This seems such an obvious thing to me, and I'm not even in the field of Education. I agree with everything the writer wrote and found myself nodding repeatedly, thinking, it's obvious.
So why can't our so-called professionals see this too? Taking away learning opportunities from kids does them no good!
I remember once when I was in 9th grade and my elder brother was a sophomore in college. I found a textbook of his titled "Matrices and Determinants" (or something to that effect), for one of his courses. I picked it up and started reading it. After a few pages I had some questions, asked my dad. He didn't blink and just helped me out. Soon I had finished a couple of chapters and had learned more about matrices, determinants, etc. than I would ever learn in High School. Nobody told me not to read it; they just helped me along whenever I needed the help.
I can't even imagine how toxic this discouragement would be to a curious mind!
The effect is even greater on younger students. My kid went into elementary school loving math and wanting to learn more. They refused to accelerate or even test her to see what she knew. She had to do endless busywork and sit through lessons on topics she'd mastered years earlier. She learned no math for years on end. The only lesson she learned is that "school doesn't care whether I learn".
> I remember once when I was in 9th grade and my elder brother was a sophomore in college. I found a textbook of his...
I'm curious if/how your teachers reacted?
I wrote a book Freshmen year of high school and started programming on my own. When I presented a physical copy of my self-published book and my computer programs to my teachers they gave me a metaphorical pat on the head, but not one point of extra credit or a special tutor. In computer class I was still expected to learn about Microsoft Excel and in English class I was still required to write two page stories. In my experience, the education system did not empower my curious mind. It felt like I was assigned busy work because the other students lacked motivation otherwise. I can only hope that one day the education system will tailor to the individual.
So why can't our so-called professionals see this too? Taking away learning opportunities from kids does them no good!
I remember once when I was in 9th grade and my elder brother was a sophomore in college. I found a textbook of his titled "Matrices and Determinants" (or something to that effect), for one of his courses. I picked it up and started reading it. After a few pages I had some questions, asked my dad. He didn't blink and just helped me out. Soon I had finished a couple of chapters and had learned more about matrices, determinants, etc. than I would ever learn in High School. Nobody told me not to read it; they just helped me along whenever I needed the help.
I can't even imagine how toxic this discouragement would be to a curious mind!