Practical Paideia

Summit Christian Academy

Seventh graders ask a lot of questions. Today, while I was sitting in Physical Science, the class was learning about the periodic table of elements. There were questions about how to pronounce a specific element or what an element is made of. There were questions about which page something was on or where an element is found in nature. And then there was my favorite question: “Would we be able to walk on Saturn?” 

You know the kind of question. It’s vaguely connected to the content you are discussing but mostly it’s not (seventh graders, in particular, seem to excel at these kinds of questions). These kinds of questions also never result in a quick or easy answer. Usually the answer requires a significant discussion, or more likely, we don’t actually know how to answer the question.

As teachers, we’re supposed to “instill wonder” right? We want our students to think critically, to contemplate, and to ask questions. But what do you do when one of those questions ends up being asked? 

Mrs. Wissmann had a great response. She responded by saying, “that’s a great question for our astronomy bucket”. Turns out, this isn’t the first time this has happened! During Physical Science, a lot of questions have arisen that can’t be answered during class but are still worth asking. Rather than just shoot them down (and crush the wonder), Hannah saves them for another time –  a time specifically set aside for the class to discuss astronomy (or anything else that may arise). What a practical (hey, that’s the name of this website!) way to encourage wonder while still maintaining the desired pace of the class.