I didn't learn how to ride my bike until I was 9 years old. I was terrified to get on my forest green Schwinn with it's sparkly silver banana seat and lunge myself forward. No amount of coaching was going to convince me that attempting to ride that shaky form of transportation was a good idea.
If it wasn't coaching or encouragement from my parents, what was it that finally got to me overcome my fear of two-wheelers you ask? It was the sight of my 7 year old brother enjoying himself while riding my bike. When I saw him having a grand time on MY bike, I was livid. I got on my bike, rode across our yard, rode down our neighbor's driveway, and ran right into the mail boxes at the bottom of that driveway. When I close my eyes I can still recall the goose egg that first ride gave me.
This memory makes me question something that has been bugging me about teaching for quite awhile. If all children don't learn to ride a bike at the same age, why do we expect all children to read at the same rate and at the same level when they are in the same grade? Why are we not focusing on helping each child make growth every day? Some days I daydream of teaching in a classroom that is similar to the learning I do with my PLN. I'm not chatting, tweeting, reading, or Skyping for credit, or a grade. I'm not doing these things to reach a certain benchmark. I'm doing these things because I know they will make me a better teacher which will result in my students becoming better learners. At the end of the day, I want my students to feel proud of their accomplishments and more determined to face their fears. I want my students to help each other to solve problems and to encourage each other to keep trying regardless of the obstacles they encounter.
I want them to know it's okay if they aren't ready to ride a bike until their 9th birthday.
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