The Three Most Important Minutes
“How is everyone today?” This is a question I routinely ask before the beginning of every class. Probing a little deeper, I inquire, “Did anyone go to school today?” A show of hands and a few verbal acknowledgements further breaks the ice. Without agenda, I listen as one boy inspired by my question explains how his father drops him off at school each morning. “Where does he go after that?” I asked. The boy, as if I should have known better, put chin to chest before glancing upward at me saying “He goes to work,” stressing the word “work” with a dropped bottom lip. Another boy tells me how he and his Mom will be picking up his father, who will be bringing home presents, that evening. “Where are you picking him up at?” I ask. “The airport,” he responded excitedly. By this time, most of the class is fully engaged, if not in the immediate discussion, at least talking amongst themselves.
In an effort to bring them together, I commit to the childlike ways of innocently raising my hand. I say in an inquisitive voice, “I have a question?” Children, as I have learned, are always eager to help. I use this knowledge to inspire their critical thinking skills required for sports, asking the question, “What is the difference between work and school?” The vertical wrinkles between their little brows compress to form a cringe as the cogs of their little minds turn. The silence, inevitably, causes them to squirm a bit. The only interruption at this point is my restating of the question for those whom may have not heard it completely or forgotten it. This day my class taught me that work is the place where adults go and the buildings touch the clouds. School buildings, on the other hand, are short.
When you think of a youth sports instructional class, few would consider conversations like this to be necessary or appropriate. It is not until you consider how difficult it can be to focus one child let alone five, ten, fifteen or more children at a time. While many would argue the time spent on sports instruction is the most important, as a coach I feel differently. The three most important minutes of every class I teach are the first three minutes. This is six percent of my 45 minutes allotted time of instruction. I spend it asking questions, listening and directly communicating with the individuals in the class. Is it too much time? I don’t think so. Consider the value of established trust and the confidence one child gets being able to speak freely, being listened too, and being afforded the opportunity to add value to the group. Then, multiply this child’s experience by five, ten or fifteen and what you get is a class full of motivated and uninhibited learners. When you create a system or life that allows the imperfections of children to exist without scrutiny, you open the doors for endless learning opportunities.
Take interruptions for example. An imperfection of childhood, they can be highly frustrating. As you can imagine, they are a natural order in my classes. Many would say interruptions create a chaotic learning environment. On the contrary, interruptions are untamed expressions kids use to tell me what is on their mind. A perfect time to speak does not exist for a child. When you listen and respond efficiently, children appreciate your attention by rewarding you with theirs. Efficiency in your response, minus frustration, creates time for these small sidebars to coexist in your daily life. As a testament to this idea of learning to better manage children’s imperfections, I will say even amidst the perceived chaos and untimely interruptions, I manage to rarely let my classes exceed 45 minutes by more than a minute or two. Of course as parents, you, as I do, must prepare everyday for this way of thinking. It is here I will say, the three most important minutes of every class is as much for me as it is for the class. See you in class!
Copyright © 2007 by Bradley J. Kayden. All Rights Reserved.
In an effort to bring them together, I commit to the childlike ways of innocently raising my hand. I say in an inquisitive voice, “I have a question?” Children, as I have learned, are always eager to help. I use this knowledge to inspire their critical thinking skills required for sports, asking the question, “What is the difference between work and school?” The vertical wrinkles between their little brows compress to form a cringe as the cogs of their little minds turn. The silence, inevitably, causes them to squirm a bit. The only interruption at this point is my restating of the question for those whom may have not heard it completely or forgotten it. This day my class taught me that work is the place where adults go and the buildings touch the clouds. School buildings, on the other hand, are short.
When you think of a youth sports instructional class, few would consider conversations like this to be necessary or appropriate. It is not until you consider how difficult it can be to focus one child let alone five, ten, fifteen or more children at a time. While many would argue the time spent on sports instruction is the most important, as a coach I feel differently. The three most important minutes of every class I teach are the first three minutes. This is six percent of my 45 minutes allotted time of instruction. I spend it asking questions, listening and directly communicating with the individuals in the class. Is it too much time? I don’t think so. Consider the value of established trust and the confidence one child gets being able to speak freely, being listened too, and being afforded the opportunity to add value to the group. Then, multiply this child’s experience by five, ten or fifteen and what you get is a class full of motivated and uninhibited learners. When you create a system or life that allows the imperfections of children to exist without scrutiny, you open the doors for endless learning opportunities.
Take interruptions for example. An imperfection of childhood, they can be highly frustrating. As you can imagine, they are a natural order in my classes. Many would say interruptions create a chaotic learning environment. On the contrary, interruptions are untamed expressions kids use to tell me what is on their mind. A perfect time to speak does not exist for a child. When you listen and respond efficiently, children appreciate your attention by rewarding you with theirs. Efficiency in your response, minus frustration, creates time for these small sidebars to coexist in your daily life. As a testament to this idea of learning to better manage children’s imperfections, I will say even amidst the perceived chaos and untimely interruptions, I manage to rarely let my classes exceed 45 minutes by more than a minute or two. Of course as parents, you, as I do, must prepare everyday for this way of thinking. It is here I will say, the three most important minutes of every class is as much for me as it is for the class. See you in class!
Copyright © 2007 by Bradley J. Kayden. All Rights Reserved.
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