Whether it is caring for an infant or a wound or being cautious with money, it interest me how much of what we do seems to be a form of sport fishing, the activity where the fish is strong enough to break the line and get away if we allow that to happen. So, we nurse the line, reeling in when we get a chance but giving way temporarily and letting the line back out. We keep shortening the line every chance we get but not providing the opportunity to snap the line.
Teaching is like that: we challenge some when introducing new material or a higher standard of performance. But we don't' want to over-challenge or exhaust. We need to offer appropriate rests and variety and breaks.
I have read that the highly regarded Finnish schools provide a 15 minute break each hour. An experienced educator I know recommends delivering material for no more than 7 continuous minutes before offering a chance to question or to apply the material. Television ads are often overwhelming in speed and variety, to the point where you can't remember what the ad was one minute ago. We do have info-mercials that run for 30 minutes or more but well-made ones need to change the pace and offer a variety of shots to keep interest.
The urge to complete the task can cause wasteful hurrying and result in lowered achievements in the long run. True, there is no point in wasting time and letting the fish swim for too long but a little nursing can vastly extend what we manage to land.
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Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
