Disjointed: Funny in Television, Not Funny in School
Posted on November 12, 2008
Filed Under General Interest, Helping Parents Help Kids, Imagination, Improve Your Skills, Learning Tips, Teaching Tips |
Old timers will remember the hugely popular radio and TV show, “Children Say the Darndest Things.”
The host, the kindly Art Linkletter, interviewed one child after another. The humor results from the disjoint between children’s and adult’s thinking and their very different interpretation of words and phrases. In other words, the humor comes from the children not “getting-it.”
In entertainment field, disjointed is funny. The adult, whether it is Art Linkletter, Johnny Carson, or someone currently in the spotlight, invariably makes an exaggerated expression, one of benevolent-exasperation, and everyone laughs.
In the education field, on the other hand, disjointed is not funny. In the classroom, disjointed means confusion and possible failure. In that setting, “the child not getting it” has disaster written all over it.
An effective teacher continuously looks for this—signs, clues, expressions—of disjointedness, not to use as the basis of humor, but to use as the basis of re-explaining, using other words—or drawings—or demonstrations, so the children do get the intended message.
Parents would do well to do the same.
TIP: Be your child’s official “Un-Disjointer.”
Here’s how. Instead of asking, “How was school today?” Ask if it is okay to look at today’s class notes and handouts. In supporting fashion, showing genuine interest, look for possible key disjoints.
When you find one, ask what it means? For instance, “What does ‘armistice’ mean?” or ‘inalienable rights,’ or ‘truce,’ or ‘Asia,’ or ‘Alaska’ or ‘renewable energy’ or ‘kilometer?” Just find these important key words and phrases in the notes or handouts.
Your child may not have a clue. Thus, without your “Un-Disjointing,” she’ll have a tough time doing the homework and studying for quizzes and tests.
Let’s look at a couple of very common disjoints.
Where is Alaska located? The disjointed answer: below and to the left of California. Why? Because that is where it appears on most maps of the U. S., in its own tidy little rectangle, right next to Hawaii.
Another disjoint involves the metric system. Kids rarely know what a kilometer is, even though they come across this metric distance repeatedly in school. (I’ll return to this in a moment).
But first, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that, on behalf of countless numbers of wonderful teachers, who have 28 children in the classroom, it’s easy to miss occasional disjointedness.
So, Mom, or Dad, or Grandma or Grandpa, as your child’s official “Un-Disjointer,” here are some specific ideas to consider using. When you find the most important disjoints, try to “un-disjoint” them as pleasantly as possible.
If there is a lot of homework, don’t get carried away with too much detail. If your child is interested, and there is enough time, consider turning it into a pleasant adventure.
As an example, let’s return to Alaska. Consider buying a globe, or using one at the library. Begin by pointing out the most prominent places, including, of course, where you live. Then locate Alaska, and while you are at it, Hawaii, too. Talk about how you might travel there, and how long it might take. Compare the distances with that of a long car trip you may have taken, as in, “our trip to Florida was 1200 miles, and it is this far on the globe, compared with ….”
As another example, let’s return to a kilometer.
A kilometer is 1000 meters (kilo means 1000). Since a meter is about one adult’s giant-step, how about taking a walk while you count together, out loud, 1000 of your giant steps (or, only 500 steps, and double back to the starting place). This one-kilometer walk is one walk you and Junior will remember forever.
Finally, don’t be afraid of not knowing—that is actually good for your child to see. Let a book or the Internet come to the rescue. Learn together with your child. Model the process of using various tools and resources.
A lot of good can come from your “Un-Disjointer” role. If you do this on a regular basis, many of those pesky school problems, like failing test grades and quizzes, may very well become a thing of the past.
If this tip is helpful, you’ll love our award winning book: Why Bad Grades Happen to Good Kids.
Linda Silbert & Al Silbert
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