“Cooking is not difficult. Everyone has taste, even if they don’t realize it. Even if you’re not a great chef, there’s nothing to stop you understanding the difference between what tastes good and what doesn’t.”
— Gerard Depardieu

“Once we realize that imperfect understanding is the human condition there is no shame in being wrong, only in failing to correct our mistakes.”
— George Sorors

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “understanding” as a mental grasp (comprehension), or ‘the power of comprehension, especially the capacity to apprehend general relations between particulars’.  One’s understanding of a topic or concept is pieced together from observations previously made and created from connections between individual observations.  “Understanding” is meant to be built upon, tested, and revised — many teachers facilitate students’ first attempts at forming their initial understanding of concepts, from number to contrast and composition.

A practical understanding of a concept needs to be built upon accurate observations on genuine representatives of the concept. I will strive to foster students’ developing understandings in the following ways:

• Offering genuine, authentic opportunities for students to form their own meaningful observations
• Modeling and facilitating the forming, testing, and revising of understanding
• Creating a safe space within which students may revise and rebuild their grasp of concepts
• Maintain an encouraging demeanor towards facilitating learning in children
  • Focusing on students’ growth as progressing along a continuum of competence
• Asserting my own Understanding of childhood development — viewing students as progressing along a continuum of competence and focusing on supporting progress 

Pathway to Inquiry:  You are at UNDERSTANDING

Introduction — Observation — UNDERSTANDING — Belief — Action