Slice of Life Tuesday: Forgetting What You did not Know

This is an odd title. What do I mean – forgetting what you did not know ?

I’ve been working on a video presentation for first graders on phenology – or more specifically, the seasonal changes associated with spring. I very much enjoyed working on this project.

However, at some point I felt I was being redundant. I repeated some key phrases. These were used specifically for the young age for who I was assigned by the school’s environmental day coordinator. One phrase was, use your senses! I focused on sight and hearing in this video.

I have not done a lot of previous work with first graders, aside from having three of my own (eons, ago) and subbing for some favorite first grade teachers, and running a book club for five years. When I recalled these experiences, I knew that some redundancy was okay, even expected and useful, in material for first grade.

As I progressed on the video, I realized that much of the material I included in it came from knowledge that I now take for granted. I had forgotten that some of the facts and information were things that at one time I did not know. I learned them while teaching my garden club and developing lessons for that group.

One such piece of knowledge was about flower bulbs and how they contain all the sustenance they need for a year in that small tear dropped shape package of carbohydrates. It seems they magically appear above the ground in the spring. But, truly, they are growing roots over the winter so when the time is right, they beginning to grow.

Mother nature signals that the time is right in the spring by our longer days, warmer temperatures, and increased rainfall. Again, these seem to be all obvious things but has a first grader stopped to think about them? Has a 33 year old parent stopped to point them out to their first grader? Probably not! Hence, this became my job in the video!

Over the course of the last month, I really got to look at my yard and the amazing changes that were taking place as I filmed our apple orchard budding, the daffodil and tulip bulbs sprouting, the snow melting, the rivers running high, and the migratory song birds returning to our land and water.

I forgot, but was reminded, that these are all things I used to take for granted until I taught and had to learn of them myself. I forgot that there was a time I did not know what I know now.

I am grateful I do know and even more grateful that I can share what I know!

Enjoy the signs of spring! Stop! Use your senses and breath in the renewal of life.