What will your child grow up to become?

When I see the children in our preschool, I often wonder what will they "do" when they grow up?  Will they have a passion for something that leads them into a specific direction?  What kind of learner will they be? 

I think all too often we look at children in one way and expect them to all learn the same way.  There has been so much research to show us this is not true, but it is hard for us to adjust to different styles of learning.  I enjoyed watching the Olympics this summer and I also enjoy watching "So you think you can dance"; but one of the parts of those shows I appreciate is when they talk about the backgrounds and how these amazing athletes and dancers were not always the "best students" or the "easy student" or "the regurgitate the answers you read in a book student".  Often they were the students who could not sit still, or needed to move to stay focused.  They were the students who had to try things hands on to see how it worked, not just read about it.  They probably were sometimes the students who frustrated parents, teachers, classmates too, they didn't seem to listen, or were always touching stuff. 

I found their stories compelling and enlightening too.  I feel it is the role of a parent and teacher to help a child find what it is they are meant to do. This is my wish for each of the preschoolers who come through our school.  That we can not only help them learn to be successful students, but we can ignite a passion in them for true learning; and that someday they will find something in life that excites them enough that they want to put all of their energy and focus into it.