Today’s technology, driven by social media, has created a culture of instant gratification and short-term attention hacking leading to addiction. And just as addiction does, it begins to shape other aspects of our lives. In particular, instant gratification and increasingly short-term attention spans shape the ways in which we learn by limiting our ability to be present and patience in navigating the inevitable tensions that arise as part learning. Learning requires focused attention that can be sustained over time. Learning requires an ability to linger in an undefinable space that allows and accepts the discomfort that arises from the tension of expanding beyond what is known (i.e. leaving our comfort zone) to explore new terrains with an open, unbiased learner’s mindset. As we age, and with added distraction from attention stealing technologies, sustained focus for learning becomes increasingly difficult, especially if we have not developed an aptitude for learning in our early years.
So, how does this all relate to the art of the pause?
It is in the pause that new ideas can surface, new perspectives can be explored, new questions can emerge, new sparks of creativity can present. There is art and expansion to be found in a pause. This is how learning occurs. The pause is the unknown space of tension between what is known and what is yet to be known. It is the open space that allows for unfolding and becoming.
In early childhood, modeling the art of the pause for children helps them to develop patience and a healthy tolerance for existing within the space of the unknown. For instance, if a child asks you a question that you don’t know the answer to, which is bound to happen if the child has a vibrant and burgeoning imagination, (e.g., how many pebbles of sand exist on earth? How many drops of water are in the ocean? Do rainbows make sounds? Do stars have feelings?…) Rather than responding with a pleasantry and a change of topic, maybe instead consider responding with something like, “Oh! That is a fascinating question, I’m not sure of the answer, and perhaps there isn’t an answer, let’s think about this together.” Responding in this way, is engaging the child to explore possibilities and learn through the journey of exploration. With this in mind, pause to ponder and explore the contours of the question, ask the child for their ideas, offer your own, engage in a dialogue that is open while also taking time between communication to pause for further contemplation allowing new ideas to emerge.
In communication with children, model the pause and the willingness to openly explore what’s unknown. Encourage the child to take their time assuring them that you are happy to hear their thoughts, feelings, and ideas when they are ready to share. Engage in contemplation together, there is no rush. Unlike today’s fast paced technologies, learning is a slow process of unveiling. It’s in the process, the journey itself, that the magic of learning lives.
Pauses allow our orientation to evolve as we begin to notice what was once overlooked. Worth stating again, for this to occur we must be aware of our biases and open ourselves up, accepting the tension of the unknown. Fortunately, children are naturally attuned to this space of opennesses as they are constantly in a state of learning and have not yet formed rigidity in their thinking and beliefs. As adults, we would be wise to become more childlike – to cultivate an open embrace for discovery and learning.
Photo credit: Sophia Jaggi, learningtocreate.education
Learning to Create. 