On Learning

It's been a week, folks. It's been a week.

One of my middle-schoolers said "2 into 16? There's no math for that", when answering a rhythm question.

(He realized what he said and we had a good laugh after that. I'm pretty sure it's going to turn into an inside joke- I've been teaching him for a while.)

Yesterday I got into a heated discussion with a kiddo about whether or not leprechauns like cheese.

(BTW I'm AWESOME at holiday character conversations. If a child gets me started on them, I'll be all about asking them questions about Elf on the Shelf shenanigans, swallowed teeth apology notes to tooth fairies, etc.)

The truth is, kids definitely perceive things so differently from us adults.

Sometimes it's exhausting and sometimes it's fascinating. But observing those lightbulb moments are the BEST. I'm sure we can all agree there.

When I work with adults, it seems to take something much more profound to get their faces to light up. My personal favorite in the music studio is when someone realizes how knowledge of scales literally unlocks how harmonies work in music.

It's almost like you can see all the neurons connecting and lighting up behind the myriad of expression changes as they realize what they have just gained access to.

My other personal favorite is when someone realizes how easy something lifechanging actually is going to be. When they realize whatever process is going to work and what it's going to mean for their future.

There's just something about the moment when their expression goes from:

"Those were words," to

"Wait...." to

"Hang on, I'm processing something," to

"Seriously?" to

"No, that can't..." to

"Holy whoa, that's how..." to

"Oh #$%t, that changes everything!"

Has anyone ever watched someone go through those phases of learning before?

I'm not sure there's too many things greater than witnessing someone's epiphany.

Is there anything you wish you could have an epiphany about? What knowledge do you wish you could unlock that would serve you and improve your life?