Learning is Everywhere

By Alex Saint
It has been said that learning experiences happen around us all the time, all we need to do is
learn how to recognize them. Even simple happenings in our daily life that we would usually pass up in
our hurried existence of our daily lives can provide some of the best examples of learning experiences.
In example, I was standing in line at the ascade ountry Store, waiting to purchase my lunch!
something I have done for the past year on an almost" daily basis#excluding wee$ends%. &hings were
fairly normal! everyone was milling about, minding his or her own business, once again moving
through the routine that has become commonplace for so many. Among the mass of people, though,
was a mother with her daughter, who loo$ed to be no older than four years old. &he daughter loo$ed
around with a sense of wonder in her eyes that was to be expected at any child at her age, and on top of
that' she was whistling. She wasn(t whistling a particular tune, as far as I could tell, she was )ust
producing the sound )ust for the experience of it. &his continued as she moved up in line all the while
staying close to her mother(s side. *hen it was her mother(s turn to pay the cashier for what they had
bought, the little girl then bro$e her )oyous whistling for the first time since I had seen her, and loo$ed
up at the cashier, a woman in her thirties, and exclaimed' +I $now how to whistle,-
&he cashier, being a $ind person, replied to the child, +.ow did you learn to whistle/-
+I grew up,- the child replied.
+*ell, I don(t $now how to whistle.- &he cashier said to the little girl. &his seemed to confuse
her for a second, unsure of what to tell this nice older person she was tal$ing to. After a few seconds of
thought, her eyes lit up again. &urning to the cashier, she exclaimed her amazing hypothesis to this
problem.
+0ou must need to grow up then,-
Both the cashier and I were a little surprised by this statement. 1or me, it opened up something
that had never crossed my mind before. hildren are curious, innocent , and always willing to interact
with others given the opportunity. It is part of the responsibility of teachers to steer these children in the
direction they need to go to become intelligent members of society! to ta$e advantage of that curious
spirit. As I teacher, I will always remember this fact and do my best to implement it into my teaching
style. I will also remember that my first statement was true' learning experiences happen around us all
the time, all we need to do it learn to see them.