Debra,
My grandfather called this stepping away his "think time". He would stay away and think it through for a while and then come back to the situation. As a small child the amazing thing was when he came back he generally had the solution because he had mulled everything over in his mind and figured out what would work.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Agreed. Often times finding a valid solution involves time and effort.
Also, I have found that stepping away from the problem for a day or so then looking at the problem again gives you time to process what you have done and often makes finding a decision easier.
I also tell my students that they need to be able to predict what might happen if a decision has been made to follow through with solving a problem. They need to make an effort to think for themselves and not simply told what to do. They should not fear the outcome of their decision.
Gary,
Self-Discipline is a characteristic that every student has to develop. Many students procrastinate and they wait until the last minute to finish a project. You and Gena mentioned that they do not want to work to solve the problem. Many students are also impatient so again they do not want to do the work to find the solution to the problem. I try to enforce time lines, production schedules and basic time management techniques to all of my students. I place myself on a strict schedule so that I will get all of my work done. I have procrastinated in the past and I have learned the valuable lesson of Self Discipline and time management.
Geraldine
Gena,
You use a key word "work" in your comments. These seems to be a difficult word for many students today. Self discipline and effort are two characteristics that students need to develop as they strive to become problem solvers.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
