The slow and calm Catherine L'Ecuyer talks about 'Educating, a masterpiece' in the third talk of the IV Congress of Brilliant Minds of Being Creative held on October 13 and 14 in Madrid. His words were widely applauded. His way of speaking enthralled those of us who were there listening. Its message is forceful and compact. We will try to reproduce his inspiring and motivating words to convey to you the same feeling with which we left the Price Circus: "yes, things can be done differently." We loved her book but listening to it live is even better.
The Canadian gave us a little soul-searching as soon as we started. 'Who is amazed by who they have next to them in bed every morning?' He recognizes the difficulty of living in awe of our "adult mental schemas" but alerts us to "our loss of the child's gaze because we take things for granted." He encourages us adults "to see the world as if it were the first time, or the last, to try to continue being amazed, to see things as a gift, to continue being amazed..."
He alluded to the scientist Albert Einstein who said that "there are two ways of seeing the world: who does not believe in miracles and who believes that everything is a miracle." We adults are, for the most part, in the first block and on the other hand, children experience everything as a true miracle: from the noise a baby makes when throwing the spoon on the floor to why my father picks up the spoon from the floor. "Life is magical enough," says Catherine, who invites us parents "not to become walking toy libraries and organizers of extraordinary activities for your birthday."
"Excessive stimuli kills children's astonishment," explains the amazing Catherine, who reminds us that "in education everything leaves its mark: stories, books, games, phrases and words." It reminded us of the great pedagogue María Monstessori and her irresistible inertia, which she defines as "the innate wonder of children." He commented that "children need us to look at them and listen to them with our gaze as we listen to them with our eyes." Are you up for the challenge?
7 phrases by Catherine L'Ecuyer
"It's very sad that children's wonder is being trapped on a screen."
"The essential can only be transmitted from the human. The importance of the gaze."
"Children need to be heard with their eyes."
"Let us not do for our children what they can do for themselves."
"The teacher is more important than the method, things are transmitted with your eyes."
"The work of fathers, mothers and teachers is a sacred work... with it we leave a mark for all eternity." "The child needs the adult's gaze to understand the world and understand themselves."
We leave you the video that was recorded for those who followed the conference via streaming. All the talks were inspiring but if you only want to listen to Catherine L'Ecuyer go to minute 59 onwards. The sound is bad for the first two minutes but don't worry, you have 19 more minutes to enjoy. Enjoy!
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