#singersongwriter #acousticguitar

In teacher school they talk a lot about "productive struggle," and the Zone of Proximal Development, the point at which the task at hand is just beyond a student's current ability, but not so far out of reach that they become demoralized and shut down. This is vital for learning because the brain is able to build on what it already knows in order to do something it couldn't do previously.

In my classroom, we do a lot of things that don't come naturally (playing ukuleles at the moment) and even when I explain things as simply as I can, even trimming it down to a single step, instantly seven or eight hands go up with kids saying "I don't get it." I have 4th graders who don't know how to tie their shoes. I have many students who default to "I'm bored" when they don't immediately succeed at something.

I talk with a lot of adults (parents, teachers) about how the urge is to just do something for a kid because it'll get done faster and correctly the first time, and I understand it because I feel it too, but we're removing them from a crucial stage of brain development by doing so. Same thing with being bored; we're all so stimulated all the time that, if we're not actively experiencing dopamine, we're bored and irritable. I encourage my students to be bored. Boredom is when the brain starts thinking of things from different angles, creative problem solving, etc. It's another crucial part of brain development that we don't allow kids to experience because it's annoying for us as adults (who also tend to be overstimulated and irritable but I digress)

Anyway, growth is only possible through discomfort. Avoidance of conflict feels better in the short term but leaves us incapable of dealing with complex problems later on. This is a song about that.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

Grease the wheels Grease the gears Grease everything for a thousand years Make it slippery and easy to slide Nothing to slow down the rocket ride

Smooth the edges Numb the pain Put the bumpers in the bowling lane Pre cut the food, pre tie the lace Dress up in bubble wrap, honey, just in case

But you’re not doing any favors Trying to keep yourself from failure Everyone everywhere in the world Knows it’s the grit that makes the pearl You need a little friction

Human nature is to optimize Press a button, get a prize Work out a shortcut, find all the hacks Outsource the labor so you can relax

But here’s the rub in case you didn’t know Our brains need struggle if we want ‘em to grow Eliminate adversity to lighten the load And you make life more difficult down the road

If you never have problems You never learn to solve them You could’ve gotten smart but instead You’ve got a big bowl of jello in your head You need a little friction

It doesn’t seem fair And really, why should we care Conveniences abound everyday But what happens if they go away?

Better sit with discomfort Stare at a wall Life’s a puzzle we’re all trying to solve With each solution You might just find The obstacles were only ever in your mind

It won’t always be as easy As back when life was greasy But things don’t always have to be soft And you might just realize you’re better off With a little friction