In Education, we think we're helping, but we're often just extinguishing the very spark that makes learning stick.

In Education, we think we're helping, but we're often just extinguishing the very spark that makes learning stick.

Let me tell you a small story that shows this perfectly. It’s about my daughter, the neighbor's son, and a bicycle.

A family friend stopped by our house with a bike her daughter had outgrown. Before I could even answer, my daughter, not yet three, shouted, "Yes! Dad, teach me how to ride!"

Her motivation was instant. It was her Why.

I ran alongside her for 15 minutes that day. On the fourth day, she let go. The process was joyful, driven entirely by her.

My neighbor saw this. His son was five, and hadn't learned yet. I could see the thought forming: "My son is falling behind."

That evening, he started forcing his son to practice. Every day. For three weeks. 

The result? The boy learned to ride. But he also learned to hate it.

Fast forward more than a decade. Today, nobody can tell which of them learned in four days and which in three weeks. The only lasting difference was the experience: one of joy, the other of resentment.

This is what happens when we prioritize timelines over timing.

We forget that learning isn't a race. It's about recognizing a ‘Window of Opportunity’. 

No parent schedules "learning to walk" for a baby's 497th day. We wait, we create a safe environment, and we support them when they are ready to take that first step.

Why do we treat reading, math, or any other skill differently?

The most important question we can ask as educators isn't, "How do I get this student to catch up?"

It's, "Have I created an environment where they want to start pedaling on their own?"