and the desire and seriousness of the child that leads the child to accept
the challenge. We are also humbled by the uncertainty we feel as teach-
ers, for we also face a remarkable challenge. We doubt our own capacities
to meet the challenge, but we are inspired by our students.
The paradox I find in my dictionary’s definition of wonderas a verb
is that I believe “to wonder” is not always as passive as this definition sug-
gests. Wondering is not simply being filled, and it is not always sponta-
neous or magical. Wondering can be an active effort, to “be filled.” For
example, we travel great distances to be filled with wonder in museums
and in nature. We also seek wonder in the plant on the windowsill, and
we find wonder among the children in the classroom. Wondering takes
time, attention, and effort. It is not unlike prayer.
Liz’s Question—Again
I left the last session of the Gloucester workshops with considerable uncer-
tainty that Liz or I or the others had an answer to Liz’s question. She
wanted to know how her students, or any of the children in the school,
would benefit from their teachers taking hours at a time to leave the class-
room, sit in a room together, and talk about single pieces of student work.
This question sat on my shoulder during the countless hours I’ve studied
the transcripts of those sessions. I wanted to see if any clues to Liz’s ques-
tion could be found in what actually transpired during those sessions. In
time, I found some clues.
Let’s return to a piece of the conversation shared earlier in this chap-
ter. Julie, Liz, and Margaret were reflecting about the conference for
“May Is”:
Julie:What I think is important about going back to the
child and saying that “I’ve been thinking about your work” is
the message that “You matter to me. And your work matters and
you are on my mind and you exist in my mind when you are not
with me.”
Liz:“And I respect you... .”
Julie:“And I respect you enough to think about you or your
problem or your work... .”Wonder ing to Be Done 255