Dear Families,
 

At Hidden Valley, we often ask students to move out of their comfort zone to promote growth, confidence, and new learning.

 

What Is the Zone of Proximal Development?

The zone of proximal development refers to the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner.

 

Thus, the term “proximal” refers to those skills that the learner is “close” to mastering.

 

Zone of Proximal Development is the zone where instruction is the most beneficial as it is when the task is just beyond the individual’s capabilities. To learn we must be presented with tasks that are just out of our ability range.  We also call it ‘productive struggle’.  Challenging tasks promote the maximum cognitive growth.  This is seen daily in academics and in social situations; teachers are often meeting individually with students challenging their ideas: ‘show me how you know this’, ‘explain your thinking to me’ and as well as with social skills, “I can see this is frustrating you, what do you think would make this more manageable?” are all phrases you might hear in the student-teacher learning partnership.

 

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

 

This week we asked students to move out of their comfort zones and connect with someone new during the school day. It’s a simple act with profound implications that promote healthy, welcoming school environments. Studies have shown that interactions across group lines can help reduce prejudice. When students interact with those who are different from them, biases and misconceptions can fall away.

 

The first activity involves students noticing others; whenever they see someone who needs some extra cheer, they can give them a happy face sticker and say something kind to them. Here is the catch: Students can only give happy faces to someone outside their classroom that they don’t know well (or at all). We challenge the students to really look and listen before school, at recess on the playground, at lunch and after school to find people who may need an extra smile. At the end of the week, students will have a chance to reflect and share their experiences. 

 

Learning how to notice others, then take the time to get to know each other and find commonality is a key in developing friendships and building community.  How can you model this in your own family?  Bring cookies to a neighbor you don’t talk to much, ask your child if there is a classmate they haven’t yet had a playdate with and invite them over or to the park, invite someone to dinner that is different from your ‘usual group’, think about getting out of your comfort zone; learning requires a bit of discomfort.  Show your child how you can struggle through discomfort to ultimately gain new skills, friendships, and insights, reduce biases and develop responsible world citizenship right in your own home. 

 

In Community Together,

Kristi