Object Lesson

Yesterday I got toothpaste in my eye.
It really hurt.
I mean, my eye was minty-fresh, but also blurry and in a lot of pain.

I often do object lessons when trying to teach a skill or a concept to a group of kids. I think object lessons are valuable, fun and really can get a point across. Yesterday my point was that we learn to do things by observing and watching other people - and that other people teach us and show us how to do things.

For the object lesson I put on a plastic bag and blindfolded a kid. I told him that there were two things on the table. He had to figure out what they were, and then use the objects - on me. He quickly figured out that it was toothpaste and a toothbrush and after building it up for a while that I had never in my life brushed my teeth, (which, BTW is a lie) I told him that he was going to have to show me how. Blindfolded. Because he was such an expert on teeth brushing.

And that's how I got toothpaste in my eye. And on my neck. And through my eyebrows. And up my nose.

It was a great object lesson for the kids. And I learned something too - don't let kids near your face with a brush and/or anything that may require an eye-wash station.