Deep Dives and Paper Airplanes

For the past month, our crew has taken a deep dive into the art of paper folding, paper airplanes in particular. They have spent hours folding, flying, tinkering, researching, and perfecting their technique. A few times throughout this past month, I have leaned into my own discomfort around the amount of time they are spending on the project. Rather than act on the urge to nudge them into another area of interest, I sat with that discomfort and explored where it was coming from.

Paper folding work stations.

Most of it stemmed from the fact that in my school experience, I never would have had the opportunity to explore my own interests so thoroughly. In short, I was jealous.

Since I sat with my own jealousy and did not act on it, I am now witnessing this interest in paper airplanes unfold in ways I would not have imagined on my own. Our older learners started teaching some of our younger learners the craft.

One child demonstrates to another how to fold a paper airplane.

Teaching is a natural extension of acquiring skills and knowledge, and it benefits both parties immensely. I could see the older students developing compassion as they realized how much they had learned and how to cater their teaching to the skill level of their students. And the younger students were so receptive to their teachers since they naturally look up to them. Teaching this skill organically extended to other areas as well: “Would you like me to show you how to write a 4?”

One child helps another child form written numbers.

Foldable Flight has been their favorite channel for learning new paper airplane techniques. (We utilize the SafeVision app to curate YouTube to our liking.) This week, they discovered that Foldable Flight has an instructional book and asked if we could purchase it. We also worked together to set up a station so that they can record their own tutorials and create a channel of their own!

Tutorial recording station.

They are now planning to send some of the tutorials they film to Kyle Boyer, the creator of Foldable Flight. We have also explored the Foldable Flight Patreon Page and discussed the different ways that the creator makes money off of his interest in paper airplanes. ( BONUS! I just discovered that you can book Kyle Boyer for virtual folding sessions! More on that later. )

Digging more into my discomfort, I discovered fear: “What will people think?” The manner in which I’ve felt compelled to live my life, raise my child, and run a school has given me plenty of practice moving through that particular fear:)

Another part of my discomfort was a valid concern for the decline in outdoor physical activity lately. (From averaging 4 hours/day to about half that. Still healthy, but worth noting!) When one of the children mentioned that they had a headache, I used that as an opportunity to share my observation: “I have noticed that since you’ve been so interested in paper airplanes, you haven’t been moving your body as much as usual. Your body might be giving you a cue.” He seemed to receive that information without much resistance, so I went a little further. “It might help you feel better if you take some breaks throughout the day to go outside and swing, run around, or hang upside down.” That information also seemed to land, though he didn’t give any sort of verbal reply. He still seemed open to my input, so I went one step further: “Would you like me to give you a few reminders throughout the day to take movement breaks?” He agreed that would be a good idea.

We all have varying degrees of resistance to change. As caregivers, it can be tempting to force or repeatedly push children through their resistance because we “know what’s best for them.” We can all make guesses about what we think might be good for another person based on research and our own past experiences. But while we can give advice, it is ultimately up to them to decide whether or not an idea will be beneficial for them. If I were to tell this particular group of 7+ year-old children that we’re going to start taking movement breaks, they would engage in my desired behavior and would likely feel a bit better. But in doing so, they would likely develop resentment: both towards me and towards the healthy activity. So while I may achieve short-term results, the long-term effects will actually be counterproductive. Carefully timed and worded nudges can help others move through resistance. But forcing someone else through their resistance can give the illusion of change while actually creating and reinforcing a block inside of them. Instead of force, I provide invitations for movement activities. I model the behavior, and I offer my observations and ideas when appropriate.

At this point, these children’s knowledge and skill level on the topic of paper airplanes far exceeds my own. They have been teaching me something new every day. This is a neat example of how in this approach to education, the adult does not need to have an in-depth knowledge of every topic the children wish to explore. Our role is simply to connect them with the resources they need to learn what they desire and walk beside them as the path unfolds in front of us.

Random selection of technically crafted paper airplanes.

While these children have learned an amazing amount of concrete skills from this airplane exploration, the manner in which they are learning is far more valuable. They are learning that their interests are valid and worthy, and that adults can be trusted resources to support their learning process. They are learning how to sustain their focus on a project for weeks at a time without anyone making sure they are staying on task. They are learning to trust their instincts. They are learning how to initiate activities and utilize their time in a productive manner. They are learning how to communicate their needs and ask for support as necessary. They are learning how to navigate large blocks and time and space to meet their needs as they work towards their goals.

As they get older, their goals will evolve. By supporting their process now, we support them in developing the skills necessary to live a fulfilling life every step of the way.