‘Everybody is a Genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.’-Albert Einstein
A famous quote from an extraordinary man! But when one comes to think about it, it is a line worth giving a thought to. We are in an era where everyone strives to succeed in the race, works undyingly to reach excellence, and follows the path which has created the trend at that moment. If I pause for a moment, think, and introspect with a question-Is it necessary? Not! And why would I say that? My simple answer is that- Each one of us is beautifully created in a way where we need to find our kind of interest which has emerged from our kind of intelligence.
Intelligence is often defined as one of the most inspirational potentials. An ability with which we are born, something that can be measured and a capacity that is difficult to change. In that sense, it can be considered that our mind is a screen of many beautiful frames. Having emerged into the research of these frames of mind, one such theory came into existence called the ‘Theory of multiple intelligences’, 8 multiple intelligences proposed by the psychologist Howard Gardner.
It is indeed a beauty to realize that our mind is a frame having a full range of abilities and talents that we possess. I came to realize that a person might be particularly strong in a specific area such as some form of art, he or she most likely possesses a range of abilities. While this isn’t a successful theory completely but as individuals, it gives us an insight that we are all unique and we all have extraordinary abilities. Keeping that in mind, let us follow our passion which would make life worth enjoying.
This is a wonderful insight that we can get about our human mind. There lies beauty in understanding these frames. As individuals, as educators, and as learners these help us realize that excellence lies in a vast range of things. The importance is to realize your dreams, set your goals, and achieve the abilities that bring joy and happiness to one. Similarly, a child’s ability is not static and may shift over time in the course of their upbringing. Our responsibility here as adults is to expose your child to all kinds of different activities and experiences and allow them to learn and grow in their unique way.
We do know that kids have unique abilities, interests, likes, and dislikes, patterns to explore various things around they see. One child may devour books and love to dance, another may love animals, and a third may love music and math. That’s the beauty of human life and our existence—we are such interesting and amazing creatures, and any parent who’s seen a child develop a keen interest and obsession with something, definitely knows that kids are very much unique individuals.
I have learned from my teaching experience and as a parent myself, that study of this theory and understanding multiple intelligences can help teachers and parents give kids a richer learning experience. And it helps make learning more fun and rewarding for everyone involved. Let us make use of this ability and discover many more Geniuses around us.
To conclude, there indeed lies an amazing beauty in our frames of mind. What is even more wonderful is to explore them.
By, Ms. Pravitha Nair, Middle School Academic Coordinator, CMRNPS
