Before we begin, can we appreciate that title? I know it ain't special but I have put to use an important literary device - alliteration. You probably don't care but my English teacher would be proud.
[If you want to, you can choose to ignore that cringe-fest of an introduction. Thank you.]
Anyway, when I was really young, I studied in a Montessori environment or, in layman's terms, a learning environment where children would learn concepts through specially-designed materials and interactive teaching methods. If you don't get it, Google is your best friend. I ain't got all day.
There was one particular material that everyone loved: The Pink Tower, not just because it was obnoxiously pink. I don't know. There was just something relaxing about working [or playing] with it. "What the heck is a Pink Tower?" you may ask. This is what montessoriacademy.com.au has to say:
That smallest cube, in particular, loved leaving its home. Whenever it was windier than usual, that tiny cube would get knocked over, fall to the ground and roll into the fourth dimension. When a child noticed that the cube was missing, they would inform the teacher immediately. Following this, all of us would embark on this search mission to retrieve the poor cube. Fortunately, some child would always end up finding the cube and handing it to the teacher. Unfortunately, that child was NEVER me. Boy, was I pissed. The teacher would always thank the child who found the cube. I wanted to be praised. I wanted to be complimented. I wanted to be the teacher's pet. If I were any pettier, I would've ended up knocking out the teeth of whoever found the cube. Scary thoughts for a child, I know.
It was high time. I couldn't take it any more. I needed to receive praise.
[If you want to, you can choose to ignore that cringe-fest of an introduction. Thank you.]
Anyway, when I was really young, I studied in a Montessori environment or, in layman's terms, a learning environment where children would learn concepts through specially-designed materials and interactive teaching methods. If you don't get it, Google is your best friend. I ain't got all day.
There was one particular material that everyone loved: The Pink Tower, not just because it was obnoxiously pink. I don't know. There was just something relaxing about working [or playing] with it. "What the heck is a Pink Tower?" you may ask. This is what montessoriacademy.com.au has to say:
"The Pink Tower is the iconic Montessori material. Often called the ‘symbol of Montessori’, it is a welcoming sign in any Montessori environment, and a favourite with educators globally.
Part of the sensorial area, it is comprised of 10 pink wooden cubes, in 3 different dimensions. The smallest being 1cm cubed, and the largest being 10cm cubed. The cubes progressively get bigger in the algebraic series of the third power. This means the second cube equals 8 of the first (23), the third cube equals 27 of the first (33) and so on."
Part of the sensorial area, it is comprised of 10 pink wooden cubes, in 3 different dimensions. The smallest being 1cm cubed, and the largest being 10cm cubed. The cubes progressively get bigger in the algebraic series of the third power. This means the second cube equals 8 of the first (23), the third cube equals 27 of the first (33) and so on."
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Iconic indeed
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It was high time. I couldn't take it any more. I needed to receive praise.
One fine day, when no one was looking, I sneakily took that cube from its spot and hid it under a shelf. Quickly, I ran to the teacher, my face full of worry. I said, "The cube is missing!" That was an Oscar-worthy performance right there. Within a few seconds, everyone in class was frantically searching for the cube once again. I, knowing where it had been hidden, pretended that I had found it and gave it to the teacher with a wide smile. I got what I wanted. The teacher thanked me. One child, however, noticed something fishy. They asked, "How did you find it so quickly?" "I was just lucky," I said.
Looking back, it wasn't the right thing to do. I don't encourage such behaviour as well. Was it wrong? Yes. Do I have any regrets? Absolutely not.
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