Let’s all take a cue from the interview with the corn kid … if you don’t know what I’m talking about, take a moment and watch this video that has racked up over 60 million views and is still climbing.

Julian Shapiro-Barnum, host of Recess Therapy — an account on Instagram and Tiktok, was asked about his interview with Tariq, a seven-year-old from Brooklyn, NY.

“It’s really nice and cathartic in a weird way to see somebody find so much joy in such a simple thing.” Shapiro-Barnum goes on to say

“I am constantly surprised and delighted by the things children have to say.”

Guess what … me, too! As an educator I have the distinct honor and privilege to be with children regularly. By asking genuine questions and listening, I just might hear a gem like “have a corntastic day!”

What can we learn from this viral sensation?

As you make your way through September, take the time to listen to children’s ideas. Establish a time of day when they can share their thoughts with you and with others. See yourself as an interviewer that is collecting ideas as a means of understanding, connecting, and seeking JOY.

It might sound like this ….

Hey friends, why do we count?

What are some other questions you might ask to get kids talking about math?

What is math?
What do you love about math? Why? What do you dislike about math? Why?
When you hear the number (insert any number here) what do you think?
What’s the largest / smallest number you can think of?
Fill in this sentence: There are one million ____ in the world.
What are shapes? Tell me more …
Why do fractions / decimals exist?
Why do we have a zero in our number system?
What is a pattern?
What’s a really important number? Why?
What would the world look like if we didn’t have numbers?
Describe a mathematician.

Click here for a pdf of the 12 prompts to get kids talking about math.

No more doom and gloom. I mean who really is surprised that NAEP scores plummeted … Of course they did! We are living in the aftermath of extreme disruption.

Today, let’s reframe the conversation. Children have been nothing short of mini miracles showing us all resilience and their propensity towards JOY. Let’s support each other and push back on the negativity, the pressure and pace of rushing through mathematics. And remember the joy of simple things!