--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every now and then, I'm lucky enough to…" description: "\"“Every now and then, I'm lucky enough to teach a kindergarten or first-grade class. Many of these children are natural-born scientists - although heavy..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/carl-sagan-160_carl-sagan_every-now-and-then-i-m-lucky-enough-to-t_3046791.jpg" --- # Every now and then, I'm lucky enough to teach a… ![“Every now and then, I'm lucky enough to teach a kindergarten or first-grade class. Many of these children are natural-born scientists - although heavy on the wonder side, and light on skepticism. They're curious, intellectually vigorous. Provocative and insightful questions bubble out of them…” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/carl-sagan-160_carl-sagan_every-now-and-then-i-m-lucky-enough-to-t_3046791.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/carl-sagan-160_carl-sagan_every-now-and-then-i-m-lucky-enough-to-t_3046791.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/carl-sagan-160_carl-sagan_every-now-and-then-i-m-lucky-enough-to-t_3046791.jpg) > ““Every now and then, I'm lucky enough to teach a kindergarten or first-grade class. Many of these children are natural-born scientists - although heavy on the wonder side, and light on skepticism. They're curious, intellectually vigorous. Provocative and insightful questions bubble out of them. They exhibit enormous enthusiasm. I'm asked follow-up questions. They've never heard of the notion of a 'dumb question'. But when I talk to high school seniors, I find something different. They memorize 'facts'. By and large, though, the joy of discovery, the life behind those facts has gone out of them. They've lost much of the wonder and gained very little skepticism. They're worried about asking 'dumb' questions; they are willing to accept inadequate answers, they don't pose follow-up questions, the room is awash with sidelong glances to judge, second-by-second, the approval of their peers. They come to class with their questions written out on pieces of paper, which they surreptitiously examine, waiting their turn and oblivious of whatever discussion their peers are at this moment engaged in. Something has happened between first and twelfth grade. And it's not just puberty. I'd guess that it's partly peer pressure not to excel - except in sports, partly that the society teaches short-term gratification, partly the impression that science or mathematics won't buy you a sports car, partly that so little is expected of students, and partly that there are few rewards or role-models for intelligent discussion of science and technology - or even for learning for it's own sake. Those few who remain interested are vilified as nerds or geeks or grinds. But there's something else. I find many adults are put off when young children pose scientific questions. 'Why is the Moon round?', the children ask. 'Why is grass green?', 'What is a dream?', 'How deep can you dig a hole?', 'When is the world's birthday?', 'Why do we have toes?'. Too many teachers and parents answer with irritation, or ridicule, or quickly move on to something else. 'What did you expect the Moon to be? Square?' Children soon recognize that somehow this kind of question annoys the grown-ups. A few more experiences like it, and another child has been lost to science.”” [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early education nurtures curiosity and wonder, while later schooling often suppresses questioning and critical thinking, leading to disengagement. **In simple terms:** Kids love asking questions; schools can stifle that. Key Takeaway Encourage curiosity at all ages. Themes education curiosity critical thinking Mood concerned optimistic Type observational analytical When to use this quote - classroom discussions - science clubs - mentor programs Key Concepts pedagogy social pressure learning motivation Questions to Reflect On - How can schools preserve wonder? - What practices foster skeptical thinking? A Different Perspective Peer pressure and standardized testing can limit inquiry. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Carl-sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carl-sagan-2/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Grass Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grass-green/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Peer pressure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peer-pressure/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Scientists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientists/) ## Related quotes > [“Every now and then, I’m lucky enough to teach a kindergarten or first-grade class. 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But the Voyager…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/billions-of-years-from-now-our-sun-then-a-distended-red-giant-star/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Can you be sure that others have not come before you and destroyed the pristine state of the native myth? Can you be sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/can-you-be-sure-that-others-have-not-come-before-you-and-destroyed/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“I don't think science is hard to teach because humans aren't ready for it, or because it arose only through a fluke, or because,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/i-don-t-think-science-is-hard-to-teach-because-humans-aren-t-ready/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“The scope and audacity of John Kennedy’s May 25, 1961, message to a joint session of Congress on “Urgent National Needs”—the speech that launched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-scope-and-audacity-of-john-kennedy-s-may-25-1961-message-to-a/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Planetary exploration satisfies our inclination for great enterprises and wanderings and quests that has been with us since our days as hunters and gatherers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/planetary-exploration-satisfies-our-inclination-for-great-enterprises/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“I promise to question everything my leaders tell me. I promise to use my critical faculties. I promise to develop my independence of thought.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/i-promise-to-question-everything-my-leaders-tell-me-i-promise-to-use/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“We are alive and we resonate with idea of life elsewhere, but only careful accumulation and assessment of the evidence can tell us whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-are-alive-and-we-resonate-with-idea-of-life-elsewhere-but-only/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Just as there are those who accept every UFO report at face value, there are also those who dismiss the idea of alien visitation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/just-as-there-are-those-who-accept-every-ufo-report-at-face-value/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“One consequence of this train of argument is that, even if civilizations commonly arise on planets throughout the Galaxy, few of them will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/one-consequence-of-this-train-of-argument-is-that-even-if/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Para criaturas pequenas como nós, a vastidão só é suportável através do amor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/para-criaturas-pequenas-como-n-s-a-vastid-o-s-suport-vel-atrav-s-do/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More by Carl Sagan > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. 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If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-one-of-us-is-in-the-cosmic-perspective-precious-if-a-human/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [In our time, we have sifted the sands of Mars, we have established a presence there, we have fulfilled a century of dreams!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/in-our-time-we-have-sifted-the-sands-of-mars-we-have-established-a/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ “\[ When a religious couple wrote to Sagan about fulfilled prophecies, he wrote back in May 1996 :\] If ‘fulfilled prophecy’ is your criterion,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/when-a-religious-couple-wrote-to-sagan-about-fulfilled-prophecies-he/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Don't judge everyone else by your own limited experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/don-t-judge-everyone-else-by-your-own-limited-experience/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors. The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/books-permit-us-to-voyage-through-time-to-tap-the-wisdom-of-our/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [We live on a hunk of rock and metal that circles a humdrum star that is one of 400 billion other stars that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-live-on-a-hunk-of-rock-and-metal-that-circles-a-humdrum-star-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [A tiny blue dot set in a sunbeam. Here it is. That's where we live. That's home. We humans are one species and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/a-tiny-blue-dot-set-in-a-sunbeam-here-it-is-that-s-where-we-live-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Any sufficiently crisp question can be answered by a single binary digit-0 or 1, yes or no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/any-sufficiently-crisp-question-can-be-answered-by-a-single-binary/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals — have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/humans-who-enslave-castrate-experiment-on-and-fillet-other-animals/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every star may be a sun to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-star-may-be-a-sun-to-someone/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) [Explore all 1,043 Carl Sagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More Carl-sagan quotes > [“My main reason for scepticism about the Huxley/Sagan theory is that the human brain is demonstrably eager to see faces in random patterns, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/my-main-reason-for-scepticism-about-the-huxley-sagan-theory-is-that/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“Para criaturas pequenas como nós, a vastidão só é suportável através do amor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/para-criaturas-pequenas-como-n-s-a-vastid-o-s-suport-vel-atrav-s-do/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“One consequence of this train of argument is that, even if civilizations commonly arise on planets throughout the Galaxy, few of them will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/one-consequence-of-this-train-of-argument-is-that-even-if/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“CARL SAGAN SAID that if you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe. When he says “from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-yoon/carl-sagan-said-that-if-you-want-to-make-an-apple-pie-from-scratch/) [Nicola Yoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-yoon/) > [“Just as there are those who accept every UFO report at face value, there are also those who dismiss the idea of alien visitation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/just-as-there-are-those-who-accept-every-ufo-report-at-face-value/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“We are alive and we resonate with idea of life elsewhere, but only careful accumulation and assessment of the evidence can tell us whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-are-alive-and-we-resonate-with-idea-of-life-elsewhere-but-only/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“I promise to question everything my leaders tell me. I promise to use my critical faculties. I promise to develop my independence of thought.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/i-promise-to-question-everything-my-leaders-tell-me-i-promise-to-use/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Planetary exploration satisfies our inclination for great enterprises and wanderings and quests that has been with us since our days as hunters and gatherers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/planetary-exploration-satisfies-our-inclination-for-great-enterprises/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“The scope and audacity of John Kennedy’s May 25, 1961, message to a joint session of Congress on “Urgent National Needs”—the speech that launched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-scope-and-audacity-of-john-kennedy-s-may-25-1961-message-to-a/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“I don't think science is hard to teach because humans aren't ready for it, or because it arose only through a fluke, or because,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/i-don-t-think-science-is-hard-to-teach-because-humans-aren-t-ready/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Can you be sure that others have not come before you and destroyed the pristine state of the native myth? Can you be sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/can-you-be-sure-that-others-have-not-come-before-you-and-destroyed/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Billions of years from now our sun, then a distended red giant star, will have reduced Earth to a charred cinder. But the Voyager…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/billions-of-years-from-now-our-sun-then-a-distended-red-giant-star/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“When my husband died, because he was so famous and known for not being a believer, many people would come up to me-it still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-druyan/when-my-husband-died-because-he-was-so-famous-and-known-for-not-being/) [Ann Druyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-druyan/) > [“It does no harm to the romance of the sunset to know a little about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-does-no-harm-to-the-romance-of-the-sunset-to-know-a-little-about-it/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Those at too great a distance may, I am well are, mistake ignorance for perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/those-at-too-great-a-distance-may-i-am-well-are-mistake-ignorance-for/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) [Browse all 18 Carl-sagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carl-sagan-2/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Every now and then, I'm lucky enough to teach a kindergarten or first-grade class. Many of these children are natural-born scientists - although heavy on the wonder side, and light on skepticism. They're curious, intellectually vigorous. Provocative and insightful questions bubble out of them. They exhibit enormous enthusiasm. I'm asked follow-up questions. They've never heard of the notion of a 'dumb question'. But when I talk to high school seniors, I find something different. They memorize 'facts'. By and large, though, the joy of discovery, the life behind those facts has gone out of them. They've lost much of the wonder and gained very little skepticism. They're worried about asking 'dumb' questions; they are willing to accept inadequate answers, they don't pose follow-up questions, the room is awash with sidelong glances to judge, second-by-second, the approval of their peers. They come to class with their questions written out on pieces of paper, which they surreptitiously examine, waiting their turn and oblivious of whatever discussion their peers are at this moment engaged in. Something has happened between first and twelfth grade. And it's not just puberty. I'd guess that it's partly peer pressure not to excel - except in sports, partly that the society teaches short-term gratification, partly the impression that science or mathematics won't buy you a sports car, partly that so little is expected of students, and partly that there are few rewards or role-models for intelligent discussion of science and technology - or even for learning for it's own sake. Those few who remain interested are vilified as nerds or geeks or grinds. But there's something else. I find many adults are put off when young children pose scientific questions. 'Why is the Moon round?', the children ask. 'Why is grass green?', 'What is a dream?', 'How deep can you dig a hole?', 'When is the world's birthday?', 'Why do we have toes?'. Too many teachers and parents answer with irritation, or ridicule, or quickly move on to something else. 'What did you expect the Moon to be? Square?' Children soon recognize that somehow this kind of question annoys the grown-ups. A few more experiences like it, and another child has been lost to science.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carl Sagan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-now-and-then-i-m-lucky-enough-to-teach-a-kindergarten-or-first-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Carl-sagan" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-now-and-then-i-m-lucky-enough-to-teach-a-kindergarten-or-first-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/carl-sagan-160_carl-sagan_every-now-and-then-i-m-lucky-enough-to-t_3046791.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/carl-sagan-160_carl-sagan_every-now-and-then-i-m-lucky-enough-to-t_3046791.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/carl-sagan-160_carl-sagan_every-now-and-then-i-m-lucky-enough-to-t_3046791.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every now and then, I'm lucky enough to teach a kindergarten or first-grade class. 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