You're welcome! Your post made me think, so I felt I should respond. I'm trying to get in the habit of contributing more since I find good discussion here.

I am a scientist, so I see the scientific method as more than just a buzz-phrase. I will also say that common sense isn't always true, and it can be dangerous to assume that it is. I understand what you are saying though.

I agree with all of your points. You can't build a house without a solid foundation, but there also has to be the desire, or at least an appreciation of the need, to build a house in the first place. Sometimes you just have to force things I suppose. Not everything needs to be fun.

Most of what I was saying was just my personal thoughts on the matter. I was always a very motivated student; I love learning and I loved school. If I was didn't feel like doing an assignment I found some way to get value out of it or figure out why I was learning it. Having to instill that is a puzzle that I don't know how to solve.

My favorite experiences in science class was when the teacher gave us a problem, the tools to solve it, and force us to come up with the answer. We had to be wrong, find out why, and try again. If we were right, we had to explain why. There's a progression of puzzlement, frustration, excitement, and understanding that one has to go through. That's a lot closer to what "science" is and it's a shame not all students get to experience that.

I have all the respect in the world for teachers, it's not an easy task. I wish more people felt similarly.