Kicking off the 2015-2016 School Year
I was so blessed to watch this TEDx video featuring 13-year-old Logan LaPlante.
It came on the heels of reading the book Creative Schools by Sir Ken Robinson, which was amazing! (oh, and he also gives a TEDtalk, look it up!).
In his presentation, Logan talks about 8 principles of happiness, derived from the work of Dr. Roger Walsh.
Parents (yes, even homeschoolers) can get really hung up on academics when academics will not automatically lead to a happy life. Logan points out that a college degree isn't necessarily a key to happiness. Sir Robinson's work agrees with that and bemoans the fact that schools are increasingly focused on instruction with graduation and college in mind.
(At the same time, I love that these principles are not exclusive to homeschoolers! Any parent can make an effort to include these in their child's life!)
Add to the above, the wonderful homeschool support group I attended where a panel of seasoned homeschoolers shared their thoughts and experiences and I'm so incredibly stoked to be able to teach the boys.
I'm a bit overwhelmed at the sheer volume of amazing resources that are available to teach the boys and totally psyched to get to experience this journey with them. I'm incredibly grateful that I get to teach, train, and guide them as they learn and discover who they are and what they want to do in life.
What these wonderful resources have encouraged me to do is to allow myself to focus more on the above 8 principles and not feel badly about the time they may be taking away from academics. I'm starting to gain a better understanding of just how crucial those things are to a well-rounded individual and how much they can benefit the boys as they grow and mature.
I'll be doing another post soon about what subjects we're pursing and the books, videos, and websites we'll be utilizing! Cannot wait!
It came on the heels of reading the book Creative Schools by Sir Ken Robinson, which was amazing! (oh, and he also gives a TEDtalk, look it up!).
In his presentation, Logan talks about 8 principles of happiness, derived from the work of Dr. Roger Walsh.
- Exercise
- Diet and Nutrition
- Time in Nature
- Contribution and Service
- Relationships
- Recreation
- Relaxation and Stress Management
- Religion/Spiritual
Parents (yes, even homeschoolers) can get really hung up on academics when academics will not automatically lead to a happy life. Logan points out that a college degree isn't necessarily a key to happiness. Sir Robinson's work agrees with that and bemoans the fact that schools are increasingly focused on instruction with graduation and college in mind.
(At the same time, I love that these principles are not exclusive to homeschoolers! Any parent can make an effort to include these in their child's life!)
Add to the above, the wonderful homeschool support group I attended where a panel of seasoned homeschoolers shared their thoughts and experiences and I'm so incredibly stoked to be able to teach the boys.
I'm a bit overwhelmed at the sheer volume of amazing resources that are available to teach the boys and totally psyched to get to experience this journey with them. I'm incredibly grateful that I get to teach, train, and guide them as they learn and discover who they are and what they want to do in life.
What these wonderful resources have encouraged me to do is to allow myself to focus more on the above 8 principles and not feel badly about the time they may be taking away from academics. I'm starting to gain a better understanding of just how crucial those things are to a well-rounded individual and how much they can benefit the boys as they grow and mature.
I'll be doing another post soon about what subjects we're pursing and the books, videos, and websites we'll be utilizing! Cannot wait!
Comments
Post a Comment