How do You Help Kids Love Learning?
HOW DO YOU HELP KIDS LOVE LEARNING?
Passion Driven Education is child-led. Back up, parents and teachers! Our job is to be in the supportive role, to mentor and guide, to provide choices. We then allow the student to decide for themselves what they want to study, how, and with whom. We provide information (such as why a person would want to know how to write well) and then encourage them to choose it for themselves.
Sometimes it’s begrudgingly at first: “You know you need to work on your writing skills, right?” You’ll say.
And s/he will sigh, “I guess so…”
“Hmmm, So there is a teacher I found who writes with you, about anything you want. No grades. And she won’t point out everything you’re doing wrong, but just give you a couple tips, and show you what to do.”
“Well, I don’t know, I guess I could try it….”
But we don’t pressure or coerce. And when they say they’ve had enough, they’ve had enough.
What if they’re really into astronomy and you think they need to work on biology? You could casually ask, “So, are there bugs or plants on other planets?” And s/he might shrug or give a casual response. “What would it take for other planets to support life?” And I bet they’d know the answer to that. “What else do plants need? I wonder what the difference is between plants and fungus…” So continue to have encouraging, gentle conversations where the power remains theirs.
When there’s no pressure, no judgment, there will be opportunity.
With enough opportunities, a bud will begin to grow. The sun will come out from behind the clouds…. and there will be Light.