Health and Education

Bullying is something that you never want your child to engage in, as the bully or the victim or an accomplice. But that doesn’t stop bullying or conflict from happening. So, how can you teach your child the  difference between being mean, being rude, and being a bully ? Let’s define the terms. Conflict can include being rude or mean. Being  rude  is when someone is not trying to intentionally hurt the other person. It isn’t a repetitive behavior, and there is not an imbalance of power. For example, Judy asked Martha if she could borrow a pencil. But Martha explained that it wasn’t her pencil, she borrowed it from another friend, so she didn’t want to let Judy use it. Being  mean  is when someone is trying to intentionally hurt the other person but they are usually nice, and there is no imbalance of power. For example, if Kyle told Mark that he was a terrible baseball player who should never try out for the baseball team, then Kyle is being mean to ...

How are you motivated? D o you like to be told what to do? Neither do I. In fact; I hate it. I become rebellious. That said, I love for people to expose me to new concepts and methods of accomplishing tasks and reaching my goals. At my core I want to be better than what I think I can be, I need to be better than what others think I can be, and I want to know ways to be better, do better, etc...I just need people to show/talk to me in a way that intrigues me. I might have issues with authority and rebellion and…well, that’s another blog post. Which of the following statements would motivate you? 1. “You need to quit eating cupcakes and exercise to get rid of your jiggly butt.” - husband to wife 2. “Playing video games all day is a waste of time, and you are getting fat!” - parent to child 3. “I would like you to be able to play with your grandkids and enjoy activities with them when you are older. Isn't that important to you?” - child to parent 4. “How can I support y...

Progressive schools are scary. They are a bit like deciding to take a   road trip   but instead of going directly from Point A to Point   B,   you decide to take your own route. When kids get to decide the route, parents bite their lip and wonder: "Is this wise? Will my kid end up lost? If I just give him/her the keys to his/her own education and a vehicle (the school), won't the   freedom   go to his/her head? How   will s /he   turn   out?" The good news is, this isn't a new experiment. There has been much  research  in the past thirty years that shows a majority of students turn out  smarter, more adaptable, and happier  than their public school counterparts.  They learn to take their own roads and develop the  essential skills  that often can't be formed in a public school setting.  Here are five that make the biggest difference. Autonomy Toddlers have amazing autonomy.  They explo...

University-Model High School for the Liberated Youth Did you know that George Washington Carver was the local “plant doctor” before he turned 13? Or that George Washington was a land surveyor in his teenage years? Or that Laura Ingalls Wilder began her teaching career prior to her 16th birthday? These teens were not much different than ours today. They were passionate about something, yet they had the freedom to pursue their passion. You’ve been hearing a lot from us about…the  Makarios Path to Self-Directed Learning ...How we  Approach Education at Makarios …breaking the  Repetition Cycle  so often found in traditional education...and the similarities between  Finland’s top-ranking education system and Democratic Free schools . And these are all great examples of this model’s success, but what about the high school student that has struck out on their own, or (gasp!) dropped-out of school? What about the high school student that has struck out on their o...