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Are You a Conscious Educator?
I have been in the classrooms of our public and private schools. I have been on the administrative side. I have seen amazing people work magic with “difficult” kids, I have seen teachers who love their job and joyfully show up each day to be in the midst of the children they serve. I have also seen the dark side of the classroom: the shaming talk, the disappointing glares, the frustrated tones and the cold attitudes. And it is not pretty. It has been said that “teaching is the hardest job in the world”. Usually at a rally to roaring cheers, but also in a coffee shop or around a conference…
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The Power of Curiosity
By social standards, we have taken a non-conventional path to education, but biologically speaking my children are doing exactly what nature intended: learning by engaging in activities and topics that intrigue them, draw them in, and pique their curiosities. Read the full article on ASDE’s Tipping Points here.
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Promises
Promises I hear it in the way you speak, the words you use, the tone you choose. The anger, disgust, contempt are like spikes in my soft skin. I have made you mad, again. It seems I am built defective, wired wrong a mixture of thoughts, ideas, opinions, and hopes misfiring daily. Then, you smile and my entire body lights up. There is a warmth that surrounds my heart cradled like my infant body once was when you were ecstatic to meet me. But it doesn’t last long. The more familiar feeling of being cold and alone replaces the warmth, like an ice bucket dumped on a struggling flame. It’s…
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Society Will Change—One Peaceful Parent at A Time
“What if war was not inevitable? What if tyranny, human rights abuses and ecological destruction were not inescapable? And what if the means to prevent them were in the hands of ordinary mums and dads, and all those involved in the care and education of children? Are these idealistic or Utopian flights of fancy? Not at all, if we consider some of the most valuable insights gained in recent years.” excerpt from Parenting for a Peaceful World by Robin Grille When I was in high school the 10,000 Maniacs’ song “What’s the Matter Here?” came out. The lyrics were a chilling reminder of how many children suffer daily at…
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The Day My Teen Built His Own Computer
If you’re not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you’re determined to learn, no one can stop you. -Unknown It happened. The Amazon cart filled with computer parts for well over a month was finally emptied. On his 15th birthday, the money he saved from summer jobs combined with monetary birthday gifts from family and friends was enough to fulfill the goal he set months ago. What? An actual, working computer? But how? These were absolutely my questions too. When he first started talking about the idea I remember thinking, “Yea. Ok.” Then I drifted off wondering many things…Am I going to need to hire someone? Am…
