Back when I was toying with the idea of homeschooling my children, I read a book about an American family that homeschooled their four sons (2 natural, 2 adopted) up to college age. The priority for this family was to encourage their sons to develop all the necessary academic skills, but they did this by encouraging the boys to follow their own passions and interests. For example, if an essay needed to be written, one with an interest in mechanics might write it on antique cars while another with an interest in astronomy might write it on the planets. It’s probably worth mentioning 3 of the four sons went on to attend Harvard.
While I ended up going down another path education-wise, the teaching philosophy stuck with me – that children learn best when they are learning about things that they love. I’ve tried to work this philosophy into the lives of my children, encouraging them to follow their passions and interests and offering them opportunities to learn that incorporate subjects and activities that naturally interest them. I’m sure that there is a technical term for this approach – child directed learning or some such – but for me it has simply been about offering my inquisitive children the opportunity to learn and have fun at the same time.
My children are extremely intelligent and if I was a little more focused and a little more disciplined in getting them to practice and reinforce the lessons they learn at school, I have no doubt that they would excel beyond their already excellent results. I am currently in the situation of having to decide whether to register my older son to sit the entrance exam for a local selective school for high school and I have spent no small amount of time weighing up the pros and cons of his options.
If it was simply a matter of choosing which school would offer the highest quality education for his high school years and produce the best academic results, the selective school would win out over his current school without a second thought. Is that all there is to it, though? The philosophy behind the My School website would no doubt say that it is. I should simply seek out the school achieving the highest overall results in English and Mathematics and sign him up, but I can’t help thinking that there is more to it than that.
I think that there is more to life than being smart and getting top grades. There. I’ve said it and my still-longing-to-be-teacher’s-pet heart has trembled, but it hasn’t stopped beating. My children’s intelligence is only one part of who they are and to be happy, I think they need to develop all the aspects of themselves – creativity, faith, emotional intelligence, social skills,friendships, a sense of humour, the ability to simply relax and have fun, a sense of purpose and self-worth. These things are all just as important as academic achievement in my mind for their ongoing mental and physical wellbeing.
For my children to be happy, which is what I want for them, I believe that they will need to use their intellect. It is part of who they are and one of the gifts that they have been blessed with. I don’t believe that they would ever be truly happy without being involved in something that kept them mentally stimulated. I want them to work hard and always do their best at their studies so that they can achieve their academic potential and give themselves the widest range of choices for future career possibilities, but I want them to know this is just one part of who they are and what they can achieve.
I watch parents of young children focused on steering their kids along a path that will offer them the greatest potential for academic success or even future career success, but my focus for my children will be to encourage them to follow their passion, to be brave enough to dream big dreams and then know that with hard work, perseverance and passion that they will be able to bring those dreams to life.
Academic achievement is important and we place a high value on education and knowledge in our home, but my highest priority is to see my children grow into well-rounded individuals with a real sense of purpose and joy and enthusiasm for life, not simply a career path and a 10 year plan.
That’s my passion and that’s what drives me as I love and encourage my children and help them to become all that they are capable of being.
Good plan. Your kids are lucky. (The high school decision is so hard.)
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Yes, still working through the high school decision. I’m leaning towards no, but am wondering whether to register to keep his options open.
The comes the drama of making a decision if he qualifies and wondering whether to register his siblings as well when their time comes.
This is a worry. My kids are smart and I’m grateful, but ’selective high school’ was raised with me by one of Mr 8’s teachers last year – he was only in Year 2.
I’m flattered, I’m proud … but I don’t want to put that sort of pressure on him.
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I think a child’s personality is as big a factor as their academic abilities when it comes to ’selective’ schooling. I’m sure some personalities would thrive, while others, no matter how high their intelligence, would find the higher levels of competition and expectations difficult to deal with.
That ‘duty of care thing’ raises it’s head again. So much to consider when evaluating what’s best for our kids. You’re right – it’s NOT all about good grades. It’s about the process that goes into achieving those grades – about the ability to do your best and be YOUR best. About knowing who you are being content to be YOU. That’s much more important than good grades.
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This was a pleasure to read; not only from a parental perspective but also from an educationalist perspective. Self-directed learning is making it’s way into the classroom. With many children in one classroom a democratically lead classroom is essential. This means that where each and every child can’t learn their chosen topic, the class choose the topic and forms of assessment etc Unfortunately not all teachers are democratic in nature or embrace it as part of their educational philosophy. You won’t ever find that type of information on the MY School website.
Another aspect of self-directed learning which you may not be aware of…and need to be, is that if your child goes to a school with a curriculum that is set in stone, self directed learning is not possible. Barak Obama has recently introduced this in the USA in his educational reform policy. In effect all students in a particular grade are learning the same content across the country. This type of pedagogy is not student centred…and one of the big issues with it is that students dont readily engage with content they are not interested in and thus engage in inappropriate behaviours; forcing teachers to deal with totally unnecessary behaviour issues.
Most educators want children to learn the skills they need by learning about issues/topics that interest them but for a variety of reasons this does not always happen.
Thankx for sharing your thoughtful blog.
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So much food for thought here. I agree that kids need much more than an academic path mapped out for them. It’s the reason that I don’t agree with OC classes. I do my best to, as you do, encourage my children to use their inquisitive minds to always be finding out more, but always by following things they’re interested in. I think sports and the arts and all those other things are just as important in helping to create a whole person. And why do anything by halves?
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I agree with you. The education system in this country needs a big overhaul and rethink. Yes maths and English are important, but there are other types of intelligence too! Not everyone is good with numbers or words, yet they might be excellent at art, mechanics, wood work etc. We put too high a value on the NAPLAN tests and our ideas of ‘academic’ smarts.
From my point of view (as a teacher), the my school website although with it’s benefits (holding teachers to account for their performance), doesn’t work well. It ranks all schools in the same way which just isn’t fair. How can you compare a ’special’ school to a elite high school? it’s just not right. Plus it doesn’t do anything for the confidence of the children who attend these schools. Much of ‘intelligence’ has to do with confidence, I feel.
Ok, that’s my rant! I love teaching but I don’t think the way we do things is ‘right’.
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This line “children learn best when they are learning about things that they love” YES!!!! I agree wholeheartedly. We are still in the early stages of education for our offspring, but I spent alot of time choosing the school I felt would be the best fit for them. Academics is one aspect of their whole being. I hope they develop into happy community minded individuals. That’s all I want for them. Great post
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This is something I have been grappling with too. Our eldest is in his second last year of primary school, and we are trying to make decisions on secondary school. He too has the chance to sit for select entry, but we have the same concerns you put so well.
As a teacher myself I know our school system has a long way to go… but we are slowly getting there. I work in the early childhood sector and there have recently ben some very big moves towards a much improved system. One in which wellbeing, identity and community sit along side communication (the traditional 3r’s)
Naplan and my school give such a shallow view of a school, and I can not base choices on this.
You are so right, education is so much more than academics.
What a great and for me timely post!
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