‘Sunshine’ This Summer–

I am pleased to announce that this entry is a student-written movie review from our Summer Seminar at the Corner, “Film Analysis Class,” this past July 2011.  It’s written by Julia Rittenberg, an early-action-soon-to-be-freshman at the University of Chicago this fall….and I think you can tell that I’m pretty darn proud of her:

The Road of Little Miss Sunshine

As a teenager, it sometimes feels like adults are overly interested in the inner workings of your brain. You seem so ignorant, like you have so much left to discover. One of the many successes of Little Miss Sunshine comes from the character Dwayne, the disgruntled teenager of the dysfunctional family. In a typical family, the final prize to be won is the love and respect of the teenager. Dwayne’s family is an awkward amalgam of people he can’t stand: his wannabe beauty queen half sister, his “winning” stepdad, his loud not-grandfather, his suicidal uncle, and his mother, who is seemingly on the verge of a panic attack. Little Miss Sunshine represents one of the many permutations of family—a financially crippled group of people related by blood and marriage who try to prevent the splintering of their relationship. Although they don’t know it consciously, the family achieves their own brand of harmony at last when Dwayne falls in line with the rest of them, and acknowledges that he cares. This family makes the film instantly classic and completely endearing, and Dwayne helps this with his teenagerly snideness and eventual acceptance of his family.

There are three pivotal scenes for Dwayne in this film which outline his journey: his grudging acceptance to go to Olive’s pageant (for which the film is named), his reluctant return to his family after his dreams of flying have been crushed, and his enthusiastic defense of his half-sister while she lives out her dream. In the first scene, Dwayne’s mother bribes him to come along in the van to the competition by giving him permission for flight school. This line is just on of those perfect metaphors that irrevocably sticks in your mind. Dwayne literally wants to fly, so he can leave the ground where his family lives and be free. It is also the perfect teenage dream: Dwayne is focused only on his flying goal, so he is unreceptive to any communication from his family, which is why he is such a relatable character. His focus cuts him off, but he is like other teenagers in his refusal to accept his family’s guidance and care.

Dwayne’s first real paradigm shift comes whe he finds that he can’t go to flight school because it leads him to his family. Because he is colorblind, a fact found by Olive, Frank informs him that he would not be allowed to be a pilot. His vow of silence breaks when a long “fuck” rips from his throat in a heartbreaking scream, and suddenly he is even more relatable than we knew before. He yells at his mother and demands to be left alone—there will never be more typical teenage behavior. When Olive tries to comfort Dwayne, he begins to realize that family is all he has right now, since he sees no way for his dreams to be fulfilled. This is another important message of the film: when all is said and done, we have family to fall back on.

The movie’s culminating triumph comes when the family connects and come together to support Olive. Had Dwayne not gone through a major character upet, he would not have gone on stage to dance so exuberantly with Olive. Although Dwayne was the last to accept the importance of family, he seems no less devoted. A huge part of the American dream is winning over the teenager, because he (or she) is a terribly detached personality. Dwayne’s tranformation is all the more heartwarming because he was a great representation of the American teenager with his silent snarkiness and hatred of all things related to being a teenager. His journey was entwined with the film’s journey, because the family was at its happiest (on stage at the Little Miss Sunshine pageant) when Dwayne felt most content with them and his situation.

Dwayne is a big part of why Little Miss Sunshine is so fantastic and heartwarming. A brilliant choice in writing was his silence: it is so easy to veer into exaggerated discontent when writing a teenager, but that problem wasn’t present. When Dwayne did speak, Paul Dano acted very well as a teenage boy with little else to do but accept his crazy family for who they are. Every character loses his or her personal goal at one point and accepts this same fact like when Richard loses the book deal, or Frank sees his love with his enemy, so Dwayne, being the last, basically represents the movie as a whole. Dwayne is the long and winding road to happiness, and his acceptance allows the clan to have their own particular version of family peace.

The International Coaching Federation (ICF)

As a professional life coach, I’m certified through an organization called the International Coaching Federation (ICF), which is a non-profit established in 1995 that now has over 16,000 members who are committed to upholding the highest standards in this growing profession.  I enrolled in a school accredited through ICF called the International Coaching Academy by participating in classes and training seminars for two years, in order to earn my CPC, or Certified Professional Coaching certification.

The ICF defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”  This is the process that I provide for my students and client families every day–-and it’s an incredible journey.

As the new school year begins in less than a month, I invite you to consider if you’d like your child to explore more of his or her untapped potential….It can feel daunting if you’re charting the path alone, but as a professional coach, I am upholding these ICF standards:

Together.

I’ve decided to add my monthly “Clifton Comments” from the Cornerstone newsletter.  Here are my thoughts for July 2011:

Together.

The Academic Edge: Inspiring Athletes to WIN in the Classroom!

In my work with students over the past twenty years, I’ve employed a variety of motivational metaphors to inspire academic excellence—but none of them work quite as well as my athletic references.  You see, I was supposed to be a boy….a son and an athlete.  So when I was growing up, my dad did the best he could with an artistic, shy little girl—but when I felt daunted and defeated, he would coach me, just like any athlete.  And it stuck.  As an adult, I have encountered several ‘personal’ losing seasons, but I’m known among my family and friends as being pretty tenacious.  I may be down, but I don’t give up—and I believe that this stubborn vision is because of those talks when my father would reference a great athlete or coach or team that faced the odds and walked away with some kind of victory…Maybe they didn’t leave the field with a championship win, but it was always an inspiring story—one to hang in the halls of history.

Which is one of the reasons why I’ve reached many of my students—not only did I attend their games and cheer at a variety of athletic events, but I was continually fascinated by both their individual investment in athletics and the drama of America’s teams.  I’ve found that this approach to connecting academics with sports is an excellent way to energize athletes to stay in the game at school.

Now I’m taking those themes and weaving them into a program called “The Academic Edge:  Inspiring Athletes to WIN in the Classroom!”  Many of my current students who are involved in sports are not as engaged in academics, but it’s NOT because they aren’t smart.  It’s NOT because they lack the intellectual ability.  It’s because they haven’t learned to translate the skills they’ve mastered on the court and on the field into the classroom.  “The Academic Edge” is a monthly coaching call that will focus on inspiring this excellence—and it’s free.

The first Wednesday evening of each month in the school year at 9PM/EST, I will sponsor an hour-long coaching call for athletes to learn a strategic school skill and then relate it to their experience in sports.  My hope is to have college athletes and other sports personalities make guest appearances as special highlights of the calls, and to encourage athletes to become actively engaged in their academic success and earn winning scores on homework, quizzes, essays, and tests.  “The Academic Edge” will help motivate students who succeed in sports to also SOAR scholastically—so that their future is one of bright options, regardless of injuries or other obstacles.

“Clifton Kickoff” will happen at the start of this school year, to launch an academic season of focus and vision.  Here is the Fall Schedule for 2011:

Sept 7th:  ORGANIZATION

Oct 5:  PARTICIPATION

Nov 2:  COMMUNICATION

Dec 7:  COMPLETION

All students need in order to participate in this opportunity is commitment through our Facebook page and a phone—I will provide a free conference line, and record the call so that it is available online for others as a later reference.  If you know an athlete who might benefit from some academic inspiration, please give him or her this information.  In addition, if there is an athletic director or someone in sports who is a role model that you know personally, I would love to connect with that individual to be a “spotlight” for one of the calls, and appreciate your effort to make an introduction and send him or her my way!

The Clifton Corner is dedicated to inspiring young people to claim their unique gifts—both on the court and in the classroom.  Please join us in this new effort to reach athletes and inspire excellence!

The Writing is On the Wall–

I attended a business meeting in Manhattan the other day to make a very interesting discovery:  owners of companies too busy to sit down at the desk to compose their own column hire “ghost bloggers” to write material for them…kind of like speech writers for the President!  Okay, so maybe the rest of you already realized that—but for me, it was just a bit offsetting, and I’m going to explain why….

As an educator, one of our biggest efforts is to make sure that students not only conduct their own research but compose their own thoughts.  In many schools, students must write an “Honor Code” statement on every exam and assignment (like at Poly Prep Country Day School) attesting to the fact that their work is the result of their own effort.  If students don’t follow certain standards of etiquette by giving credit to other authors and/or sources, schools call it plagiarism, and whether this “scholastic sin” is deemed either unintentional or not, this “academic crime” can be the cause of an Advisory Committee or Honor Council deciding that a student is severely punished or even dismissed from that school.  Plainly put, it’s a big deal—so big that there are services which schools purchase to scan the Internet and make sure that students have not gleaned ideas and/or expressions from outside influences….

So imagine my surprise to hear that highly educated and accomplished individuals are “borrowing” someone else’s work—without giving credit?  It astounded me…but I’m still easily amazed by many things.  At any rate, what this news tells a larger educational audience is several important things:

First of all, your child’s voice has never been more important.  The women in this meeting talked about trying to find the right “spark” from writers to reflect the passion and purpose of their business ventures.  Style and expression may become the next “fashion trend” in our modern culture—not on the runway, but through words.  I applaud the etiquette modeled in Oprah’s magazine for her “a-Ha ! Moment” which features life-changing revelations from various personalities and celebrities.  While the first-person narration on this page reflects the unique experience of each individual pictured, at the bottom of this ‘personal column’ are the key words, “—As told to … ” with the writer’s name provided.  And it is my hope that others will notice this example of excellence modeled by Oprah’s editors and start giving credit to the voices of real writers.

The second valuable lesson is that old-school grammar isn’t exactly outdated, afterall.  In this fast-paced age of texting and tweating, it’s easy to see that people have taken some “short-cuts” in certain forms of communication.  But if a student can’t write coming out of college, his or her chances of getting their first job may be quite difficult, as a lot of companies are asking and expecting their employees to “spread the good word”—written well.  So sharpen those composition skills, because they will pay off, literally.

Third, make sure that your child is learning to generate and investigate her curiosity through exploring innovative and interesting ideas.  Many of the businesswomen in the room said that it irks them to have to “create possibilities” to reflect their company’s vision and mission.  Some eventually decide to write a list of key issues for their ghost writers to explore, but the best blogger is the one who can generate his own directions and connections.

So—the long and short of it?  The writing (as they say—) is on the wall.  What your child is learning in school REALLY MATTERS, especially when it comes to individual expression.  You may conclude from this column that, if your son or daughter struggles in this area of expertise, he or she can just “hire someone” to help promote the PR of their future business.  That may indeed be so, eventually.  But I have a little clue for you….While I did not earn an MBA, I did major in English—and I’m completely convinced that one reason why my business is surviving in a double-dipping recession (located in one of the most competitive cities in the world) is because I write my own monthly newsletter, compose all of the content on my website, draft persuasive emails, and create credible brochures that share a compelling story.  Due to my dedication to excellence in writing, I am now featured on blogs with the Waldorf Hub, NYC Private Schools, Noomii Life Coaching, and the Independent Educational Consultants Association.

Someday, maybe I’ll even get to writing that best-selling book…but that’s for another column!

NYC*Teen Summer Opportunities

Not going away to an exotic destination when school gets out?   Never fear:  it couldn’t be a better time to be in New York City this summer, as I discovered a few weeks ago while attending the “Teen Open House” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  During this exciting event, I visited with museum coordinators and educational artists around the city who provided information about the amazing opportunities available for teens in NYC this summer, both through innovative classes/camps and paid internships!

Here are some of the highlights:

* There are April Programs called “Design Directions” at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum on East 91st Street.  Visit www.cooperhewitt.org or www.facebook.com/teendesign to learn more about the class “Unexpected Design” or their Film Series, “Objectified,” which airs tomorrow!  For more information and registration, email:  cheducation@si.edu.

* One of my favorite museums, The Museum of the City of New York, has a “Saturday Academy” this spring for students in the 8th-12th grades, and it offers cool courses like “The Sixties:  Music, Movements, and Mayhem,”  “Public Art in East Harlem,” and “Kaplan Skills” to master the SAT.  Hurry:  applications are due by Weds, April 6th!  Contact Joanna Steinberg, Saturday Academy Coordinator, for more information.

*The Museum of the City of New York also has summer programs (with scholarships!) as three week courses which explore the eclectic culture of our incredible city. If you’re interested in urban planning, history, and/or journalism, this is a great opportunity!  For more information, write Elizabeth Hamby, Summer Programs Coordinator, at ehamby@mcny.org.

* Passionate about pursuing a career in art and want the experience of being a trained and paid museum guide?  Join RMA Teens down in the West Village for a free after-school program at the Rubin Museum of Art and explore the mystical collections of Tibet, India, Nepal, and China on Thursdays from 4-6pm.  Or—if you’re too busy during the school year, investigate making your own creations during Teen Art Labs this summer for a free workshop inspired by the “Pilgrimage and Faith” exhibition.  Apply online at rmanyc.org/teens.

* The Jewish Museum on the Upper East Side has Summer Studio Classes for Teens, which will involve exploring your own style of art through various media and paintings—there are scholarships available, and applications are due by May 16th.  Email teenprograms@thejm.org to find out more about attending “Mix It Up!” (contemporary art) or “In Living Color” (modern masters).

* Ready to express yourself through photography and explore the magic of the darkroom?  Join the Teen Academy at the International Center of Photography on 43rd Street this spring and summer for their classes in black-and-white or color landscapes.  Call #212.857.0061 for more information!

* The Museum for African Art on Long Island City has all kinds of ongoing, free programs this spring, including “Family Craft Fridays” (www.africanart.org).  You can also apply for an exciting new opportunity, “The Youth Ambassadors Internship Program,” available to 15 juniors and seniors (for Fall 2011), for a full year of training on the Museum Mile—with a $2,000 stipend!  Email egee@africanart.org or call #718.784.7718 for registration by April 18th.

* Love guitars?  Join a curator and guest musician talk about Guitar Heroes:  Legendary Craftsmen from Italy to New York at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 13th from 5-6:30pm.   “A Conversation about Music” will be free and held at the Uris Center for Education on Fifth Ave at 81st Street, and you can register your seat by calling #212.650.2010 or emailing access@metmuseum.org.

* Want to be a MoMA Teen?  There are so many cool programs on 53rd Street this summer—from “Multiple Madness:  Printmaking and the Art of Reproduction” (based on the exhibit, Impressions from South Africa, from 1965 to Now) to “Beyond Pink and Blue:  Sexuality and Gender in the Arts” and “Shred, Thrash, Carve:  The Visual Language of Skateboard Culture.”  Visit MoMA.org/momateens (by May 27th) for more information and registration!

* The Whitney is in on the party too, with drop-in workshops, talks with artists, teen tours, and more!  Visit whitney.org/teens for info about ongoing opportunities this spring and summer.

* Have insightful opinions and like to write?  Become a Teen Reviewer and Critic (TRaC) through The Arts Connection, “High Five.”  You’ll get to attend performances and exhibitions for FREE and then experiment expressing your unique voice in their newsletter.  Subscribe to “The Week in Arts” at www.high5tix.org/SignUp and learn more about this amazing opportunity at www.high5review.org!

* Don’t count out Brooklyn!  There are wonderful events planned by teens, for teens, a free Gallery/Studio Program, and the Museum Apprentice Program—all available for innovative youth in my favorite borough!  “Like” these ideas on www.facebook.com/makingartatthebrooklynmuseum and then email teen.programs@brooklynmuseum.org for more information.

* Go to the heart of the city at Columbus Circle for a paid internship learning “the art of business” at the Museum of Arts and Design, in the Jerome and Simona Chazen Building!  Hurry:  applications are due by April 11th and available at http://madmuseum.org/LEARN/teachers/artslife.aspx.  Get more information about ongoing events like portfolio and workshop opportunities at facebook.com/MADartslife.

* OH, SNAP!  Join “Young Powerful Voices at Work” every third Saturday for a free spoken word workshop from 4:30-6:30, led by poet Caridad de la Luz, in the Museo del Barrio on 5th Avenue at 104th Street.  There are also internships available for teens, so contact Outreach Programs Coordinator, Mairelys Alberto, at malberto@elmuseo.org for more information.

* Looking for walk down memory lane?  Try on the idea of an elite Student Historian Internship Program at the New York Historical Society…Interested applicants can visit www.nyhistory.org/education for additional information and need to apply by April 29th.

* Haven’t found your cup of tea in the city?  Consider one of the programs offered at the Clifton Corner this summer, both for middle and upper school students–or call me for a chat….I love connecting individuals with artistic and educational opportunities!  If you feel overwhelmed by the options, I also suggest contacting my friend, Barb Levinson, who specializes in helping families find wonderful summer camp opportunities—for free !  You can contact her at:  barblevison@tipsontripsandcamps.com.

Here’s to a lovely summer in the city~

What is “academic coaching”?!

Yesterday, I had an interesting conversation with another educational consultant who was confused about “what I do.”  Combining sixteen years of teaching experience in the classroom with professional life coaching and creating a learning center, based on the tools I learned as a Master Trainer in Emotional Literacy at Yale University, might seem like a convoluted picture….

On reflection, I remember a similar reaction from people when I talked about some of the magical moments that happened as a “traditional teacher” in my classroom.  Here a few examples of the responses I sometimes received:  “You give stickers—to seniors—?!” and “Yeah, but—what applicable skills are students learning about the real world through reading poetry ?” and “How can writing a personal letter to Ponyboy Curtis from The Outsiders seriously help students stay motivated at school ?”

Although I was often daunted by how to respond to these inquiries (or perhaps accusations—) what I know is that my students (many who have gone on extremely rewarding professional and personal paths) always asserted that I was a tough teacher and that they learned a lot—my standards were extremely high—but most of them also spoke about how much fun we had together in the journey of learning.  And that’s the kind of culture I’m creating at my little Corner of the world now…because most of the joy in education has been lost in the effort to prove and to perform….Which is one reason why I left my school straight-jacket, and takes us back to the original issue—”What exactly is academic coaching?”

When I think of all the wonderful ways to respond to this question—to someone who really has the time to listen—I probably need to think about writing a book on the topic.  But for now I want to bring in additional voice to offer someone else’s definition, another certified professional coach who provides perspective on a particular niche of this profession called ADD Coaching:

“What is ADD Coaching?  Can an ADHD coach help you or someone in your family?  Coaching is defined by the International Coach Federation as ‘partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.’  ADHD coaching employs a special skill set to empower persons impacted by ADHD to manage their attention, hyperactivity, and impulse control.

An ADHD coach could be described as a well-trained, professional ‘best friend’ who totally believes in you.  Even if all you can see is what’s not working in your life, your coach sees what is working, what’s good, and what’s possible for you.  Your ADHD coach can help you understand your unique brain wiring, your strengths, and how you can use that knowledge to your great advantage, unlocking extraordinary potential.

The time you spend with your coach is all about you.  Your coach will provide a safe and nurturing environment, listening to and hearing your concerns.  Your coach will help you understand and support your treatment program and save you precious time and wasted energy.  Your coach listens to your troubles and concerns and then supports you in finding your own unique solutions. Your conversations together will be supportive, not judgmental.  Your coach is a collaborative partner who will help you learn to minimize and/or manage weak areas so that you can focus on what you’re good at and what you’re passionate about.  You will cover topics that include health, education, life skills, tools and strategies and ways to keep on track.  An ADHD coach will help you design your life to be one which will give you satisfaction, variety, and success.  Your ADHD coach can help you overcome the frustration, confusion, and discouragement you may have felt around your ADHD and, with understanding and appreciation, support you in designing a new life of possibilities and potential.”  -written by Susan Macintosh, ADHD Coaches Organization

March Showers: Get Your H20!

If you see me during the day, you’ll notice that I take a lot of multi-colored vitamins—I’m a big proponent of health, as there are real ripple effects of nutrition connected with both professional achievement and personal happiness….But the simple component of well-being that I want to address today is sometimes overlooked as a strategic factor in student success.  While it’s a major commitment of time and energy to compile my “daily dose” of twelve different supplements and get them in my bag each morning, there is one essential ingredient that is easily accessible (at least here in America—) which can actually improve your child’s test scores:  WATER.

In a recent article of Scientific American Mind, researchers report that we are often not aware of being dehydrated, but a lack of water can cause a variety of problems:   a) prevent clear cognition, b) cause brain tissue to wither, c) interfere with planning/decision making, and d) restrict short-term memory ability by affecting important attention to detail.  One study, conducted in 2010 by Dr. Matthew J. Kempton at King’s College in London, revealed that even slight dehydration causes brain cells in the frontal lobe (which is in charge of executive functioning) to shrivel…just like plants!

Another experiment, conducted at the University of East London in 2009, revealed that “having a drink can help kids think.”  When thirsty six and seven year-olds were given a glass of water before an exam, they actually improved the accuracy of their answers.  These results can give teachers pause—when a student asks to visit the water fountain, we sometimes assume that this request is a delinquent diversion or devious detour, but kids are intuitively wise and they often instinctively understand the connection between being hydrated and having access to essential information.

“Ruled by the Body” by Erich Kasten addresses additional angles of health, especially physical conditions that can cause depression.  Check out how inflammation, lack of iron, and hormones affect both our moods and mind by reading more at:   http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=ruled-by-the-body.  While we deal with March showers outside, let’s not forget that—like flowers—our children need lots of H20 to grow!

“Cerebrodiversity!”

Today I attended a seminar sponsored by ‘The Parents League’ at the Philosophy Day School on East 79th Street.  Despite the rainy weather and slow trains, the speaker was worth every penny—(yes, I had to pay $20 because my membership from last spring expired this fall….).

But this investment was worth my time.  Jane M. Healy, Ph D, presented information from her book, Different Learners:  Identifying, Preventing, and Treating Children’s Learning Problems.  While Dr. Healy is all of 4’2″, this petite woman packs a punch with anecdotal insights from her years as an administrator and learning specialist in a private school located on the East side of Cleveland.

I loved her immediately and laughed loudly (in a rather quiet audience) as Dr. Healy confirmed so many of my own visions and theories about education.  The foundation of her book is built around the idea of “cerebrodiversity,” a term which means “no two brains are alike” and “no one has a perfect brain.”  (Should we tell ‘The College Board’?)

Since you didn’t get to attend the seminar and I want to save your time, here are some highlights that might be interesting:

* Dr. Healy has “grave concerns” about children being “raised by screens.”  (The entire morning had an eerie quality reminiscent of Ray Bradbury’s warnings in Fahrenheit 451.)  Did you know that 60% of the most popular apps on the iPhone are geared for toddlers?  Hmmmmm.

* Dr. Healy reports a “brain crisis” in this country, as “a child born today in the U.S. has [more than] a 30% chance of being diagnosed with some type of learning problem.”

* Dyslexia is a brain DIFFERENCE, not a disease!  We’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating:  a study documented that, of highly successful entrepreneurs, 50% were diagnosed with dyslexia at one time in their lives—and they attribute this ‘condition’ as a source of their strength for seeing new possibilities…and creating great wealth!

* The dance of nature and nurture has created new knowledge:  we now understand that the brain changes as a result of experiences, called “neuroplasticity.”  What does this mean, exactly?  That we CAN improve IQ, that the brain never stays the same, and that human potential is unlimited!  Not only that, but “epigenetics” is now establishing that we can change the genome as a result of new experiences.  Legacy is not destiny.

* Think Dr. Suess was a waste of time with rhyme?  THINK AGAIN.  Studies Dr. Healy highlighted provide documentation that rhyming games help develop reading comprehension later in childhood.

* Please wait on medication, parents…Dr. Healy says that hidden stress factors are causing the incorrect identification of ADD, ADHD, and other learning labels.  One of the major reasons for misdirected diagnosis is sleep deprivation and poor nutrition.  Even environmental factors can play a huge role in your child’s performance:  Dr. Healy shared the story of a teen whose math scores suddenly plummeted…and administrators at her school discovered that, because buses were idling outside her class at the end of the day, diesel fumes were actually interfering with this young woman’s ability to process new information, thus polluting her brain’s ability to think!

* Be careful to label your child with slow processing—this problem is “domain specific,” meaning that solving a physics equation might be a challenge for your child but he or she may be super-quick to observe signs and signals in the environment, for example.  In addition, “working memory” is relative to specific topics—as a case in point, one of my former clients could not recall even basic facts from the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, but she knew every fashion designer and each celebrity’s name (with correct spelling!) including a rather lengthy list of their recent credentials!

* Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this morning’s lecture was that Dr. Healy echoed an identical idea that I learned through my training at Yale University for Emotional Literacy:  the #1 skill essential for lifelong success is to teach our children SELF-REGULATION.

Would you like support with any facet of this information?  I’d love to connect with you about your child’s unique brain!  Please contact me to discuss how to celebrate the gifts of your “different learner”!

Looking Ahead…

I just spent the past month teaching six students at the Corner during our first-ever Middle School Summer Enrichment program, and it was wonderful.  The mornings were academic, focusing on reading and writing, followed by fun afternoon activities around Brooklyn and in the city—the perfect balance for summer.

What was interesting, however, was that my one-on-one tutoring clients from the regular school year became students in a more traditional classroom setting, and I was able to observe their habits as learners…So it suddenly became very clear why “enrichment” was a good idea for many of these individuals—not because they weren’t intelligent or capable or even interested…but because they sometimes weren’t entirely ENGAGED.

Everyone has a subject that really drives and delights them—for my dad, it was sports.  He can recall the details and particulars from just about any St. Louis Cardinals game that was ever played on this planet.  For my mom, her scene is Scrabble—she can often be heard remarking the words, “Oooh—that word has never been played on the board before!” because in this particular arena, she definitely has a photographic memory.

But ask my dad to explain a problem in algebra or require my mom to merge into major highway traffic, and both individuals suddenly fall flat.  The results are often abysmal.  Why?  They just didn’t tune in to the nuances required to develop that specific skill— for lack of a better way to phrase it, they just “couldn’t be bothered” when they had the opportunity to clue into details for these particular lessons…

It’s okay that my dad hires an accountant and that my mom sticks to the side roads when running errands, but what if they had to ‘pass a class’ in these “subjects” now?  Both of them would have to change their approach dramatically.  And this is the heart of learning:  change.  The skills that come quickly for us are ones that are natural and easy—and because they are already fun, we get more engaged with doing them even better—again supporting the old adage that “success breeds success.”  When we don’t enjoy an activity, on the other hand, we begin to avoid and ignore important signs and signals, and herein lies the true crux of my point….

Each of my kids this summer was intelligent and gifted—but every one of them reached a moment when they just “checked out” of the learning scene, for whatever reason.  As a result, key concepts were missed, and a foundation for future learning was lost—that familiar awful spiral.  We’re all human, but the key to preventing future road blocks this fall is creating a way to literally ‘rise above the mundane’ and find a way to Get ENGAGED in order to stay in the game of learning—somehow, some way…

Looking ahead at future classes and inevitable challenges as we approach a new school year, I encourage both parents and educators to “translate” skills that already flourish into areas of weakness.  For example, if you have a kid that’s a good cook on your hands but struggling in math, learn how to “parallel” following the directions of a recipe with forming a theorem in geometry.  If, on the other hand, you have a child who is “afraid of the ball” (as I was in gym) but a talented musician, link the skills in sports to an aspect of music—like “hitting a note” or “catching a tune,” so that the sense of already established success is readily available and accessible to transfer into a foundation of confidence for the more daunting activity.

When we can train the brain to feel ENGAGED, even on the smallest scale, kids often learn, despite their original apathy, and that’s when life can become suprisingly fun.  On a positive note (and on behalf of my talented parents!) my mom now changes lanes successfully through the complicated byways of Pittsburgh in order to see her three grandchildren and coordinate transportation for their demanding after-school activites.  And my dad—well, he found a way to earn a PhD from Princeton (despite an aversion to equations) in order to become a seminary president.  Both of my parents navigated a way into what matters most to them, and your children can too.  Even if “disinterest” can sometimes feel like a dancing gremlin who often wins, there is always a point of entry into the world of discovery.  As E.M. Forster so aptly wrote, “Only connect…” and at the Clifton Corner, we’re looking forward to connecting with You this fall!