Focusing on School Daze

Well it has been a month since most children have returned to their school life routine, and I am wondering how it is going in those classrooms. Are the children eager to learn, stimulated in a balanced way and recognized for their individual ways of learning?

There are some fabulous classrooms out there who have teachers at the helm that are fulfilling their life purpose spending most of their days with children. There are other classrooms that have room for improvement. Just so you know where I am coming from I want you to know that I would like to see a complete overhaul of the current curriculum.

Increasing rates of childhood anxiety levels, growing difficulties with attention spans and focusing abilities, and high secondary school drop out rates are all symptoms pointing to the need for change. Many factors other than the curriculum do play a part in these symptoms, but I do want you to think about a Dalai Lama style of education.
If you take a peek into the lives and training of the Dalai Lamas you will discover that as children their education was delivered to them one subject at a time for two hours a day.

Those two hours of intentional learning were divided into one hour time slots, one uninterrupted hour in the morning and one in the afternoon. The one subject was studied until it was determined by the elder teachers that it had been mastered by the students, and then they would move on to a new subject. In between class time the young Dalai Lamas were allowed to play and explore their natural environment. What a difference this is from our current system of focusing on several subject areas within one day for extended periods of time with quite a few interruptions and distractions cropping up. Does this have anything to do with children’s and adult’s abilities to focus their attention today? How much time do our bussed or driven-to-school children actually spend in natural settings to allow them to develop a better understanding of the world around them? (kudos to those of you who are walking!) The running, walking, bicycling and playing also offers children brain balancing activity which helps them to absorb and integrate the lessons that they have been exposed to during the day.

Obviously we do not have a single subject at a time curriculum now, so what can parents do to help bring balance to children’s lives until we stop rushing and overwhelming them? Get them outside and slow down and simplify things! Work out ways that they can walk to school in the morning and walk home in the afternoon – don’t just roll your eyes here and say it is impossible – that is limited thinking. Have a look at what these schools are doing: http://www.saferoutestoschool.ca/featuredschool.asp How important is it for children to spend time outside in nature?

If you really want to know the answer to this go to the local library, check out and read Richard Luov’s “Last Child in the Woods” http://richardlouv.com I have to agree with him, in my opinion nature deficit disorder is the root of many other contemporary disorders. I also think that rushing our children to future success is harmful. Dr. David Elkind agrees with me on this one. In his book “The Hurried Child” http://www.amazon.com/Hurried-Child-Growing-Fast-Soon/dp/0738204412 he explains that he believes we are doing our children harm by exposing them to many experiences and genius teaching tools to help ensure that they will be successful adults. Even the Berenstain Bears knew this, check out their “Too Much Pressure” book www.berenstainbearstreehouse.com/bookstoomuch.php
I spend some of my professional time tutoring children.

These children come from all different backgrounds, I tutor them because their parents have asked me to, the children do not pick up the phone and call me! For the most part I am bringing a reduced pace and simplicity to the lessons that they are being exposed to at school. I also try to find a way to make the learning fun and to tie it to their personal interests and passions. Deepak Chopra agrees with me on this one.

In his “The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents: Guiding Your Children to Success and Fulfillment” http://www.amazon.ca/Seven-Spiritual-Laws-Parents-Fulfillment/dp/1400097851/ref=sr_1_18?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1286390328&sr=1-18 he explains that parents and caregivers should help their children to spend more time doing what they love to do and what they are good at doing, not more time trying to strengthen the skills that do not come easily to them. Honour their uniqueness and the gifts that they bring to this world by giving them the most attention. Psssst! Here’s a secret – we weren‘t all born to be accountants or great novelists, so if the reading and writing and arithmetic skills aren’t developing as fast as you want, take a deep breath, sit back and observe what your child chooses to do when they are given a choice (if your answer is play video games…well there are job opportunities there, but that‘s a topic for another column…).
So wrapping it all up – get outside, slow down and do what you love to do!