Tag: schedules

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Don’t Underestimate the Power of Elective Classes

When I was a junior high and high school student, I remember feeling very limited in my options for my elective classes. As I look back, I probably felt this way because there really weren’t very many options to pick from. There were the traditional ones— art based classes, choir, band or orchestra, and some sort of home economics or foods classes— but classes that were extra “cool” or special weren’t options at the schools I attended. To be fair, I graduated 23 years ago, and the need for other kinds of electives just wasn’t what it is today.

Today’s secondary students seem to have a plethora of elective classes to pick from. Even the classes that count toward the required credits are more inviting. At the local high school where I live, students can choose from courses like American Sign Language, Sci-Fi Fantasy Lit., Japanese, Plant & Soil Science, Animal Science, Botany, Digital Business, Yoga, Guitar, Photo for Sports Media, Video Production, Accounting, Law Enforcement, Anthropology, Sports Psychology, and Coding, just to name a few. There are electives for every interest and ability. It’s amazing! 

With all of these options available, it might seem overwhelming. Wouldn’t it be so much easier for students to just stick to the general requirements needed for graduation? Probably. But if we did that, just think about all of the experience and learning that kids would miss out on. 

Elective courses are so much more than schedule and credit fillers. For one, they offer students the ability to have some amount of choice and control over their schedule. In a world where kids often don’t get a lot of choices, this is one opportunity for them to get to choose for themselves. Electives also give students a chance to dip their feet into several different areas. Kids can explore areas that they might not have the chance to otherwise. Perhaps they really want to try photography, but wouldn’t have access to the proper tools and instruction without taking a course at school. Students who are trying to figure out what kind of career they want to have can test out different courses to see what does and does not interest them. 

Taking courses in junior high or high school also offers the chance to take a class with lower stakes— once you’re in college, you’ve got to pay for those credit hours. In high school, you pretty much just have to cover any class fees. This way, if it turns out that Video Production just isn’t your thing, you haven’t lost out on a ton of money and precious college time. 

Elective classes can also give students a chance to take a break from the grind of core classes. Sometimes Math, Science, and English can get a bit monotonous, but electives can shake things up a bit and offer a bit of “fun” during the school day. This isn’t to say that all core classes are boring and terrible (I taught English— I know it can be a fun class!), but often times electives feel less heavy for students.

It’s great to live in a time when there are plenty of elective course options available. There are so many areas to explore and learn from, and it really opens up possibilities and options for today’s youth. 

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The Ultimate Test for Child-Directed Learning

This is not a drill. This is the ultimate test for honoring child-directed learning.

And it turns out I failed the first round.

How many times have I written about working from a place of love instead of fear? Yet I’m afraid that fear has been at the helm far too often over the last week. But I’m going to be kind to myself as I decide to try again each day through this crisis. Meanwhile, here are some of the lessons we’ve learned so far:

#1: Schedules & Routines are valuable, but remember to co-construct them with your children!

Here was my first attempt:

At first, I felt pleased because I had my daughter write and post it for our family. But it was still entirely conceived by me, with no input from my children. And it, um…didn’t go well.

The timetables didn’t work for all 3 kids at the same time, with some finishing fast, others experiencing boredom, and others feeling anxiety to do something that was arbitrarily placed later in the day. I struggled to get any of my own remote teaching done as I was constantly interrupted by “I’m done; what can I do next?”

As I fell asleep last night, I realized that in my fear of making sure my kids got all their physical, emotional, and intellectual needs taken care of, I was neglecting the key ingredient: autonomy. And with it, the peace and confidence that’s fostered by purpose & ownership.

I resolved to do better the next morning, and I fell asleep thinking about all the years and ways I have tried to help my children visualize and own their schedules & routines…

…and I decided to sit down with each of them to talk about what they hoped the day would bring.

#2: Take time to truly listen, early and often.

As a result of our discussions this morning, I learned from my 9 year-old that writing time slots with her schedule created tremendous unnecessary pressure for her. She preferred to write a sequence that could be flexible. I also learned that she preferred to finish all her difficult tasks (like cleaning her guinea pigs’ cage and homework) first thing in the morning.

And from my 5 year-old, I learned that he wanted me to draw pictures next to each item on his list, talking through each one so it made sense to him.

Setting the tone for listening first thing in our day has fostered more meaningful discussion, self-awareness, and self-regulation throughout the day. Words like, “When I do __, it helps me feel __.” And we all need this kind of mindfulness now more than ever.

#3: For the schoolwork coming home right now, try to make it as independently accessible for your children as possible.

For my 9 year-old, this looks like creating a Google Keep note with checkboxes, sharing it with her, and then adding any additional tasks I hear from her teacher to this one document as we go. That way, tasks don’t slip between the cracks, and I don’t overwhelm my daughter by telling her again and again, “Oh, and don’t forget this other assignment!”

For my 5 year-old, this looks like having a designated folder on the counter where he can access all the materials he needs each day. He doesn’t have to wait around for me in order to get started each day, which helps us both tremendously!

I still have work to do to improve this situation for all three of my children and myself, but our home feels more peaceful than it has in days. Now that I’m working toward child-directed learning again, the ship is righting once more, and we can look toward tomorrow with greater confidence and hope.

My very best wishes to families and teachers everywhere at this time! Remember to hold onto what you value and cherish most, and to be kind to yourselves through this stressful time!