'The Science Project' Update

Recently I posted about how my son wanted to do a project about quantum physics and intention at school. He was quickly reminded that school follows a curriculum and has a pattern of its own. There is not a lot of discussion or allowance for 'coloring outside the lines'. For those of you who are following along, I wanted to give you the newest addition to the story - especially if you are a parent. However, before I do, I also wanted to remind you all of something. I am asked continuously, and hear the same question in Law of Attraction Group meetings, etc,. - how can I teach these concepts to my children? Before I tell you the story, I wanted to share my answer to this question. In the timeless words of Gandhi, "Be that which you want to see in the world". For parents, that translates for me and you to 'be that which we want our children to be'. Although simplistic, it is the best advice I can give and it works! The 'update' that follows is a prime example.

As I mentioned when I posted last about my son's science project, I do not 'preach' what I study, and indeed live, to my children and family. If they ask I answer, but that is about as far as it goes. That said, when my son came home two days following the initial incident of defeat at school; I was not totally prepared for his story.

About three days after his request and defeat to do an intention experiment for a science project at school, my son came home full of excitement. He was asked to do a book report for language arts. He still had Lynn McTaggart's book, The Intention Experiment in his backpack and was reading it when he had time at lunch and so on. He told me that he took 'matters into his own hands' that day at school. I was a little nervous at first, but then he told me how he decided that only way that things were going to change for him at school was if he changed them himself. He waited until the end of class, and approached his language arts teacher. He spoke to her and he said that he was not trying to offend her, but he was bored with the book choices provided on the acceptable reading list. They were mostly novels, and he felt they didn't really have much to teach him. He wanted to read something that provided him with knowledge that he didn't already have. His teacher was, according to my son, a little 'taken aback', but asked to see this book he wanted to read. After she looked through it, she mentioned how it might have been a bit difficult for his reading. He commented how his 'mom said that even some of the adult people in her class sometimes had a tough time with this book as it was full of studies and footnotes', but that he really wanted to learn more about it and that he didn't feel he was really learning much from reading novels that didn't interest him. The teacher congratulated him on his desire to learn and approved the book as advanced reading material. That wasn't enough for my main man though. He pushed on and had the book report approved on the same content as well. As he told me this story, my heart swelled with pride. Not only had he turned a real negative situation into a positive one, but he also showed the courage to stand up and fight for what he believed in. What more could a mom ask for?

He read the book from cover to cover, and is asking for more. I am so proud of him for what he has done. He even said to me, "Hey mom, maybe this is the way that the schools will finally realize that some of these ideas have to be taught in the classrooms! Maybe we could work together to get other kids to know that it's OK to ask questions and stand up for what they want too". I may have another Tony Robbins on my hands!

The key here is there was no preaching on my part, but what can I say? Out of the mouths of babes. What an awesome kid! When the final mark comes in, I'll let everyone know, but the mark doesn't matter to me. As an educator, I feel confident in saying that he has already learned more than any book report and language arts class could have given him. Grammar and language is important, but not even close to the ability to desire, motivate and achieve. Show me that in a teacher's plan book (it wasn't ever in any mine!). Until then, I will keep on doing what I am doing - it's working!

How can we change the education system?

After working in education for a number of years, it never ceases to amaze me how ridiculous some of the 'rules' of schools are. Today was a prime example.

My son was planning a science experiment involving the intention effect on plant growth. He was already researching some quantum physics, and reading up on The Intention Experiment by Lynn McTaggart. He came home today from school today extremely disapointed as his teacher told him that his experiment was not an experiment at all, 'plants don't have brains'. My child is twelve and is exploring quantum physics on his own accord, and his teacher literally squashed his enthusiasm in one sentence. I talkd him we would have to follow the rules at school, but we are doing the experiment ourselves at home anyway. This made him feel a little better, but he still asked, "why does my science teacher not know about energy mom? everything is made out of energy!?" Good question.

To top it off, he was actually reprimanded for reading the above mentioned book in Language Arts as it was "not considered to be advanced reading". Duhhh? Did they even look at the cover of the book? Quantum theory and science is not advanced reading?? Seems to me there was some science guy - pretty well known - that used to talk about this....oh yeah, his name was EINSTEIN.

So how, do you deal with this? Well, we can always switch to home schooling I guess, but for now, we will just make sure that it is covered at home and we 'appease' the powers the be at school. I reminded my son, Henry Ford was told over and over again that he was crazy, and Einstein was failing in school. No one who was ever noted as exceptional in history listened to what everyone else said. Yes, kids we do have to follow the rules in school, but no one can tell you what to think. As parents, we need to remind ourselves and our children to be free thinkers. I think the end of the year gift for the teachers will be a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble or maybe a free field trip down the road to NASA.