Better than the BADGE!
It’s amazing how a single button can hold so much meaning. The button materials are mere pennies to purchase yet the button becomes invaluable because of the journey each learner takes to turn a button into a badge of honor. Badges are the tangible component of our Acton system and it is incredibly easy to compare and obsess over the worry of “did my child earn or not earn enough” badges. I’ve heard countless stories of parents pushing for the badge because we parents feel good when our child earns a token of treasure. I’d like to invite you to view the badge with a different lens.
The goal at Acton for every learner is NOT to earn badges. Sure, it’s nice to see their progress and mastery in tangible form however we actually prefer that every learner experiences not earning a badge at least once because it is the journey of trying regardless of the result that defines a hero. The journey of trying takes grit, challenge, takes hard work, time management, and planning skills. If a badge were easy it would hold far less value. In all honesty the treasure is less about the badge and more about the reflection of the badge. Here’s an example; a session or so ago the majority of the Discovery Studio didn’t earn a Quest badge. At first they blamed the requirements and environment however quickly words of “I was way more interested in my friends than working” “I tried to hustle at the end but I should have made a plan much earlier” “I finished a component but it wasn’t my best work and I wasn’t proud to share it with my family”, these words quickly echoed with many heroes. Sure, they didn’t earn the token of a badge but they found treasures for their next journey in reflection.
Habits, forming and discovering positive habits that will lead to a good life are the work that we focus on at Acton. As much as we adults want to measure the traditional school grades or count the trinkets of badges and compare our child to another, this measurement doesn’t matter. It is habits, decisions, and character that defines who our children will become. This is why at Acton and at all 300 and counting Actons across the globe have this learning philosophy:
Clear thinking leads to good decisions. Good decisions lead to the right habits. The right habits forge character. Character determines destiny.
Whether it is a Core Skills, Auxiliary, or Quest badge it is the mistakes and the wrestling with the process of choices, consequences, and determination that is the honor of the badge. As parents we must be brave and clear in our role to welcome the messy process of the journey and encourage our learners to get back in the arena when they falter. Laura Sandefer once shared “Over and over they practice these skills so by the time they launch into the world of their own, they are intentional and confident decision-makers with the habits and character necessary to find their callings.” Learning to live a life full of love and purpose is better than the badge. What life do you want for your child?
As this session is our final Quest of the school year, Passions Quest, I’d like to share key questions that you might want to ponder with your children. Questions are the foundation of our school and every Quest has a handful of core questions weaved in maps and Launches for learners to grapple with on their journey. Here are a few key questions for the current Passions journey that might make great dinner conversation:
Who loves me and who do I love?
What heroes inspire my journey and who do I inspire?
What fills me with joy?
When I am 100 what will I say about my life?