Mastering the Journey
Po, the proclaimed dragon warrior, was simply a panda that loved noodles. So, how did Po become the ultimate Kung Fu Panda Master? The process wasn’t easy, Po had many external and internal challenges but he also had fellow travelers (the fantastic five) and mentors (Grand Master Oogway and Master Shifu). Just like Po, learners at Acton are on their hero’s journey and their mentors include Guides and YOU, parents!
As an Acton parent you may have felt or currently feel concerned about your learners progress. Maybe it’s their reading level, comprehension of math concepts, or perhaps their lack of drive to work with focus. What do you do when you witness your child not working to their potential? Are you letting them fail or are you pushing?
As a parent of an Acton learner I must admit that I am guilty of pushing. Last year my daughter fell in love with reading and I felt pride as she moved quickly through reading levels! Suddenly she stalled and lost interest in reading so I naturally rolled up my sleeves and pushed; I constantly asked her to read, gave stories of why reading was important, offered rewards, and exhausted her with planning questions. Even though my pushes had great intention my pushes caused more harm than good and she resisted. After many months and great frustration I found that I simply had to wait. I modeled reading my own books instead of insisting she read with me. I read her books at nighttime and took my time sounding out the words. Suddenly she became impatient and took over reading the story, my heart burst. Now, when I notice she is stuck in Math, Language, or struggling with friends at school I remind myself that she can do hard things and I can too. I brave the hardest thing for me, I step back. If you push your child towards mastery the job may be reached but the goal is not attained. The goal is for learners to develop confidence, work ethic, and joy on their journey to master learning to learn. If you grab the glue gun or solve the math problem for them you steal treasure that will last them a lifetime.
So, as MENTOR how do you support your child? 1. Praise process! “You tried so hard” “I’m so proud of your effort to work towards your goal” “Your focus and determination has really improved” 2. Ask questions that inspire process reflection. “What level mastery are you now?” “What can you do to get closer to the next mastery level?”.
As Po’s master mentor shared “An acorn can only become the mighty oak not a cherry tree. You must let her grow into what she will be.” —Master Oogway