About School, Learning, and Your Kids

Below is an article by Andy Shaw that talks about the attitude your kids should have when learning things in school. I believe that teaching our kids is one of the most important part of parenting along with having your kids learn to be happy, successful adults.

This article by Andy Shaw below is absolutely right on the money when it comes to the proper attitude for kids to have when in school. My dad always said that school is not so much for learning things, unless you are going to be a brain surgeon etc. but is to learn how to think.

And Andy Shaw’s course which is called “A Bug Free Mind” is one of the best courses out there. If you are interested in learning more what Andy Shaw teaches, I have put the links at the bottom of his article for you to explore should you wish to.

In any case and if you have kids, please read the article below and help them change their attitude about learning.

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Do you have the same trouble that I have teaching my children?

I’m still suffering a little from Jet lag at the moment so am taking it pretty easy on my way back into work.

I think one of the best things about what I do is I get to do what I want when I want, and today I am not doing much 🙂

So yesterday I spent a little time answering questions from readers and today I’m doing some more of that…

But as it’s half term I’m getting a little time to spend with my son David. It’s cold in the UK right now, so we get in the hot tub to warm up and chat.

The day with him started by him handing me his game controllers and his ipod as in his words, they were his distractions.

He offered them I didn’t ask. I just told him to do his homework and today he was failing miserably.

Shortly after that we got in the hot tub and got to chatting about his school work. He’s taking Economics, Philosophy, Product Design and Critical Thinking (well he is my son).

I was asking him how it’s going and he said that, “Philosophy is boring, and Economics is hard”.

So I asked him why he was studying them?

He said that it was so he could learn the subjects.

I asked for what reason and he said, “to get the grades”.

So I told him this was why he found the subjects boring and hard. And, if he wanted to find the subjects easy and enjoyable then he needed to change his approach…

The approach is to not learn the subjects, but to become a Philosopher, to become an economist, to become a Product Designer, and to become a Critical Thinker.

Our children are taught to learn, however, all learning changes when you learn to become rather than learn to study.

Anything you have succeeded at with, was done when you stopped going to learn and you started learning to become.

Sure you may never be a great Philosopher, or a great Economist. But that doesn’t mean you are not a Philosopher or Economist, it just means you are not a great one yet.

The key is, if you go to learn then you will struggle. If you go to become then the learning becomes fun, easy, and most importantly pleasurable.

I told David to go to become one instead and his exams would take care of themselves.

We chatted for about 30 minutes on this subject so I’ve kept it short so as not to bore you too much. But this subtle education may dramatically alter his results and overall experience…

Or it may not, as you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink.

Because my problem is one of proximity. I can teach this to others, I can teach it to his friends.

I may be able to teach it to you, but getting David to accept it as the truth, well that is a whole different story 🙂

If you want your children to enjoy school more, and more importantly become passionate in a world where superficial is king, then I strongly suggest at least teaching them to stop going to learn, and start going to become.

 

By Andy Shaw Author, for and on behalf of ABugFreeMind.com A Bug Free Mind & Saltori www.Saltori.com