Happy Back-To-School Day To Our Readers!

Even though school started for most kids earlier this month, every Monday is truly a back to school or work day for many of us. So we bring you what’s inspired us most this monday morning, a podcast from This American Life! They are on the radio but also have smart phone apps and podcasts online and on itunes available for downloading or streaming from the internet. It’s well worth it to hear such awesome news about what scholars of multiple disciplines are bringing to the forefront of the education discussion in America. There are so many parallels in this podcast to the success our ILC kids are having. It provides out-of-the-box thinking, focusing, and findings I’ve yet to hear or read from typical news outlets.

Studies find possibility for positive intervention in education for kids at any stage of development with a simple change of focus in what is taught and prioritized by educators.

 

“Paul Tough discusses how “non-cognitive skills” — qualities like tenacity, resilience, impulse control — are being viewed as increasingly vital in education, and Ira speaks with economist James Heckman, who’s been at the center of this research and this shift.” (an excerpt from the T.A.L.’s podcast description)

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST AT THE LINK BELOW:

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/474/back-to-school

 

What an inspirational way to start the week. I am so grateful that the brilliant perspectives, evidence, findings and connections in this radio program/podcast reinforce our equally current and up-to-date programs and practices at ILC.

This MUST HEAR relevant and current education hour with Ira Glass presents current interviews, personal stories, current stats, evidence, and studies from some journalists, neuroscientists, economists, social psychologists and writers. People in differing disciplines ask out-of-the-box questions and find parallel truths in their findings. They discuss current evidence about focus in education and finding positive interventions for kids at any stage of development, including empowering topics like strong character and object constancy and how to eliminate inequality in upcoming generations through building **capability** within students at any stage of their development!

Another great part of the podcast is how they describe a study where kids who believed that intelligence was something that could be developed and grown, found 100% success bridging the gap between themselves and their peers who appeared smarter and previously more successful. Children who thought that intelligence was something unchangeable, something in their genetics, or something they were just born with, continued to compound their failure and re-enforced the belief that their intelligence could not grow–even though it could! Get the word out. We’ve had parents in tears in our center finding this out as adults and feeling such grief that they had believed they were dumb or not-smart-enough for something as well. The parents learn that they and their kids are capable of growing their intelligence. They begin to advocate for their children to have confidence that will inspire success.  They give their kids the gift of seeing possibilities at an earlier stage to which they did not have access in their own childhoods. After all, we want our kids to have the best the world has to offer. We want our kids to be happier and more successful at what they love to do. We want them to learn more than we could have ever dreamed possible. This is what we want to pass onto our future generations. That is the astounding beauty of how grit, resiliency, curiosity, and the hidden power of great character in parents, family members, and teachers can be passed on to the children of our present and future.

We are so glad to find such kindred spirits in this podcast and in the latest research and evidence across multiple disciplines. Parents, Teachers, Educators, and Education Advocates, prepare to be inspired. We are and we thank you Ira Glass, the contributors to the “Back To School” podcast released today and the team at This American Life!

Also, keep on the lookout for this week’s announcement of one of our new tutors and the latest creative writing class open for registration! It’s full of fascinating shenanigans. The last class she created involved mummifying store-bought chickens and sugar cube pyramids with corresponding drawn maps, to name only two projects. Stay tuned!

TeamILC <3