A commonly asked question: “What can I do to help my learner at home?”
It isn’t easy being the parent of a self-directed learner. You feel the ups and downs while trying to step back. It can be challenging! So today, I have 2 concrete strategies to try at home, and even better, we’re keeping it simple.
Scenario 1
Your learner comes home upset or frustrated. What do you do in the moment? Step 1– validate his/her emotions. “That must be frustrating!” or “I can see why you would feel angry. I would feel that way too!” More often than not, that is all you need to do. Stop here!
If your learner is ready to problem solve, you can restate the problem and ask if she/he would like help solving it. If (and only if) your learner says, “Yes!” then you’re onto brainstorming. Help your learner generate potential solutions.
Tip- a favorite strategy is to start the brainstorming session with a ridiculous solution. You couldn’t focus today because it was too loud? We could buy you a silent bubble and you could roll around in it all day! No? Okay, what do you think would be a better idea?
Scenario 2
Scenario 2 is any other day when your learner comes home happy and energized from a day at school. (We hope it happens a lot!) On those days, your love and unconditional support are enough. Often learners just need someone to be there to share the joys and challenges.
If you still want to offer additional support, simply ask- how could I better support you? You’d be surprised what the learners say! Sometimes, they will have a specific strategy, and sometimes, they just want you to keep doing what you’re doing! They appreciate the love and support that you are already giving them every day.
And we do too! On this mission to reimagine education, we appreciate every step of success or challenge. We are grateful to you, our trailblazing parent community, for partnering with us on this fantastic journey.
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