A New Year

The beginning of a new school year is a relatively simple matter when you are on the conveyor belt - simply purchase the supplies for the relevant grade and you are ready to go. Gearing up for another year of Leadership Education is not necessarily so simple, but far more worthwhile. I start with a six month inventory (ingredient number 8) for each child. This is a chance for me to really focus on that child, their strengths, goals and needs. I also invite the children to revisit their compasses (covered in ingredient 16) and reconsider what they are interested in learning about. With this information it's time for me to mull over plans and ideas, paying special attention to the 4 phases, 7 keys and 55 ingredients. What phase is each child in? Are there signs that they might be moving from one phase to another? If a child is moving towards Transition to Scholar this might be a good time to review some of the applicable parenting skills. If they are moving further through Scholar Phase the time might be right for a formal scholar agreement or an outside mentor. Is what we are doing in tune with their phase? Which ingredients do I want in our educational mix and in what proportion? Is it time to add a weekly lesson, schedule a particular field trip, move one book to the top of the family reading list or perhaps subscribe to a particular magazine? How can I inspire a child to work in a particular area that I feel would benefit them? Am I structuring our time in the way the will best enable us to meet our goals - or is it time for a six month "No" ? And what about me - what am I planning on studying? It is the process of finding good answers to these and similar questions that will set us up for success in the year ahead.