THE GENIUS IN CHILDREN - Encouraging Character, Curiosity, and Creativity in Children by Rick AckerlyTHE GENIUS IN CHILDREN | Encouraging Character, Curiosity, and Creativity in Children by Rick Ackerly

Authority

Posted on October 7, 2018 by Rick

At nine months, granddaughter Zoe, pulled herself into a standing position at a small wooden stool in our kitchen. Her cousins were nearby, and five-year-old Ilyas put a small square block in front of her. With dramatic force, she swatted it off with her right hand. This authoritative self-assertion delighted all observers. Continue reading →

Posted in Authority, Brain Development, Challenge, Character, Children, Collaborate. Create. Contribute., Creativity, decision-making, Education, Empowerment, Executive Function, Genius, Learning, parenting, Play, Relationships, School Culture, School Reform, Self-Actualization, Teaching | Tagged Authority, building character, character, child-rearing, conflict, decision making, Discipline, education, Emotional control, Genius, kids, Leadership, Learning, Learning community, learning social skills, Parenting, school reform, teachers, teaching | 4 Comments

CHARACTER, CONFLICT AND CREATIVITY

Posted on September 20, 2018 by Rick

Your character is the you that’s becoming. It’s the “Little Engine that Could” that keeps driving you toward what you need to make of yourself. For the ancient Greeks, kharakter is the mark that the gods put on your soul at birth. Character is the self that we are self-actualizing, our inner author, the source of our authority, our calling. Character development is not a part of education, but education itself. Continue reading →

Posted in Authority, Brain Development, Challenge, Character, Coaching, Collaborate. Create. Contribute., Collaboration, Conflict and Issues, Creativity, Culture, decision-making, Education, Fun, Genius, Integrity, Leadership, Learning, parenting, Play, Relationships, Self-Actualization, Self-determination | Tagged Authority, building character, character, child-rearing, conflict, decision making, education, Emotional control, Genius, kids, Leadership, Learning, Learning community, learning social skills, Parenting, parenting skills, school reform, teaching responsibility | 2 Comments

Cancer Update

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Rick

Today, the summer solstice, marks the half year mark of the discovery that I had Metastatic Melanoma. My wife Victoria again wrote a wonderful newsletter to my extended family, and I got her permission to pass it on to you. (She’s really, really good with words.) Continue reading →

Posted in Genius | 29 Comments

Imagination and Education

Posted on June 9, 2018 by Rick

The MIND. Engage imagination before opening. To maximize academic performance, academics must be taught as a subset of the larger project of maximizing mental capacity. For both, imagination is essential. When you watch children at work and play, you see that something inside of them agrees. Continue reading →

Posted in Achievement, Brain Development, Children, Collaborate. Create. Contribute., Collaboration, Creativity, Education, Emotional Intelligence, Fun, Genius, Learning, Mathematics Teaching, Play, project based learning, Relationships, School Culture, School Reform, Self-determination, Teaching Writing | Tagged decision making, education, Genius, kids, Learning, Learning community, learning social skills, Parenting, school, school reform, success, teaching | 6 Comments

Schoolyard Nastiness and Anti-Tyranny Training

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Rick

I, too, despair at watching my president stoop to schoolyard nastiness.

—David Leonhardt, New York Times, June 30, 2017

Schoolyard Nastiness! Why do we take it for granted? And why do we expect the adults in our government to behave any better than they did in school? We shouldn’t. If school were preparing our young people for full functioning in a good democracy, you would see kids working on their anti-tyranny repertoire like this group of third graders at Johns Hill, a public magnet school in Decatur, Illinois. Continue reading →

Posted in Brain Development, Challenge, Character, Children, Collaborate. Create. Contribute., Collaboration, Conflict and Issues, decision-making, Education, Emotional Intelligence, Genius, Leadership, Learning, Relationships, School Reform, Social Responsibility, Thoughtfulness | Tagged building character, child-rearing, conflict, decision making, education, Emotional control, Genius, kids, Leadership, learning social skills, Parenting, school reform, teaching responsibility | 9 Comments