Empower The Right Person





Empower The Right Person
I am sitting in my living room watching my kids work on their science projects and I quickly started to reflect on my own experiences with science fairs. As an elementary school student, I would enter the science fair every year, no matter the focus. I would always talk with my parents and/or my teachers about an idea I had and how I could make it better or test a hypothesis. I loved it! It was my time to experiment and work through challenges that were put in front of me. My parents/ teachers were there to pick me up if I fell, but not there to step in until I absolutely needed them.

This independence of allowing the child to do the project taught me work ethic and if I wanted something I needed to work for it. I never won the blue ribbon, but I won so much more. I won because I learned the value of hard work and if I wanted something, I needed to be persistent in my pursuit.
Fast forward many years to where I am now. I have taken those same lessons and passed them down to my own children. When my kids come home with school projects, they do them. Obviously we are there to help them through the thought process, but ultimately it is up to them to figure things out and make sure the project gets done. It creates ownership, work ethic and so much more.

As an educator and parent, it frustrates me so much to walk into a science fair/art show/ school event and see blue ribbons being given to parents that did the entire project for the child. You are missing the point! Kids need to be challenged, they need to be pushed, and they need to be able to think/problem solve. All we need to do is believe in them!

As educators, it is our job to empower our students to go out and fight for what they want. Put no limits on their learning, but make sure it is them who is learning. Stop rewarding the parents that do the work and show everyone their is value in students doing the hard work. Believe in the student and the world opens for them.

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