Parents know the public educational system is broken, but most don’t know what they can do about it. Dr. Ai Addyson-Zhang was a college professor for over a decade and knew firsthand what was happening in the classroom and why she walked away from her teaching job to pursue something better. What can you do about the broken education system?
In this episode, we discuss why the system is broken, and practical things parents need to know so their child can obtain a superior education that focuses on learning, not test-taking.
The Broken Education System
Why kids are falling behind
How the system focuses on theories, not on the application
How parents can foster a love of discovery and learning
Why kids need practical experience to learn concepts
What parents can do to give their child a superior education, not a quality one
Why kids need to questions their teachers
How the learning process really happens
Conclusion
Parents can’t rely on a broken education system to provide a superior education for their children. My goal is to help you learn what you can do with your child at home to foster a love of learning that will continue throughout their lives.
About Dr. Ai Addyson-Zhang
Dr. Ai Addyson-Zhang is an educator and an entrepreneur. She received her MA and Ph.D. in Communication from Syracuse University and the University of Maryland. Ai is the founder of Classroom Without Walls, an alternative school to future-proof the next generation. Ai is also an Adobe Insider, Adobe Education Leader, and HubSpot Academy Instructor. Dr. Ai additionally serves as a SEMrush Webinar guest and host. Dr. References and Links
Self-protection isn’t new. People disappoint us, so we put up walls. God doesn’t answer our prayer, so we stop praying. We deal with pain and suffering by self-protecting. It feels safer. But, is it how Jesus handled pain and suffering? Did he avoid people who hurt him? No. Then maybe we should live by his example.
Life can be messy. Very messy. Faith might seem hard to hold on to, especially if your prayers seem to fall on deaf ears. But, are you allowing self-protection to hurt your faith and friendships?
Guilty of Self-protection?
A friend recently shared something about self-protection from the book 40-Days to Decrease by Alicia Britt Chole. Her text was so good that I had to pull my own copy off the shelf and read more.
I found myself wondering if I’m guilty of self-protection. Sadly, I am. Most of us are. I think the longer we live, the more pain and suffering we’ll experience, but we have a choice: Put up walls or let our light shine by being different.
In this episode, I share some reasons people self-protect, what God’s taught me about not using self-protection to keep others at a distance, and why we should follow Jesus’s example.
The Solution to Self-Protection
Instead of avoiding people and uncomfortable situations, Jesus chose to be fully present. He knew what was about to happen to him. He knew he would be betrayed, mocked, and rejected. He could have put up walls and distanced himself from others. Why didn’t he? Because he knew freedom comes through suffering, not avoidance. He endured much, but he embraced the moment.
Are you hurting your faith and friendship by protecting yourself? You don’t have to live that way. It’s a choice. Freedom doesn’t come by way of not experiencing pain or suffering. It’s the opposite.
Take some time to consider the impact of living a life that constantly tries to keep God and friends at bay. May I invite you to consider removing the walls you’ve so carefully constructed so your faith and friendships can flourish?
*If you are in an abusive situation, seek help. Don’t stay in an abusive relationship or put yourself in harm’s way.
Are you among millions of parents trying to run a business and homeschooling your children? You’re not alone. Millions of parents are faced with the tension that comes with juggling deadlines, making sure the kids are doing school, planning meals, and spending hours in the kitchen.
Whether you’re working a few hours or full-time, the challenge to fit it all in is real. The guilt and frustration from day-to-day can leave you discouraged and worn out.
Running a Business and Homeschooling
Today, Ashley Wiggers is joining me on the podcast. She is a second-generation homeschool graduate whose parents were pioneers in the homeschool movement. Greg and Debbie Strayer were respected leaders, mentors, speakers, authors, and magazine owners/editors. Ashley grew-up watching them juggle the demands of running a business and homeschooling.
We discuss some of the lessons she learned as a homeschool graduate and how she plans to follow their example.
Tips for Your Journey in Business and Homeschooling
Being fully present
Plan memorable moments
Set realistic goals
Create a love of learning
Trust the Lord
Protect what matters most
About Ashley Wiggers
Ashley Wiggers speaks at homeschool seminars, serves as Public Relations Director for GeoMatters, and is the author of the Profiles from History series. She also joins Homeschooling Today magazine as a co-executive editor and writes the column, Lessons My Mother Taught Me.
Ashley grew up in the early days of the homeschooling movement. She was taught by her parents, Greg and Debbie Strayer, who are authors of numerous homeschooling materials and were part of the founding group of Homeschooling Today magazine back in 1992. As a homeschool graduate, Ashley has a deep appreciation for the opportunity to homeschool and the need for encouragement and support of homeschooling families.
Fostering a foundation of respect between you and your teen requires time and intentionality. The good news is that your investment now pays off in the long run as you show your child respect.
Respecting each other is not just a good idea to help your relationship grow stronger, but God requires that we show respect. In I Peter 2:17 (NIV), the Bible says, “Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”
In this episode, I share ways you can foster respect between you and your child.
Ways to Foster Respect Between You and Your Teen
Understand your child’s point of view.
Remember, every person is made in God’s image.
Let your child feel seen and heard.
Look at your teen in the eyes
Serve one another
Monitor how you speak to each child
Over the years, I’ve seen well-intentioned parents who believed respect wasn’t a two-way street. They demanded to be respected by their child but failed to understand their responsibility to show respect to their child. When you take the time to show your child respect, your child will start to mirror your example.
People often ask me how I taught my children. I love it when I get the opportunity to share how we homeschooled our kids. But what I love even more is helping parents teach their children! Let’s talk about how to teach children well!
Parents have been led to believe that one needs a degree or some special training to be a good teacher. I wrestled with feeling like I didn’t have what it takes to be a teacher for many years. I had neither an education degree nor special training. What I did have was a desire to provide an excellent education for my children. But that didn’t mean there weren’t times I felt inadequate for the job. Honestly, I’ve never met a parent who didn’t question themselves from time to time. The truth is education isn’t a mystery.
In today’s episode, I’ll unpack three key strategies that will help you teach your children.
How To Teach Children
Know your child.
Encourage them to try.
Manage your expectations.
We must keep in mind that children have a natural desire to learn. The key is for us to nurture their curiosity and not drive it out of them.
How to Nurture Curiosity
Create a positive attitude about school.
Look for signs of readiness.
Work toward mastery, not a completed worksheet.
How We Can Help Our Kids
Show them we believe in them.
Allow them to pursue their interests. (This doesn’t mean they don’t have to do subjects they don’t like.)
Let them observe success being modeled.
Be available when help is needed.
Match readiness with a subject
Let them experience what they are learning in real life.
Provide plenty of activities for them to explore.
We run into trouble when we forget learning new concepts takes a lot of brainpower. You need to know how to help a child who struggles with staying focused and isn’t ready to move forward.
You don’t have to have a degree in education or special training to teach children well!
Has your child been bullied? Do you find out or did they tell you? How do you know if they are dealing with bullying or if it’s general conflict that they can resolve?
It’s vital that children understand the difference between bullying and general conflict so they can properly navigate each scenario wisely.
Parents often teach their children to resolve conflict, but the problem is bullies aren’t interested in resolution. They are interested domination and intimidation. They seek to hurt or harm others by their actions.
As parents we need to learn and teach our children the characteristics of a bully.
Characteristics of a Bully
Aggressive
Repeated
Power Imbalance
Other Key Points
Two important action steps you must do if you think your child is being bullied.
What we must do to protect our child.
How to create a place where your child feels safe: use words like we and us, work together to help your child discern the next steps. Your child needs to know if they are being bullied it’s not their fault.
*If you know someone being bullied or someone who is bullying others don’t ignore it. Contact the proper authorities before the matter escalates. And if your child has been bullied find a trained mental health professional who can help your child work through what happened.
About Candice Duggar
Candice Duggar is the founder of Bullied, Broken, Redeemed, and a nationally recognized anti-bullying expert, author, speaker, and trainer. Candice and her team specialize in equipping leaders, parents, and youth on all aspects of Gen Z Bullying. These life-changing programs use interactive activities and projects to motivate and empower effective anti-bullying warriors. Candice has been seen on NBC, CBN, FRC on top of training fortune 100 companies. She is also regularly featured as a keynote at events nationally and international conferences.
On top of being an anti-bullying warrior, Candice is passionate about helping families transition from public school to homeschool. Her “Coming Home” Series of talks and workshops are a blessing for those trying to navigate the sometimes difficult transition. She is also the co-founder of the Reimagine Education Conference, specializing in helping families transition to homeschooling. This conference is an annual event and has now grown to an international presence with over 80 speakers and 100 talks.
