Will Aim become Lord of the Flies next year?

A worthy question brought up at the parent meeting last week. Especially given our pirate-themed Odyssey this year

.

OR...

...will the changes that are coming next year produce greater character-defining moments like the ones our Founding Fathers experienced creating the Constitution? More than once over the years, some of Aim's debates about its laws of governance have felt like our own little Constitutional Conventions. I assume that will be the prevailing reality next year as the eagles take their ownership of their tribe to the next level. 

Thanks to everyone who came to the parent meeting last week :) Delightful as always to see everyone. And I'm actually impressed we kept it as short as we did considering the massive reduction in brain power I was operating on. That being said, I commit to keeping the next parent meeting to 45 minutes sharp (...give or take 45 minutes).

For those of you who were unable to make it, I would encourage you to reach out to your running partners to find out about the big changes Aim is going to go through next year. If that doesn't produce the results you want...well then you can submit a formal running partner request.....nowhere ;) If that is unsuccessful, I suppose you can look at the TLDA (Too Long Didn't Attend) summary at the bottom of this email. 

Hopefully at this point the dust of thought has settled and you have realized your biggest takeaway from the conversations.

Secondly, an important note similar to thoughts I have shared in the past regarding a few aspects of our learning model that the final week of a session often shines a spotlight on. Does the following scenario hit close to home?

Your Eagle comes home stressed about a final challenge or project. You try to get information about it from them to help but they are struggling to communicate the details to you. The closer the Exhibition gets, the more your eagle struggles to avoid a victim mindset. "I'm never going to get my badge!" they cry out in despair. You look in Journey Tracker. What your Eagle is saying is still confusing. Something isn't adding up and you become frustrated. If only you had more information you could help them!

What are you missing???

Well...I say this with love: But I think you might be missing the whole point. 

It's not your challenge, your project, or your badge. This is their hero's journey. 

Our children will find a way to earn that badge. Yes, even if the requirements or instructions aren't perfectly clear. Letting your child fail, miss a deadline, suffer the consequences of misunderstanding or not reading/following/listening to directions, can be incredibly hard to do.

But I actually think it is during these formative times when we must be more vigilant than ever to resist the urge to step in and solve challenges for them or shield them from the consequences in order for this learning model to work. They will eventually use the tools that are available to them (their brains, google/books, reaching out to peers, and finally reaching out to a guide for Socratic help if they have tried everything else). 

So...whether the tears that come Thursday are caused by joy or pain, delight or regret, please encourage them and cheer them on! And then step back and let them struggle. You will slowly but surely see the magic happen.

It may take time.

It may take receiving strikes.

It may take watching a beloved fellow traveler level up to the next studio without them.

Whatever it takes, we will encourage and support you on that journey as a parent--but we will always insist that you hold your promises in the parent contract to never interfere or attempt to solve a problem for your child. That is the very foundation of our learning model. And it is going to be more important than ever as we start writing Book 2 of Aim next year. 

See you Thursday :)

Lance

TLDA:

Book 1 of our story is about to conclude. It consisted of Years 1-4 of Aim. There were dozens of turning points in these years that have prepared us for a big change. 

Book 2 is about to begin in Year 5. It is a new phase where the eagles will feel a whole new level of ownership of their tribe. In this phase there is additional clarity on what new and returning eagles alike are committing to in a never-before-used contract with the owner, as well as a few potential changes to the parent/owner and guide/owner contracts as well. 

Whereas the guides have previously been in the tribe (or in the trenches if you will) the last four years, we are symbolically taking a step backwards, out of the circle representing their tribe, to continue guiding these young heroes on their journey, but from the outside looking in. 

If you prefer it in story form, it goes something like this...

Scene 1 - 

Gandalf: "I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure. We are going on a quest to change the world."

Hobbits: "Adventures are nasty uncomfortable things...make you late for dinner. But...we will send our children." 

Children: "We feel the call to adventure. We will go."

Gandalf: "I suspected as much. To secure yourself a place in this self-governing tribe and become an eagle, you must sign a contract promising to 1) Always be on a hero's journey 2) Always treat the hero's journey like a sacred experience, 3) Always treat the studio like a sacred space, and 4) Do not draw back. 

Eagles: "We will sign it."

 

Gandalf: "Welcome to the company of Thorin Oakenshield.  I also need someone to guide them."

Jedi Knights: "We will do it."

Scene 2 - 

Platform 9 3/4 - 

Parents: "Farewell hobbits! Have a great year! We release you to go on this journey yourselves."

Scene 3 - 

Parents: "Our kids are struggling! We must enter the hunger games and rescue them!"

Jedi: "We cannot allow that...but you may send in a care packages"

Concluding scene:

The ring, Voldemort, Sith, President Snow and all other evil are destroyed and the world is saved. 

By your children. 

The end. 

:)