Habits can be either a blessing or a curse, but always, they can be changed! Creating meaningful habits has become a significant focus this session – and we are having a blast while doing it!
In the Spark Studio…Our week was filled with adventures! Our visit to the fire station helped encourage habits such as knowing our address and practicing fire drills. One firefighter suggested making your address into a song to aid memorization. We learned from the firefighters how important it is to have a family meeting place in case of emergency. Not only were the heroes able to physically see a firefighter with their oxygen tank face mask, but the firefighters let us hear the noises the oxygen tank makes and what each alarm means. In an emergency firefighters might look and sound scary with all their protective equipment and the noises that equipment makes. We are now better prepared to feel safe when we see or hear a firefighter.
Beuna from Basil and Rose came to talk with us about how to plant and care for seeds. We enjoyed creating our own garden and are now building the habits to take care of it. Remembering to, and taking the time to, care for a living organism every day is a fantastic habit to watch the heroes create.
In the Fire Studio… The heroes determined that cleaning up after themselves all throughout the day – not just during Studio Maintenance at the end of the day – is the habit they wanted to focus on as a studio. May that habit translate to their homes!!!!!!
During Civ, Jeanette is encouraging the habit of creating good questions. This week the heroes learned about the Counter Reformation and then were each challenged with creating one “burning question.”
As the heroes are focusing on the habit of setting and accomplishing a goal during each Core Skills time, the natural byproduct has been a significant increase in intentionality during Core Skills time. Focusing on the habit of goal setting rather than counting “points” continues to be extremely positive.
The heroes have been eager every day for the survival challenges. It’s awesome to see a topic spark their interest and lead to completely learner-driven exploration and experimentation. There have been many road blocks in their way as well. Setting up a tent correctly (and taking it down so it fits back into the sack) was no easy task for most. Building a shelter with only a tarp, natural materials and the knots they had learned – was challenging in the wind. Filtrating mucky brown pond water took a long time when it was difficult to light a match in the wind and when some of the gear didn’t work quite as expected. Building a barometer with a tin can and a balloon didn’t work the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th time! The Life Point challenge of sprinting up a hill multiple times as fast as the heroes could, was very taxing physically. As we watched the heroes work hard until the challenges were completed, it was clear to see that the habit they are creating is GRIT!
One of Acton’s core beliefs is that “Good habits build character. Character determines destiny.” What gift these heroes with their meaningful character are, and will continue to be, to the world!