The Genius in Every Child Encouraging Character, Curiosity, and Creativity in Children

by Ackerly, Rick

• ISBN13: 9780762780839
• ISBN10: 0762780835
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-08-21
• Publisher: Lyons Press

Summary

Genius is not just about intelligence and aptitude, it's also a word that embodies our inner soul, nature, or character. In this illuminating book, a former principal and father shares heartwarming stories and wise advice that offers a rare insight into children and the process of education. The Genius in Every Childcelebrates the moments in the lives of children, their parents, and their teachers. The stories of unique characters in action illustrate some of the principles of education and the disciplines we need to be good stewards of our children's character and intellect. The vignettes provide both delight and enjoyment in the miracle of it all, and perspective and solace in the difficulty of it all, encouraging parents and teachers to work hand-in-hand. This book urges parents to focus on the long run, entrusting the trials, struggles, and sufferings of the short run to the kids. It proposes a shift in focus from test scores to enthusiasm, from perfect behavior to learning from mistakes, from measuring up to making something of yourself, from independence to interdependence, from goodness to integrity, from fear to love. The value of this experience to hundreds of children, parents, and teachers derives from the depth of Rick Ackerly's perception and the subtlety of his understanding. He offers perspective and guidance on a wide range of challenges faced by parents of today's school-aged children, including: self-confidence, discipline, boundary-setting, building character, integrity, taking responsibility, facing challenges, handling disappointment, peer pressure, reading, testing, homework, academic achievement, failure, and success. [Excerpt] Mr. Rick's Words of Wisdom Children need teachers at school and parents at home. Failure is at least as powerful an educator as success. Kids need consequences andthey need forgiveness We put our kids at risk by trying to engineer their success. Our children need us to have confidence in them. The core of building characteris taking responsibility. If we are open to the surprise, we can let them educate us.

Author Biography

Rick Ackerly is a nationally recognized educator and speaker with forty-five years of experience working in schools. He has served as headmaster of four independent schools, and he speaks to parent and school groups across the country and presents at numerous education conferences. Visit his blog at www.rickackerly.com. He lives in Decatur, Illinois.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Into the Woods	p. ix
Play Position	p. 1
Parents: The First Teachers	p. 3
Air-Traffic Controller	p. 9
Mr. Rick, Air-Traffic Controller	p. 14
Education	p. 19
Discipline: How Do We Get Children to Behave?	p. 23
Virtue, Character, and Integrity	p. 35
Getting Our Children to Talk	p. 42
Making Them Strong, Letting Them Fail	p. 46
Self Do It	p. 51
Self Do It	p. 53
Boundary Setting	p. 60
We Are All New	p. 66
Getting Our Butterflies to Fly in Formation	p. 71
It's Academic	p. 77
Engaging Genius	p. 79
Freedom to Read	p. 88
Acceleration	p. 96
Abilities, Disabilities, and Success	p. 104
Being Literate	p. 113
Letting Them Struggle	p. 117
Getting Our Geniuses to Dance Together	p. 119
Holding Their Hands When They Suffer	p. 124
Living in the Tension	p. 128
What Comes Then Goes	p. 132
Enthusiastic Struggle	p. 135
Which Way Success?	p. 138
"Normal," Difference, and the Pursuit of Genius	p. 145
Real Men Wear Pink	p. 147
What's "Normal"?	p. 151
Greatness	p. 156
The Sound of Silence	p. 158
Anatomy of a Miracle	p. 162
Staying Out of Trouble	p. 169
Don't Throw Me in That Briar Patch	p. 171
The Story of the Three Little Girls	p. 177
Good, Bad, and Integrity	p. 191
Safe to Be Bad	p. 193
Violence and Evil	p. 197
The Discipline of Patience	p. 202
Let Them Teach You	p. 207
What Would Be the Smart Thing?	p. 209
Making Mistakes	p. 212
Who's Going to First Grade?	p. 215
Who's Saving Whom?	p. 218
Being True to Your Genius	p. 222
Epilogue: Mantras for Working with Children	p. 229
Appendix: Disciplines A-Z	p. 231
Notes	p. 233
Acknowledgments	p. 236
About the Author	p. 240
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