Great deal on Brainology...

Just a quick note - right now, for a very short time, the Brainology course is available for the low price of $19.99 at homeschoolbuyersco-op.com  so if you have ever considered this, now is the time!  That is 75% off the cost.
Brainology was created by Carol Dweck as a way to help middle school/high school teens get passed a fixed mindset.  My kids did it and really enjoyed it and learned a lot.  Expect to spend about 5-6 hours total, over a couple of weeks.  Don't rush it. 
I don't make anything off of this.  I just wanted to let you know.  Homeschoolbuyersco-op.com is a free organization that arranges group purchases for curriculum, passing on savings to home educators.

Solving Problems Vs. Creating Solutions - A Mindset Context Switch

With all that has been going on in my schoolroom this year, I have had to change my mindset.  In fact, I've decided to take on the slogan of the Robinson family from "Meet the Robinsons."

Slogan of the Robinson Family - Keep Moving Foward!

Let me ask you this...Are you a problem solver or someone who finds creative solutions?

I have always considered myself a "problem solver."  While that might be a great title to have, I think it might be determental to my kids if their teacher is constantly trying to solve problems in her school.   I now try to actively seek creative solutions rather than focus on solving problems.  Why?  Creating solutions and problem solving involve very different states of mind. Creativity activates positive thoughts while problem solving is focused on what is negative. Creating is forward focused; it’s building toward the future. Problem solving is focused on the past.

I've had to make a context switch.

When I tell my kids "we have a problem" it casts a dark tone over the day and the person to whom this message is directed.  What if, instead we said something like, "Wow!  We need to find a new way to do this!"  I don't know about you, but my kids much prefer the later.  

What does creating look like?

There are five steps in the creative process from Robert Fritz, which are types of action, not a formula. These steps are:

1. Conceive of the result you want to create. Creators start at the end by knowing what they want to create. (By the way, this is the way Right Brainers think all the time.  We start with the end in mind.)
2. Know what condition or situation currently exists. If you don’t know what has already been created or done, it’s impossible to know what to do next. (This is where most people stop!)
3. Take action. When you know what you want and what you currently have, take action. Creating is a learning process, so every action may not work. When actions don’t work, readjust. (Take a lesson from the Military - do an After Action Review.  Figure out what worked and what didn't so you don't have to redo it again.  Keep moving forward!)
4. Learn the rhythms of the creative process. There are three phases: germination, assimilation, and completion.  (Listen to the niggling voice in your head...ideas come in the strangest places and at the strangest times.  Most of mine come after 11pm when talking with my husband.)
5. Create momentum. Professional creators create momentum. The seeds of their next action are planted and  germinate in their present actions.  (Keep improving and keep talking about your changes with someone.  Sounding boards have a good way of keeping you in check and moving forward.)

The comments in parenthesis above are mine.  According to Robert Fritz, when talking about problem solving in a particular scenario in the corporate world, "The problem led to action to solve the problem. The action lessened the problem. Less action was needed to solve the problem. Less attention was given to the problem, and the problem resurfaced. Problem solving," Fritz explains, "provides a way to organize our focus, actions, time, and thought process. Designing solutions to problems gives the sense that something important is being done."

He adds, “…it’s an illusion.”

What’s the alternative if designing solutions to problems doesn’t work?  It is in finding creative solutions.  Now, you might say, "That is in the corporate world!  I am a home educator. When my kid has a problem, I need to find a solution!"  I can tell you that after years of trying to fix my son's dysgraphia, I realized that I needed to find creative solutions to the problem rather than to fix him.  He wasn't broken.  He just wasn't able to do what I was asking him.  Poor kid.  I am astounded at his resiliancy given I kept trying to fix him.    

So, the first thing you need to do is change your language.  Notice that the word “problem” is not present in the five steps above. The tone is positive and growth oriented.

What do you think could happen if instead of telling your child "There is a problem" to changing your approach to "Let's find a better way?"
 

The Motivation Myth

I want to thank the Church of St. Paul for having me speak at their Home Education Ministry meeting this morning.  It was gratifying to finally share all the reading I've been doing in the last six months with parents who understand and want to inspire their kids.  What a wonderful group you have!

If you are curious about the talk, there are four parts:  Motivation, Mentoring, Mindset and Methodology.  The gist of the talk is that we can't motivate anyone for the long term.  Extrinsic motivators really don't work.  I think, deep down we all understand that.  Moreover, understanding that human beings, made in God's likeness and image, do not like to be controlled or manipulated.  We do our kids a disservice telling them that they have to do things "because I said so."  That's motivation (extrinsic), and in the long run, it just doesn't work.

Speaking of mindset - For the HEM group:  I spoke about Brainology, which is an online class kids can take to help them move from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.  Right now, Brainology is available for $39.95 through homeschoolbuyersco-op.org  which is 50% off the retail cost.  My kids have started it and after just a few classes have seen a difference in themselves.  I have seen the difference, too.

I could have spent another two hours talking about how the book clubs, spelling team, Junior Classical League (Latin Club) and our on-line co-schooling have motivated my kids.  However, I ran out of time!  Just remember that as our kids grow older, they need fellowship (as do we).  That fellowship, working on a common cause (book club, co-op class, etc.) might just be all the motivation our kids need.    Social contagion, the scientific term for people doing things because others are, can be used for good.

I will, over the course of the next few months, feature some of the books that I loved reading regarding this topic.

Book Review: Drive:The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us

Have you ever gone down a rabbit hole to find a treasure for which you were not looking?  I found this book while reading through the Amazon reviews for Mindset by Carol Dweck.  I had checked out the library copy and kept it passed the due date, incurring a fine close to the cost of the book.  I am fully convinced I needed to own this book because it is just so good.  So, while I was reading the Mindset reviews again, about to purchase the Kindle version, I came across this book.  But this is not a review of Mindset.  I've done that already.

This book is relevant to me because I am often asked at talks that I do or in helping other moms that are new to homeschooling how they can better motivate their children.  The ratings on Amazon for this book are very high. What caught my eye was this from one of the 266 reviews:

This is a great book for teachers. As an upper elementary teacher (I've taught 4th through 7th grades, primarily 5th and 6th), I've long struggled with the emphasis on extrinsic motivation. I think that and the enormous pressure to raise test scores, thus narrowing the curriculum, are doing great damage to our children. They are told what they must learn and how they must learn it every day of their education. Their curiosity and interests are not respected and they are responding accordingly with apathy. This book is a clear, readable summary of the research of motivation and clarified many things for me. It also made me think deeply about my classroom and my practice and what it is I want for my students, which is to be able to think for themselves and love learning. Thank you, Mr. Pink, for a boost before I start another school year!

It is that age group that I believe struggles the most with motivation.  And it is this time of year I need motivation. 

And so now my review.  I started this book this morning.  It is not a long book.  It is engaging, however, and my kids have enjoyed the day off due to the illness of one child (who is on the mend).  All of our book clubs and activities were canceled because he was contagious until today at 5pm.

The book starts out with the thesis that Carrot and Stick motivation is dangerous.  Study after study and example after example show the reasons why and the Seven Reasons that Carrots and Sticks (Often) Don't Work.  My favorite part of the book is the Type I Toolkit.  He spends one third of the book explaining how to create an environment that supports Intrinsic motivation over Extrinsic motivation. 
Perhaps the part that hit me hardest upside the head was this:

Control leads to compliance; autonomy leads to engagement...While complying can be an effective strategy for physical survival, it's a lousy one for personal fulfillment.  Living a satisfying life requires more than simply meeting the demands of those in control.  Yet in our offices our classrooms we have way too much compliance and too little engagement.  The former might get you through the day, but the latter will get you through the night.

I thought of this with relationship to my parenting style and homeschool environment.  While obedience is a good think, I want my children to obey me because they are motivated to do it, not because of fear of punishment.  I want my kids to learn because they are curious, not because they will get some "reward" for doing so or they will receive punishment if not successful.  I once heard someone say at a homeschool workshop that you only need to provide extrinsic rewards for a short while before intrinsic rewards set in.  I don't believe that works for my kids.  Daniel Pink also provided proof that indeed, that is the case - extrinsic rewards do not lead to intrinsic motivation! 

Please keep in mind this book is written more for the professional world, but there is really no reason the ideas he gives can not be used in the home and homeschool.  Perhaps what appealed to me the most was that he wrote this book from the perspective of a software release, which is something to which I can relate.

I am in the process of writing two new talks.  One talk is on motivation which has no title yet, but I was asked to put together for a homeschool group.  The other I'm writing because of the number of requests I have had from parents about Special Needs and Special Gifts.  This book will figure in heavily in the first talk and I can see it being extremely useful in helping our kids with Special Needs develop the mindset to grow and succeed even when it's difficult. 

Brainology: Getting Kids Past the Fixed Mindset

I read Mindset by Carol Dweck last spring and have been trying to figure out how to afford this program for my two fixed mindset middle school aged kids.  I reviewed the book here.  Here's what Brainology is about, from the Brainology website:

Brainology^® is a research-based, blended learning curriculum that increases student motivation and engagement and instills a positive view of effort.  It teaches students about the brain, how to strengthen it, and how to apply brain-friendly study skills.  It helps them cultivate a growth mindset, which leads to learning-oriented behavior and higher student achievement.

Right now, homeschoolbuyersco-op.org, a free membership buying group, is offering 20-50% off the program.  If you have kids that get hung up on new challenges or collapse (figuratively) when they fail, check out Brainology.  This may be our "Christmas break" curriculum this year.