dads

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Dads and Virtual Learning: Dream, Believe, Dare and Do

Submitted by on Wed, 02/09/2011 - 1:48pm

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, 26th President

Dads, when your children come to you with their dreams, their goals, their “when I grow up” moments, what is your response?  Do you encourage them to pursue these passions?  Or, do you help them understand how difficult their dreams might be?

Let me encourage each of you (and me) to keep the following in mind when talking with our children about their passions.

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Dads and Virtual Learning: Teacher or Educator?

Submitted by on Mon, 01/10/2011 - 11:39am

I was sitting on the couch trying to watch a football game one evening when I couldn’t help but overhear a discussion taking place between my wife and my oldest daughter about her educational experience. It’s funny, I cannot remember who was playing on television but I do remember their conversation. The part that struck me was what my daughter said while comparing her experience with her teachers to those of her friends who attend a local private school.

When talking about one of her teachers in particular, she referred to her as an “educator” not a “teacher.”  To her the difference was that one focused on “educating the student” while the other focused on “teaching a subject.”  Take a moment and let that sink in...

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Dads and Virtual Learning: Searching for Cosby

Submitted by on Tue, 11/16/2010 - 1:25pm

When I was in my late teens to early twenties, finishing high school and college, The Cosby Show was THE show to watch on Thursday evenings.  Cliff, Clair, Sondra, Denise, Theo, Vanessa and Rudy – even those names alone bring back memories.

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Dads and Virtual Learning: Half-Empty or Half-Full?

Submitted by on Mon, 10/11/2010 - 1:34pm

Half-empty or half-full?  How many of us have heard this question?  I am sure all of us have at some point.

It is used over and over in motivational talks and books on motivation.  In fact, a book I have has it listed as a chapter title.  And, the chapter goes on to talk about how it really is all about how we look at the glass as to whether it is half-empty or half-full.  The insinuation is that if we look at the glass as half-full then we have a positive outlook which means if we look at it as half-empty then our outlook is not so positive.  The idea, of course, is to cause us to look at the glass as half-full.

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Dads and Virtual Learning: How Coffee & Education Relate

Submitted by on Fri, 10/01/2010 - 10:54am

Technically, there is an art to making a great cup of coffee.

By that I mean there is much more to it than just simply "putting the coffee on to brew."  In my office, I have a magnet from Starbucks that describes The Four Fundamentals:  How to make a great cup of coffee.  And, what is funny is that in a lot of ways, it also relates to making education great.  How?  Join me on the adventure of the next few paragraphs and let's explore this concept together.  At the end of today's story, hopefully, we will have found the ingredients to make our educational journey great (or at least better).  If not, at least we will have the knowledge to make a great cup of coffee.

According to Starbucks, the Four Fundamentals of making a great cup of coffee are...

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Dads and Virtual Learning: "Your Life is an Occasion. Rise to it."

Submitted by on Wed, 08/04/2010 - 11:05am

What was the last movie you went to see? This year’s blockbusters are Iron Man 2, Toy Story 3, Shrek Forever After, Robin Hood, and others. Perhaps you made it to see one of those. Or, maybe you are one that likes the movies that aren’t necessarily blockbusters, but they are great movie nonetheless. The ones the crowds overlook but they still tell a great story.

In my opinion, great movies do tell great stories. I like movies that make you think, make you feel. They tell great stories. And, within those movies there are poignant moments that bring to life what the story is all about. There are lines within the script that stand out above all the rest.  Sometimes they are what the movie revolves around. Other times though, they are simply part of the movie yet they are memorable because I can relate to either the character or the lines being said.

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Dads: Kids Say the Darndest Things

Submitted by on Thu, 05/27/2010 - 8:54am

One of my favorite stories from Art Linkletter, former host of “House Party” on radio and television, was from a segment of his program titled, “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” He was interviewing a little boy and it went like this:

Art: “So, what does your dad do for a living?”

Boy (speaking confidently): “My dad’s a cop!”

Art: “A policeman. Wow, that is pretty dangerous work isn’t it? I bet your mom is afraid quite often when your dad is at work isn’t she?”

Boy: “Heck no!”

Art: “No? Why isn’t she afraid?”

Boy: “Because my dad is always bringing her jewelry and watches and stuff like that.”

It is May 26th as I write this blog and word came through the internet today that Art Linkletter died.

His original show went off the air in the '60s and yet, still today, “kids are saying the darndest things.”

I would love to hear what some of those things are coming from your kids. So, if you feel like sharing, post them here.

In the meantime, here are some links to some of the segments from “Kids Say the Darndest Things.” I hope you enjoy.

And, to Art Linkletter – thanks for the laughs. The world seems much too serious these days.
 

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Dad’s and Virtual Learning: The Cat’s in the Cradle

Submitted by on Tue, 05/25/2010 - 10:20am

Harry Chapin’s 1974 hit “The Cat’s in the Cradle” can be a haunting song for all of us dads. The song is told in the first-person format about a father who is too busy to spend time with his son. As the son grows up he repeatedly asks for his father to pay him some attention but to no avail.

Then, as the song reaches its crescendo, we find out that when the son is all grown up, the father realizes that his son has turned out to be just like him.

I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

Dads, our greatest impact in life, our greatest legacy will be our children and what they become. Let me encourage us all to “make” the time for our children, not just “find” it. And, in doing so, I believe we will find that our children are actually not like us.

So, how do we do this?

1) Learn who our children are: Dads, this takes time. It is an investment into learning who our children are – what are their interests? Their passions? Their dreams? Their bents?

2) Accept who our children are: Unlike the song, “The Cat’s in the Cradle,” I believe that our children are really not like us. They may share our values, even have similar interests, but they are their own individual persons. They will do things differently than we would do them. They will make decisions in a different way than we do. They will even have interests and dreams that scare us. But, the decision is ours to make – will we try to mold them into what we think they should look like or will we help them chart their own course?

3) Let our children be who they are, even encourage it: There was a young man once who had a dream to sail solo around the world. Each person he told this dream to shared with him all of the risks involved and the potential for harm, even death. “You will never make it.” “I would never do anything like that.” “Why don’t you do something less risky?”

He was undeterred though. So, one day he set out and headed down to the beach to begin his journey. Nearby his point of departure stood a little girl watching him intently. Eventually, she asked him what he was doing.

“I am going to sail solo around the world,” he replied. She answered, “Cool. I hope you make it!” And with that, he sailed out into the ocean.

Dads, too many people will try to bring our children down and keep them from soaring. Let us be the ones who stand on the shore and encourage our children to set sail and chart their own course. In doing so, when we “hang up the phone” it will occur to us that our children have grown up to be just like they should be.
 

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Learning Coach Dads: Creating A "Character Vision"

Submitted by on Fri, 05/07/2010 - 7:52am

I was watching the first round of the NFL draft last week, and the story this year is Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen slipping out of the first round. Yes, I know the Denver Broncos drafting Tim Tebow was the headline, but that fits here too.

So, anyway, I am watching this unfold and all of a sudden I have an idea for my next blog and how the NFL draft corresponds to our discussion on building a Vision for our family – specifically a Character Vision in this case. I have to admit, my first thought is “Oh great, now I can’t even watch the draft without thinking about K¹².” But, after it was over, I started thinking how much the word “character” kept coming up over the course of the evening.

I was tuned into ESPN (love to hear what Jon Gruden has to say) and I bet they used the word “character” in some form or fashion to describe almost every player drafted.

Of course with Tim Tebow, they must have talked about his “great character” every time they mentioned his name – even Mel Kiper, Jr. who didn’t think he should be drafted at #25 even spoke highly of his character.

Other players who “slipped” down in the first round also had the word “character” attached to their name, albeit somewhat negatively. Dez Bryant from Oklahoma State slipping to Dallas because of “character issues” even though his talent had him placed higher in the first round.

But, the intriguing one to me was Jimmy Clausen from Notre Dame. He was projected to go high in the first round – Mel Kiper, Jr. even thought he was better than Sam Bradford, who went first overall to St. Louis. However, by the end of the night, Clausen was still waiting to hear his name called.

Throughout the night I think it surprised the analysts (especially Kiper) that he had not been drafted yet – Kiper particularly looked upset when Tebow went to Denver and yet Clausen was still on the board. One thing I noticed was that the word “character” was never mentioned when Clausen’s name was brought up. Not once did anyone mention Clausen’s character – good or bad. They simply talked about his talent and could not understand why he was not drafted.

The next morning I was looking over some sports articles about the NFL draft and saw numerous headlines “Character Issues Cause Bryant to Fall to Dallas”, “Character, Combined with Potential Cause Denver To Select Tebow in First Round”, and more.

One story intrigued me though, and as I read it, one part in particular struck me because it talked about Jimmy Clausen:

It's easy to understand what happened here. The perception of Tebow as a good guy and seller of tickets and jerseys is opposite that of Clausen, who is seen by the league as a cocky jerk.

It was almost conspiratorial what happened to these two. Teams propped up Tebow because they liked him personally while simultaneously tearing down Clausen because they thought he was arrogant. One NFC scout told me on Thursday night: "Jimmy Clausen's smirk finally caught up with him."

The perception among the NFL, clearly, is twofold. Clausen is talented but Clausen is a jerk and that latter description apparently matters more to NFL teams. How else do you explain Tebow going before him and Clausen falling like a brick?

Evidently, Clausen slipped out of the first round because of character issues. Even though he had the talent to be a first round selection, even a high first round selection, it may be that questions about his character are the root of the problem here.

And then there is this story from Yahoo! today with this headline “Character tops draft boards in first round”.

So, dads, we all know “character” counts. What does that mean for us, especially as it relates to our educational journey with our children? What is “character”?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this and next time, let’s delve in deeper on developing a Character Vision.
 

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Dads and Virtual Learning: Finding Your Path

Submitted by on Tue, 04/13/2010 - 4:52pm

I spent this past weekend talking to families at an education convention in Cincinnati. One thing I noticed was how many dads there were at the event – and they were actually there to do more than just carry around the crates of materials their wives were purchasing. These dads (most of them anyway) were engaged in the discussion about K¹², asking questions and seeking input right along with their wives. You could tell this was a family decision they were making.

That is in stark contrast to the education events I attended eight years ago where it really appeared to be “ladies day out” and dads were nowhere to be seen. So dads, we have come a long way, but there is more to be done.

My wife and I have home educated our children with K¹² since its inception in 2001. At the time, our daughter was going into 1st grade. Now, she is a full-time freshman in the K¹² International Academy. We also have two boys using the K¹² curriculum for their home education needs. It is amazing how time has flown yet I have not aged at all – or maybe I am just looking at older photos of myself, which would explain the clothing.

In my role at K¹² I have had the opportunity to speak to thousands of families across the nation about K¹². A particular passion of mine has been to speak to dads at many of our xPos—the large educational showcases K¹² conducts around the country—about the role they can play in this educational journey. I know that in 99% of the households it is the mom who is doing the day-in and day-out work of educating their kids at home. And many times the dads are looking for their path on this journey.

So, let me encourage you dads to consider these as starting points in finding your path:

1) The Vision: Dads, you can play a crucial role in crafting the vision of where you want this educational journey to take you and your family. While this is not a solo decision on your part by any means, it is an opportunity to work with your wife and kids in developing an Academic Vision and Character Vision.

2) The Role You Play: Think about the various roles that are needed within this education journey (and no I am not talking about roles of “principal” or “teacher”). There are some crucial and practical things that dads can do in order to create an atmosphere in the home to foster a love for learning.

3) The R’s of the Family: We have all heard of the Three “R’s” of education, but those will not be found here. What I am speaking about is: Realistic, Responsibility, Respect and Rest.

So dads, join me here on this blog, and let’s take some time to delve further into these points and see where it leads us as we find our paths. And moms, you do have my permission to read these and pass them along to your husbands.