One of the hardest things with kids is for them to change their view. Many of the kids we work with are older & have influences that divert them from focusing on their individual progression. We as parents, educators and mentors can only guide students to expand the landscape of their surroundings as the students will only move forward as far as they themselves envision their walk. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." So how do you help an older child see things differently and begin to fade out the "background noise" enough to hear a different song?The first hurdle to climb is building their confidence so they more than feel their importance and significance, according to their own internal meter (opposed to the pressures of peers) but become willing to care for and nurture it. Knowing what is important to a student is a way to incorporate their interests into the way they learn; providing an greater outlook of what is expected of them v/s what they prefer to do. One of my favorite moments is the second a student realizes he/she can determine an outcome; that their efforts (even when they look small) can produce HUGE results, removing the anchor of at least one thing that was holding them back. Those are the moments that make it all worthwhile. #KidsProgressingPositively
