Ugandan Home Education Exemplar Testifies to Confidence
Academy Home Education Exemplar, Victor Lubega, shares about a rewarding experience learning a new skill.
Victor Lubega, a 9th grade student in Uganda, was recently awarded Exemplar of the Quarter for the Home Education Program! Victor has been an outstanding student; taking initiative with his teachers, and approaching each class with joy and a strong work ethic.
Victor met twice with Academy staff during this process, and emailed back and forth throughout. From class assignments to awards like this project, Academy education incorporates soft skills like problem-solving and communication.
For Exemplar students who are international, we award them an online coaching session in a subject of their choice. Victor let us know that he had been curious to learn about building with cement. He had explored some cement work on his own, but asked for help in learning how to work with cement and create useful and beautiful objects. Academy teacher and parent Joel Olson volunteered to coach Victor through this project!
Over the course of 2 weeks Victor learned to work with a sand mold, and used some of the large, beautiful leaves available to him at home to create a cement caste leaf! Such artistic casted leaves can be both aesthetic and functional in a home garden, serving as a bird bath and attracting pollinators. Victor worked carefully with the leaves, learning the ratios of mixing cement, and making creative repairs along the way when a delicate leaf ripped or part of the cement chipped off. At the end of the project he joined Mr. Olson and AHE Vice Principal Hjalmeby on a call to show off his finished project!
When asked what he learned through his project Victor said. “Being confident. I didn’t think that I could do this project, but I gained confidence and I did it well. I also learned that building good things can bring joy to others. I did this project and I showed it to my community.” He also shared about resourcefulness, and how it did not require fancy measuring tools to create something. His entire project cost about $7.95 USD.
Throughout this project Victor displayed the same eagerness and ingenuity that he has shown in all his classes. “Victor impressed me from the very beginning.” said Mr. Olson, “His desire to learn such a practical skill coupled with his ability to implement the instructions really blessed me. This project allowed me to see Victor’s heart. He is going to be a real blessing to his family and his community.”
Sand mold - A sand mold gives structure to the leaf, so the natural shape and veins can be captured in cement. It is an economic way of casting cement and pairs beautifully with natural resources.
Mixing Cement - Victor learned the 3-2-1 ratio of mixing gravel, sand and cement. This rule of thumb means the mixer doesn't have to have extensive equipment for weighing or measuring, but can use simple cups and scoops readily available to them.
Finished Leaf - Victor was as proud of his project as we were of him! Victor is already planning his next cement caste and promises to send us pictures soon.
Can Enough Sleep Really Improve Grades?
While we may sometimes complain about teenagers being lazy and sleeping too much, studies reveal how important sleep actually is for optimal brain function.
To wake up or sleep in? That is the question. Of course, if your teenage student has class, they better not be sleeping in too late. However, you should be making sure they are getting enough sleep, as research shows it can make a big difference in classroom performance. Lack of sleep contributes to poor concentration, which is an essential component if one expects to excel academically.
While we may sometimes complain about teenagers being lazy and sleeping too much, studies reveal how important sleep actually is for optimal brain function. After all, the brain of a teenager is still developing. In fact, it typically doesn’t even reach full maturity until the mid-twenties. Thus, sleep for teenagers is not just for their growing bodies, but also for their developing brain. Sleep deprivation is a hindrance to healthy brain development and could potentially be a contributing factor if you notice a decline in your teen’s academic performance.
In 2023, the Sleep Foundation found that later school start times support the biological needs of adolescents; they increase the amount of sleep adolescents get. Other benefits of later start times include: improved attendance at school, decreased tardiness, fewer occurrences of falling asleep in class, reduced irritability and depressive symptoms and fewer disciplinary issues.
Studies have shown the sleep patterns of teenagers differ from children and adults, and in most cases, they need more than those who are in other stages of life. Also, when it comes to sleep, teenagers experience phase delays which cause them to more easily stay up later than younger kids or adults. The levels of the sleep hormone melatonin usually don’t decline until later in the morning as well, which goes to explain why they may sleep later.
It can be difficult to make sure a teenager gets enough sleep, but with too little sleep, it could negatively impact a student’s grades. Whether it’s implementing bedtimes or curfews, making sure gadgets are turned off a while before going to bed, or developing a “pre-sleep” routine to help your body prepare for resting, there are rules we can try to teach our teenagers to implement to ensure they are sleeping enough. Cognitive function, attentiveness, and memory are improved by getting enough rest, and it has the possibility to significantly help their classroom performance. For more information on this topic, check out some of the sources below:
Sources:
“The Teen Brain: 7 Things to Know.” National Institute of Mental Health.
Sifferlin, Alexandra. “Why Teenage Brains Are So Hard to Understand.” Time. 8 September 2017 (visited 15 September 2022).
https://time.com/4929170/inside-teen-teenage-brain/
“Poor sleep can negatively affect a student’s grades, increase the odds of emotional and behavioral disturbance.” American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Updated 7 Nov. 2017 (visited: 5 Sept. 2022)
“Sleep and Health.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reviewed 29 May 2019 (visited 5 Sept. 2022)
Walton, Alice G. “7 Ways Sleep Affects The Brain (And What Happens If It Doesn't Get Enough). Forbes. Visited: 16 September 2022.
Okano, K., Kaczmarzyk, J.R., Dave, N. et al. Sleep quality, duration, and consistency are associated with better academic performance in college students. npj Sci. Learn. 4, 16 (2019). Published 1 October 2019 (visited 5 September 2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-019-0055-z
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41539-019-0055-z
Merriman, Kate. “School performance can be improved with a good night’s sleep.” WMBF News. 19 Feb. 2021 (visited: 5 September 2022)
https://www.wmbfnews.com/2021/02/19/school-performance-can-be-improved-with-good-nights-sleep/
Suni, Eric. “How Lack of Sleep Impacts Cognitive Performance and Focus.” Sleep Foundation. Updated 29 April 2022 (visited 5 September 2022)
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-deprivation/lack-of-sleep-and-cognitive-impairment
Locker, Melissa. “Let Your Kids Sleep More For Better Grades.” Time. 13 January 2015 (visited 5 September 2022).
https://time.com/3663796/for-better-grades-let-your-kids-sleep-more/
7 Benefits of Enrolling Your Child in Elementary Sports
Playing a sport offers more for a child than simply developing a skill. Here are some reasons we think athletics are beneficial for even young children and how we incorporate them into the Academy experience.
With the early morning games, commutes to practice, and trying to remember which kid is playing at which location on which week, you may be wondering if elementary sports is worth the hassle, especially when you could just enroll them in Saturday morning cartoons instead. But don’t worry, the benefit is worth way more than just the participation trophy they’ll get. There are plenty of great reasons to sign your kids up for athletics, even when they are still young.
1. Physical Fitness
Academy students can begin participating in the Phoenix soccer program as they reach upper elementary school. Developmental teams allow for students to progress in their skills through practices.
Obviously, one of the first benefits that pops into most people’s minds is the physical training they receive. Kids involved in sports are given opportunities to improve their balance, coordination, and agility, all of which have benefits that exceed far beyond their time on the field or court. It begins helping kids get in tune with their bodies, which is advantageous for setting them up for a healthy lifestyle in the future.
2. Develop Friendships
Sports are a great way for kids to deepen their friendships with their peers. It provides fun, structured activity which allows them to add a new dynamic to their relationships as they bond over a shared interest.
3. Learn Teamwork
Outside of developing friendships, sports often include elements of teamwork which help kids learn how to better collaborate with others. Organized sports give participants a chance to work together to meet a common goal (by scoring a goal).
4. Observe Personal Growth
Another reason sports are good for a kid's development is because it allows them to see their growth. Whether it is comparing their past and current cross-country meet times or noticing how much further they can kick the ball than during their first practice, athletics allows children to better understand how hard work can pay off as they recognize the progress they make. It encourages them to try and to look for potential in themselves.
The elementary boys cross-country team took home a first place team championship along with several individual runner awards.
5. Prove You’re Their Biggest Fan
As their parent, you already are their biggest fan, but athletic events give you an appropriate venue to cheer for them as loud as you want. It allows you to see how they act in a different environment, which can help you learn them better, and it also gives you and your kid shared experiences which they will remember as they get older.
6. Learn a Skill
Learning a skill not only boosts one’s self-esteem, but can make participation in that activity all the more enjoyable. Their knowledge and skills connected with that sport can be a source of confidence for them as it helps build a part of their identity.
7. Life Lessons
We know it's cliché, but sports really do teach kids life lessons. It can be used as an analogy to help children understand certain concepts which they may not be able to fully grasp detached from an immersive experience. Whether it’s trusting and obeying your coach, enduring through tiredness, training to overcome, or learning to work as a team to accomplish what you couldn’t on your own, there are a plethora of lessons you can communicate to your children through the use of sports, and what better way to teach them than to let them play.
Our Read-a-thon is Coming!
Our elementary Read-a-thon begins on February 13th! Read why we chose a Read-a-thon this year and how you can be involved to support our school.
Read-a-thons actually get students excited about reading and it gives friends and family the opportunity to encourage your child to read even more. Our Read-a-thon will run from Monday, February 13 through Friday, February 24, 2023. We’d love to see 100% participation from our elementary students. There will be prizes for each reader based on their participation. We will even be offering more opportunities to read to gain Read-a-thon minutes while at school!
In the United States, 14 percent of the adult population—a staggering 32 million adults—cannot read. “What’s more shocking is that we haven’t moved that needle in 10 years. We know that literacy helps people escape the bonds of poverty and live longer. We know that people who are literate are more inclined to vote, take part in their community, and seek medical help for themselves and their families. They’re also better equipped to take advantage of knowledge jobs, which are growing at explosive rates.” – Marcie Craig Post, Executive Director of International Literacy Association, in a panel discussion at the Institute of International Education in New York City, April 2015.
Academy parents, please see your parent email to help get your reader registered and reading! This Read-a-thon will promote a beneficial skill for all students while raising funds for our school. Teaching students to read books is only the beginning. As they grow, their ability to critically think and put into play the literacy skills they’ve learned at a young age will bless their family and community. We hope you’ll join us in this exciting fundraiser!
Readers play a more active and involved role in their communities. The decline in reading, therefore, parallels a larger retreat from participation in civic and cultural life. The long-term implication of this study not only affects literature but all the arts – as well as social activities such as volunteerism, philanthropy, and even political engagement. – Dana Gioia, Chairman, NEA, “Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America,” June 2004.
Turning Lessons into Life: Teaching styles that can be applied beyond the classroom
It’s not just the content of the lesson that a teacher must be concerned with, it’s their delivery method and their connection to their students that could have the most impact.
Teachers do more than just dump information into the brains of children. They are the role models for the next generation, and it’s not just what they teach that affects our children, it’s also the way they teach it. As such, it is important to consider how these methods of teaching can affect our children going into the future. Even if they do not become teachers themselves, different styles of teaching contain lessons whose value extends far beyond the classroom. Our children will inevitably learn from these experiences and will hopefully absorb these methods into their own being, so let’s take a look at teaching styles and some lessons we can learn from them.
Authority
While this lecture method may involve minimal student participation, it is a common form of teaching all students should learn to adapt to, especially in this age of virtual learning where participation is often already minimized. This authority style harnesses the power of words, displaying the importance they have in developing young minds. We know from the creation story in Genesis how powerful words can be as they help shape reality, and as students watch their teachers explain concepts to broaden their understanding they can begin learning the significant role words play. Being able to formulate ideas in your own words is empowering, and if students can grasp the importance of oral communication, it will benefit them in almost every aspect of their life.
Demonstrator
Principal Castro walks his students through an SEL lesson by inviting discussion and feedback during the class.
This teaching method relies on showing students the topics they are learning about, often requiring the teacher to exemplify the lesson. Sometimes people need to see things lived out. The people of Israel were given God’s law back in Moses’ time, but it wasn’t until people were given the example in Jesus that the law was brought to life (Mat. 5:17). Students can learn through this method the importance of being an example to others. It’s not enough to just talk the talk, they have to be able to demonstrate what it is they know.
Facilitator
In this method there exists more interaction between the teacher and the student, as the teacher comes alongside the student allowing for more dialogue and participation in the lesson. The teacher connects with the students to meet them where they are at and coaches them through the learning process. The students should learn to appreciate the understanding which comes on the other side of doing, especially under the safety and supervision of an experienced instructor.
Delegator
Teachers who use the delegating style often organize group projects that allow more freedom for the students to speak, this may be in the form of debates or class discussions. It allows the activities the teacher plans to be enacted by the students in order to produce bigger results. This style requires management techniques which enable the teacher’s goal of learning to be accomplished through the participation of the students. The students get to witness the teacher delegate tasks to them allowing more learning to take place as the instructor gets the students to cooperate and fulfill their responsibilities.
Hybrid
This method is exactly what it sounds like: a mixture of more than one. As students watch their teachers utilize various teaching methods to illuminate their minds, they learn there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to life. We need to holistically develop students in order for them to become the adults who can adapt to the ever-changing world, combining techniques to overcome challenges and meet goals.
Ms. Voight spends time connecting with one of her upper elementary students during a morning break.
This is why the multi-faceted responsibilities of teachers are so vital, because when it comes to educating our children, it is not just what they teach that matters, but also how they teach. Through these styles of teaching, students can learn the power of words, the importance of setting an example, how to connect and meet people where they are at, management skills, and how to use these lessons in tandem. Teaching styles hold lessons which go beyond the walls of the school, as they develop skills which will prepare the students for the future by teaching them how to navigate the complexities of life.
Sources:
Larson, James. “5 Common Teaching Styles - How Effective Are They?” ATutor.com (visited 18 April 2022).
https://atutor.ca/teaching-styles/
“Effective Teaching Styles: 5 Ways To Be A Great Teacher” CueMath.com (visited 18 April 2022)