Perhaps it is because of my love for the relaxed pace of summer that I struggle to change gears this time of year. And perhaps it may be simply that I spent a lot of time in school learning to be a physician that I am more aware of what one “signs on” for in our current educational system. Either way, I see great value in all the unstructured learning that happens over summer vacation.

Sir Ken Robinson is an innovative “creativity expert” and has challenged many of the ideas we have about how to educate our children.  There are so many ways that people learn, and Sir Robinson wants us to think about each one of those ways.  One size does NOT fit all children.  He asks us as parents to pay close attention to how our children learn and be aware of what matters most in developing a child’s individual learning style.

He has story after story to share in his lectures.  Parents are encouraged to trade places with our children as they learn, and we are asked to see their education as a crucial part of our parenting job.  I do love learning and am proud to be a lifelong learner.  The children teach me something new every day!  Creativity and learning…it might just be the thing to drag me out of my summer vacation mindset and back into the classroom.

If you have a minute, listen to Sir Ken Robinson’s ideas before you head out with the school supplies list.  “After all, Shakespeare was in somebody’s English class, wasn’t he?”  And you could be the parent of the next great playwright!