44 of #100daychallenge: education

It's a pretty gorgeous day out, but I'm still looking forward to being here at the library, today. 

Right now I am fixated on having a better planning system and mindset.

I think I feel inspired because I'm thinking more about this teen workshop and I would love to support teens to learn more about themselves and how to get into their own practice of helpful life habits earlier in life. I can create an environment for young people to learn how they learn, how to study or how to plan and make time for themselves. I can give them the time, space and no expectations encouragement to practice habits and understand their own experience.

When I was a freshman in high school, my English teacher and I had a rocky start, but eventually I really appreciated her. She was kind of snooty and pretentious, but eventually she showed she was also down-to-earth, had a good sense of humor and truly wanted to lift her students up to see that they were capable of more. I remember one day, she called me to the front of the classroom and told me to teach something to the class, so I did. She said I was a teacher and I knew that was true.

In college, my major was education and I planned to be a Spanish teacher, until I realized that I would be absolutely powerless and miserable within the current education system. I have never understood why the education system is not focused on learning. Education and learning are not synonymous or even complementary in America. This is not a disrespect to all of the amazing teachers, in fact, it's a recognition that they are not supported to teach or understand students to their fullest ability.

During sophomore year of college, I received a B on a paper that I had worked very hard on and was extremely proud of. It outlined and proposed a course called, Your Name 101, that should be added to the core curriculum. It would be focused on giving students time to reflect on their experiences and work on personal projects that would culminate into a portfolio and presentation their senior year. I was moved to do something that I had never done before: I scheduled time to discuss the grade with the professor. When I explained the reason for the meeting, she agreed it was a very good paper and idea, and then implied that someone else had written it or that I was not capable of that caliber of work. It was the most disheartening experience and confirmed I will never be a teacher as part of the American education system. This educator of educators reminded me of how the system works and who the system supports.

I have a fire in me about education, if it were to be set free, the intent would be similar to slashing a field to make it fertile. I'm excited to offer a time and space for teens to relax, find inspiration from within and to see what happens next.

I think the young people around and inside us are so important. Their brilliance is beyond comprehension. Sometimes we don't know what to do with it. They are so bright in so many different ways. We never lose that young person inside ourselves, but we are taught that growing up is letting go of that part of ourselves. As adults we spend a lot of time and energy stifling and later reconnecting with this part of us who wants nothing more to believe our imagination, try things and share who we are with others. 

This is because there is the system of education and there is life learning, which goes beyond the system and is what we actually need in order to thrive and contribute. I am more distraught than combative about American education. Evenso, I am excited to by the idea that more people are taking their own path to learning and are succeeding outside the system on their own terms. 

I'll always remember what one of my cohorts said in class one day my senior year, "A degree really just shows that you are trainable." I would agree that for a lot of people, including myself, this is true. A degree, good family, grades and achievements are no guarantee that you will achieve your highest goals in life. If you haven't read or listened to the book, GRIT, by Angela Duckworth, check it out.

Also, if you do not have a library card, get one! Here are three great apps that you can use to check-out audiobooks and download e-books for free.

https://rbdigital.com/

https://app.overdrive.com/

https://www.yourcloudlibrary.com/

**Go to the app store or google play to download on your mobile device.

Follow @blueprintwellness.life to see my #writing #alltheloveandnoexcuses #100daychallenge unfold.

Brightly,

Laura

Work day at the library with @chrystinahakam