Not just about test scores

This week the reports came out showing improvement in the academic test scores across the State of Maryland.  While that is good, and the closing of the gap of test scores across the board of students is a good accomplishment, we should remember that education is not just about test scores.  Nor is it about one’s physical prowess as a sports star, or how many toys you will be able to collect after getting this education.
It is about children growing up to be happy, productive and useful members of society.  Growing into adulthood with a love for life, with compassion and empathy for others.  Our goal here at Balanced Life Skills is to support every child’s most important teacher, their parents, reinforcing all of the lessons they hope for their child to learn.

Teaching Compassion

We have started our conversation with our students about compassion with a review of the word ’empathy’.  All of us need to be understanding and sensitive to people’s feeling and that really is empathy.  If we take that a step further with compassion when we don’t just recognize the feeling, but care deeply about their discomfort and take steps to reduce their suffering.
Our children are exposed to highly competitive environment and way too many acts of violence on TV and quite frankly in their own life.  They are very sensitive to the attitudes and actions of those around them and recognize violence in its simplest forms.  They like ourselves can become jaded to these acts and so that makes teaching compassion that much more important in todays world.
So this week coming up we will discuss how what we do and say can affect how others feel.  Take some time this month to point our when we see compassion in action and praise our children for showing compassion to others.

Diabetes Awareness

On Saturday March 29 at our studio we put on a program to bring about some awareness to the subject of diabetes. around 30 kids and their parents were able to attend along with some from the community who are not a part of our school. Included in the program was a short video prepared by myself, with the guidance of the Defeat Diabetes Foundation, and two of our students parents who are ‘experts’ due to their first hand experience with the disease.
I tried to include the video we used (that didn’t work)but here are some pictures of the kids doing an art project and getting to know ‘Chris’ who came to show off his pump and let the kids see that even if you have diabetes you are able to do anything you want, you just have to be careful with your level of sugar in your blood stream.
What a great kid he was and we had a lot of fun and learned a lot too. Before beginning the preparation of this day, I was really clueless about this disease. Thanks to everyone involved I know a little bit more and certainly enough that I know we need to have empathy for those who live with this and we must defend ourselves from Type 2 diabetes. Watch the video and learn more. Join us on April 13 at the Naval Academy Stadium with your art work and lets walk to raise awareness of Jr. Diabetes and to support Chris and his family.

Diabetes Awareness

On Saturday March 29 at our studio we put on a program to bring about some awareness to the subject of diabetes. around 30 kids and their parents were able to attend along with some from the community who are not a part of our school. Included in the program was a short video prepared by myself, with the guidance of the Defeat Diabetes Foundation, and two of our students parents who are ‘experts’ due to their first hand experience with the disease.
I tried to include the video we used (that didn’t work)but here are some pictures of the kids doing an art project and getting to know ‘Chris’ who came to show off his pump and let the kids see that even if you have diabetes you are able to do anything you want, you just have to be careful with your level of sugar in your blood stream.
What a great kid he was and we had a lot of fun and learned a lot too. Before beginning the preparation of this day, I was really clueless about this disease. Thanks to everyone involved I know a little bit more and certainly enough that I know we need to have empathy for those who live with this and we must defend ourselves from Type 2 diabetes. Watch the video and learn more. Join us on April 13 at the Naval Academy Stadium with your art work and lets walk to raise awareness of Jr. Diabetes and to support Chris and his family.