Tuesday 8 May 2012

Interest led learning and Teenage Boys



It has been a bank holiday weekend and by and large we have had a beautiful weekend. As I watched my eldest son as he serviced his car with his dad, replaced the windscreen wiper having bought it himself, and obtained a discount ,  I wondered why I had been nagging him to revise for a Religious Studies exam for which he has had no instruction as his class clashes with his day at Kendal college where he studies Motor engineering. He has absolutely no interest in the subject and will drop it like a hot- cake next year but the government say it is compulsory. I suppose that I worry about the effect to his self esteem if he 'fails' (or should I say the Education system 'fails' him yet again). I have to say he doesn't seem to be bothered. He went off to Explorer Scouts last night to make wooden planters for the Town council, a valuable lesson in woodwork and no doubt this voluntary work will help towards his silver Duke of Edinburgh award. He's also taking part in the 40 mile Keswick to Barrow walk on Saturday to raise money for scouts, an endurance test to say the least but a super achievement if he does it! He's has spent the weekend with his friends at the pictures then finding their way back by train to his friends house, a Heavy Horses riding centre in the beautiful Whicham Valley where he saw the horses and they sat in the barn with guitars singing before finishing the evening with pizza and cider! It is things like this that memories are made of! Sunday was spent with more friends playing football in the all weather pitch at the local leisure centre and then at the local park. Fresh air and sunshine and not an X box in sight! As I see my son growing and maturing I continue to marvel at his social skills and empathy for everyone he meets and I'm aware that whatever academic qualifications he ends up with, it will be his social skills which make him a success!

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