2013 King George Fall Festival

Rain did not dampen the excitement at the 2013 King George Fall Festival. The KGHS cafeteria was alive with laughter and conversation. I watched as families ambled throughout the gym and purchased handmade crafts and other merchandise and talked with merchants about their offerings. Lots of people stopped by my table to inquire about my tutoring their children and to learn about the study skills and writing workshops VCLA offers. I talked so much my voice was hoarse before the end of the day!

We had several "giveaways," including a drawing for two $50 gift certificates. Congratulations to Keith Lee and Christine Quick - each won a $50 gift certificate toward tutoring or a workshop at VCLA. Another giveaway was the "thinking cap" - a paper hat designed to look like the human brain; the caps were a big hit. One little lad helped me by distributing the brains to all of the elementary students he saw. Thanks, Nathan!

This introduction to neurology generated lots of questions about how the brain works and was the perfect introduction to my giving a mini lesson about the importance of drinking water and getting enough sleep. I have a "Grow a Gruesome Body Part" brain by Ganz. It's one of the toys that when you drop it into water it will grow to about four times its original size. Remove it from water and it will shrivel into a tiny, hard blob that is not conducive to learning. I use the plastic brain to explain that the human brain requires water and rest, and it will learn and remember more, if we treat it well.

I always incorporate that tidbit of information into my lessons. I believe firmly that children need to understand the science behind learning, how the brain functions, and why certain learning strategies are more effective than others. Children are curious creatures who aim to please. If they understand the "why" behind a directive, they are more likely to incorporate it into their lives. I am fascinated by the complexity of the brain and truly enjoy reading the literature that documents the research on learning and brain development. I like to share that research with my students and boost their metacognition skills - their thinking about thinking - the first step in helping to ignite a passion for learning.

If you missed out on getting your child a thinking cap, don't despair. Send me an e-mail, give me a call, or stop by the office. I will get one to you!