Little Learners

It’s been an awesome journey and I’m so grateful for all the support I have received along they way, but for now Little Learners will be taking a break 💕👩🏻‍🏫

Happy New Year ✏️📚

Worth a read 📝💪🏻 there is a place for all of us in this world 🥰

As the end of year approaches, and Facebook is flooded with pictures of children holding trophies and certificates, I want to acknowledge the parents of the children who are not the ones being recognised.

In a system that measure success by A’s and first team appointments, number of goals scored, provincial colours, and scrolls on blazers, please remember that there are unrecognised achievements that bring an equal, if not greater sense of pride, and I want to acknowledge those.

So this is a shout out to the kids who struggled every day to get to where they got to by the end of their year.

To the girl who dug deep each day to find the courage to get up and face a school where she was bullied, or surrounded by peers who found her weird and teased her, but managed to get there every day, congratulations to you!

To the boy who, no matter how many extra lessons, how many hours of perseverance, or how many E’s on their test papers, managed to achieve a hard-earned C and was super thrilled with that, bravo.

To the teen who is struggling with body image, but put on a brave face every day and smiled through the uncertainty, you’re amazing.

To the artist who creates amazing work, yet crashes and burns on their maths exams – you have talent that can’t be measured by a standard test and we are in awe.

To the musical prodigy who can’t learn and recall when the war started, who was president when, and what the capital of Nepal is, your musical ability makes our hearts sing.

To the ADD student whose brain functions so fast that writing a coherent essay is just not your thing, you will change the world and we are grateful for minds like yours.
To the linguist who can master language and pronunciation, can speak in many languages, but can’t spell to save his life – you have a gift and will find your place in the world.

To the child who can never go to a sleep over because they are afraid of wetting their bed and ashamed their peers may discover their secret, it will end, your time will come and you are brave.

To the dancer whose body understands music and seems to take on a life of its own, but takes forever to read and needs extra time for tests, you are mesmerising.
To the child who has to bravely get up and go to a separate venue to write tests, while everyone else sits in the same room, but does so with your head held high, we salute your courage.

To the child who did not pass the year, and has to valiantly watch your peers go up a grade while you face the embarrassment of having to stay back a year – you will be fine and you will thrive.

To the child who freezes and feels physically ill when forced to stand up and speak in front of the class, yet has the most amazing empathy, you will always be loved because people feel better for having you in their world.

To all of you who face challenges that mean you will probably never be recognised by traditional measures, remember to hold yourself to a different standard. Remember that the talents you do have, are unique and amazing, and you should feel proud with or without a certificate or award.

Remember that school is possibly not where you will shine, but shine you can.
Remember that these tests and exams will measure you on one level, but that they cannot tell us everything about you.

And to their parents, as you sit there and maybe feel a little sadness or envy that it is never your child on stage, celebrate their uniqueness. No one has ever asked me in ‘real life’ if I got a certificate for diligence, or a scroll for academics, or where I placed in the grade.

No one has ever said, “When I grow up I want to be the kid who had the most certificates and awards when I was at school.” And no one, ever, has been remembered for a piece of paper that tells us how amazing they are.

In the real world, we are measured by different standards, and all of us can succeed in our own ways.

So whatever your child achieves, celebrate them, but more than that, teach them to celebrate themselves by their own standards. If they are the dux scholar, let them be proud of their own work ethic, not the certificate.

If they do win sportsman/ woman of the year, ensure they are proud that they did their best, not that they beat everyone else.
If they scraped through when no one was sure that they would, be sure that they see that as the accomplishment it is because of the work they put in.

The world can be judgemental enough without feeling like they aren’t good enough because they are holding themselves up to ‘traditional’ measures.

Instil in them a sense of intrinsic self-worth and motivation, and it won’t matter if they stand on that stage or not, get a medal or scroll or an honours blazer or not, because they will always be honest with themselves about their own efforts and successes, and their sense of value will come from within.
Congratulations. All of you.

And another year draws to a close 📚📝

Such wise words from my favourite little bear 🥰

Looking forward to seeing all my Little Learners again and hopefully welcoming a few new ones 📚📝

Wishing you all a Happy New Year 🥂🎉 from Little Learners 🥰

Little Learners wishes you all a Merry Christmas 🎄

“Reading gives us a place to go when we have to stay where we are” 📚

📖📚 Encourage your little ones to love books and reading ... as my dear friend Winnie the Pooh says... “a good book is like a good friend” 📚

📚🖍✏️📝

Let your imagination go wild 📚💫

Little Learners wishes you all a happy and well deserved holiday 📚📝

Love this💕 it’s so true. It’s ok to make mistakes because that’s how we learn... I learn something new everyday from the little learners I teach 🖍✏️📝📚

Just like that a new month begins.... a month filled with new possibilities and opportunities 🍀🌼