Tag Archives: Antelope Valley Charter School

Culture and Curriculum, Studio

iLEAD Antelope Valley Culture: Components of Social-Emotional Learning — Zest

“Enthusiasm is the electricity of life.” —Gordon Parks

Central to the iLEAD Antelope Valley approach to project-based learning is a belief that education works best when it’s energetic. Rather than being stale and rote, it’s filled with excitement. That excitement, which we call zest, is a core element of social-emotional learning.

Individuals who approach life with zest tend to have the following characteristics:

  • They refuse to do things halfway or halfheartedly.
  • They are energetic.
  • They approach life as an adventure.

In the context of classroom learning, zest coupled with curiosity can help drive kids’ motivation to learn and press on even when things get difficult. Zest is enthusiasm in the face of challenges. It can help learners overcome challenges to find amazing rewards.

So what does developing zest look like in the learning process? Facilitators can leverage kids’ innate ability to learn by creating and maintaining environments that encourage their zest and curiosity and support their feelings of autonomy. We believe in framing mistakes as opportunities for learning and discussion, and we celebrate questions to drive learning. We also believe in kids taking ownership of the direction their learning takes.

Incorporating zest into learning means funneling energy into dynamic, project-based learning that brings concepts to life. Whether it’s conducting scientific experiments, engaging in historical research and reenactments, or enjoying play-based learning, our learners engage in vibrant methods of exploring, creating, and understanding.

For a facilitator — and families, too — it’s important to bear in mind that some children are not as naturally “zestful” as others. With these learners especially, keep in mind that enthusiasm isn’t taught as much as it is modeled and encouraged. Enthusiasm is infectious. If kids see your zest for learning, they can be inspired too. The goal is to help kids move along the spectrum of enthusiasm toward a more zestful attitude.

When the seeds of enthusiasm are planted early and take root in the soil of learners’ minds, they are empowered to approach challenges as opportunities to grow and succeed.

Embrace the Near-Win

Lunch, Studio

Free Breakfast and Lunch for All Children

We are excited to provide free meals through the Summer Seamless Program. We are providing meals for all children up to 18 years of age at no charge. You do not need to be an enrolled learner in order to receive free meals. Each child will receive one grab-and-go breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday except on school holidays. Good news! Each Friday we also serve free grab-and-go meals to take home for Saturday and Sunday as well. Children need not be present to pick up.

While our site is closed, school meals are grab-and-go with minimal contact and may not be consumed on-site. Breakfast and lunch are served together at the front gate (2110 W. Avenue K, Lancaster, CA) Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 11:00 AM. For your protection and ours, please wear a cloth face covering when picking up meals.

Studio

Together Tuesdays: Share Your Photos and Stories!

Greetings, iLEAD community,

Every other week, a new Together Tuesday video features photos of families, learners, and staff throughout the iLEAD nation. We’d love to see your contributions.

To ensure your submissions are included, please click here to submit your photos. Photos received by the Friday before each Together Tuesday are eligible to be included.

We’re all in this together, and we can’t wait to see your photos!

If you have any questions, simply reply to stories@ileadschools.org.

Sincerely,
The iLEAD Team

*If you send us a photo or video, we will consider this approval for use on our school websites and social media accounts. Please do not include images of video conference screens showing learners. 

Culture and Curriculum, Studio

iLEAD Antelope Valley Culture: Components of Social-Emotional Learning — Curiosity

“Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.” — Golda Meir

Within the iLEAD Antelope Valley education model, we believe kids are more empowered to learn and retain knowledge when learning means asking questions. That’s why we reinforce curiosity as a component of social-emotional learning (SEL).

Simply put, curiosity is a strong desire to learn or know something — a search for information for its own sake.

Curiosity is frequently the engine that drives learning and achievement. Children are curious by nature, and so much of life is a source of wonder for them.

For curious learners, it’s less important to have the “right” answers and more important to create an environment where questioning and learning can occur.

So how do we nurture curiosity in learners? We do it, in part, by modeling an interest in the world around us and asking open-ended questions. Through dynamic project-based learning, facilitators at iLEAD Antelope Valley foster and develop kids’ natural inclination to be curious. Families and facilitators alike nurture curiosity when they encourage learners to identify and seek answers to questions that pique their interests.

A component of curiosity is uncertainty. While uncertainty often creates hesitation for learners, it’s possible for it to fuel the learning process. There are several ways to respond to uncertainty, according to Jamie Holmes, author of Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing.

  • Address the emotional impact of uncertainty: “The emotions of learning are surprise, awe, interest, and confusion,” according to Holmes. However, facilitators can help learners respond to these emotions by encouraging them to see uncertainty as an opportunity for learning.
  • Adopt a nonauthoritarian facilitation style to encourage exploration, challenge and revision: By facilitating learning with a sense of curiosity and humanity, facilitators can help learners find ways to think and learn. Holmes writes, “The best teachers are in awe of their subjects.”
  • Show how the process of discovery is often messy and nonlinear: Instead of simply presenting breakthroughs as logical results of long treks toward understanding, facilitators can share with learners how discoveries are often made — through trial and error, missteps, “happy accidents” and chance.

How do we pique learners’ curiosity? Developmental psychologist Dr. Marilyn Price-Mitchell has suggested several ways:

  • Value and reward curiosity in learners.
  • Give learners practice asking quality questions.
  • Notice when kids feel puzzled or confused.
  • Encourage learners to tinker with materials, thoughts, or emotions.
  • Use current events as launchpads for conversation.
  • Give learners opportunities to show healthy skepticism.
  • Explore a variety of cultures and societies.
  • Encourage curiosity outside of the classroom.

We believe when kids know how to be curious, they know how to think differently. When they know how to think differently, they’re empowered to be problem solvers who can change the world around them.

Still Curious?

“Curiosity. It’s the most powerful thing you own.”