Mainly as my child is getting older. Her learning isn’t as photogenic.. not as subtle, perhaps.

Today, we went to the NMIT (Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology). I saw squillions of things I wanted to “do”.. to play with. Big machines you could cut wood or metal with. I saw a room full of silk screens, printing machines… we even got to to some Lego printing (we went and brought supplies to do this at home afterwards).. I found out about the Trades academy – homeschool kids can do this, and they had a kid who was 14. I talked to a guy who was in his first year teaching there who talked about trying to engage all the students and yet still trying to get them to be proactive/invested in their learning. I was pretty excited. H was like a tightly wound string. We went to the printing room first, and they had Lego out to have a go and H has done this before, yet she stood there trying not to look at anything, hands defensivly on her bag. she watched me start playing and eventually joined in but did not relax. I felt I could have plucked her like a cello string. She did relax a bit later on in the metal work room where I was getting all excited about the idea of playing/making stuff, enough to try and poke me to get moving.. by the woodwork, she was almost verbal, was being the fall guy to my whatever the call the other guy in a two person act.

So now this is what I am working with – a cello string, twang… My learning outcomes (of course I am not really into adult directed objectives/outcomes) all go something along the lines of: H will speak to another child… H will engage someone in conversation over the topic.. H will show her confidence to people other than her immediate contacts.

She is self aware – says that she has the kind of confidence that means she can do things, isn’t worried about catching busses for instance as she has made mistakes and it all worked out fine, she will just make dinner, give directions, take cash and give change… lots of things other kids find hard or cause them stress, but she feels confident she can adapt her responces to unexpected inputs into what is happening and will be fine! Just not so much strangers… people! It’s not photogenic anymore.