Stevie Puckett

Category: Education

  • Desired Things

    I love this poem. May it inspire you too.

    ***Video Transcript***

    DESIDERATA by Max Ehrmann

    Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

    As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.

    Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,

    even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

    Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are a vexation to the spirit.

    If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;

    for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

    Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

    Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

    it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

    Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.

    But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

    many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

    Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.

    Neither be cynical about love;

    for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

    Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

    Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

    But do not distress yourself with imaginings.

    Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

    Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

    You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

    And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

    Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be,

    and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

    With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

    Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

    —End Transcript—

  • Unschooling Field Notes 1

    We are five months into our unschooling journey and life is much improved. Dare I say even very, very good. The freedom I feel in each day is refreshing. Our schedule has totally opened up and we are all experiencing more free time as well as an abundance of quality time together. The learning going on with no effort at all to plan for it is simply astounding. They are leading the way and I love it.

    At first, it felt like long tentacles from a ginormous black octopus were beginning to recoil away. Those tentacles were threaded into cracks and crevices throughout our lives. They were dragging us down. As they receded, we discovered the ability to breath unrestrained again…just like summertime. What a relief! There is magic in the resulting lightness. We feel the freedom and creativity of being ourselves and simply enjoying life with no deadlines or schedules except the ones we set for ourselves. We are enjoying realization of a whole new existence where we are calling the shots. It is, quite simply, liberating.

    Still, at the edge of my consciousness is a somewhat annoying persistent thought about the upcoming proof of progress we must file with the school administration by mid-summer. Sometimes I catch myself imagining that black octopus just bidding time to pounce and wrap us all up again. I know it sounds dramatic and I know it’s just a fearful thought, one that I consciously I kick out. There have been many times that I’ve soothed myself away from the scary idea that we’ll be challenged for trying to get away with something and then be required to justify ourselves. Which seems like a totally ridiculous thought since a previous generation has already fought the good fight to have homeschooling be an allowed option.

    Lucky for me, here in Virginia there are a couple ways to choose from in order to demonstrate educational growth and progress. Families can do good enough on a nationally normed standardized test of their choice (place in or above the fourth stanine) or have an evaluation letter from a qualified individual (a licensed teacher or someone with a master’s degree). If progress is not found to be good enough, the homeschooling family gets a year of probation to continue homeschooling then try again next year to adequately prove progress. If progress is still not good enough there will be intervention and the kids go back to school.

    I have been advised by local homeschooling gurus to “just test out” because they say it is the easiest and most objective way to jump through the required hoops. This I have a problem with because standardized testing is one reason I wanted out of the school system. Also, having done more traditional homeschool with my son in the past I know how quickly learning time turns to rote memorization and uninspired lectures while running through a checklist of what to learn to do well on the test…a frustrating exercise for me and my kids to be sure.

    So I have settled into the idea that we will show progress with a letter that I write reporting on the progress of each of my kids for this first year. The reason I can write the report is that I have a Master’s degree and regulations do not stipulate that the evaluator cannot be the child’s parent. This seems a bit risky but I’m sure it will all work out. After all, I am with them all day every day being continually astounded by their questions and creative ways of thinking.

    As a backup, I am also keeping an Evernote portfolio for each kid and their interests and activities throughout the year. Those Evernote portfolios will likely become portfolio blogs for each kid as they advance. The kids are very interested in building their own portfolios already. They love that we are collecting photos, videos, links, and audio recordings of what they are focusing on a creating and so do I. The portfolios will serve a purpose similar to a scrapbook too. The kids enjoy looking back at what they’ve done even now and it solidifies their learning as they do.

  • How to Capture Ideas

    Once captured, an idea is available to you for future reference and further reflection and to combine with other appealing ideas.

    You capture an idea by bookmarking it, putting it in your social media streams, journaling it, sending yourself an email or voicemail, or using your digital recorder. No matter which way you decide to capture ideas, establish your system and use it religiously. Then be sure to review and revise them regularly.

    My favorite way to capture ideas is Evernote.com. With it, you can mingle audio recording, web page links, photos, and your written words together in an organized and searchable way that is fully digital. I keep a pen and notebook handy for quick notes when I’m not at my computer, then transfer my handwritten notes to Evernote later. I also have the Evernote App on my phone so that I can get to my notes anytime. I love the new Moleskine notebook made for Evernote. It is called the Moleskine Evernote Smart Notebook.

    You will not believe the increased effectiveness of your self-development endeavors due to getting clear on how to capture your ideas.

  • Where Do Great Ideas Come From

    Years ago, I had e-mail correspondence with someone I barely know who asked if I ever watched The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch (the show is no longer in production, but there is a book). I responded that I had not and took note because usually when I get a tip like that, I can learn something. I followed through by watching some episodes, and I enjoyed the show pretty well. 

    And here is the part I needed to see. I noticed an interesting phenomenon. 

    On the show, one of the main things Donny Deutsch does is to get insight from each person featured about exactly where and how they got their big idea. Of course, that makes total sense because it is in the show’s name, after all, and Donny is trying to educate and coach people in his audience to find their own big idea and go for it. So it seems that guests really would expect that question. 

    Nevertheless, each time he asks it, the person pauses for a moment and looks as if they are processing the question and aren’t sure what to say. As if they are saying to themselves, “Hey, that is a good question, where did that idea come from?” 

    Seeing that scenario play out time and again led me to this interpretation: The question is difficult because when people have a great idea, they are fully engaged in whatever they’re studying at the time inspiration strikes. All they remember is that they were busy following their noses, uncovering clues, letting one thing lead to another, and it all seemed obvious at the time…until they get this question anyway. That is when it becomes apparent they were just in their creative flow, and it’s hard to explain.

    Creativity is something that we all have if we can open to it. The first step for someone sitting around wanting ideas but having none is to remove all barriers to getting into the flow of creativity. Creativity can’t occur while sitting in judgment of every thought that pops into your head. A person has to open their mind and be comfortable with the creative process. Some people are very good at tapping into their creativity consistently; others might need to remember to let go and play a little.

    Begin by exploring things that catch your eye. Follow your nose a bit and see what happens. Once you have gathered some info, give yourself a rest and see what your wonderfully creative mind cooks up. When you feel a little kick of enthusiasm, you may be on to something.