Summer is here, and fun can still be found even when social distancing and wearing masks is part of the equation. Here are some creative ways to keep the family sane, smiling and safe this summer during the COVID-19 crisis. Outside Fun at Home You don’t necessarily need to drive away from home to have […]

Dear Yorktown Community, We celebrated Memorial Day to remember that freedom, progress, opportunity, and the safety of our way of life are an honor afforded to us by the sacrifice of so many others. We celebrated, as our protectors would want, by enjoying the fruits of their labor and remembering them. And, as always, the [...]

For parents who are helping their children with schooling at home during the COVID-19 crisis, knowing more about the concept of unschooling as a support to their online classes can be helpful and enlightening. The term ‘unschooling’ was coined in the 1970s and used by educator John Holt, widely regarded as the father of unschooling. […]

While many students are doing their learning from home these days, the hope is that they are becoming more self-directed in the process. Work-from-home education offers the opportunity for students to be more self-directed, as long as they’re not struggling with tightly structured, time-in-seat methods of traditional schools, which is more about crowd control than […]

It can be difficult to understand why someone puts off something that is important and fall into a trap of anxiety and stress. So we ask the question – why do people procrastinate? Studies estimate that 80 to 95 percent of college students procrastinate, with about 75 percent who consider themselves procrastinators. Although procrastination seems […]

Drawing has proven to be more effective than writing, viewing, or listening in many scenarios. It’s something we do instinctively from the earliest years of life — drawing. A crayon can be a tool of captivating discovery for young imaginations. Childhood scribbles are early signs of cognitive development and serve as springboards to learning to […]

When students are invited into the process of managing their learning they are empowered with greater self-management and earned responsibility throughout life. Students who learn the value of self-management in their early years are much more likely to demonstrate success in taking personal responsibility for their actions. Yorktown Education students, Alexis and Brandon Foster are excellent [...]

Fear of failure is an obstacle to learning and can be better used as a tool for critical thinking. Why is it that we don’t understand the value of failure? Is it so ingrained into our culture that failure is bad, not acceptable, and otherwise a sign of lack? How is it that failure is […]

One of the biggest disruptors to learning is feeling sad or burdened when facing a challenging task.   When students feel anxious or uneasy in their environment, learning takes a backseat  to merely coping. If a student is teased by another student or made to feel unhappy, they cannot be expected to retain new learning. […]

By allowing children to step forward, speak out, and discover their own strengths helps them become more independent and better critical thinkers and self-managers.   Learning can evoke powerful emotions in students, such as anxiety, apathy, and even embarrassment. Helping them develop critical thinking and problem solving skills also helps students to become better self-managers. If […]