Coming of Age - Collaborative Education

 

Adults Sharing Knowledge and Resources

My intention is to give adults' the opportunity to share experiences and skills that nurture youth.

Adult Education

Acknowledging our transitions in life through ceremony and celebration is also a way to recognize our past accomplishments and look toward the future. (See Life Celebrations).


Build Consensus for a Coming-of-Age Program
Your Entire Community Can Support

PARTICIPATORY WORKSHOPS

  • Personal Biography and Stages of Life;
  • Recognizing the Needs of Youth, Building Relationships;
  • Sexuality and Gender Issues.

TRAINING WORKSHOPS

  • Delivering Human Fertility and Middle School Issues Curricula (see Publications)
  • Creating Rights of Passage for Any Age;
  • Sex Education for Youth – When and How.

Coming-of-Age Mentoring

Linda supports adults through the process of discovering common ground, developing ways to create choices and then to incorporate working collaboratively with students. These efforts can produce artistic and meaningful teen programs and rites of passage.


YOUTH
“Ages Nine – Sixteen”

INTRODUCTION

ClassroomA focus of many of the Programs I bring aims to meet the needs of youth between the ages of nine and 16. During the early and middle school years, the human being is developing a relationship with her/his soul life. Both the intellect and the soul are nurtured through the imagination and the senses during this time. Learning takes place by experiences of pictures filled with beautiful, sensual qualities. Social and moral learning comes from the adult models around the children and by teaching appropriate life skills. During the time from about seven to the completion of adolescence at 21, the human being becomes conscious of her/his soul/feeling life and awakens to the self.

When I teach in groups and in the classroom, I bring conscious awareness to students of the gradual awakening of self. I give them skills to build healthy relationships to self and others. I educate them about the changes of their body, their emotions, and their relationships. I give them space to explore who they are and who they are becoming. I allow them space for all the big questions of life at the appropriate ages. We talk about love, family, boundaries, getting to know yourself, sensuality, intimacy, sexuality, cultural and peer influences. Exploring these issues in a classroom with both genders allows for empathy to be built in both boys and girls for the other’s journey.

I also bring adult education as there is openness for it. The community and parents are enthusiastic for the “facts” to be brought to their children. I strive to awaken in the adults the need to examine their social/sexual experiences as well. “This allows the adult to meet youth from a more empathic place.” (see Collaborative Education- Adults )

AS A RESULT OF MY RESEARCH AND EXPERIENCES WITH YOUTH, I HAVE CREATED AND PUBLISHED TWO TEACHER’S GUIDES” (see Publications)

Both blocks of study allow the students to inquire into the retrospective efforts of the parents and teachers in their community. It builds and draws upon shared experiences and draws upon the wisdom of adults seeking to foster their children's adolescent development.

The curriculum strives to foster an artful and social awareness of body, soul and spirit during this transition between child and adult. We survey opportunitites and challenges facing today's youth in American culture.

The key to the delivery of this material is to allow students to participate to the fullest of their capacities and to gently and warmly challenge them to take small steps beyond.

 

Collaborative Education

TEACH LIFE SKILLS CLASSES

Students learn many life skills and socialization through the daily interaction of children with other children and adults. Adults striving to provide modeling of appropriate social behavior, relationships and interaction goes a long way toward a healthy community. “What is also needed is age appropriate structured experiences and the education of life skills. (see publication, Lessons for Middle School Issues.)

An important element is the development of acute awareness of students' interests by teachers and parents. continual, unobtrusive, objective observation of and listening to the teens around you will give immediate opportunities to work with THEIR issues.

Additionally, these learned social and life skills can also be supplemented
by providing experiences which address the immediate needs of the children at the different stages of maturity. Time and space given to the particular social issues in the present will give tools to the children that will serve them into the future.

A coming of age program would include identifying, at each grade level, what practical life skills are appropriate to bring into the conscious, practical level of instructional experience for the child.

Linda Knodle, is available to guest teach students and facilitate collaborative teaching with adults. All instruction includes presentation to adults and parents of the highlights of the work to be accomplished in the classroom before it is presented to the students.