Part 2: Helping Your Children Reach Their Full Potential
“So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27).
God works in mysterious ways, and everyone’s combined experiences affect them in ways that makes them unique. You are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). This truth is what is most important for us to instill in our children: every person is made in the image of God, the way that they are meant to be, for their own sake, for the sake of those around them, and ultimately, for the glory of God.
Made In His Likeness
Since we are made in His image, we have the responsibility to glorify Him in all we do. We should be growing in our desire to always strive for the best and to steward His creation well, which includes ourselves and our capacity to learn. Children need to be taught that they’re made in the image of God as beloved children of His, with the ability to create and act in themselves and the world around them. Children should be raised to become independent learners, so they are able to steward their minds well, learning that it is their responsibility and opportunity to do so, because they’re made in His image out of love.
Teaching Independent Thinking
At Enlightium Academy, teachers are encouraged to teach their students as often as possible how to apply the knowledge from their lessons to find the answers to their questions, rather than simply giving them the answers. This is the art of answering questions with questions, leading students to find the answer themselves, and filling in the gaps when necessary, to continue the learning process. This is a good practice for teachers, because it helps them to identify exactly where students are lacking in understanding. Additionally, this teaches students to become resourceful and to use their creativity, something highly important in reaching their potential and becoming independent learners. Students at Enlightium Academy also have the benefit of receiving immediate feedback through the automated curriculum; after completing an assignment, they can view the correct or incorrect answers to most of questions, instead of waiting for a teacher to grade every question. This is simply a resource students can use to master learning, by allowing them to learn from the questions they missed while the questions are still fresh in their mind. Enlightium Academy is designed to foster independent thinking.
Fostering Stewardship and Creativity
It is the responsibility of parents to encourage a desire to learn, through building curiosity in their children from day to day by answering questions with questions. Ultimately, however, parents must be good role models in stewarding creation, namely, stewarding their children as created beings made in God’s image. If children are stewarded well by their parents, children are equipped to continue that practice and model stewardship and creativity in their daily lives. Encouraging children to develop their ability to apply these principles not only helps them reach their full potential academically, but it gives parents the opportunity to remind them “you are fearfully and wonderfully made”.
