Advertorial
Being a kid nowadays is a stressful affair. It is true that they are exposed to many more entertainment options in this generation as compared to my time as a kid, but the expectations and demands on them to excel and do well in life are also far greater. Everyday when I flip the newspapers, I see tons of learning companies offering services to teach the kids how they can do better in school. Words such as ‘memory skills’ and ‘speed-learning’ baffle me even to this day. Yet, there is always a burning question in my mind which I’ve tried to explain to my kids, “WHY DO YOU NEED TO STUDY?”
As a mum, I know that if I can get the kids to understand why they are doing something, they are more likely to do it well with a willing and cheerful heart. To me, the lowest level of motivation is to say, ‘You have to do it because everybody does it.’ or ‘You have to do it because I say so.’
I don’t know about your kids, but mine are constantly pulled left, right and centre by various forms of distractions. There’s the television playing their favorite cartoons and program all day long and all kinds of fun gadgets – their top choice being the IPAD of course. While I can restrict their involvement in all these and get them to work on their assessment books instead, what I really want to see is the kids taking their own initiative to learn and enjoy doing so. Though it may sound funny, but there are kids who really enjoy studying. My mum always comment that I was a kid who loved studying and going to school and that made it very easy for her. I guess what she meant was that I was a self-motivated kid who would spend time on learning, without anyone nagging me to do so. My kids generally enjoy learning and are always curious about everything happening around them, but as they go through the regimental education system in Singapore, I am concerned whether their enthusiasm will dwindle.
So when I got an email from Melvin of Supercamp, telling me about the Recharge camp he is conducting during the March school holidays, something he said touched a chord in me. He said, “Unless your child can figure out WHY they study, they will lack self-motivation and live way BELOW their potential.”
Isn’t that so true? I absolutely concur.
The Recharge program is a two-day camp happening on 17-18 March 2014 for Primary students, and 21-22 March 2014 for Secondary students. At this two full-day program, the participants will learn 2 major concepts that will turn them from a struggling student to one who thrives: Finding Self-Motivation & How to Organize Your Life. These two concepts are so important and so true. The truth is that every child is motivated by something, and that is why most cannot sit still and do nothing. At Recharge, the organizers will teach the kids how to discover their self-motivation and direct that motivation to the area of their studies. Once they are able to positively use their self-motivation, they can become more effective and thus happier kids! Organization, on the other hand, helps the kid to focus, and focus is often the key to success. When the kids see success in their studies, they become even more motivated to study and the positive cycle kicks in. More often than not, when kids show little interest in their studies, the parents’ first response would be to send them to more and more tuition classes. That would not solve the problem at the crux.
At Recharge, the kids will learn that there are more than one way to do well in school. All our kids have great potential inside of them, but many are not able to do well in their studies because they haven’t found the strategy that works for them. The program creator and facilitator, Melvin, took the best strategies he learnt from top peak performing specialists like Dr. John Eliot (PhD and mental coach to many winning sports teams) and Tony Schwartz (from the famed Energy Project), and adjusted these for kids. What I think is great about the class is that it is limited to a maximum of 15 participants each. In such a small group, every participant would have the chance to interact with the facilitator and other participants, and contribute their ideas and thoughts. In this process, their confidence level will increase as well.
Through activities that encourage self-reflection, the participants will get many chances to look at the way they are living and studying now, and then decide to make a change on their own. They will also do activities to find out more about themselves, and that would help them discover what works for them and how to tap into their best potential. The program runs from 9am to 5.30pm on both days, with lunch and all course materials provided. Perhaps ones of the reasons why this program is effective is because the Facilitator, Melvin, is convicted and passionate about it. He hopes to help many more kids find their inner drive so that they can achieve more in school and life.
Find out more about Recharge at http://www.supercamp.sg. Each class will have a maximum of 15 participants, and currently, there are only 4 spaces left each. Sign up here!
Dates: 17-18 Mar (P5 & P6 students) & 21-22 Mar (Secondary students)
Time: 9.00 am to 5.30pm
Venue: ACS Oldham Hall
Cost: S$500 (Covers lunch and course materials for both days)
