Module 1.2 – What Does It Mean To Be Learning With Your Lights On

In defining Explorium's Unique Success Point (USP) I realised the answer lay in the phrase I was always saying, "You know when we are on track - you literally see if it their eyes. It is like their lights have come on!"

We quickly realised the power of Lights On when we began asking what others understood by it as shown in the word cloud below.

The first action step you are going to take is to start the conversation that you are introducing Lights On into your family.

As a first activity come up with a co-definition within your own family. Be as creative as you like. The key here is to make sure there is a clear understanding of what Lights On means to you all right from the offset.

Here are some online wordle generators that we have used but again go off piste and use this opportunity to find your own ways to create a Lights On visual reference.

http://www.wordle.net/

http://www.wordclouds.com/

To help you start the conversation about Lights On download the 'Lights On For Everyone' worksheet and start getting your ideas down on paper. 

Don't forget to share your Lights On creations with us in the Facebook Group.

LEGITIMISE LIGHTS OFF - I can't say this enough and you will hear me say it many times I'm sure. It is SO important that right from the offset you make it really clear that our lights go dim and out at times. We need to make sure your child feels comfortable and confident to be honest when their lights go out and that we have strategies in place to help them when that happens. 

When we get the culture around Lights On integrated fully it is such a simple tool to help your child make sense of their emotions around learning. So remember with the On moments come the Dim and Off moments and that is OK!

To help you discuss Lights Off download the 'What switches on my lights' worksheet and explore with your child what switches both your lights on and off.

Having discussed Lights On and Off it is now time to ask directly (if you haven't already) whether your child is learning with their Lights On or Off. Nothing fancy here - just ask the simple question as you should have spent the time being really clear what it means. Yes, it really is this easy. 

We had some fun developing a prototype for a Lights On app with Oscar, age 16. Oscar was a classic case of a disengaged student who couldn't see the point of what he was learning at school. So he was under achieving big time. When he came into our space he was incredible. This was a classic example of a child's talents going totally untapped as a result of the narrow curriculum. We used his app to test an entire Year 8 group and found through their own assessment that 48% of them said their lights were OFF!  That is almost half the year group. So it goes to show just how powerful this simple question - 'Are you learning with your lights on or off?' - can be at flagging up a big problem.

Distinguishing Your Role As A Parent From That Of Lights On Mentor.

As a parent myself I realised early on that my mentoring role to enhance my children's learning is different to my role as parent. It gets a bit cloudy when you try to juggle the two at the same time. So to start with I would advise that you set some clear time where you are dedicated to your mentoring role. Start with small steps - which is what this first module is designed to do. 

You might find it useful to download the worksheet 'Switching On My Lights As a Mentor' to think about what you want to get out of your mentoring role. 

What is your role as a Lights On mentor? There are many different roles you are going to have take on and so spend some time going through this bonus video and the accompanying worksheet. The key with Lights On mentoring is recognising that from moment to moment we may have to change the role we are in - moving between Coach, Facilitator, Motivator to name a few.

Download the worksheet 'My Different Hats' and spend some time thinking about whether you have ever been in these various roles.