How Project-Based Learning Helps Students Find Themselves

Along with learning about academic subjects, students spend their time in school discovering who they are and who they want to be. Many students find that extracurricular activities give them the most opportunities for self-discovery. However, there’s another way students can learn a lot about themselves while learning about classroom subjects: through project-based learning. Here are some of the ways project-based learning can help students find themselves. 

Collaboration and Social Skills

Project-based learning requires students to work together toward a common goal. One of the best ways to learn about yourself is by working with others. Students learn how they can overcome challenges, from the intrapersonal to the academic. They learn the most effective ways to communicate, often through trial and error. At the end of each project, they build even more on these essential skills, gaining more insight into who they are.  

Building Autonomy and Self-Direction

It may seem to contradict the previous point, but in many projects, working independently is as important as collaborating with the group. Each student needs to build their part of the project so that the whole can come together. While working collaboratively, they learn what they can do by themselves and where they need to lean on each other. Once the project is complete, each student can take ownership of their contributions.

Developing Critical Thinking and Creativity

Children who learn in project-based settings often find themselves needing to think creatively and critically at the same time. Leaning too much on creativity can create beautiful end results that lack substance, while leaning too much on critical thinking can lead to too much thinking and not enough doing. Each project creates new opportunities to make informed decisions with the help of teammates, who learn from each other in the process. 

Cultivating Passion and Purpose

Finding yourself, especially as a young student, means discovering what you’re passionate about and where you excel. Project-based learning allows students to explore their personal interests in a way that relates to the subjects they’re studying. Rather than being abstract and distant, academic concepts become tangible, and therefore more relatable. Students may discover interests they never knew they had and talents that they choose to explore outside the classroom. 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we believe project-based learning puts students on the path to success. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

Teaching Your Child to Love Learning for Life

Most of us start out inquisitive and creative, but after facing the pressures of life, some people lose that love for learning. Children who learn to love learning early on often carry that interest with them throughout their lives. Every day can be a learning experience, which leaves room for openness, curiosity and seeing life as an opportunity. Here’s how you can instill a love of learning in your child. 

Read Together

One of the most valuable tools for activating a child’s imagination is reading to them. Read a variety of stories, from true life adventures to science epics. When your child is ready, encourage them to read to you. The act of reading together makes reading a more engaging experience, which is important for developing, inquisitive minds. 

Make Learning Fun

There’s more to learning than reading and writing. Show your child how learning applies to everyday life. Go exploring together in nature, and have them record their observations as a science lesson. Play board games as a family to teach your child about storytelling, math and more. You can always find opportunities to learn together. 

Say “I Don’t Know” 

Every once in a while, your child will stump you. They’ll ask you “why” one too many times, and you won’t know the answer to the question. You may be tempted to make something up that seems plausible, but that won’t help them learn. Admit that you don’t know, and take the opportunity to learn something new together. Go on a research journey, and validate your child’s curiosity. 

Explore Their Interests

Children often cling to a particular interest — or several — and refuse to let go. Explore their interests with them. If they love butterflies this week, see if there’s a museum exhibit nearby that you can take them to. Maybe they’re into snakes, and it’s time to check out some books about their reptilian friends from the library. 

Ask More Questions

Teach your child to be curious by modeling curiosity. Open-ended questions like “why do you think that is?” and “how did you come to that conclusion?” can help your child look deeper into what they’re learning. The critical thinking process is an essential part of learning, and by getting those gears turning early on in life, you’ll put your child ahead of the game. 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we hope all of our students develop a lifelong love of learning. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

5 Important Lessons Taught By Collaborative Learning

Have you ever heard that two heads are better than one? Collaboration is one of the keys to solving problems and creating meaningful work. Children who learn through project-based learning team up with classmates and teachers to achieve great things together. While collaborative learning can prepare students for success, it’s not always easy. Sometimes, teammates don’t get along, or a project doesn’t turn out the way it was planned. Read on to learn about some of the most important lessons students can learn from collaborative learning. 

How to Interact with All Kinds of People

In a collaborative classroom, anyone could be your next partner on an assignment. People from all walks of life come together to create group projects. For children who are new to interacting with others outside of their families or neighborhoods, this can be a challenge. Learning these lessons from a young age helps children learn how to communicate with anyone, even if they have completely different personalities and perspectives. 

How to Communicate Thoughts and Ideas

People of all ages sometimes struggle with putting their thoughts into words. Children may find this especially difficult when interacting with new people. Through collaborative learning, they figure out how to best explain their ideas and how to listen. They learn that each of these is as important as the other. The art of talking and the art of listening are invaluable skills. Every group member has valuable ideas, and it’s important to make sure everyone is heard. 

How to Be More Confident

Children often feel like they’re not being listened to when they speak. Collaborative learning gives them an opportunity to be heard and know they’re being heard. As the project comes to fruition, they also see how the ideas they contributed worked out. This helps build confidence over time. Seeing what works and what doesn’t helps them understand the subjects they’re learning on a deeper level. They also feel empowered to help others who may be struggling. 

How to Think More Creatively 

There’s nothing like another person’s perspective to help you see things differently. Students who work in groups hear a range of ideas. Not all of them will make it to the final project, but any idea can spark another idea that could answer an important question. When students work together toward a common goal, they quickly learn that creativity is key. Making a project that truly stands out means thinking about it differently. 

How to Be a Team Player

One of the most important lessons children learn from collaborative learning is how to be a team player. If everyone doesn’t work together on a project, parts of it will fall on others. When a student sees this happening, they’ll need to learn how to navigate it, whether it means talking to the teacher or reassessing who is doing what. This helps students build leadership skills and learn what it means to be an effective member of a team.

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we believe collaborative project-based learning can help children succeed in and outside the classroom. We offer more than a place for children to learn. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

How Educational Innovation Helps Children Thrive

School is a place where children go to learn, but it can be so much more than that. By changing the way we think about education, we can change children’s lives, thereby creating a better future. At North Tampa Christian Academy, innovation and project based learning are at the core of what we do. Read on to learn about a few of the ways we’ve seen our students thrive over the years. 

Sparks Imagination

Traditional learning methods focus on rote memorization and test preparedness, which doesn’t leave much room for creativity. Project-based learning encourages students to think outside the box. Problem solving becomes part of the journey, rather than the means to an end. The more students think on their own, the more successful they will be. 

Encourages Questions

When the focus is on having all the right answers, there’s not a lot of room for asking questions. However, deeper learning happens when students ask questions to explore each lesson beyond the scope of what’s taught in the textbook. They can ask more about how it applies to their lives. Through questions and curiosity, innovation happens for teachers and students alike. 

Inspires Growth

Children naturally grow as they gain experience in life. Innovative learning takes that an extra step, encouraging students to develop their own genius. Having more classes available to them and learning project-based lessons allows students to understand who they are and grow into the best version of themselves. 

Allows for Unlimited Achievement

At schools that encourage collaboration and project-based learning, student achievement has no limits. Students aren’t bound to learning the lesson plan and moving on to the next one. In fact, teachers actively encourage students to expand their horizons every time they begin a new project. When students know they can achieve anything they set their minds to, you’ll be amazed by what they can accomplish. 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we offer more than a place for children to learn. Students at our Tampa private school thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.

Helping Your Child Overcome Test Anxiety

Most students experience uneasiness when taking tests. For some, this turns into full-on test anxiety. Students feel the pressure to perform, and they begin to cave under it. Standardized tests can be especially intimidating because, more often than not, how a student scores can determine some aspect of their future. Here’s how you can help your child overcome anxiety over testing. 

Studying Smarter

Reading the same notes over and over may work for some students, but for most, this isn’t the most effective way to learn. For example, have your child create timelines of what they’ve studied in history class, then tie the events together. Consider real-world examples of the lessons they’re learning in science class. See if they can solve math problems in a different order or talk their way backwards from the solution. Mixing up the material can help your child master it. 

Practicing the Test

The aspect of tests that causes the most anxiety is fear of the unknown. Take time with your child to go over the material that is likely to be on a test. For most standardized tests, practice versions of the test are available. The format of the test doesn’t need to be a surprise, and it’s often better for students to have an idea ahead of time. If your child really struggles with testing anxiety, consider having them take a few practice tests before they have to do the real thing. Make sure to keep track of the time during each practice session. 

Boosting Confidence

With the way schools build up standardized tests, some children conclude that the tests are simply going to be too difficult to pass. Children also tend to perceive other students’ performance as better than theirs. This can lead to a lack of confidence. Help your child become more confident by providing positive reinforcement in studying and in other areas of their lives. Give them kudos for solving difficult problems at school. Thank them when they do something kind for yourself or someone else. The more confident they are, the less pressure they’ll feel. 

Relaxation Techniques

Testing puts a great deal of pressure on students. This kind of pressure promotes stress, which causes more physical reactions than we may realize. Deep breathing, stretching and taking breaks from studying to get up and walk around can all ease the tension caused by stress and anxiety. When your child sits down to take the test, they can quietly perform deep breathing exercises without disturbing other students or taking time away from the task at hand. 

Taking tests can be a source of anxiety for students, but that stress doesn’t have to be overwhelming. At North Tampa Christian Academy, a Tampa private school, students thrive creatively, academically and spiritually in a project-based learning environment. Faculty and families work together to inspire leadership through Christian innovation. Contact us today to learn more.