My Blog articles on all areas of Education

I read an article by the Former CEO of Best Buy Hubert Joly: Empowering Workers to create “Magic”. The synchronicity in his way of thinking and working, and my thoughts and approach to my students inspired me to write this blog.

My business is education; I provide programs for children and adults of all learning styles. My business name is Mindseye education: because the place you’re looking from when you’re using your imagination is called your Mindseye! My students are usually very imaginative, a marvelous gift, which at times is not helpful.

My tag line is “create a life you love”, it may seem frivolous to some but that is my aspiration for all my students. Generally the first time I meet my prospective students is at an initial consultation. Before they come I explain that this consultation is in friendly getting to know each other chat. During our chat, I employ empathetic listening, this is sometimes the first time that a student has been asked about how their education is working for them and how it makes them feel.  As a Davis facilitator, I am very empathetic, I have developed the skill of listening without judgment or agenda. I listen to their stories, their ambitions, and their goals. During this conversation, I am actively listening to identify signs of motivation. This is a key factor in deciding whether a student is ready to take on a Davis Programme.

What is critical is that the motivation comes from the student, not a parent not a teacher, not a colleague or a friend but the student.  We know from all our work with concepts one of them being Motivation is that what sparks Motivation is energy!

Where does this energy come from?

Unfortunately for most of my students, this energy comes from bad educational experiences; struggling to understand what is being taught and be understood. For my adult clients that energy comes sometimes from trying to keep up with their colleagues, often they hide their confusion and their frustration to avoid embarrassment, which is exhausting.

 Sometimes during the initial meeting, I have to walk alongside my prospective students when I can see they have the motivation but are a little unsure as to whether to leap into the unknown. At times like this, I neither pull nor push, I identify what their goals are I outline how a Davis program provides solutions to get to that goal.

I can not emphasise enough how important energy is in the process. The laws of conservation of energy state that” energy can neither be created nor destroyed but changed from one form to another”. This focus on motivation ensures the success of the program for our students. They come with lots of energy from negative experiences in school, work, and life in general, this changes throughout the program. Energy has to find somewhere to go! I provide the outlet for that energy. When a person wants a solution badly enough: when their need for help is satisfied by a Davis facilitator their energy is transformed from negative to positive.

One of the first statements I make to a student is that Davis is not a magic wand! Upon reflection, I’m thinking that it isn’t a magic wand. But the power of the programs on a person’s life is magic!

The magic is achieved by devising a strategy, or tailor-made plan for each individual that guides them to their goal. I am not in the business of fixing people, they are not broken.

I am in the business of adding to their identity, their knowledge, and their experiences so they can become the best version of themselves

If you would like to take a leap and book a consultation: annemariebeggs@gmail.com you will be a giant step closer to your goals.Click this link for all my blogs 

The impacts that I see are more surprising than you might imagine.

It has empowered children / teenagers to be creators of their own future.

The expected impacts are:

Some are behind in school maths

Others are behind on the English taught in school

Others are actually ahead and are reading more prolifically

But by far the biggest change I’ve seen in children n teenagers is in their thoughts on education

They’re questioning more

Asking teachers about the relevance of the maths being taught.

Asking teachers to demonstrate what fields of employment various maths topics relate to, and asking them to identify the relevance of what they are being taught.

They are not interested in as they see it wasting their time studying topics that are outdated and not adding to their futures.

They’re pushing the boundaries and pushing teachers to think outside the box and to do beyond the education system and provide the, them with interesting challenging content.

They realise that they don’t need to be in school to get information or be educated. It can be done on line in a fraction of the time

Many of my students believe that schools are no longer relevant

They don’t provide students with the tools required for modern life

They believe the content is outdated the delivery of the content is outdated

This current group of future leaders and rain makers have developed a growth mind-set. To them the possibilities are endless.

They’re not going to accept information from a system they think is broken.

 They’re not going to accept information from people who can’t answer their questions.

They’re going to push the boundaries until they widen or diminish.

But hey you can’t blame them for two years we said say home, stay safe, learn from computers, you can survive without connections or people. They accepted these statements and now believe computers can give me everything I need

What we need to point out to them is they’re missing connections. First hand connections with real people and in person. Computers don’t provide

Sympathy

Empathy

Compassion

Laughter

Cuddles

Hugs

Love

Maybe we need to grow the education system to provide children and teens with spaces that gives them skills computers cannot give them.

That demonstrates the value of the human connection.

That demonstrates that education is not about regurgitation of information but about “the lighting of a fire”

 My ultimate goal Inspire students so they can “create a life they love”. I believe this should be the goal of everyone in education.

Anne -Marie Beggs DDAF / DIP AppFin

2. HOW

A simple three letter word! But is it?

It’s a word I use frequently throughout my day without considering the meaning.

When I meet someone I say how are you?

Or in my best Dublin accent How are ya?

How much is that?

How are you going to get that task compleated ?

How do I upload or edit information

How is your new job going?

How are you enjoying school ?

Sounds simple enough doesn’t it. But maybe not!

If your way of thinking is in words, all these questions seem reasonable. But what if you don’t think in words?

Suppose you think in pictures?

Let’s look at the very first question

How are you? Three very small words, should be easy to understand shouldn’t it?

Let’s break it down how: have I a picture for how ( no picture)

are: have I a picture for are?( no picture)

You: have I a picture for you? ( possibly but not the correct one! Sometimes the picture will think you or say you that’s not themselves that’s the other person

So from that simple question you may have created complete confusion three words: two with no pictures and a third, with possibly the wrong picture, if they have a picture at all

I know let’s look up the dictionary see does that help. So we look up How?

Wow a page full of explanations telling you,, amongst other things, that how: can be a noun a conjunction an adverb.

Ahhhhhhhhh! What happens more confusion close the book!

All this confusion from one little word !

Pictures thinkers don’t think in words trying to teach them to understand words with more words only increases confusion, frustration stress and anxiety

The solution teach them the way they learn!

Tah dah!!! Makes sense teach with pictures. What you need is a Davis Programme. for more information

https://theparagraphchallenge.com/

Anne -Marie Beggs DDAF / DIP AppFin

3.   

I read an article by the Former CEO of Best Buy Hubert Joly: Empowering Workers to create “Magic”. The synchronicity in his way of thinking and working, and my thoughts and approach to my students inspired me to write this blog.

My business is education; I provide programs for children and adults of all learning styles. My business name is Mindseye education: because the place you’re looking from when you’re using your imagination is called your Mindseye! My students are usually very imaginative, a marvelous gift, which at times is not helpful.

My tag line is “create a life you love”, it may seem frivolous to some but that is my aspiration for all my students. Generally the first time I meet my prospective students is at an initial consultation. Before they come I explain that this consultation is in friendly getting to know each other chat. During our chat, I employ empathetic listening, this is sometimes the first time that a student has been asked about how their education is working for them and how it makes them feel.  As a Davis facilitator, I am very empathetic, I have developed the skill of listening without judgment or agenda. I listen to their stories, their ambitions, and their goals. During this conversation, I am actively listening to identify signs of motivation. This is a key factor in deciding whether a student is ready to take on a Davis Programme.

What is critical is that the motivation comes from the student, not a parent not a teacher, not a colleague or a friend but the student.  We know from all our work with concepts one of them being Motivation is that what sparks Motivation is energy!

Where does this energy come from?

Unfortunately for most of my students, this energy comes from bad educational experiences; struggling to understand what is being taught and be understood. For my adult clients that energy comes sometimes from trying to keep up with their colleagues, often they hide their confusion and their frustration to avoid embarrassment, which is exhausting.

 Sometimes during the initial meeting, I have to walk alongside my prospective students when I can see they have the motivation but are a little unsure as to whether to leap into the unknown. At times like this, I neither pull nor push, I identify what their goals are I outline how a Davis program provides solutions to get to that goal.

I can not emphasise enough how important energy is in the process. The laws of conservation of energy state that” energy can neither be created nor destroyed but changed from one form to another”. This focus on motivation ensures the success of the program for our students. They come with lots of energy from negative experiences in school, work, and life in general, this changes throughout the program. Energy has to find somewhere to go! I provide the outlet for that energy. When a person wants a solution badly enough: when their need for help is satisfied by a Davis facilitator their energy is transformed from negative to positive.

One of the first statements I make to a student is that Davis is not a magic wand! Upon reflection, I’m thinking that it isn’t a magic wand. But the power of the programs on a person’s life is magic!

The magic is achieved by devising a strategy, or tailor-made plan for each individual that guides them to their goal. I am not in the business of fixing people, they are not broken.

I am in the business of adding to their identity, their knowledge, and their experiences so they can become the best version of themselves

If you would like to take a leap and book a consultation: annemariebeggs@gmail.com you will be a giant step closer to your goals.

4. 

For the past 14 years I have had the privilege of working with an incredible bunch of children and adults. In this series I will be featuring their stories and how they grew during their program with me.

My first story features a ten year old girl who is now 24. She was one of my very first students whom I still see regularly.   She was at the time a  bright, bubbly, friendly and an absolutely delightful child whom I loved working with .

She worked with me for a week doing an intensive Dyslexia program. During the program she progressed fantastically. She learnt to use tools to help her focus which was of particular importance to her as she struggled to “stay on task” as the teacher said. She also learnt that although its great to be energetic its not always appropriate in school to be talking and distracting friends. But that using one of her tools she could save this energy for later when she was socialising with friends.

Another great leap she made was in her reading, using all of her tools she could focus on the reading stop herself from being distracted and she had a practical solution for those annoying Dolch words which cause so many problems for the Dyslexic mind.

Below is a short endorsement from this wonderful young lady who now visits the elderly in her spare time in addition to working on her career.

Growing up with Dyslexia wasn’t easy, it was an emotional, draining and frustrating journey. However, it’s not all that bad. It’s only now that I realise dyslexia is closely aligned with different forms of creativity. I first went to Anne Marie 14 years ago when I was just 10 years old, at a time where I was struggling in school. While I consider myself a fairly smart individual, I found it very frustrating that my inability to read and write prevented me from progressing like I should have. When I was doing the workshop with Anne Marie I felt relaxed, I found it challenging but very rewarding. I was given an insight into the benefits of being dyslexic and how it should be viewed as a talent. Anne Marie thought me to how to overcome certain obstacles and that was stuck with me throughout my school days. I then went on and completed 3rd level education and now I’m currently developing my career.

5  

This was inspired by a  post I recently read, on a Dyslexia support Facebook page, it was  from a teacher. She said, she was leaving the page, because she was tired of the teacher bashing!

She had joined the page to help find solutions for her students instead all she found was negative comments about teachers. I had to agree with her assessment of the page as I find it particularly negative.

We all complain about teachers me included, and in many cases the complaints are unhelpful and sometimes unfounded. Teachers for the most part are doing their best. Some are overwhelmed by the task, the responsibility, the expectations of parents, principals and the education system.

I like to take you back 23 years to the start of my eldest daughters education. I knew the school as my sister had gone to it and also my favourite aunt had also gone their many years ago. I had a very positive opinion of the school before she started school. On her first day we were met by a kind  and nurturing lady who had worked in the school for many years. 

It was a comforting environment, a bit old and shabby with a lived in feeling. Kids were smiling they wore their own clothes with a check smock over them to protect their clothes. The children were all polite and respectful of adults: other parents, and teachers. MY OVERWHELMING memory of that school is RESPECT, COMMUNICATION,TOLERANCE ,MOTIVATION,INTEREST. The teachers had all these qualities but so had the children.

This junior infants teacher had control of the class because the children respected her and they knew she was boss! The classroom was calm, and the teacher knew and nurtured each child individually because she was in control.. There was no running, no shouting, no fighting , no abuse, therefore the teacher had time for each child. Each day the teacher sat with every child and taught them their words, only when she felt they were ready did she give them a book to read. Therefore each child started to read at a different time of the year. Each at their own time and pace, without any comparison or pressure. She started them with individual words then sentences, then a couple of lines then a page. She was a truly dedicated teacher. 

I always marvelled at what a great teacher she was, which she was indeed, but the respect of the children made her job so much easier. This feeling of respect pervaded the school as a whole not all the teachers were, as adept as the first teacher but they were all kind, and they worked their asses off, and at the end of primary school they sent off to secondary school, kids who were independent, socially conscious, responsible and respectful.

This was an all girls school so my son couldn’t attend it. He started in the local school. This was a whole different scenario there were rules about rules. No speaking to teachers, stand in a line outside the school, when collecting the children again wait outside the school, and again do not speak to the teacher. If you wished to communicate with the teacher you had to do so through notes. This created  and us and them relationship between parents and teachers, there was no co-operation between parents children and teachers. This did not fit with my ethos of education so after a very unhappy year for my son I moved him to a private school.

Here I found again those same qualities of mutual respect for parents teachers and children. Children were taught responsibility as they had been in my daughters school. When they arrived they went straight to their classrooms parents could accompany them if they wished but mostly children went unaccompanied to the classroom where they could socialise before the teacher arrived. It had a warm welcoming feeling children were smiling teachers looked happy it was free from conflict. 

Then came my youngest daughter she started in a Montessori school, where  children from age 3 to 10 were educated using the Montessori system. I had no idea when she started what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised when I again met a very enthusiastic teacher/directress. They had bright airy classrooms with large windows and lots of floor space. My daughter flourished in this environment which was again based on respect for the directress, class mates, parents and themselves. She learnt to be independent, to motivate herself to learn, and be kind to others and conscious of their feelings.

All in all I can say hand on heart that my three children have been fortunate to have been educated by many outstanding teachers, who went above and beyond to connect, educate, and nature their students. Many of them taking students on trips during their own school holidays leaving their own families at home. 

I think we all need a reminder that teachers are human beings just like us. Human beings with feelings, failings, talents, faults, just like us. The job they do is phenomenal, many managing groups of more than 30 children all with different personalities ,different learning styles, demanding parents and principals.

I feel that now days some children have not been taught basic manners they lack respect, making the job of the teachers all the more difficult. A lot of the time teachers are Fire Fighting” rather than teaching.The education system in most countries have placed more pressure on teachers expecting children to reach milestones at the same time. Children are subjected to more testing from a young age, creating anxiety for children and teachers.

So I think its time to “GIVE TEACHERS A BREAK” teach children important life lessons like RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY, MANNERS. We need to remind children that teachers have knowledge that they do not yet have. In order to get that knowledge they need to value and respect  their teacher. Admittedly some teachers are better than others but thats the same in every walk of life. We need to make our child’s education about co-operation not conflict, co-operation not criticism, co-operation  not condemnation. 

Build bridges with teachers they have information your child needs

Knowledge is power. Information is liberating, Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.

6. if you looking for help under the flowwing terms let me know and I can see how we can help you

DHD in women

ADHD in adults

undiagnosed ADHD in women/adults

ADHD symptoms (if you have some details of common symptoms and then tips for how to work with them, this could be very helpful)

ADHD diagnosis for adults/women

resources for ADHD adult

help for ADHD Adult/women

neurodivergent women/adults

ADHD support for adults/women

ADHD charities for adults

ADHD in adults specialists/doctors/physiatrist

How can I tell if my child has dyslexia

Signs of dyslexia in a child

What is adhd

What are the symptoms of adhd

Ways to support someone with autism

Do people with autism have mood swings?

Adhd test

Autism test

Private diagnosis adhd / autism

How to tell if you have adhd

What adhd medication is out there

Adhd and fibromyalgia

Autism and depression

Autism and anxiety

Testing for neurodivergence in general