I am a believer in the idea that our emotional responses to life situations are more important than our intellectual ones. I guess one could say that I favor heart over head, in most situations. In my teaching career, it often plays out that students learn so much more when they are happy and fulfilled. As a result, I spend as much time in my classroom trying to make kids feel comfortable and happy - as I do teaching content. I try to parlay this thinking into my parenting as well, though often with limited success. But as Noah and I came upon his first snowboarding lesson with me (last week) - I decided to focus my efforts on his emotional experience. Snowboarding, like most athletic skills, can be quite technical. But it is also incredibly fun. So, we headed to Wolf Ridge Resort (our local mountain) to show Noah what it is all about.
We kept it short and light. We played it loose. We focused on having fun, and using the heel edge to slow and stop. We learned how to ride the "magic carpet" lift. And we took off down the hill. We fell down and threw snowballs at each other. But it was fantastic. We are both ready for next time.
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