Making Goals for a More Mindful New Year

New Year’s Resolutions are a time-honored tradition, but they’re also notoriously difficult to achieve. Rather than making a checklist of things you think you’re supposed to do in a year, consider setting mindful goals that focus on improving your life and the lives of others. Here are some ways you can make more mindful goals for the year ahead: 

Focus on Personal Development

One reason New Year’s Resolutions often fall to the wayside is that they’re focused on image. Consider setting goals for yourself that start from within. Commit to taking an hour to yourself each day. Whether you spend that time in the gym or in the living room, spend it doing what you want to do and prioritize self care. If you need something more specific, set a goal for a number of books to read or a new skill to learn. 

Consider Setting Academic Goals

School is a big part of life, but it can be hard to make it a priority when you have a lot going on outside the classroom. This coming year, look at ways to improve your time management skills, like blocking out certain hours of the day to work undisturbed on homework and studying. Set realistic goals for leveling up your knowledge in subjects you struggle with. One of the best ways you can help yourself academically is remembering to ask for help when you need it. If you make no other academic goals for the new year, make this your goal. 

Seek Better Connections with Others

Getting through life is always easier when you have strong relationships with others. Look into ways you can strengthen your current friendships and family bonds. Send cards for birthdays and holidays. Check in on friends and family you don’t see often. If you feel like you want to expand your network, look for opportunities to make new connections and find new friends. We can always find more ways to form meaningful connections with those around us. 

Tips for Achieving Mindful Goals

Now, you have your goals in mind. Your next step is figuring out how to make them happen. With a little bit of planning and consistent work, you can accomplish your goals. Here are a few tips: 

• Break each goal down into smaller, manageable tasks.

• Keep a journal or planner to track your progress.

• Stay motivated, and focused on the bigger picture. Why do you want to reach these goals, and how will they improve your life? 

At North Tampa Christian Academy, we always encourage students to aim high and work hard to reach their goals. 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.

Winter Science Experiments to Try at Home

Winter break is coming up soon, and your Floridian child may be dreaming of a winter wonderland they’ve seen on TV. Florida winters are more of a relief from hurricane season than their own distinct season. While your child won’t be seeing snow unless they travel for winter vacation, they can always do one of these chilly winter science experiments in the comfort of their Florida home. 

Ice Exploration

Playing with ice is kind of like playing in snow, right? This experiment can be done with salt, sugar, water, and — if you’re feeling fancy — food coloring! Here’s how it works: 

• Fill a container with water and let it freeze overnight. 

• The next day, experiment with different ways to melt the ice. 

• Try using salt, sugar, or hot water to see which method works best. 

• You can also add food coloring to the water before freezing to create colorful ice sculptures.

Winter Solstice Sundial

The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, so why not mark the occasion with a homemade sundial? All you need for this experiment is a stick and a piece of cardboard. 

• Use a stick as a gnomon (the piece of the sundial that sticks up) and a piece of cardboard as the base. 

• Place the sundial outside in a sunny spot, and track the movement of the shadow throughout the day.

Indoor Snowstorm 

Bring the snow to Florida without worrying about shoveling the driveway! Create a mini snowstorm in a jar using just a few simple ingredients: water, white paint or food coloring, and glitter. 

• Fill a clear jar with water, add a few drops of white paint or food coloring, and swirl in some glitter. 

• Seal the jar tightly, and shake it up to watch the snow swirl around like a winter storm.

Ice Cream in a Bag

Do you ever find yourself craving ice cream when it’s cold outside? This sweet project can give your child a chemistry lesson, and the reward is sweet! Here’s how to make it: 

Ingredients

• 1 cup half and half

• 1/2 tsp artificial or imitation vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp sugar

• Ice

• 1/4 cup salt

• Ziploc bags 1 Small, 1 Large

Directions

1. Pour 1 cup of half and half into a small ziploc bag.

2. Add 1/2 teaspoon of artificial vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of sugar. 

3. Seal the bag firmly and get any excess air out. 

4. In the larger ziploc bag, fill it about 1/2 way with ice. Add 1/4 cup of salt.

5. Then add your small bag and fill with extra ice on top. Seal the large bag.

6. Get gloves for shaking and shake for 6 minutes. *Gloves are needed since the salt makes the ice extra cold.

7. Take the small bag out of the large bag and rinse the outside of the small bag with cold water. Make sure to rinse out the top part of the bag also (above the seal).

8. Once done rinsing, carefully open the small bag to not get any remaining salt from the outside of the bag inside the bag.

9. The ice cream will be a little icy looking to start. Use a spoon to mix it around and soften it up a bit. Scoop out and enjoy!

At NTCA, we encourage our students to continue learning during breaks from school. 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 to Help Your Child During Hard Times

In a perfect world, children wouldn’t have to deal with stressful situations. However, there will be times when your child struggles to cope with what’s going on around them. Whether they find themselves in an unhealthy social environment or dealing with personal challenges, they will likely need help getting by. That’s where you can come in. While you can’t make the situation go away, you can help your child through it. Here are some tips. 

Recognizing Signs of Distress

It can be hard to tell if your child is experiencing everyday stress or if something deeper is going on. If you’re starting to feel like you don’t know your child anymore, that’s a sign that something is getting them down. Look for changes in behavior and mood. See if your child is having trouble sleeping or eating properly. When children become more withdrawn, it’s often because they’re dealing with hard feelings and don’t want to be a burden. 

Helping Your Child Process Emotions

Your child may be dealing with big emotions they’re not used to for the first time, and that can be scary. The best way to support them in this time is through open communication. Let them know that their feelings are valid, even if you don’t understand them. Make it clear that you’ll be there when they’re ready to process their feelings. 

Sometimes, children need professional help, especially if they’ve been through something traumatic, like a divorce or a natural disaster. There’s nothing wrong with seeking the help of a counselor, and it can greatly benefit a child’s mental health. 

Teaching Your Child Coping Mechanisms

Even if you wish you could be, you won’t always be there when your child goes through a tough time. Take time to teach your child about healthy coping mechanisms so they can eventually be independent. When you see your child taking healthy actions, like taking a deep breath before speaking with anger, let them know they did a good job. Along with in-the-moment actions, self care can go a long way toward feeling better. Exercising, taking showers and brushing their teeth can help your child feel in control and feel better overall. 

Setting a Positive Example

If you want your child to know how to manage during hard times, show them. Focus on managing your own stress and emotions in a healthy manner. Use the coping skills you’re teaching your child. And when you fall on hard times, take care of yourself, and seek support when you need it. Children learn best when they have positive role models to follow. 

At NTCA, we know that being a child or teen isn’t always easy. 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.

Understanding the Value of Learning Outside the Classroom

Students can learn anywhere. Lessons take place in the classroom, on the playground, at home and beyond. Classroom instruction is great for learning facts, figures and skills. For more advanced learning, students benefit from expanding their knowledge out in the real world. Project-based learning allows students to interact with the learning material differently. Going outside of the classroom takes that real-world application to another level. 

Benefits of Learning Outside the Classroom

While most subjects can be taught in a classroom setting, there’s something to be said about hands-on experiences. Reaching out and touching the subject matter brings it to the student’s level. Students who go out into the world and apply what they learn have an easier time relating to the material. Experiencing lessons outside of the classroom also allows students to think more critically and solve problems they may not have thought of in the academic setting. 

Ways Students Learn Beyond the Classroom Walls

Experiential learning can take place in almost any environment. That’s the great thing about hands-on education. Students can go on field trips to places like museums, parks and businesses to learn about any number of subjects. Community service projects provide excellent learning opportunities. Students can also work on collaborative projects with local organizations that need volunteers. The opportunities are endless. 

Impact on Student Engagement and Motivation

Even children who excel in the classroom can benefit from learning in new environments. By showcasing the real-world application of their lessons, hands-on learning can increase students’ interest in the subject matter and improve their retention of information. Getting outside of their comfort zone also allows students to see new perspectives, leading to enhanced creativity and room for innovation. 

How Teachers and Parents Can Support Experiential Learning

While children can benefit in many ways from learning outside the classroom, they need help from the adults in their lives to get started. Teachers can provide guidance and resources to help students find opportunities. Teachers and parents can help their students connect with community partners who could use the help of a child or teen. After a child has an experiential learning experience, parents can encourage their child to reflect on and discuss what they’ve learned. The best way a parent can help a child learn is being involved. 

At NTCA, we’re all about experiential learning outside the classroom and collaboration on campus. 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 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.