RAISING SELF-RELIANT CHILDREN: Empowering Today’s Youth to Become Tomorrow’s Leaders
by Linda Anne Sweet M.S. Ed.
About the Book
This thought-provoking book stresses the importance of including our children as partners, welcoming their input and feelings when troubleshooting home and school challenges. Today’s children need to be raised in an environment of empowerment, of making decisions based on their core values, practicing the skills of leadership and the power of choice.
Our children also need to understand how to show kindness and compassion, positivity, and gratitude during their growing years. These problem-solving approaches will create a wonderful foundation for a child’s understanding of who they are, their potentials, and what they can achieve.
Raising Self-Reliant Children is divided into three sections to provide an improved awareness of parenting and educational choices: core values for successful decisions, recognizing the toxic components which influence the hyperactive child, as well as a monthly calendar outlining strategies to address challenges which many children are faced with during the school year.
About the Author
Linda Sweet has over forty-five years of educational and administrative experience. She has taught at a variety of grade levels in both public and private educational settings. Linda holds a Master of School Administration, certificates in Special and Gifted Education, Early Childhood Administration, and Principal’s Training. Her passion and commitment to incorporate progressive and innovative techniques into her classrooms have been ongoing. Linda has also been an active participant and leader in a wide variety of education, sport, and community forums.
Interview with Linda Sweet
Please share a bit about your journey to become a published author?
About 12 years ago, I spent four weeks in Sedona Az where the energy is palpable! I wrote non-stop each morning and went hiking each afternoon. The Draft educational book I wrote was a complete summary of best approaches to educating today’s children, integrating the latest mind-body, neuroscience research into effective classroom applications. I also included sections on parenting advice, recommendations for teachers and even a final section for the Board of Education on major changes needed in today’s educational system. When I returned home from my ‘working’ vacation, I returned to my life of busy school operations and of testing new ideas. My goal continues – to update and complete this definitive educational book in 2022 – a formidable task!
After I retired, as synchronicity would have it, I met Julie Ann (Influence Publishing) at a promotional event and we clicked! She was most interested in my many parenting articles which had been published over the years. Long story short, my first published book is a collection of these articles which focused on successful parenting support applications which had worked exceptionally well with many students and parents.
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Why did you feel led to write this book? What do you hope readers will take away from it?
My objective in founding my own elementary school was to create a demonstration school for innovative, child-centred learning with a strong emphasis on communication and leadership skills, economics, critical thinking and values education. After another passionate educator took over my school ownership, my goal posts changed – to take my successful educational approaches in educating active, young minds to a wider audience of teachers and parents.
How does the writing process work for you? Do you schedule a time every day, work madly when inspiration hits or ?
I find that I work best when I work in binges, days at a time, so I can ensure continuity in my thinking throughout the various chapters.
What title have you released? Can you share a bit of what it is about?
My first book “Raising Self-Reliant Childrean – Empowering Today’s Youth to Become Tomorrow’s Leaders” will be officially “launched” on Monday, January 24, 2022, the International Day of Education established by UNESCO in 2019 to celebration of the role of education for peace and development.
“Education is the most powerful force in our hands to ensure significant improvements in health, to stimulate economic growth, to unlock the potential and innovation we need to build more resilient and sustainable societies,” said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director General.
Do you have any new books in the planning or writing stage?
My next book will be on ‘Homeschooling’. It will outline to homeschooling parents and teachers how they can best structure their language, teaching approaches and learning environment for greatest effectiveness. In this way, children will have ownership, influence and choice in achieving well beyond traditional curriculum expectations. Their real-life subject specific applications can easily include topics such as energy literacy, environmental management and outdoor studies. I have so much current information, I am actually a bit ‘overwhelmed’ with all the info I would like to share with homeschooling parents!!!
I also have my teacher’s manual on ‘emotional intelligence’ for students ‘Thinking and Learning with Awareness’, which is ‘almost’ ready for publication. – I developed this Emotional Intelligence program approach based on the latest mind/body research on feelings and emotions, which we implemented with great success at my school. The concepts presented help children avoid limited thinking, to focus on positivity and to integrate the power of language and intention with their thoughts, words, and actions. This is woven in with key organizational skills for successful work/project/creative applications. It essentially is taking 21st Century thinking into the classroom. Very Exciting!!!
For my 4th book, to be completed in 2022, ‘Learning Without Limits – Empowering Our Children, Tomorrow’s Leaders’, I will be reworking my original draft book which I had previously written in Sedona 12 years ago. I’ll be updating, rounding out, and expanding the information and approaches we had successfully integrated into curriculum studies.
This book will be directed towards teachers and school administrators, although it will also include some chapters for parents within the school system as well. It will present innovative and progressive approaches for educating our children and youth today, so they will be able to move forward into their world with effective skills and confidence to become innovative leaders and compassionate decision makers for tomorrow’s world.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I am a passionate educator who believes that our children must have the very best academic preparation and curriculum skills possible. I believe that our ‘end objective’ must be to provide students with critical thinking and problem solving skills combined with debating and leadership experiences, which each individual student will need to become effective, creative and responsible citizens.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Our children have the potential to make a difference in this world and to live an extraordinary life. Our children deserve the very best education and parenting approaches possible. We cannot postpone the updating of our educational systems. We can’t postpone the integration of latest research into daily learning and curriculum applications. There will never be a right time –> the time is NOW!!!