Deep (Scuba) Dive Into Strengths

Learning in Shark Infested Waters

Who is this brave SCUBA diver?

Peaceful….beautiful…calm. All words Liam uses to describe sharks.

Liam’s love of sharks began as early as 4 years old, when he visited the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. He subsequently memorized all the shark types. From the time Liam was 6 years old, he was counting down the days (literally!) till his 8th birthday so he could complete an Eye-to-Eye Shark Dive. Liam fell head over heels in love with Tippy the Blacktip Reef Shark who became his Valentine. She's one of his most treasured friends. Indeed on his 8th birthday, he met Tippy underwater to celebrate.



A Deep Date with Destiny

To date, Liam has completed four shark dives. Liam has also become a fierce advocate for sharks. He is featured in the PDZA Orientation PowerPoint for all Eye-to-Eye Shark Dives. Here he was photographed signing the Shark Conservation Pledge on his last dive:



Sharing the Conservation Message

Liam has presented at MultiCare’s Adult Day Health Center and for his peers at Victor Falls Elementary school to share the conservation message. He is an amazing teacher with great courage for public speaking.





More SCUBA Please!

In 2019, after we started homeschooling, Liam completed the PADI Bubblemaker scuba diving experience with Jessica Nordstrom of PDZA at the YMCA to continue building his SCUBA skills. Talk about taking a bite out of STEM!



My Ocean Hero: April Speaker Series

On April 30th, Liam will share TOP 10 REASONS I LOVE SHARKS with the PDZA Ocean Voices series. He will be on stage with Dr. Rachel Graham of international MarAlliance. Feel free support a baby shark in Liam's honor on the MarAlliance website.



Tell me friends and homeschoolers, can you spot the learning? The strengths? The passion and curiosity?

Anything can be learned from everything, everything can be learned from anything.


Liam has found his tribe and wants to be an aquarist or oceanographer. Of course, getting there is half the fun!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Trust & The Dignity of Trying

Image
To Camp or Not to Camp? In July, we had an advertised week-long "sensory-friendly" camp planned and purchased for Liam. It was touted as a camp for children on the autism spectrum or with sensory needs. It ran 9 am-12 noon each day- 3 hours of "fun." With an adaptive recreational specialist, mind you. Three hours. Five days in a row. Let's be honest, people. Even if Liam was successful for only 30 minutes--so I could read, have iced lavender coffee or phone my mom---well, I might just pee my pants with joy! Hubs and I went back and forth. Back and forth. Was Liam ready? What if? What if? What if? Liam had made progress, sure. But was it enough? Should we just cancel and try to get a refund? The Dignity of Trying The week before the camp, I scheduled a meet and greet with the primary camp counselor. Liam likes to be prepared. See the schedule ahead of time. Get a feel for the room. Vibe on the teacher. I heartily patted myself on the back for...
Read more

Brave Creativity: Becoming My BEST Homeschooling Self

Image
Reconnecting with WONDER Recently I read Kindness and Wonder about Fred Rogers (Mister Rogers). One story grabbed me about a preschool that had a local sculptor who was also a professor come in and teach sculpting once a week. One year, they changed it up.  The sculptor simply came in with his supplies and sat in the middle of the preschool area and enjoyed sculpting in front of them. That's IT. No "formal" lesson plan or telling the children how to sculpt. He brought his joy and love of sculpting and integrated. Guess what they found? In this cohort, the children created more sculptures than any cohort ever had before and on measures of complexity and creativity , they far surpassed prior peers.  This story circled me back to the concept of Big Sistering  learning discovered in The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart. The concept of the homeschooler as a collaborative partner in learning.    A Glimpse of Practical Magic  This we...
Read more

Trouble Conjuring Your Homeschooling Mojo?

Image
Double, Double Toil and Trouble? 3 Tips for Getting YOUR Mojo ON NOW! These are anxious times. I hope you are well, taking care of yourselves, and finding a way to connect with people you love. Do you ever lie awake at night counting all the ways you might be failing horribly at this gig? (I do!) Or stressing about whether you are ticking all the boxes and still have no color coded filing system? (yup!) Or how about trolling Facebook or Instagram to compare yourself to that one perfect homeschooling mom somewhere on a ranch in Alberta, Canada? (guilty!) We've got BHAGG (Big Hairy Audacious Groovy Goals) as parents and caregivers who are facilitating and holding space for homeschooling: TO BE AND DO OUR BEST.   This year I resolve to let go of the guilt and embrace the MOJO! Come along with me? My Top 3 Mojo Makers: 1) SOAR WITH YOUR STRENGTHS- You know something that really helped in my homeschooling journey has been intentionally soaring with MY own personality preferences an...
Read more