As we come to the end of Session 1, you may see that your Eagle is dissatisfied, frustrated or upset about their Freedom Level. Many Eagles this Session are in lower freedom levels. Please allow me to tell you why this can be seen as a good thing.
Last year, we had the amazing opportunity to host Lorra Dailey, a graduate from Acton Main. She observed in our studios and gave us a lot of key feedback and ideas.
One thing she noticed right away was that most of our Eagles were in the highest Freedom Level - something we had been proud of suddenly became a red flag that we were not challenging our Eagles enough. We had low expectations of them.
She helped us craft new FLs that would align better with reality - shifting what was previously the highest FL to the middle FL, and making the highest FL very difficult to achieve. The biggest change was made in Agora/LP. But we did also shift the DS FLs to a higher expectation.
Due to this change in the system, most of the Eagles are more focused, more intentional, achieving at a much higher rate and distracting much less. Some Agora Eagles are more than halfway finished with their Khan goals and it's only the 6th week of the year!
Yet, some Eagles have not achieved the higher FLs and are feeling the consequences, for example, not being able to go to the Jardín Botánico on Friday, after the Badge Ceremony.
As an Acton parent, how should you deal with this?
I want to share my journey this week, in the hopes that it will help you. My own Agora Eagle missed a key deadline this week, and also didn't achieve enough points to be in the upper FL.
She will not receive a Genre Badge tomorrow and will not be going to the Jardin Botanico.
On Wednesday, she was crying, telling me how "it isn't fair," and trying to get me to call the Guide and change the system.
IT WAS SO HARD. I had self doubt. I wanted to do anything to make her stop suffering, because when she is upset, so am I!
Instead, I did what I am still learning to do over all of these years of Acton parenting. I listened, intently. I affirmed her feelings, without necessarily agreeing with her. I asked some tentative questions. And I held the Acton ground. The deadline was clearly posted on the wall and in Journey Tracker. She knew what it was. She tried to get out of it on a "loophole," but we don't do loopholes at Acton. Eventually, she hugged me and sobbed and said she was mad at herself for procrastinating, and wants to work on doing things more in advance.
And the next day, she got up like a champ and went to interview the former Foreign Minister of El Salvador.
Last night, she worked on her Exhibition instead of waiting until today (which she usually does). She said today was one of Agora/LP's best Exhibitions and that she learned so much.
Maybe next time, she will deliver her work on time, which is a life skill that she will need forever. Or maybe she won't, but either way it will be her choice.
I want to add that the Guides and I are actually glad this "crisis" is happening to them in Session 1!
Why?
Because they are learning one of Acton's best lessons: "learn to fail early, cheaply, and often." This failure is just one step on the rocky hero's journey - and one that will give them the strength to climb high in Session 2.
One more note for Discovery Eagles only: for some reason, the Eagles gave each other very low feedback. We are going to honor it, by allowing it to affect their FLs, but we are also going to invite them to better define the different feedback ratings (1-10) when we get back for Session 2, so that they are better and more accurate at giving kind, specific and helpful feedback in the future.
Another life skill!
Hug your Eagle, tell them you love them, and ask them what they will do in Session 2 to get into a higher Freedom Level. This is how we make heroes.
Hang in there, parents!!