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Rick Saldan is an excellent
inspirational speaker who tailored the seminar to the needs of the
individual students being instructed. This office thanks the Mayors Office
of Information Services for having such a vendor.
Timothy K. Lynch
Office of Fleet Management
City of Philadelphia
Rick has a magical approach that provides a clear and
concise message specifically designed to the needs of his
audience. Rick will provide all the motivational magic you
will ever need, propelling your organization to the next
level of greater success.
Thomas Mulhern
Frontier Communications
Rick Saldan is a compelling and absorbing motivational speaker and
magician.I have been to five of his
Motivational Magic presentations and it is amazing how he keeps our
college audiences on the edge of their seats.
A highly entertaining performer with great comedy flair. Rich content to
increase students' productivity, peak performance and motivation. If you
need an outstanding motivational speaker for colleges, Rick is definitely
one of the world's greatest speakers and magicians!
Dr. Rob Gilbert, Sport Psychologist,
Montclair State University
Rick Saldan has the wit, wisdom and sorcery of a wizard. He
has a dynamic personality, and all will enjoy his
captivating stories, comedy and magic!
Dennis Slaughter
Credit Suisse First Boston
Rick Saldan delivers a first-class show! A pro in every
sense of the word. Funny, unique, entertaining and polished.
Brian Letscher, Actor
Hawaii Five-O, NCIS, Cold Case, Law & Order and The Mentalist.
Rick Saldan is a wonderful combination of master magician, comic
improviser and first class speaker. The audience loved his program, which
was music to our ears. If you love celebrity motivational speakers such as
Tom Hopkins, Dale Carnegie and Zig Ziglar, then you'll love Rick!
Dottie Burman, President
Burtley Productions, Inc.
Rick Saldan
is an incredibly talented performer and motivational speaker with great insight. He shares many powerful
motivational messages that will enhance your life for the better!
Jack Murray, President
Dream Illusions
Rick is one of the best inspirational speakers on
the scene today. Funny, fun loving and highly energetic. If you want to
make your next event into an extraordinary one, then invite professional
speaker Rick Saldan and his amazing Motivational Magic.
Andres Lara, President
Inspiration Times Magazine
Natural Learning: A Homeschool Choice Author: Michelle Cannon
NATURAL LEARNING: A HOMESCHOOL CHOICE
Often I am asked questions about homeschooling : where to purchase curriculums; which curriculums; scheduling; subjects; etc. My answer is always the same. "If you're going to do all this scheduling, curriculum-shoving stuff, why not enter them into a public school?"
The way I see it.. if you have children, you're ALREADY homeschooling.. and then you put them into school and it all stops. You've been homeschooling since you gave birth. Look at the amazing mental and intellectual growth they've reached without "benefit" of school. Why is that? It's because children naturally learn. They are naturally curious about all things. And when you child is interested and expresses interest.. what do you do?? You flow with it. You have conversations about it.. you get books at the library.. etc. This is what you've been doing since he/she was born. This is called unschooling or as I prefer to call it "natural learning". This is what I do and have done with my children. No need for for curriculums and texts and schedules. (again--why not put them in school if that's the case?)
Learning comes as naturally as breathing. In ancient times, children learned all there was to learn from their parents.. reading, math, religion, ethics, morals and social skills. These primal people did not send their children off for 6-8 hours per day to government-paid institutions where strangers decided what they would and would not be taught. No. They valued their children and viewed them as an extension of themselves. They had them at home, where they belonged, teaching them the ways of their own world and culture.
But how does this work? It's simple. It takes little effort at all. Basically, you just live. Yes, that's what I said. You live with your children, close to your children and open with you children. They do not have their "own world" because they are children. (In my opinion, that view is exactly why there are teens out there having their own lives of which parents are totally unaware!) They're there with you all day and everything is a learning matter. Whether they're cooking with you, cleaning with you, working with you, watching the evening news with you, riding in the car having discusssions, going to a library, museum, historical monument, discussing people you know, or current world events or even discussing problems with people, work, or life. Simply keep the age and maturity of the child in mind. (Obviously, world politics is beyond my 2 year old and I don't discuss the latest child-mutilation on the news with my 7 year old!) I would brave to say that there is a lot more conversation and relating with my children than I see in other families. Almost every waking moment, there is conversation going on between them and myself. And they are learning.
And what do they learn? From those mentioned things, they learn math skills (cooking, working with me, money management & budgeting the checkbook teach them math); they learn responsibility towards employers and family (working with and for me, cleaning house, taking care of the younger ones); they learn that the world is a beautiful and ugly place (news, current events, discussions of these issues); and how to view these beautiful and ugly things from a moral and ethical point of view. They learn history and science and reading and art (your own example and interest teaches these by going to the historical places and museums, etc). And yes.. I talk about financial challenges; problems with co-workers, etc with the older children. Contrary to popular parenting belief, this does not harm them. In fact, my children have a very honest and open view of problems. They can work through almost anything. They can stretch a penny like rubber glue. They have learned skills of diplomacy and reasoning with others. They have learned so much that they have a difficult time tolerating the shallow thinking and childish reasoning of so many modern teenagers. People are highly impressed with my children, their speaking ability, their mature thinking and the lack of "issues" that many teens possess these days.
All in all.. it's an easy road. The only schedules are self-imposed related to business, meals and such normal things. The children are not glued to a spot in the room where they grow to hate books and reading and schedules. Why put that stress on them or yourself for that matter? I tried that route once upon a time. It made life difficult. My life had to revolve around that "school schedule".. which meant delaying things, eliminating things.. basically, I stopped enjoying my day-to-day life! It doesn't have to be that way. Run those errands, do those projects, take those trips..with your children at your side. Do whatever you would normally do if the child was not in school because they aren't in school. They're at home. Home shouldn't be a a mini-school environment. It's a place of warmth and love and nurturing. It's a place for learning.
Michelle Cannon is a mom to 5 children. Former daycare owner, she taught parenting classes from 1993-2000. Since 2003, she has published a natural health newsletter and a primal mothering newsletter, as well as a primal mothering educational forum and local support/playgroup. She owns a natural cleaning service and an e-store located at http://www.holistichealthhut.com . You may contact her at michelle@holistichealthhut.com
