Why the CAS Challenge?
A couple of years ago I decided to take guitar lessons. I had owned a guitar for about 30 years at that point, playing sparsely, teaching myself and then forgetting what I learned. Always starting over. I finally decided, with the inspiration of a friend and colleague, to take lessons, to have an instructor who could help me understand what I needed to learn, how to structure my progress, and how to practice effectively. I was pretty sure this would be the only way I would actually make the commitment and do what I was asking my students to do - demonstrate some perseverance in their engagements.
The realization that I was doing what I was asking my students to do was a minor revelation. I started thinking about other ways my activities resembled CAS experiences. I was a moderately active individual that spent too much time on my work and not enough on my physical and mental health. I was an occasional participant in community service activities, but could stand to increase the volume and consistency of my involvement. I am a pretty reflective individual who thinks (and sometimes overthinks) about the process and impact of my actions. Other than putting this stuff on paper, I was already doing CAS! So I thought, why not make it official? Thus was born my first CAS Challenge. I played the guitar, collaborated on a St. Baldricks event, and tried to stay active. The fact is, the CAS Challenge was a wonderful experience!
This past summer I conducted a major overhaul of our CAS Programme at Millbrook High School. With the help and feedback from my CAS advisors, I revamped our CAS rules regarding engagement with CAS experiences and the way in which those experiences would be processed and monitored. As I got deeper and deeper into rethinking and revising our CAS programme, I decided it was time to try it again myself. In certain respects I did not stop. I am still playing the guitar and performing for others. I am engaging occasionally in community service, and I stay moderately active (though not as much as I should). It is time again to formalize the process, to record my experiences, to show solidarity with my students! Let the fun begin!
The realization that I was doing what I was asking my students to do was a minor revelation. I started thinking about other ways my activities resembled CAS experiences. I was a moderately active individual that spent too much time on my work and not enough on my physical and mental health. I was an occasional participant in community service activities, but could stand to increase the volume and consistency of my involvement. I am a pretty reflective individual who thinks (and sometimes overthinks) about the process and impact of my actions. Other than putting this stuff on paper, I was already doing CAS! So I thought, why not make it official? Thus was born my first CAS Challenge. I played the guitar, collaborated on a St. Baldricks event, and tried to stay active. The fact is, the CAS Challenge was a wonderful experience!
This past summer I conducted a major overhaul of our CAS Programme at Millbrook High School. With the help and feedback from my CAS advisors, I revamped our CAS rules regarding engagement with CAS experiences and the way in which those experiences would be processed and monitored. As I got deeper and deeper into rethinking and revising our CAS programme, I decided it was time to try it again myself. In certain respects I did not stop. I am still playing the guitar and performing for others. I am engaging occasionally in community service, and I stay moderately active (though not as much as I should). It is time again to formalize the process, to record my experiences, to show solidarity with my students! Let the fun begin!