20 Ways Teaching Primary School is different to Teaching Secondary School
August 11, 2018Astrology Conference Review: Portugal
August 19, 20182018 Academic Year
This is an introduction to my upcoming series of articles, videos and webinars on astrology in education to help parents, teachers and pupils prepare for the Academic Year 2018.
Each September in the Northern hemisphere, parents, teachers and students are getting ready to return to school. For parents of pupils about to start secondary school, here is an article on what to expect.
For each academic year, I will be producing articles, short videos and webinars that will give advice and guidance to parents and teachers based on Jupiter and Saturn.
This information is compiled in my book “Growing Pains”. Reviews for “Growing Pains” are here.
Be sure to subscribe to my youtube channel, making sure you “like” the videos so this Moon in Leo in me feels appreciated!
If you need more specific advice, you can also book a consultation by writing to me at: alex.trenoweth@gmail.com
We’re all a part of the system
The idea of “modern” education is actually a concept invented for the industrial revolution. The “product” of this factory-model system was to produce obedient, hard-working pupils who learned not to complain. These factory-molded children grew up to be adults who sent their own children to schools to be molded. And these children, of course, grew up and sent their children to school too.
And so on.
So we now have a society full of people who have been brainwashed into thinking there is only one way to educate a child.
As a professional teacher, I have been a part of this sorry state of affairs for most of my life, first being educated in a standard school and then choosing (of my own free will) to continue to inflict this crappy system on to thousands of other children as an educator. And yet, I will also say I love my job as a teacher and ever since my beloved Jonathan Cainer took me aside some 20 years ago and told me I should be in a classroom, I’ve been in one sort of classroom or another. But even back in my university days, when I thought I might want to become a behavioral psychologist, I taught American sign language to deaf children, worked with people with learning disabilities and had first hand experience working in a state mental institution.
As a professional astrologer, I started fighting back against the educational system once I understood the value of astrology in the classroom. The full story of my fight is here. I’ve had to endure judgments on my character and intelligence for my interests in astrology. But I fully credit astrology for keeping me in the profession I have loved for so long when the majority of teachers leave the profession before they get good at it.
I’ve been thinking for some time about how I can make astrology accessible to non astrologers without writing a typical horoscope column. This series of articles on astrology in education is the product of all that thought and is meant to be a general guide on how to help parents and children get the most of their free education. It’s a work in progress (I hope to be done by 1 September 2018).
Do note this is not a typical “Horoscope” column that is based on short-term advice. I am examining the slower orbits of Jupiter and Saturn and how this affects whole year groups. I am also looking at cycles of development.
The Average Education
Unless children have a private tutor, they are taught in year groups with the oldest children being born from midnight on the 1st September and the youngest children being born up until midnight on 31 August the following year. It is rare for twins to be born on either side of this cut off but it has happened ()
As primary/elementary school children, students typically have one main adult (the teacher) as a main source of knowledge in the classroom during a single academic year.
As secondary and middle/high school children, they will have several teachers, each specializing in a particular subjects. Each teacher will have a particular style and each subject will have a particular set of requirements.
Parents are usually invited to their child’s school once or twice a year to discuss their child’s progress. Generally speaking, parents have no idea what their child is learning or how to support him/her other than by reflecting on their own experiences in education (which are usually remembered negatively).
Teachers are totally at the mercy of an ever-changing curriculum, not too unlike playing football with moveable goalposts. More to the point, the resources that may have worked for one academic year become very quickly outdated and ineffective for the next academic year.
Unlike many teachers, I have had a long career in education and have been fortunate enough to have experience in teaching in both primary and secondary schools. In terms of work-life balance, I definitely prefer teaching primary school. In terms of making a difference where it matters, I prefer teaching secondary school.
The Astrological Signature
Jupiter usually transits through two signs per academic year but only one sign will be dominant. It can take teacher without astrological knowledge the majority of the first term to get to know their class and work out what works, what doesn’t work and to find the class’ strengths and weaknesses. The knowledge of a class’ Jupiter sign will cut straight to the point.
Jupiter takes about 12 years to go around the Sun, making key connections to its natal point about every three years (full article and more explanation here). At each stage, the child learns crucial information and develops new skills. Children born in a given academic year will share the same Jupiter sign and with a little refinement, it is a very straightforward task to work out a child’s Jupiter sign. If a teacher can understand how the pupils in their care learn and develop then they can make their very difficult (and heroic!) jobs a whole lot easier.
So why Jupiter?
Astrologically, Jupiter is about higher learning, distant travel and philosophical beliefs including religion and politics. It also represents the confidence it takes to make that leap of faith so necessary for learning. Parents and teachers intuitively understand and encourage children to learn but can sometimes miss the mark by not realising that what works for one child of a certain age may not work for an older or younger child. Appreciating a child’s Jupiter sign removes the guesswork and eliminates the chances of misunderstanding the learning motivations for that child.
Over the next few weeks, this article will be updated with links to all Jupiter signs, covering all year group currently in compulsary education.
Jupiter Through the Signs
Jupiter in Aries
Jupiter in Taurus
Jupiter in Gemini
Jupiter in Cancer (Kindergarten 2018)
Jupiter in Leo
Jupiter in Virgo
Jupiter in in Libra
Jupiter in Scorpio
Jupiter in Sagittarius
Jupiter in Capricorn
Jupiter in Aquarius
Jupiter in Pisces
For Parents and Teachers
We all want the best for our children and regardless of whether a child is a “chip off the old block” or as completely different to us as they can possibly be. We also want our children to be happy and well adjusted. The very fundamental key to achieving this is through understanding ourselves as authority figures first. In astrology we can do this through understanding Saturn.
The sun takes one year to travel through each of the zodiac signs. Saturn however takes about 29 years to go around the Sun and only passes through (roughly) one sign every 2 and half years. Saturn makes key connections to its natal position about every 7 years and at each stage, we are forced to make a decision that will have a knock-on effect in events for the rest of our lives. A bit of pressure? You bet. This is why an authority’s figure’s input is so crucially important to children. Once you have a good understanding your own Saturn, you are in a wonderful position to help your pupils or children navigate the tricky waters of growing up.
Over the next few weeks, this article will be updated with links to all Saturn signs, covering all year group currently in compulsary education.
Saturn Through the Signs
Saturn in Aries
Saturn in Taurus
Saturn in Gemini
Saturn in Cancer
Saturn in Leo
Saturn in Virgo
Saturn in in Libra
Saturn in Sagittarius
Saturn in Capricorn
Saturn in Aquarius
Saturn in Pisces
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