“I realized in 2016, when I came back to the US after 10 years in Asia, how different a lot of my parenting philosophies were. For example, my kids had a lot more freedom because at six-years-old in Japan, they were already completely independent… my six-year-old was taking the bullet train, which is the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka on his own. It’s a very safe country.” That’s New York-based Teru Clavel, a comparative education expert, bestselling author, and speaker sharing a glimpse into her experience educating her children in Asia. Clavel shares her insights on education and globalization in her book, World Class: One Mother’s Journey Halfway Around the Globe in Search of the Best Education for Her Children, which chronicles her experience over a decade raising her children in the local public schools of Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo and Palo Alto. Written with research, personal anecdote and takeaway, World Class offers real-world solutions to the toughest education dilemmas we face here and abroad.
In today’s conversation, we talk about:
- How she got on a plane from New York to Hong Kong, with two toddlers, and she was searching for.
- Learning to parent in Asia and how it shaped her.
- How at six-years-old in Japan, her children were taking the bullet train alone.
- The question on every parent’s mind: “How can I support my child’s education?”
- Giving children the time they need in a culture of busy-ness.
- The philosophies and practises that have stayed with her from a decade in Asia.
- The research she’s studied about children who attend early childhood education.
- The can-do mindset in Asia.
- Why “struggle is a fundamental part of learning”
- Why the phase ‘Mental Health Day’ is becoming more and more common for children and what her thoughts on it are.
- Why homework at a young age instils curiosity and discipline.
- Why multitasking is just an excuse to avoid being focused.
Find out more about Teru and her book at www.teruclavel.com
Follow Teru on Instagram @teruclavel
For more, visit The Grace Tales Podcast page