Mentoring as Education

Been doing a lot of thinking in the past year about how best my son could learn. Sure, he's doing well NOW, but it's been a previous 4-year struggle.

He's always wanted to be a Palaeontologist. Dig up dino bones and stuff like that. Then again he also would like to be an Archeologist. And to Farm perhaps, or design Computer Games (we came up with a cool list of Bible-story-related games a while ago thanks to a post on Steve's blog).

Years and years ago, back in the good old days (dark ages?), you learnt a trade by becoming an apprentice, by watching, learning from someone who had experience, then trying it yourself. Hands-on education, I guess, not a whole lot of book learning involved.

I'm hoping to do something similar for my son. Initially, I want to arrange for him to spend a day or two with a Palaeontologist, perhaps at the local museum, so he can get an idea of what they really do, day-to-day. I'd like to take him to others who work in areas he's interested in, so he can get a feel for what it's like to do that for a living. And once he finds something he loves, that he wants to spend his life (or a part of it) doing, we may look at apprenticeships along with distance education where/if needed.

I think he'd thrive in this learning style. I know he'd be able to make a good choice of career if he's first had time to "live" it with someone who already does it. It would be great for him to be mentored into working.

And it would save me a heap of university fees! :)