When executives at the Australian software company Atlassian came up with the concept of a FedEx Day, during which employees would be given free rein to invent and deliver new products, they probably didn't envision the impact it would have on a sixth grade classroom in suburban Chicago.
But Josh Stumpenhorst did. In 2011, he launched a classroom version of FedEx Day as a way to foster student engagement. More than 250 sixth graders tackled self-selected projects that ranged from constructing a model of the Eiffel Tower and performing an original comedy act to researching and presenting information about Holocaust camps.
Instead of goofing around as 11-year-olds are wont to do, the students set rigorous goals for themselves and relied on their teacher as a resource only after attempting to solve their own problems.
In many ways, it's a concept parents can apply as they help their children succeed in sixth grade. When you advocate for your child's interests, empower him to envision solutions, and act as a sounding board, you're fostering positive habits that will reach far beyond middle school.