Come to my favorite nation, imagination; and imagine yourself at a dinner party, a fundraiser or some networking event; Is one of the first questions when you meet someone, “so what do you do?” or some variation thereof? Have you noticed that when you say, I am a ____________ teacher (fill in the blank) that the response, if not spoken, then often expressed non-verbally, is one of, “how special”, “how admirable”, or “I couldn’t do what you do”, “God bless you”, or . . . some variation thereof.
Perhaps a better question to ask at March Madness parties and networking functions is, “Why did you become a __________________?” (Fill in the blank.) My answer, emphatically, would be, “I became an educator because I wanted to help young people to learn how to think, how to ask questions, how to be curious, how to challenge the system respectfully and how to build their own, and others’, creative confidence. Learning should connect meaning, thoughts and action. School should be fun!” More to follow. I’d like for you to be a part of the conversation. Please comment. Each morning my reflections include a motivational calendar given to me by a student who knows I love quotes and Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits for Highly Effective People and the accompanying Reflections book. Sometimes they are so in concert it is scary. This morning was one of those times.
From the calendar, “Childhood means simplicity. Look at the world with the child’s eye - it is very beautiful.” - Kailash Satyarthi From Covey’s 7 Habits, “So often the problem is in the system, not in the people. If you put good people in bad systems, you get bad results. You have to water the flowers you want to grow.” These may seem not at all related until you couple this with research I’ve been doing on Effective Education as a part of @Mind_On_ASaP. Most of us can agree that the current model of education needs a paradigm shift to meet the needs of a 21st Century Global Economy. Many struggle with how. I believe the “system”, in this case education, needs to cater to the child’s eye. The child’s eye is filled with wonder, curiosity, imagination and creativity. The flowers we wish to grow are our youth. The water to help our students grow is a healthy system that encourages high expectations, self-directed learning, the power of reflection; a system that fosters a sense of community contribution and creative confidence. A couple of other quotes come to mind when I strongly suggest that the system needs an overhaul - “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” - Albert Einstein Yesterday I was sent this encouraging quote from a colleague, “Dream big and be disruptive. If you are doing the same thing as everyone else, you’ve already failed.” - Kendra Scott, Designer and Entrepreneur Let’s be dreamers and disruptors, for our kids’ sake! I look forward to you joining the conversation. Please comment. |
Author: Dan Jackson
Experienced Reflective Learner and Strategic Thinker with an ongoing track record of of innovative, adaptive leadership in education and business management. Archives
December 2019
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