About Efficiency in Education

There’s no denying that an enormous portion of everything that is wrong with formal education, is the consequence of greed. Of individuals, corporations and/or governments who knowingly or out of ignorance made a marketplace out of one of our basic human rights.

Perhaps more subtly, but with equally disastrous impact, another aspect of the rules of economy penetrated education with tragic consequences: the search for efficiency and scaling.

The most substantial aspects of education were never about getting from A to B using the minimum resources possible, for crying out loud!

Schools have a singular array of stakeholders (parents, children, teachers), imposed regulations, restricted budgets. It is beyond obvious that educational institutions need to be managed efficiently. A retired school principal would consider the challenges of running a small company a side job.

Efficiency, though, was never the objective of teaching and learning. It is precisely in the inevitable detours in the journey from A to B that the opportunity for learning is maximised. It it is the zigzags and the obstacles that reveal to us the juiciest information, if we care to learn. About ourselves, and others, and who we are together,  and the world.

Consider the 21-century skills: a set of abilities that, together with traditional skills like literacy or math, will ensure our kids' success in the 21-century: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking.

How on earth are we to model, nourish and foster those skills in our students? We invented a system to "distribute" education better, and it seems now we must serve the system before we serve the true purpose of education  and our students themselves.

Human skills cook slow. They are taught human-to-human, they take time and they are not easy to scale or benchmark. We can make lesson plans, but a part of the plan is to leave room for our students' voices to be heard and developed, and for reflection and goal setting. Home and school environment are crucial to healthy human development, we know.

Schools must reconnect with their essential purpose of equipping their students with the tools necessary for them to realise their life purpose. Teachers must reconnect with the dreams that brought them to the profession so that they can try to create in their classrooms, the world they aspire to build. Home and school must stop the competition and blame-laying,  and work in collaboration towards raising grounded children and building strong communities.

All of the above is a shortcut -if not the only path- to sustainability, and an increase of individual and collective wellbeing. The only starting point possible is individual effort, and the scaling will happen when enough members of my generation venture out of their comfort zones.

If all of us raised up to the challenge of being deliberate role models for our young ones and decided to live up to our ideals and dreams, we might be able to cause a true education revolution without even a hint of school reform.

Wouldn't that be efficient?

Sunday ramblings

I am finally back home "for good" after about 6 months of mostly being away. I am grateful that I escaped a chunk of the harsh winter in Europe, got to be in Buenos Aires for 5 weeks, also in China x 2 and Emirates x 3.  Not weeks. Times. Three mindblowing storytelling friends. Anyway, I am grateful that what keeps me away  is meaningful and stimulating and all round awesome.

My work trips both stretch me and expand me. They trigger endless lists of conversations, ideas, new knowledge and friendships that I want to follow up on. (Incidentally, I admit that around this time, a lot falls through the cracks. Don't hesitate to give me a nudge so that I follow up on something if you feel this may be the case, please! I appreciate it.)

Anyway. I've been doing this long enough that my yearly calendar has a pattern. I plan all my long trips between October and April and then spend the bulk of my time in Croatia between April and September, including family and friends visiting.

While I am away, my rhythm is dictated by everything necessary to deliver what we've promised. It is full-on and awesome and 90% social, but there is little room for improvisation. "Home" is where most stuff that requires unscheduled time, improvised food, access to my books and notebooks, etc happens. Home is where I can allow plenty of room for the unplanned.

It's become very evident to me now that another pattern has emerged.  Last year I noticed it but I thought it might be related to the timing of TED. I hit the ground running in that direction. (One day I may write about how that TED process is one of the scariest and most growth-inducing things I've done.)

But anyway, the thing is that last March/April, I was dreading TED and trying to distill big ideas and beliefs into a homeopathic dose that would be relevant for anyone who had to/cared to listen to me. Succeed or die trying. Or anything you can manage within that range. And that forced me to spend a lot of time with its numerous possibilities and a blank page. Or a hundred. And a lot happened, because many ideas were totally wrong for TED but totally right for me, so lots of purposeful inspiration and expanding ideas. 

Together with the grateful awareness of what my long absences from home do for me, I have also learnt to acknowledge that at the end of the stretch, I am feeling a bit uprooted and in need of replenishing, to say the least. I don't mean nourishment, of which I feel I have lots of all the time --at least in mind and heart. Worn out.

By the time the spring tour in China is over, though, I am looking forward to recovering my natural rhythm, which is quite the opposite of a routine, but has a delicious flow to me. It takes me weeks to get back there. I know exactly what to do to find my own cadence, really. But I've not managed to reach a grown-up level of self-regulation yet. (Not surprisingly, I've done more and better since accepting this flaw lovingly, and improving on it slowly, than when I was beating myself up for it.)

The ideal would be to get home, put the house in shape, including buying fresh groceries, getting everything administrative and/or tedious out of the way, tie all the knots of what I've just done and then, with a rub of my hands and a clean desk, start the new projects.

This above is always my intention. I swear. I write lists, and lists of lists. And I commit to be unpacked and half-way through the laundry and cleaning within 4 hours after crossing my door, which I recommend to anyone who travels frequently.

When I arrive I feel so wired that I do the unpacking, cleaning and laundry pretty quickly. Except when I unpack, I use my dining-room table to place smaller stuff, that takes longer to put away, and my toiletries remain in a ziploc and I unpack them on a need basis. 

I give myself a day, and the next morning I start with the urgent tasks and stick to my intention. Soon I also start ordering books, because I want them here by the time I'm ready for them. I obviously start catching up with people both socially and professionally, which is delightful but at the same time, the mother of all evils.

I don't hang out with people who do small talk. The people I love hanging out with, are capable of very present conversation.  Which inevitably leads to all those ideas I am "containing" to come to life. They just can't wait, and neither can I.

I arrived home twenty days ago and here's a sample inventory of stuff I've done or am in the process of doing: I have joined and expanded a team working on an ambitious project for Croatia about which I will write more soon. I've written some stuff that I actually approve of and I hope to one day be able to call "my book".  I've caught up with most of my main people and dogs. And I just got back from Osijek, where I did a workshop which in itself, deserves a separate post. It was a delight to be part of that for a bit!

In the meantime, the sample inventory of what lies on my dining-room table includes (and is not in the least limited to!) headphones, Chinese mobile, Chinese ATM cards, some yuan, my handbag (but that's obvious), mail, bills I need to archive, receipts for expense report, cables/chargers, among others.

I'm not apologising. Among the pleasures that I should have delayed but didn't,  I couldn't resist starting "Braving the Wilderness" the moment I got it. Early in the book, Brene Brown (one of my utmost heroines), explains this technique I had never thought of. Writing ourselves permission slips. Literally: "I give myself permission to xx" I've given myself permission to flow with what I consider the most important right now. And also to ask for help. Both work!

Great news: Happiness is a Skill!

The founding of Positive Psychology 20 years ago (give or take, 1998) produced copious amounts of new scientific knowledge about what enables individuals to thrive.

Positive Psychology is no other than a deep, multidisciplinary dive into “what goes well” in life. And  according to its founder, Martin Seligman, “the goal of positive psychology in well-being theory is to measure and to build human flourishing”[1].

There is general consensus that happiness is a construct, which means we make it.  It has a lot more to do with our perception of our circumstances than the “reality” of them. Our perception is an interpretation of our reality, filtered by our deepest (often unrevised) beliefs, the traps of our ego, the “traps” of our brain.

According to Seligman, well-being has five measurable elements that contribute to it, and are referred to with the acronym PERMA. They are:

Positive emotion (happiness and life satisfaction)
Engagement
Relationships
Meaning
Accomplishment

Positive Psychology is offering us invaluable information. Like the ideal ratio positive:negative emotion (Barbara Fredickson) or the isolation of 24 universal character strengths that can be improved by deliberate practice (check out the VIA Character Institute!), as well as very specific actions we can take to improve our lives. We now have the whys and the hows of our own thriving on hand!

If happiness is an “exercisable” skill, then we can learn it, develop it and pass it on from generation to generation. The mere existence of this knowledge obliges us to modify our teaching and parenting to ensure that the people in our care will be able to enjoy real success. 

I am convinced that educators who devote time and effort to their own personal growth and happiness are better teachers and parents than those who don’t. And I don’t mean “better” in a judgmental tone. I mean more effective in ensuring that their children, and possibly everybody around them, can also acquire the skills necessary for their own well-being and success[2].

Why? Because when someone works deliberately to become the person they want to be and live the life they want to be in, they inevitably enable others to do the same for themselves. We start seeing differently, acting differently, feeling differently.

21^st century skills[3] have less to do with mastering the use of technology and more with being the masters of our own selves[4]. In order to succeed in a rapidly changing world, the awareness and skills necessary to ensure our own well-being are crucial.

Do we know what gives meaning to our lives? When are we most engaged? What turns us on? How can we increase our emotional intelligence? What is our individual and unique purpose? What are our strongest character strengths? Are they being well used so that we accomplish our goals? Are we practicing mindfulness? And interspersed in those questions, we should be wondering about the big ones too! What is life for? What is most important to me? What constitutes success? What is the purpose of schools?

I notice (and celebrate) a “collective” shift of consciousness. More of us are doing more to improve the relationship with ourselves and raise our self-awareness. We can attribute this shift solely to the existence of the internet and the rapid spreading –often viralisation- of new content that resonates with people. However, I think that there are grounds to believe that evolution plays an important part in this, but that’s beside the point.

21^st century skills require that we are more self-aware. Working in teams repeatedly, does not guarantee that we become better at collaborating. We can be creative even when we are not artsy. How can we possibly be critical thinkers, if we are not aware of how our brains work? Can we detect the traps of the ego when communication and collaboration are required? Can we be critical without being judgemental?

So this newish science is giving us a framework to success

The more in touch we are with our authentic selves (that place within each of us that is pure and unconditional love) the less the ego gets in the way of our ultimate goal of happiness for ourselves and others.

Kindness takes over. Compassion and forgiveness start to become a habit of mind and heart. Failure dissolves, as it is accepted as part of every process. With the extinction of failure and the assumption of our guaranteed imperfection, we become more daring, and thus more creative.  

While I believe that Positive Psychology is a gain for humanity in general, there is no doubt in my mind that educators need to jump at any and every opportunity to deepen their knowledge of it. More importantly: apply the knowledge to themselves and create learning environments that advance it in their classrooms and homes.

In her book Intelligent Virtue, Julia Annas writes: “Education for well-being involves preparing children for a life of autonomous, whole-hearted and successful engagement in worthwhile activities and relationships.”[5]

Who doesn’t want that?

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I dedicate this brief article to Gordana Coric, who pushed me to produce a written follow-up for content discussed in our IMPACT teaching sessions!

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[1] Seligman, M. E. P. (2012). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. New York: Atria.

[2] I understand success as being who you want to be in the life you want to live. It requires that we think and act in alignment with our authentic selves.

[3] Also known as the 4 Cs: Collaboration, Creativity, Communication and Critical thinking

[4] I go deeper into this notion in an 11-minute TED talk I did in Zagreb in May 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1LLlWUYSMc

[5] Annas, Julia (2011) Intelligent Virtue. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

SOULFUL Teaching in a Nutshell

• Soulful teaching is teaching that aspires to be in total alignment with an educator’s authentic self;
• Soulful teaching demands self-awareness and the cultivation of empathy and compassion; 
• Human relationships are at the heart of the soulful practice;
• Soulful teaching understands achievement as one element of wellbeing, i.e.: if academic goals don't provide an opportunity for growth, either the goal or the way we propose to achieve it must change. 
• Soulful teaching is a humble aspiration to be the best version of ourselves we can possibly be at each moment while modeling that for our young ones;
• Soulful teaching is a vision that we try to realize on a daily basis, understanding that the aim is the process itself and that the difficulties are what make us better. 
• Soulful teaching is more of a manifesto than a method!

Soulful teachers...

... strive to be the change they want to see in the world
... show up for their beliefs
... have a calling
... are champions of each of their students
... understand teaching as leadership
... are enablers of their students’ potential
... assess without judging
... are lifelong learners
... smile and laugh often
... establish boundaries
... are excited to release control and flow with the process.
... are present
... are models of the human condition
... are vulnerable
... listen more than they talk
... love appreciative inquiry
... are curious
... take risks
... collaborate
... embrace "the gifts of imperfection"
... see mistakes as part of the learning process
... cultivate their sense of humor
... are grateful for the privilege of their meaningful job
... inspire, empower and enable.
... live balanced lives
... are team players
... are self-aware
... are passionate
... celebrate, commend and recommend
... know their purpose
... create communities
... make a better world, one day at a time
... are storytellers
... are vulnerable
... are kind
... are great role models
... are humble leaders
... love at all times
... are in constant transformation
... ask big questions

Učiti: To teach, to learn, to study.

My TEDxZagreb video was published a few days ago, and the caption reads as follows:

How important is to learn kids to tell stories ? Can we improve their lives with great informations by storytelling ? From the expirienced teacher who is exploring the possibilities of storytelling.

The mistakes in the caption did not pass unnoticed. Especially the "aberration" my friend texted about. "LEARN KIDS? LEARN KIDS???"

Being an English teacher myself, I have a lot of friends who are teachers and on the fanatical side of demanding correct use of the language. Even my hairs stood on end upon reading, I admit.  And I am studying Croatian, so I should not be surprised by the negative transfer. I hear this all the time when Croatians speak English. Even good English!

You see...in Croatian, there is but one word for teaching, learning and studying: UČITI. Admittedly, there are some prefix complications that stretch this word to a dozen, but I want to make a point here. So let's stick to "učiti" for this reflection:

To teach has to always be an act of learning. For one, due to the evident necessity of staying tuned to the needs of the learner. But more importantly because teaching is learning as well! Teaching should never be a one way action.

And may I clarify that teaching and learning and even studying, are not limited to teachers and students? While there is life, there must be growth, and the more deliberate that growth is, the more chances of happiness and living a life of fulfilment we have.

Teaching should be an interaction. Each learner brings a unique response to the teaching, which becomes the teacher's learning in turn. Because what we teach should be a provocation for the learner to display their own singular combination of character strengths, curiosity, interpretation. Their voice.

Staying open to the learning dimension of the teaching situation is crucial to stay present. It prevents us from falling into the trap of teaching by heart. Like we have nothing to learn from the process. That's one of the most pervasive forms of disengagement in today's schools and homes, in my humble opinion.

Stay open. Stay alert. Keep the vibe. The magic happens when to teach, to learn and to study all roll into one.

Defeating the purpose

When I do the dishes, I am always more careful when handling my beloved pieces of Moonshine Pottery. Thanks to dear friends, I have collected a few along the years, and although they are items of everyday use, I do handle them carefully. They've gone from Australia, to China, to Buenos Aires and then Zagreb. Generally, I wash the dishes and leave them to dry. However, my Moonshine pottery pieces, I dry and put away on the spot.

Today I took a beautiful blue enamel bowl in my hands to dry it and I almost dropped it. It got me thinking how sometimes, it is that extra bit of care, precisely, that can ruin something that we are especially fond of. With pottery as with kids.

We love our children so much, have such high hopes for them, that sometimes we ruin them with that extra bit of attention. The same overdoing that can crash the bowl, can fuck up children, plain and simple.*

If we try to save our kids from mistakes, pain, discomfort and failure, we are basically preventing them from growing. There is no character growth without pain, so love with your whole heart but care in a wise manner.

It is not about immediate pain or pleasure. It is always about the bigger picture. Just saying!

S



* It doesn't ruin them completely, thank God. I will say again and repeat forever: as long as it comes from a place of healthy love, you cannot miss the mark by much. Remember that healthy love often means "tough love".

Transitions

How easy it is to forget lessons we have already learnt!

A while back, I wrote about transition. To me that post is evidence that I had a deep understanding of what exists in between as is and to be.

Transition sweetly focuses on the overlap that exists between the present situation and what we think of as the next. Transition sounds like we are going through the process mindfully, deliberately.

My own words, written some time in 2015, during the long stretch of time it took me to make the move to Croatia permanent, which I did about a year ago with very happy results.

Six or seven months back, I deliberately went into a transition period. A shift in my career. A big leap of faith, hard (and out-of-the-comfort-zone) work and double doses of anxiety.

I must confess that at times between then and now, I have often forgotten that during the transition itself, there is more faith that there are results.

Today I feel I'm back on track, and I feel like transmuting judgement to acceptance and giving myself a light pat on the shoulder.

We'll see about tomorrow :)