Jill Bittinger talks about leveraging unique strategies to empower the next generation
The 21st century has marked a turning point in the speed of change. From agriculture to communication, nothing is immune as humanity works towards making life easier, healthier and more conscious. Technology advancements have enabled us to keep up with this fast-paced evolution — enabling more efficient workflows, creating innovative solutions that cut costs while improving quality standards, and even transforming geopolitics. We hope that it’s all part of our journey toward creating the better world we all strive for! How does the role of education play into this time of unprecedented change?
It’s human nature to strive for continual improvement in all aspects of life, including education. However, sometimes this improvement in education can risk losing site of the whole child, being taught by a whole adult. As technology becomes an increasingly prevalent part of education, it is necessary to also remember the spirit within each one of us, and to find its path of authentic joy in discovery, creativity, and connection. It can be difficult for educators to implement the driving technological changes that modernize teaching if it does not consider the importance of connecting children to their internal motivations, the social emotional connection with others, and the expression of their creative spirit. Many want the students to reach their full learning potential. Yet, how do we best go about it? As educators and parents, we have a responsibility to ensure we provide methods adapted towards developing positive outcomes for those within our care.
By taking an innovative approach to learning, educators can unlock the potential of their students and create a fun but effective way to develop understanding. Through the power of choice and creative tools that provide first-hand experience with educational content, learners have more agency in their educational journey, which allows them to a sense of empowerment. Ideally, we want this empowerment to deepen that it may fortify each individual in deciding on a career path based on what they are genuinely passionate about, attuned to their unique gifts and capabilities. This empowers both students and teachers alike as it fosters student engagement and connects study content with authentic interests.
One mentionable book in this regard happens to be “Teaching with the Soul in Mind.” written by Jill Bittinger. Jill Bittinger is an accomplished educational leader with over 20 years of experience in the field. She holds a BA in Psychology from ULV and MA in Dance Education from UCLA, as well as ten years teaching Multicultural & Performing arts and 14 years as a Primary/Elementary School Educator. Moreover, she was recently awarded for speaking at the International Education Conference, Education 2.0 on the topic of her book. Jill’s novel idea to focus on creative soulful learning has made her mark globally within the education sector. Her books “Teaching with The Soul In Mind: Connecting Content, Community and the Creative Spirit” & “Peace Education: Our Time Is Now” show how teachers can creatively teach students about spiritual principles through a whole child/ whole educator mindset — A must-read for teachers looking to innovate their classrooms!
Jill strives to create positive transformation in the world through conscious evolution. She describes this as the expanded awareness that comes with awakening to the fact that we live in a time that is truly unique. With change rolling through our lives at unprecedented speeds, it is more important than ever to have the tether to one’s soulful self — the essence that comes into this world, and the essence that will go on from it. Engaging with our own evolution thus becomes a conscious process of awakening to the importance of our choices. Jill says the time to start this process can even begin when very young. She works passionately, with intention and purpose, towards making lasting change in education to include not only the mind, but also the heart. She sites the work of Heartmath Institute that provides empirical scientific evidence that reveals the importance of this perspective and work. As education today is on a quest for transformation, Jill is one of the many educators who are invested in educational improvement through enhancing personalization, choice in the content, intentional strengthening the community, and a connection to one’s own inner spirit in the process.