Striving to be a “Disrupter in Education” — but also an Ardent Teacher Supporter?
While I am a vocal critic of today’s educational model, it’s imperative to reframe the conversation from “us vs. them” to “one team.” We are not at odds with teachers. Most of the educators on our team are either presently teaching or have been teachers. No teacher -ever- went into teaching for the money. It is always, 100% for the love of children and to empower them. Our raison d’etre is the same. So, how do we support these incredibly committed, talented, caring professionals to do their thing?
First, let’s prioritise a culture of learning over curriculum content. How can this be accomplished?
A culture of learning is one that values multiple intelligence and creativity, one that uses neuroscience to understand current brain research and the neural imaging that shows us that we all learn differently. A culture of learning is one that values diversity, and one that sees multiple perspectives as a strength. A culture of learning is one that is always open to new ideas, and one that is willing to take risks. A culture of learning is one that knows that mistakes are part of the learning process, and one that is not afraid to fail. A culture of learning is one that is constantly asking questions, and one that is always looking for better ways to do things -it is not interested in the status quo.
When we shift from students’ passive engagement with prescribed curriculum content, to a strengths-based learning model, teachers can help their students to shine — the reason they all became teachers to begin with.
If we frequently measure something, let’s measure social-emotional well-being — multiple times a day — for teachers and students. Let’s model strong intrapersonal skills development, which will support students in all areas of their lives.
COVID is changing us. What does the future of work look like? How can schools prepare students for a changing landscape where there are more options than ever before? From remote jobs and a gig economy, to automation or AI- these changes will happen faster then any generation has seen in its lifetime! Schools can be successfully readying students now— but it means aligning to skills needed for the future, not the standards and practices of the past. The question is — what do we want to become?
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