Let me ask you… Why the heck not? Because one day you might Have to.
Yesterday we heard the Assistant U.S. Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, Deb Delisle, speak at the annual Vermont Principal’s Association Leadership Summit. She asked us to look at “learning” in exciting new ways. We’ve been asked this a lot over the past few decades but the directive has never been more important. As information and its delivery travel at the speed of light, she said, and instant gratification is all consuming, we see that our current modes just won’t compete in the global market. And yet we can’t lose the central element of simplicity that makes learning special.
Delisle quoted John Lennon:
“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”
Not only is this the child our schools must teach, this is the family we serve, and, if we’re honest, this is often the wonder of our own inner voice. When you hear these thoughts your gut agrees, no doubt, while your practical side says, “What a wise#$!”
When we take the “wise#$!” lovingly by the hand and shrug off the irritation, we open to a broader picture of what’s possible. When we sidestep our fear of what’s “different” we realize we can still hold on to the notion of what’s good, let go of old chafe, and picture ourselves in a refurbished, bountiful world. Imagine this at work and imagine it inside your own mind.
Don’t get me wrong, Vermont schools get a lot right. Delisle said that a good teacher can completely break the bounds of poverty for a child and save society $250,000 in services down the road. Further, a good principal who manages well brings 2-7 hours of added meaningful instruction to each child’s life.
Good schools ARE Vermont. We are world class as Governor Peter Shumlin said yesterday in introducing Delisle. And, we can do more to keep it new and exciting, in our own lives and in our work. To keep ourselves strong and ready for all this excitement, change begins within.
The next time someone says, “Do you want to try XYZ?” Pause before you say no. Or, say no with a caveat that you want to embrace the wise#$! but you’re scared or nervous or any manner of things. Then carefully consider the joy factor. Chances are it will outweigh your fears. Newness is pure pleasure and it’s what our brains Crave (with a capitol C). Instead, try saying “Bring it!”
Your Summer Challenge task this week? Try a summer activity you’ve never done before. I’ll take it one step further… When you’re on that high from doing whatever it is you chose, do some creative thinking about the coming school year. How do you want it to unfold? Broaden the horizon while your brain is reveling in joy-induced neurotransmitters.
And, whatever you decide, we’re here to cheer you on! Share your stories with us on our FB page or here.
See you on the Thriving PATH Ahead.