Archive for: May 2009

The story goes that one-day while sick in bed his father brought him a compass.  Albert Einstein was mystified when he learned that the needle of the compass would always point to the north.  He examined the needle and wondered what powers lie behind it.  That was the beginning of his journey.

Sherry Turkle professor at MIT says all scientists are born in childhood.  For the past thirty years she begins all her classes by asking students to write about their path towards science.  They all share a common intellectual curiosity about the way things work.  She recalls one student who wrote about braiding the hair on the tail of her little pony doll.  She was completely absorbed in the task and practiced it for hours.  Dividing the hair over and over.  The repetition testifies to the importance of studying objects in the development of understanding how things work.

Children are drawn to they mystery of science by sand castles, by playing with marbles, by taking apart broken things.  This investigation is really the manipulation of learning the mechanism.  I have to wonder if schools are using this natural curiosity to teach children greater truths?  If children are only being fed bite sized morsels of information that are quickly memorized and just as quickly forgotten then they are missing the opportunity to discover. 

Hands on learning allows children to experience ideas first.  The old saying goes; it is better to teach a man how to fish than to simply give him fish.  For most schools the current curriculum largely gives children fish without teaching them a thing about how to fish for themselves. 

Psychologists recognize that we are not particularly good memorizers.  Most of us have a shaky grasp of logic, tend not to examine our beliefs and only notice data that support our theories.  The problem is not that children can’t find information it’s that they lack the skills to evaluate it. 

This is why hands on learning is so critical.   Hands on gives children direct experience and trial and error process that demands they start over and learn from past mistakes. The long-term goal of schools should be to give their students a sort of users guide to knowing about how they learn.  This guide will teach them the architecture of the mind, what it does well and what it doesn’t.  Instead of emphasizing facts students will learn how to evaluate evidence, consider their own biases and use logic and reason to make choices. 

Systematic changes are necessary if our schools are to thrive.  What do we really want?  My hope is for children to step back and notice the world just like Albert Einstein did and appreciate the miracle they really are. 

In his book the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” author Stephen Covey writes how our paradigms correct or incorrect are the source of our attitudes, behavior and ultimately our relationships.  He tells the story about a man riding the subway in New York on a Sunday morning.  The man is sitting quietly reading his newspaper when a father enters with three noisy children.  The children are talking loud, throwing things at each other, and bothering other passengers.  Their father seems indifferent to all the confusion.  Finally the man cannot bear another minute of their disturbance and asks their father to do something about his children.  The man lifts his gaze and says, “you’re right I should do something but I don’t know what, you see I just came from the hospital my wife just died.”

This information changed the thinking and behavior of subway traveler immediately.  He moved from anger to compassion to empathy.  What he experienced was a paradigm shift. This kind of quantum shift in thinking allows us to form new attitudes and behaviors.  It can change the way we see the world. 

Our picture of the world is basically our assumptions.  We all tend to make assumptions about everything.  We believe what we believe simply because we believe it.  This leaves little room for doubt and also creates the perfect mental environment for being offended and hurt.   This mental flaw is responsible for a lot of the chaos and misunderstanding that our minds create. 

The first time I heard the story about the subway rider I identified with him because I had done the same thing many times myself.  I had formed many opinions before asking questions, before knowing more.   It takes a disciplined mind to change the way you think.  In a classroom a disciplined mind is critical because the opinion and judgment of the teacher directly influences the success of the students. 

The more aware the teacher becomes of his or her basic paradigms, maps or assumptions the more he or she can take responsibility for them, examine them and test them against reality.  And in doing this gain a larger picture and a more objective view.   When you stop making assumptions you will communicate freely and clearly and become truly impeccable with your word.  This type of honesty will strengthen and nurture every single relationship you have.

There is no more powerful way to improve an organization than by creating an environment, which supports these principles.  Individuals will recognize that their contributions are part of the strength of that organization and will be motivated and inspired to continue to do more.   An organization that honors this thinking is committed to the principle of potential.  The idea that we are all embryonic and can grow and develop releasing more potential and more talents. 

Every school seeking new ways to improve must first look at the character of their shareholders and then tap into that potential.   We can all change our mind, change our thinking and to paraphrase Einstein, “when you change the way you look at things the things you look at change.” 

It’s easy to identify failure, it’s much harder  to identify success.  Success is not always predictable but it does align itself with certain principles. 

In education sometimes success is attributed to the wrong factors.  All children do not come to school standing at the same start line.  Some are not even really in the race but are expected to finish just the same. 

For thirteen years I supervised a disciple program in a middle school and on any given day I faced the challenge of mediating and reconciling the anger and arguments of fighting students.  Any success I hoped to achieve depended on one thing; creating a peaceful environment where everyone felt safe, where everyone felt heard and where there would be no judgment. 

There were many critics in my school.  Without judgment they argued there could be no punishment, there could be no justice.  They felt I was creating a system that forgave and did not demand responsibility.  But what is punishment for a child if there is no opportunity to learn from the mistake, if there is no lesson learned?

It didn’t take long for me to discover that fighting was a result of not being accepted, of not being respected and loved.  The root cause of these disputes were simple; children who did not have this most basic need satisfied would find another way to get what they needed.  Unfortunately that other way was not socially acceptable nor was it sustainable.

One particular day late in May I had seven boys all who had initiated some sort of aggressive behavior.  These boys all had a reputation to defend and would test the limits all day with each other and me.  Experience warned me that spring fights were the worst mostly because everyone was tired of dealing with the problem.  There was no tolerance or desire to play head doctor so I knew to expect little support from other adult staff.   What I needed first was to stay centered and find the peace I needed inside.  I had to rely on that deep reservoir of calm to create the right balance of leadership and kindness.

I had a simple plan to begin.  Something I had never tired before but felt there was nothing to lose.  I would create a peaceful environment first with sound.  It is believed at the most fundamental level that the whole universe is made up of vibrating pulsating energy. The sound of OM is considered as the humming sound of this cosmic energy.  If you observe the nature of sound you will find that striking together two objects produces all ordinary audible sounds.   In contrast Om is not the result of striking two objects.  It is the primal sound of the universe that emanates on its own.  

The boys would have this unique kind of elevator music to work by all day.  Chants and mantras would be our background.  The boys were immediately curious and confused.  What sort of day was this going to be?  I was bombarded with questions.  They were intrigued by the sound and wanted to know more.  

I tapped into this energy and used it as the beginnings for our daylong discussion on what is peace and how do we find it.   In this environment each boy was vulnerable and spoke from the heart. Their need to be valued and recognized exposed the depth of their feelings.

My room became a curiosity that day.  Other adults who came into the room were as curious and interested as the boys.

I shared with the boys the power of chanting Om.  The chant helps banish worldly thoughts and remove distraction.  When this happens the body is infused with new vigor.  Chanting can help relieve depression like a powerful drug because it truly is a cosmic tonic. 

That day remains clear in my memory because it was one of the most peaceful and productive days I ever had. The boys gave an intuitive respect and honor to the sound. I encouraged them to come back anytime they were on the cusp of a disagreement.  They left with a fragile commitment to give peace a chance. 

I know my efforts were not some miracle cure for the deeper problems these boys shared.  I also know that they would remember the day as well.  And for that reason alone I know my efforts were successful. 

This will never be a measurable success.  No one will copy this method or claim it as a valuable teaching tool.   And that is the major difficulty in claiming success, where was the benefit?  My hope is with these boys.

I gave each of them a copy of this as they left. 

Peace, it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work.  It means to be in the mist of these things and still be calm in your heart. 

Charles Darwin the first true naturalist created one of the most impressive volumes in biology in his “Origins of the Species.  He observed, questioned, experimented and tested his ideas to arrive at the conclusion that natural selection is responsible for all creation.  Although he didn’t live to see how the human genome bears the stamp of natural selection he would not have been surprised. The framework for understanding the natural world and ourselves lies in accepting change.  We continue to  evolve so it’s a logical connection that our institutions must evolve too.  They must change when the conditions demand it.

How do we know when change is necessary?

Change is necessary when outcomes produce failure.  Unfortunately currently in education there is too much failure.  Education must decide what matters most.   Is it loyalty to the system or to the mission?

The mission of all schools must be to create the best environment for learning.  When a school nurtures the desire to learn everyone thrives.

I once read a sign that said, “All structures are unstable.”  It’s apropos for understanding the need for change.   Our institutions are human endeavors that eventually weaken and become unstable.  Instead of reacting to the weakness we must become  proactive and position our thinking to creating changes when necessary.

Right now we are at the threshold of this change.  There is an opportunity for fundamental shifts in perspective but these shifts also threaten our comfort levels and the status quo. Our attachments to the way things are is only a fear-based reaction.  Instead of defending this reaction we can transform it.

To accept and embrace change in schools it’s important to:

• Look at your motivation.  What is more important acknowledging your own personal weak areas or a willingness to step out of your comfort zone and see what’s possible?
• Cultivate emotional wisdom.  Be honest with how you feel, is it fear or logic that keeps you from accepting changes.
• Calm your mind.  Be proactive.  Listen for your own reactive thinking, language and actions. And be willing to adapt a better way.
• See clearly.  Reexamine your goals and your mission; this will connect you with the best path.
• Embrace generosity.  Be open to the ideas of others and encourage the collaboration.

Change is necessary, advantageous and possible but only when all the shareholders accept this.