There are some people who get into education because it's a job, but the vast majority of us are there because we're committed to something bigger than that. Often, though, our invisible intentions take over, and we unknowingly work to fulfill someone else's idea of what education is supposed to look like and be like.
What’s the most important thing - skill, ability, concept, topic, whatever - that you think our teens should be leaving high school with?
Here’s a handful of responses that we could likely agree upon:
Confidence and creativity
Integrity and responsibility
Effective problem-solving
The ability to learn challenging concepts
Comfort in the face of uncertainty and ambiguity
Clarity and an understanding of their passions and interests
A willingness to express themselves and to ask for what they want
Compassion and a commitment to something larger than themselves
Love, happiness, and health (in other words, well-being)
As I’ve whittled down my own vision of the work I want to do in schools to awaken students and faculty to their true selves, I’ve been having more frequent conversations with colleagues about this very topic. I’m sure that all people - teachers or otherwise - have an answer, and I’ve found that my teaching has improved as I’ve reflected and refined my own answer.
It’s just that the more I’ve refined my answer, the less academic it’s continued to sound.
I think that the most important thing that students should be leaving high school with is an awareness and understanding of their fundamental nature. From this understanding, we arrive at the power and possibility of adulthood. I think there’s nothing more important than this, and with it we obtain unobstructed access to:
Response-ability. We can creatively respond to any circumstances.
Fulfillment and enjoyment. We are able to thrive and perform optimally.
Ease and Love. We are able to relax into our innate well-being and bring gratitude, compassion, and true listening.
When we engage in this kind of thinking, we live more intentionally and integrity, and this matters: what’s on our mind affects our being, and our being determines our experience and effectiveness.
Intentionality is such a simple concept, yet its impact is profound.
Thanks so much for reading. ❤️