Episode 4 - Part 1 - Mixed Messages Are Messing With Our Humanity!

The topics discussed in episode 4 are near and dear to our hearts. As Mike discussed in episode 1, children are incredibly vulnerable. After reflecting on this statement, we realized how important this issue is and decided to identify how children are vulnerable and what we can do to bring about change. In the first of a five-part series, we discuss the mixed messages that kids receive at school and how this not only makes them vulnerable, but also impacts their humanity. We shed light on the toll that the school environment has on teachers, who love to teach, but are leaving the profession because of the norms that have persisted inside schools for so long. Even though this episode goes deep and might even be uncomfortable, it will inform, motivate, and inspire you to create educational change in your corner of the world. 

Quotes

Nelson Mandela said “We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in any society, a life free from violence and fear.”

“Revolutions don’t wait for legislation. They emerge from what people do at the ground level. Education doesn’t happen in the committee rooms of the legislatures or in the rhetoric of politicians. It’s what goes on between learners and teachers in actual schools. If you’re a teacher, for your students you are the system. If you’re a school principal, for your community, you are the system. If you’re a policy maker, for the schools you control, you are the system.” So, if you are a parent or an aunt, or a grandparent, who has kids in school – you are the system and together, we can create change.” (Robinson, p. xxiii). Robinson, K. (2015) Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education New York, NY: Penguin Books

 Norm: Kids receive mixed messages that make them feel like submission to authority is more important than their own humanity.  

Existing Belief: I need to use my position as an adult to control the behavior and desires of children.

New Belief: My job as an adult/teacher/coach/mentor is to see the unique value in each child and bring out the best in them.  

Existing Belief: My adult perspective and needs are more important than those of children because I am older and I know better.  

New Belief: A kid's perspective is equally important and we, as adults, can learn a lot from children.