Don't lag behind!

It is time for educators to lead the way

At the very heart of the modern profession of teaching is engaging with students in a way that stimulates development of the whole person.

Such a stance will naturally lead to learning as children have an innate drive to develop their competence.  In an environment where curriculum content is appropriately available, and students want to avoid letting down their educators then optimal learning will occur.

Unconditional acceptance – love in simple terms – is the active ingredient in this way of engaging and listening fully free of judgement and comparison, and responding with kindness and compassion, are some of the key behaviours.

As two hundred years of state compulsory schooling have shown, a focus on developing competence through controlled motivation – conditional acceptance - does not develop the whole child into a mature, autonomous adult. Hence the need for a transformation of our education systems that we are now seeing.

Although this is a transformation of our education SYSTEMS, by far the most difficult part is a transformation of HUMAN relationships.

Yet, today, we do know an awful lot about how we quieten down and ultimately remove the voices and impulses that prevent us from accepting others unconditionally.

If unconditional acceptance is at the heart of the teaching profession then educators are best placed to lead the way, as their long-term success, ultimately depends on making this shift.

This is the education debate that we should be having, it is this where the future value of education rests.