Quote:
If you educate a man, you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a nation – Damien Mander
Action:
I have often, and continue to do so today, reflect on how I can maximize my impact on my students and my guests, and create value for their lives. I am realizing that now having been in the educational and guiding realms for almost forty years, that my delivery has changed dramatically, as a reflection of who I have become, and the experiences that I can draw upon.
By its very structure, classroom-based instruction assumes that all students learn more or less in the same manner, and at the same pace. However, as Educators, we know this not to be true. In my quest to educate with a higher success rate, as being defined by “engaging more students”’ I began to incorporate the work of Dewey, and his “learner focused approach” – which focuses on the student’s analysis of their experiences and encourages them to become increasingly self-directed and responsible for their own learning.
Students and participants taking responsibility for their own learning. Now we have individuals driving the vehicle of their learning by communicating their needs, wants and intentions to the educator or guide. It now becomes an exchange, as compared to a one way delivery model, facilitated by the educator.
If we look at the root meaning of “educate” from its Latin source, there are two fundamental definitions; “educare”, which means to train, and “educere”, meaning to lead out that which is within. I feel that education is a blend of both. We train, in respect to the methodologies of the skills required, and we provide the opportunities for the student to figure things out on their own using critical thinking, judgement, and problem-solving skills.
One of the things I find so beneficial in my life as an educator, is that I work both as an educator and a guide. A guide by definition is “a person who advises or shows the way to others”. I disagree with one small though crucial point in this definition. It is not “the way”, but “a way”.
There are many ways to get somewhere, and as long as we meet certain criteria required for the task, say risk exposure, techniques etc., good to go. This then puts us in a position as guides to learn from our “students” / participants and opens a doorway for reciprocation of learning from one another.
This type of teaching /guiding methodology I believe, comes from “hands on Instructor experience”, where one has developed the necessary depth of practical experience, to have the confidence, and ability, to teach beyond one’s book learning range of experience.
I would look at incorporating “comprehensive experience and proven skill in relevant skill area”, to all of the courses, or skills being taught. How can we teach that, which we don’t do, but have merely learned in a degree or certification program? The only difference then becomes that we have spent more money, time, and read more books, than the students have. Where is the practical knowledge that we can offer from direct experience?
I would like to see “Education” that provides to its students, more than just a training of the mind, because training of an individual’s mind brings about efficiency, but not completeness. We need a holistic integration of mind, body spirit / soul inclusion in our educational experiences. This allows a whole person evolution from education, and this is fundamentally what we all need for our lives, so that we can contribute on a global level.
This ability to educate beyond the limits of the classroom, books and courses, evolves from educators and guides who have the ability to facilitate in their students, an understanding of self from direct experience. And this only comes from an educator / guide who has been down that path before the student, with life’s hard lessons learned otherwise, is there any need for the teacher?
The Book:
Staring Down the Wolf. 7 Leadership Commitments That Forge Elite Teams. Mark Devine.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have read a number of books already by Mark, and this is his latest. Mark is another Navy Seal, that is leveraging his time spent in that capacity, to bring the lessons and experiences hard learned, into the non-combat world, personal and professional.
What I have always appreciated about Mark’s writing style is his inclusiveness for an integration of mind, body and spirit into his work, it is a very holistic approach, and works for me. I have read too many leadership books that merely focus on technique, habits and rote skills, and ignore the deeper aspects of self when leading others.
This book focuses on seven core fundamentals, and usually an example is provided, a breakdown, and thought-provoking questions, related to actions to be taken. If one is willing and committed to the follow through with these action items, progress and understanding will be made.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found the layout and information to be practical on a daily basis, and also insightful as a learning tool for developing high functioning teams. 5/5