Another installment on Leadership Education principles:
One of the hardest principles to implement from the
Eight Keys of Great Teaching is
Inspire, Not Require. Most of us grew up with a
Conveyor Belt Education where we were "required" to finish certain educational goals whether we were emotionally, mentally, or physically ready to accomplish them. Because of this, we have a very hard time grasping the concept of how to
Inspire, Not Require. I know it was very hard for me at first...maybe I'm the only one, but I don't think so.
Let's think about this example: When we teach our children to walk do we stand them up in the middle of the floor and say, "OK, little Johnny, you are going to learn to walk today. You have until 3:00 pm today to learn to walk. We have discussed how to balance, how to place one foot in front of the other, switch our weight to that foot and then place the other one. I've even shown you every day how this is to be done. If you don't learn how to walk today, then we will have to hold you back from learning to eat by yourself."
This may seem ridiculous, but it is how we educate children around the country, even around the world. Do we take into consideration if the child knows how to balance? Or how to place their feet? In learning to walk, it seems that all parents instinctively know that it is up to the child to master this concept as time goes by, eventually mastering the process without any formal instruction. We allow them to toddle around the couch, hold onto our fingers, we clap when they take their first steps without help, and we laugh with them joyfully when they can walk by themselves across the room.
So why don't we continue this process for all education? Is it so far fetched to think that there are other things besides learning to walk that can be applied in this way? I say, "No!" We can teach our children in this way in most subjects; physical, mental, and emotional.
How does this apply to Inspire, Not Require?Let's think about why children want to learn to walk. They see other people walking. They think, "Walking seems faster than crawling. Maybe I want to do that too. If they can do it, I can do it!" The child then begins to imitate what they see - they are
inspired by others to do what they do.
Children and young adults naturally want to do what others around them do, especially if it seems important to them. All that this key principle really means is that the adults and other peers in a child's life show them what an education looks like, feels like, and smells like. Reading books is enjoyable because the stories are interesting and bring ideas to our minds that we never thought about before. Math is important to learn because Dad uses it to measure for shelves in the closet and Mom uses it to make cookies. Science is fun because we learn about animals, nature, and the world around us. So you see, it is not nearly as mysterious as it sounds. We have already parented and educated our children in this way in younger years. We now just need to continue to use this method as they grow into adulthood.
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