Parents, teach your children well; "We're all Hypocrites" Edition

Listen to this while you click and read below:

We've all felt this about (our kids') bedtime, yes?

(WARNING:  Avoid this link if you have an aversion to profanity, twisted humor and/ or Samuel L. Jackson which is redundant, I know)

And, we know this, yes?

Or, if you're too tired to read, watch this.

Wait, adults need sleep in order to be awesome and not suck?

Yes

Yes

Yes

Policy vs. Gut: The Head and the Heart in Schools

Schools lack a soul.  We are too "head" heavy at the ignorance and marginalization of the "heart".  

Passion, empathy and "good work" are heartfelt.

It's not touchy-feely, it's authentically human.  We are in an age where the heart must be allowed to inform our processes and decisions as a part of the reflective cycle.  And reflection is necessary for sustainable (lifelong) learning.   This is as true and vital for individuals as it is for institutions.  Motivation (passion, "good work", purpose) is the next frontier of brain research.  How do I know this?

My "head" engages it and then it resonates in my "heart".

Dan Pink is saying this.

Sir Ken Robinson is saying this.

Noam Chomsky is saying this.

Maslow (The fact is that people are good, Give people affection and security, and they will give affection and be secure in their feelings and their behavior) , 

Seligman (Whether or not we have hope depends on two dimensions of our explanatory style; pervasiveness and permanence. Finding temporary and specific causes for misfortune is the art of hope: Temporary causes limit helplessness in time, and specific causes limit helplessness to the original situation. On the other hand, permanent causes produce helplessness far into the future, and universal causes spread helplessness through all your endeavors. Finding permanent and universal causes for misfortune is the practice of despair... The optimistic style of explaining good events is the opposite of that used for bad events: It's internal rather than external. People who believe they cause good things tend to like themselves better than people who believe good things come from other people or circumstances) 

and Csikszentmihalyi (Discipline is not always internalized and actually can breed resentment among children) 

have been saying this for a long time.

Others?

Sylvia Ann Hewlett, quoting an authentic example of this paradigm shift (in this NYT article) says it as well:

“Trust is at the heart of this relationship,” says Kerrie Peraino, global head of talent at American Express. “When I put my faith in up-and-coming talent and become their sponsor, I need to know I can totally depend on them...

Accountability, trust, purpose, risk-taking, collaboration, etc. etc.  

Uh, sounds basically human, I mean, 21st Century to me.

We lack a soul because we are lacking in authenticity when it comes to child development.  We have stood on "policy" at the expense of "gut".  It's not one or the other; it's the reflective cycle involving both.

I've tried parenting and teaching from a theoretical (head-centered) place.  

Guess what?

My kids thought I was a dick - a know-it-all.  

I've learned to use my heart a lot more and, while I'm way more vulnerable, I have a much better dynamic with them.  They feel more listened to and trusted (understood?).

Empathy doesn't live in the head, after all.

If schools aren't about empowering people, then they are just self-serving entities.  

 

Thoughts?

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