Category: Planning and Preparation

Pursuing Excellence Through Reflection and Effort

matthewpiercyPersonal

I love the end of October. In the tropics, we may not see autumn colors, yet transition is definitely in the air. This is the season of harvest and renewal. Makahiki, as it is known in Hawaiian, refers to a full yearly cycle and is marked by the stars, moon phases, and agricultural rhythms.

I have always been drawn to beginnings and adventure, yet Makahiki, the ending of the cycle, has become my favorite time of year. Historically, it was a period of peace and celebration. For me, though a bit base, it means more time in the water and surfing as the waves return to our western-facing shores.

It is also the season of the migratory humpback whales. Some estimates suggest over 10,000 fill these waters to mate, give birth, and nurture their young. Preceding the whales is the lesser-known kōlea, or Pacific Golden Plover. This small bird offers lessons in self-reliance, resolve, and persistence. Taking a moment to contemplate its journey reminds me of the importance of reflection, effort, and tenacity in both teaching and coaching.

Tiny but Tenacious: Strength, Adaptability, and the Kōlea’s Journey

The kōlea arrives before the whales, migrating solo for approximately 3,000 to 3,500 miles (4,800 to 5,600 kilometers).

NONSTOP. 

The journey is completed in just three to four days, without resting or feeding. Unlike many birds capable of trans-oceanic migration, the 3–5 ounce kōlea cannot soar, glide, or swim. Without maps and less than a year old, the juveniles fly without parents. Each bird travels alone, guided only by instinct and celestial navigation.

Though the kōlea and humpback whales travel from similar regions, their reasons for being there are opposite. Hawaiʻi is where humpbacks return to mate, give birth, and nurture calves, while the kōlea breeds in Alaska. Humpbacks do not eat during their stay in Hawaiʻi, yet I recently watched a kōlea feeding in my neighbor’s yard. It is likely the same bird I saw last year, because kōlea notoriously return to the same yard, school field, or patch of grass year after year.

Compared to students who sometimes complain about walking across campus, the kōlea’s endurance and focus are awe-inspiring. In Hawaiʻi, they adjust their diet to survive while maintaining the energy needed for their return migration. The kōlea is a perfect example of strength, resolve, and adaptability.

Effort Meets Awareness: Using Reflection to Maximize Growth

Basketball season begins Monday, and I am excited to return as an assistant girls’ varsity coach. My goals are not to win States or even every game. The focus is on what each player can learn about themselves and how they can develop skills in self-reliance, resolve, and adaptability.

This includes growing their ability to reflect honestly, give maximum effort, and contribute their best part to the team. Much of this work is rooted in perception and the state of “flow.” After each practice, I am hoping to ask players to reflect on two questions:

  1. What was the perceived difficulty of today’s practice?

  2. What was the perceived level of effort in today’s practice?

Both will be measured on a 10-point scale, with 10 being high. Inspired by a conversation with a colleague about The Rise of Superman, a New York Times bestseller, we will use these reflections to gauge intensity. Extreme athletes continually break human performance limits, and their mastery of flow offers insights we can apply in coaching and teaching.

The reflection questions act as a thermometer. If the perceived difficulty of practice is a 5 but effort is not a 10, we have a problem. Conversely, if difficulty is a 10 and effort is only a 5, adjustment is needed. Effort should always aim to be 10. Maya Angelou said it best: “Nothing will work unless you do.”

Finding the Zone: Focus and Flow

Students often use the word “vibe.” This year, I hope our team’s vibe reflects a focus on getting in the zone, or to a place of flow. In the zone, lively bus rides and after-game meals become secondary (or hopefully tertiary!) to diving for loose balls and sinking free throws.

The Rise of Superman shows that people are capable of amazing things when they focus fully and allow themselves to enter flow. The same applies to the kōlea, whose solo persistence and unwavering determination remind us that we are far more capable than we often believe.

Again, consider the kōlea. 

Or, maybe BE the kōlea!

And play with a clear level of focus, resilience, and extraordinary effort. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A CRAVE NEW WORLD

matthewpiercyPlanning and Preparation

Last week, I made a conscious decision to break up with my phone. If you’re so inclined, you might consider doing the same. My attention had been gradually siphoned away by the countless interruptions—messages that seemed urgent and a nearly instinctive compulsion to check my phone. All of this culminated in a realization that I had become part of the 80% of Americans who instinctively reach for their phones first thing in the morning. I asked myself whether I could join the 20% who resist this impulse. It was a Sunday when I resolved to change. Monday, I woke without feeling the gravitational pull of my phone. I did it. One win in a row!

Reclaiming Autonomy

This “breakup” stemmed from an earnest desire to reclaim control—of my attention, my time, my life. It required a deliberate shift in priorities to focus on what matters most: relationships and time—both of which stand to gain from this disconnection. More attention to what I aspire to be, more presence, more reading, writing, and reflection. Even the once-elusive tranquility of staring at the ceiling. These were impossibilities while my attention was tethered to a 3×4-inch screen. Contrary to the popular “21-day rule,” research suggests it takes an average of 66 days to form a habit. While I’m only a few weeks into this new routine, I’m already discovering the joy in consciously creating experiences rather than passively consuming them. I feel confident that this separation is permanent.

The Smartphone’s Grip on Our Lives

In today’s hyper-connected era, smartphones are indispensable—cameras, communicators, and gateways to information. Yet, paradoxically, we in many ways have turned over our control to these devices. Smartphones becoming the “masters” rather than servants, compelling many of us to mindless engagement. This realization propelled me to set boundaries, to reassess my default habit of reaching for my phone to Google trivialities, respond to unimportant notifications, or reflexively fill idle moments. Many individuals report feeling overburdened yet ineffective, connected yet isolated. Extensive phone usage—particularly of social media—has been linked to a rise in neuroticism, lower self-esteem, impulsivity, anxiety, stress, and depression. Attention spans have dwindled as we jump between apps and alerts, struggling to focus or enjoy uninterrupted moments. Moreover, blue light disrupts our sleep cycles. The first step for me was admitting my addiction. I realized I even was “phubbing” (phone snubbing) those around me, underscoring the urgent need to recalibrate my phone usage.

The Engineered Addiction of the Attention Economy

Our dependency on smartphones is no accident; they are meticulously engineered to capture and monopolize our attention. Developers manipulate our brain chemistry, relying on dopamine release, novelty, intermittent rewards, and FOMO (fear of missing out) to sustain our engagement. Social media platforms, in particular, rely on an exploitative business model that commodifies human attention, selling it to advertisers. This manipulation forms the backbone of what is now termed the “Attention Economy,” in which our attention is treated as a valuable currency. One article recently informed me that our attention is worth $816 a day, while The New York Times’ Ezra Klein show referred to this $500 billion industry where our focus is bought and sold with ruthless efficiency. Tristan Harris, a former Google product manager, remarked that, unlike older technologies, smartphones are equipped with teams of engineers constantly fine-tuning their persuasive powers.

Redefining Our Relationship with Technology

As Catherine Price advises in How to Break Up with Your Phone, separating from our devices does not require forsaking technology but redefining our relationship with it. Thank you Catherine for being the inspiration behind my breakup. By setting clear boundaries, we can rediscover the richness of life offline, reconnecting with meaningful activities and relationships that bring true joy. Reclaiming our attention enables us to be more present, deepen our focus, enhance memory, and reduce stress. Who among us wouldn’t benefit from that? This intentional separation—like my own “breakup”—provides the crucial pause needed to reassess the role our phones play in our lives.

Practical Steps Toward Mindful Phone Usage

Taking back control of our attention necessitates practical strategies. These include tracking phone use to understand habits, eliminating time-sinking apps, and turning off non-essential notifications. Establishing “no-phone zones” and dedicating times without our devices helps create healthier boundaries. Practicing mindfulness and delaying the urge to grab our phones fosters conscious choices about how we spend our time. Ultimately, by consciously redefining our relationship with our devices, we can shift our phones from distractions to tools that serve us, rather than tools we serve.

Global Phone Bans in Schools: A Growing Movement

During the 2024-25 academic year, several countries—including Cyprus, the Netherlands, parts of Canada, and various U.S. states and districts—implemented school-wide cell phone bans. While the long-term efficacy of these bans is still up for debate, I can hardly imagine a better approach. Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, emphatically states, “Setting boundaries on smartphone use—especially around social media—is one of the most effective steps to improving mental well-being.” His advice echoes my own realization: that these boundaries must be consciously created. Having taken this step myself, I am now even more aware of the importance of helping students establish their own digital boundaries. And yet, maybe it is we adults that must first model this.

Resisting a Dystopian Future

Aldous Huxley was strikingly prophetic in Brave New World (1931), envisioning a future where advanced technology exerts a subtle yet all-encompassing control over individuals, giving the illusion of harmony while eroding true freedom. Dave Eggers’ The Circle (2013) reflects a similar dystopian vision, where technology invades privacy and controls human interaction. Both worlds illustrate the dangers of overreliance on technology. As we increasingly crave the digital embrace of our phones, perhaps we, too, should step back to recognize the societal effects before it’s too late. Or else. Or else, what?

And I am not even considering artificial intelligence in this article! Or else. We either have to control how we use technology (our phones!), or we ultimately  risk being controlled by it. Technology can seem helpful, but it can also take away freedom without even us realizing it.

Choosing to Be the Master, Not the Victim

We must ask ourselves: will we take the courageous step to break away from our phones and redefine our lives? The alternative is to remain complacent. And in doing so, succumb  to a “Crave New World.” A world in which we become passive victims of technology’s pervasive grip. Go ahead, breakup with your phone. You can do it!

################

Comfort Zones Closed for the Summer

matthewpiercyPlanning and Preparation

As school winds down, are you tempted to wind down too? What if instead of settling into comfort, this summer became your launchpad for growth? Summer is the perfect time to intentionally get uncomfortable. There is a great deal of truth in the saying, “If comfort is your compass, you’ll never discover what you’re truly capable of.” For me, getting uncomfortable is to travel with groups of teens to unknown destinations. What might it be for you this summer?

This summer challenge yourself to be more like a lion than a housecat. English author, humorist, and satirist, Sir Terence David John Pratchett is attributed with saying, “The Egyptians thought the cats were gods. The cats haven’t forgotten.”  The life of a house cat is often seen as ideal and enviable because it represents a version of existence filled with comfort, consistency, and low-stress living. House cats usually have safety without responsibility, unlimited rest and relaxation, and reliable food and care. They chose when and whom to engage, on their terms. And most compelling, they sleep 16-20 hours a day and without guilt! Yet, and this is said with emphasis. Yet…due to a house cat being confined, their health is at risk Obesity, muscle atrophy and joint deterioration, as well as mental and sensory decline are all negative impacts of a life indoors. In effect, this is serious because maybe it isn’t curiosity this killed the cat. Rather, comfort kills the cats!

This is not an article about cats. Rather, it’s about being a lion. This is in the context of getting uncomfortable and taking risks. It is about calling on the symbolic strength, courage, and intentionality of a lion. Instead of waking up late every day this summer, sitting poolside, or just lazing about, we might challenge ourselves. To step outside our comfort zone and begin to build or improve upon healthy habits. For me, this often reverts back to my relationship with technology.

Lions Grow Through Challenge, Not Comfort

To begin, it might help to simplify where we might want to grow into three categories: Physical, mental & emotional, or spiritual well-being. An EdSurge article titled, “Why Educator Wellness Matters“ imparts, “Research indicates that educator wellness directly affects education quality, student achievement and school climate. With alarming teacher burnout and attrition rates, making educator wellness a priority is critical for the sustainability and success of our education system.” Some summer goals to turn into habits may have to do with finding more time for physical activity. Or, maybe the prioritization of quality sleep is a habit which develops.

We may want to challenge ourselves with mental and emotional well-being goals. How this might look is connecting with others, with nature, or even just with ourselves. As well, supportive networks can be developed. Two intriguing opportunities recently shared with me are The Voyage and Living Systems Leadership Retreat for Women.  The Voyage is a 5-day ‘walking retreat’ which involves daily guided trail hikes (5-13 miles) combined with immersive cultural activities like paddling and surfing.  The experience aims to help men get out of their head, explore their next path, foster brotherhood and connection, and build resilience through physical challenge and reflection. The Living Systems Leadership Retreat is for women and will be offered in partnership with Biomimicry 3.8.  Participants will learn more about how to use nature’s wisdom to create regenerative solutions to the multitude of challenges we face. Watching an introductory recorded webinar from this past January may be a worthy hour spent learning more about biomimicry—a practice that draws on the genius of nature’s ecosystems—and applying evolutionary intelligence to inform leadership, partnership building, and decision-making. Possible habits to benefit mental and emotional well-being are innumerable. For example, spending time in nature or just being intentional about slowing down. Both may reinforce presence, clarity, and a regenerative rather than reactive pace. For those especially intrigued by the work of Biomimicry 3.8, you may want to plan ahead to the summer of 2026 and consider participating in “Living Systems Leadership Retreat for Women” (Sign up here to be included on a mailing list and you will get information as soon as it is published).

And then there’s the spiritual. This could include attending a retreat. One crowd favorite is Joe Dispenza retreats (learn more here). Considered spiritual but not religious, they focus on inner transformation, consciousness, and the idea of connecting with a “greater intelligence” or universal energy. Another idea is to participate in a service project, whether local or abroad. This can deepen compassion and perspective. One example is Habitat for Humanity. And then there always is the option to engage in summer reading. Again, the reminder is to get uncomfortable. Challenge yourself to a sacred text or maybe something you never would pick up and read. For example, “The Book of Joy” by the Dalai Lama.

Lions Don’t Waste Energy, They Act With Purpose

Lions don’t chase every opportunity and nor should you this summer. Be deliberate. Choose something meaningful. And do not underestimate routine. Building a new habit takes intentionality. You don’t need to overhaul your entire life, just commit to one small, bold change at a time. Hopefully the few minutes it has taken to read this, is motivation enough to start. But probably not. James Clear says it best, “”Motivation often comes after starting, not before. Action produces momentum.”

Five point plan:

  1. Whatever it is, make a plan – Choose one thing you’ll do each morning before checking email.
  2. Start – Set the alarm 15 minutes earlier and just begin.
  3. Stick to it – Use habit stacking or a visual tracker.
  4. Seek support – Ask a friend to join or check in weekly.
  5. Celebrate wins – Post a note on your fridge: “Today, I did it.”

And stay centered on growth. A lion’s strength is forged through movement, challenge, and engagement with its environment. We humans are the same,  grow through action, not passivity. My university roommate used to chide, “If you aren’t living on the edge…you are taking up too much space.” I’m not sure I agree with the need to live on the edge, however, staying comfortable actually weakens us.

Use the summer to get uncomfortable. To grow.

For you.

And in doing so, for your students.

Build the kind of daily life that ”Future-You” will thank you for. Not because it was easy, but because it was worth it.

Lions don’t wait for permission to lead—they rise. So can you.

ROAR!

#######################

From Rigid to Ready: The Shift Toward Flexible, Skill-Based Learning

matthewpiercyInstruction

The conversation no longer should be about the world our students will enter. Rather, it needs to be about the new world we awake to each day. The telephone, radio, airplane all impacted the world. The ability to connect in new ways. Next was the internet. Now, not only connection but the quickened pace and high rate of change is mainly because of new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation. Changes that are not just happening in some jobs; they are impacting nearly every job. The skills needed for jobs are changing too. More than one-third of the top 20 skills needed for the average job have changed since 2016, and one in five skills is completely new.  Long gone are the days of simply reading, writing, and arithmetic. According to World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Survey, 2024, the top three skills predicted to be in demand between 2025 and 2030 are AI and big data, networks & cybersecurity, and technological literacy.

Worldwide, in 1900 only one person in a hundred studied post secondary. A century later, the ratio was one in five people. Seemingly the path was clear: go to school, get a degree, get a job, and possibly keep that job for life. Education resembled a “factory,” physical buildings and set times. A linear, fixed approach. The institution, as most of us have known it.  However, it is now shifting. And needs too! If we are to keep up with the demands of the modern world.

Moving Towards a New Way of Learning

We are transitioning to what’s being called the new learning economy. Author Jeffrey Selingo says it best, “No matter what, it’s clear that education rather than be an iterative approach early in life is becoming more akin to streaming entertainment: it’s always on, and in the case of education, it will be lifelong.” A few ways the  learning economy is fundamentally different than the traditional approach includes:

  • It’s about the individual learner: Instead of being centered on the school or college, the focus is on each student’s needs and path. Individualized learning is becoming highly valued.
  • Learning is flexible: It will happen in various ways and places, not just in a classroom at a set time. Think about how your students consume entertainment like TV or movies now – they can watch it whenever and however they want (streaming). Students want that same flexibility in learning – they want to learn in person, online, or a mix of both (hybrid). This flexibility allows students to balance learning with other important things like work or gaining experience.
  • Focus is on what you learn: The measure of learning is shifting from how much time you spend (like traditional credit hours, which were compared to “shelf space” in old TV schedules) to whether you have mastered the material. The time it takes might vary for different students.
  • Learning is lifelong: The idea of a single degree setting you up for life is less common. The new learning economy offers continuous learning, where people can dip into education when they need new skills for different jobs or careers throughout their lives.

Sidebar: In 2021, I began teaching for Global Online Academy and have not looked back. All three tenants above have factored into my favorable experience.

This shift towards new ways of learning brings us to a core question: what matters more in this new learning economy—degrees or skills?

Why Skills are More Important Than Ever

In this revolutionizing world, just having a degree is no longer enough. While employers still value a degree as a sign of discipline, what they are beginning to value most is if a candidate has the specific skills required for the job. We are seeing a movement away from what is known. It’s more about what a person can do. For example, in 2024, Microsoft and LinkedIn looked at how AI will reshape work and the labor market broadly, surveying 31,000 people across 31 countries. One of their findings was that leaders are more likely to hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced one without them.AI skills are increasingly important, however in a broader sense, there are two main types of skills to focus on:

  1. Foundational Skills: These are broad skills needed in many jobs. Beyond just communication and teamwork, they include human skills, basic digital skills, and business skills. Developing these skills across different areas can help people earn more and move between jobs more easily. Skills like navigating ambiguity and doing things you weren’t specifically asked to do are becoming necessary for everyone, not just certain jobs like journalism. Problem-solving is also a critical human skill.
  2. Specialized Skills: These are skills specific to certain jobs or industries. Knowing how to use particular software (like Tableau, Adobe, or Salesforce) or having skills like data visualization or analytics can lead to significantly higher salaries. Employers are actively seeking these precise skills. One example is of a graduate who had trouble getting a job even with multiple degrees from a prestigious institution, but earning certificates in Salesforce skills was “critical” to landing a job.

Embedding both foundational and specialized skills into education is a key way institutions can help students succeed.

What This Means for K-12

Our students are growing up in this new learning economy. And they will work in it. My students from just a few years ago already are! While K-12 structures have unique considerations, the underlying trends suggest a need to prepare students for the future by helping them build key skills like problem-solving, communication, and digital literacy, while also encouraging them to manage uncertainty. Since students will likely learn in flexible and online ways throughout life, it’s important to teach time management and independence. This I have definitely seen in working with grade 12 students in yearlong Capstone projects. Instead of rushing through content, we stand to gain a tremendous amount when we focus on true understanding and mastery. This requires us teachers (and students too!), to recognize that learning does not stop after school. Consider how AI might support personalized learning, and remember that K-12 is a crucial part of the entire learning ecosystem that connects to college and the working world.

The need for education globally is immense. Preparing students for this future by emphasizing flexibility and building essential skills is a significant opportunity and challenge. It’s about helping individuals succeed in a constantly changing world. Organizations like Global Online Academy (GOA), which is a nonprofit founded and run by educators and focuses on learner-centered, modern practices and skills, is but one example of what this new approach can look like.

Educators, schools, and policymakers must not wait any longer to sit comfortably (or uncomfortably) in the status quo. Act with purpose is imperative—reimagining what, where, and how we teach—to ensure students thrive in a world where change is constant and learning never stops. A world where systems not only allow for autonomy and flexibility but encourage it. A whole new world might be imagined, one of bold invitation, instead of dogged compliance.

Students are ready for it.

And the world won’t wait.

##################

Approaching the “Finish Line”: Lessons from Reflectors, Savings, and Hawaii

matthewpiercyPersonal

What might I share that will be worth your time to read? For many teachers (and students!) energies and attention right now are being funneled into the finish of yet another academic year. Though there is so much still to be wrapped up, the end will likely come quickly. In an effort to finish the year strong, let us look more closely with wisdom at what appear to be three completely unrelated items: reflectors, savings, and Hawaii.  Hopefully not only a connection becomes clear but also an understanding of the necessity to prioritize a vision of the future tempered with an intention to live in the here and now.

 

What If I told You a Reflector Could Save Your Life?

While I was in university, one outdoor outing particularly stood out. As I traipsed across a snowy mountainside, not a care in the world, in an instant I found myself facing nature’s wrath in a battle for survival. Underfoot, an unstable mass of snow broke free, followed by a deafening roar. The cloud of snow and ice hurtled to catch me, faster than 320 kilometers (200 miles) per hour. Scientists calculate a fully developed avalanche can potentially weigh as much as a million tons. This feeling of despair or race against time might be parallel to a teacher’s experience. We would hope not, but what did Orwell say about reality? That it exists in the human mind, and nowhere else! In the mountains of the western United States alone, there are approximately 100,000 avalanches each year. I would argue, that across our myriad of classrooms, we witness many more “avalanches.” Where time is lost to all meaning, consumed by the suffocating weight of “snow” or “to-dos”.

But, what if…

“What if” is a powerful phrase. Emboldened by infinite possibility, it invites us to explore alternative realities. Those Orwellian possibilities maybe existing in our minds and nowhere else. But, what if, by design, our schools, classrooms, and all that we experience in education were backed in trust? This ultimately comes down to the essentials of establishing strong and meaningful relationships. For outdoors people this may be a “relationship” with their gear, a testament to the saying that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear. More than 150 brands of outdoor gear utilize a patented reflector (RECCO®) as a rescue technology to help find people lost in the outdoors or buried by avalanches. If something so tiny as a reflector has the potential to save someone’s life, or moreover build trust, what might this say about the potential inherent in our schools and amongst us as educators? The “avalanches” we perceive are far from being unstoppable juggernauts. We have this!

 

16x is a Lot

Bestselling author James Clear asserts, “Most people need consistency more than they need intensity.” He reflects on how consistency is what ultimately leads to progress. A difference in intensity and consistency is compared to going out to run a marathon versus not missing a workout for two years. Or, jumping cold turkey into a silent meditation retreat as opposed to finding silence daily. Such consistency has a level of patience and also requires discipline. Virtues in a sense and both are also steeped in vision. Recently I was dismayed to read how according to Northwestern Mutual, Americans think they will need $1.46 million to retire. Yet, they have on average only saved $88,000. That is 16x under what they think they need. Sixteen times!  Imagine having sixteen times more students. A few years back I felt overwhelmed teaching 104 students. That number would now be 1,664 students! Or, what if we lived 16x longer? 73.4 years would mean 1174.4. 

So, ultimately besides consistency, patience, and discipline, a bit of vision is necessary. As educators hopefully, we can see the “finish line.” Some maybe are even preflecting on how they may begin the next academic year. Yet, what we do with today is critical. We cannot afford to miss the here and now.  The fact is, the future depends on it! 

 

Determine Your Truth

Though I feel fortunate to call Hawai’i my home, I am not proud to share how the beauty and fragility of resources are largely unprotected.  According to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, “As of 2023, Hawai‘i only invests $9 per tourist back in the environment, and less than 1% of the state budget goes towards conservation. We currently face an estimated conservation funding gap of $360 million per year.” Though this example has elements of both reflectors and savings, we consider it  for another reason. Ultimately, it is about protection. A friend recently waxed poetically on what he  terms the “underbelly” of conservation. Though the word “conservation” has its roots in the Latin “conservationem,” meaning “a keeping, preserving, conserving,” might the word have taken on a different meaning in reality? One with emphasis on “con.”  Where charisma, deception, or opportunism are what ultimately courses through the veins. A truth painted by lies. 

And how might this relate to us as educators?

As we continue to drown in information, artificial or not, we are being summoned to think. To read and watch widely and to listen to learn. One mandatory course within The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) to support this is the Theory of Knowledge (TOK). Students take TOK to develop critical thinking skills by analyzing knowledge claims and to gain interdisciplinary understanding by exploring connections between different subjects. Within the context of the College Board, the Advanced Placement (AP) Seminar is similar to TOK, seeking for students to develop critical thinking, research, and communication through interdisciplinary exploration of complex topics. Regardless of the curriculum, a school subscribes to, the intention is for students to be able to determine truth. Their truth. This is only possible if we take time to reflect critically on not only what we might know or think we know. It also requires us to pay close attention to the diverse ways of knowing and a multitude of perceptions. 

So, slow down. Listen a little harder and look. Though the “finish line” is in full sight, go slow to go fast. And enjoy the “ride.”

 

Our Mindset and Actions are Omnipotent

As we navigate the tumultuous currents and possibly perceived “avalanches” of education, let us not overlook the significance of reflection but also a deep understanding of the necessity to prioritize a vision of the future tempered with an intention to live in the here and now. Building trust, fostering consistency, and embracing patience are all necessary ingredients to this recipe we call “education.” Just as a tiny reflector embedded in our jacket (RECCO®) has the potential to save our lives, our mindsets and actions are omnipotent. Instead of counting down the days, might we delve into the depths of critical thinking with students, and embrace the moments we have left with absolute intentionality and purpose?  “Your mission (insert your name), should you choose to accept it, is to serve as a beacon of guidance, inspiring those you teach to navigate the complexities of the world with purpose, integrity, and joy.” 

I accept.

FROM YESTERDAY TO TOMORROW: EMBRACING EDUCATION’S CHANGING LANDSCAPE

matthewpiercyPlanning and Preparation

The emergence of innovative teaching methodologies continues to reshape the way we prepare the leaders of tomorrow. Though numerous events and ways of learning are unfolding, a sound seemingly rings out. One that is ubiquitous, a symphonic and synchronous echo full of hope, reminding me of the value of holding fast to what it might mean to be progressive. Global Online Academy, more flexible scheduling, Hunter and Gatherer Education, and Khan Academy all naturally command my focus.

 

Fostering Independence: The Teacher’s Path to Becoming Unnecessary

This semester I am teaching two courses for Global Online Academy, an “institution” predating COVID-19 by nearly a decade. With a mission “to reimagine learning to empower students and educators to thrive in a globally networked society,” GOA is about reimagining learning. Currently, enrollment is at its highest, welcoming 14,000 students these past weeks. Students often are curious about the frequency of Zooms. For some there are memories, possibly not so positive, of 2020 when many schools just transferred classrooms to online, expecting students to be glued to their screens in a more traditional lecture approach. What students however quickly learn through experience and the bi-weekly Zoom usually is what is reflected upon as bringing so much connection and joy. Students from across the globe meet, are offered differing perspectives, and both provide and receive valuable feedback. Sometimes I am present and can help guide the session. Other times, students simply record the Zoom and share it with me. I have found that when I intentionally get out of students’ way, some of the deepest learning occurs. This is progressive. Educational theorist Thomas Carruthers was on to something when he shared how a teacher is “one who makes himself progressively unnecessary”. 

 

The Four-Day School Week: A Bold Step Towards Greater Flexibility

Similar to GOA’s reimagining learning, businesses are beginning to entertain envisioning a different look to the work week. One which increases flexibility in new and different ways. A March 10, 2023 article in the World Economic Forum attests to the success of a pilot project where a 4-day work week was tried. Of the 61 UK companies taking part, ninety percent kept the shortened week going even after the trial period ended. Furthermore, 30 percent committed to a permanent 4-day workweek change. Similar results were found in the “world’s biggest trial of the four-day workweek.”  

Might schools be so bold?

Over 2,000 schools in 26 states have already made the switch to a four-day school week. Usually, the choice is either fiscally related or moral boosting for teachers and students alike. Researchers share how no statistically significant detriment evidence is found of four-day school week achievement impacts. Though it still may be too early to tell, the bigger “reveal” that behooves us to understand is that learning is not something that just happens in places we call schools. Case in point, hunter and gatherer education.

 

Reconnecting with Our Roots: The Role of Balance and Play

In the past two generations, we have witnessed a winnowing of children’s outdoor playtime. Screen time is one factor, as is a move towards greater urbanization and also adults structuring children’s play life. Oddly enough there sometimes is an almost overt convincing regarding the importance of children spending time outdoors. Are we so separated from nature? Annie Murphy Paul’s profound book, “The Extended Mind,” alludes to how humans are wired to thrive outdoors and that it is more than just enjoyment. Paul states that being in natural, outdoor environments helps to relieve stress and balances our equilibrium, which in turn makes our thinking more effective. Makes sense. We spent thousands of years outdoors and but a bit more than a century locked up in schools and workplaces!

Peter Gray, an American psychology researcher and scholar, makes a case for how childhood was better in the days of hunting and gathering. Gray purports that we should design learning environments around such values as autonomy and sharing. Furthermore, play has a very important role in that it is preparation for learning and life. “Gray has long appreciated how spontaneous, unsupervised play aids self-directed learning and self-assurance in children.” Dr Nikhil Chaudhary shares in an article in Science Daily how “Hunter-gatherer childhoods may offer clues to improving education and wellbeing in developed countries.” Around the globe, emphasis is not only being placed on improving learning but also on student well-being. Looking back to our origins, we have a lot to learn from hunter-gatherer societies. One such fact is how rare instructive teaching is. Instead, Chaudhary cites how children from around the age of two, spend large portions of the day in mixed-age (2-16) ‘playgroups’ without adult supervision. Play and exploration are integral, as children they learn from one another, acquiring skills and knowledge collaboratively. Strangely, I can see a resemblance to the Zooms my students have without me “in the room.” Yet, even more critical is the need to highlight the role of the unconventional. One analogous approach could be the respected paragon of outdoor wear, Patagonia. How Patagonia does business is anything but “usual.”  Patagonia prioritizes balance between work and play and the company values flexibility. A testament to this is their, “Let My People Go Surfing” flexitime policy which allows employees to “catch a good swell, go bouldering for an afternoon, pursue an education, or get home in time to greet the kids when they come down from the school bus”. A far cry from a world caught up in traffic, tests, and stress. A read of Cal Newport’s, “What Hunter-Gatherers Can Teach Us About the Frustrations of Modern Work,” alludes to lessons about improving jobs (and schools) today.

 

Redefining Mastery: Exploring Alternative Paths to Success

Last, evidence is increasingly abundant for how alternative pathways are becoming less and less “the alternative.” Just ask Salman Khan, founder of Khan Academy, an organization incorporated as a 501c(3) nonprofit back in 2008, a signature year in technology as Google Chrome entered the browser business. His mission? To accelerate learning for students of all ages. Khan’s free courses, test prep, and tutoring are now being utilized by more than 152 million users. Moreover, a recent precedent was set by the prestigious Caltech. Some students have not had access to required courses such as calculus, physics, and chemistry. In response to possible admission barriers, one alternative path is to take Khan Academy‘s free, online classes and score 90% or higher on a certification test. Permitting an alternative to prove mastery of the material is equitable and also a testament that quality education need not be constricted by tradition. 

 

Countless Promising Opportunities on the Horizon

The future has arrived. Many moves are being made. Global Online Academy, is an example of connection but also the possibility of learning with anyone, anywhere, and at any time. New structures such as the 4-day school week are being piloted, often in places where we might least expect progressiveness. We too are reminded of the millennia spent as hunters and gatherers. Might this inform the role of greater balance and play? And finally, the likes of Khan Academy illustrate a gaining of momentum for alternative pathways. Steve Jobs concluded his commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005 with the advice, “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” And so might we, stay hungry and foolish, as the anticipation builds. Numerous are the promising opportunities that lie ahead.

#####################

 

KNOW THY SCHOOL, DESIGN FOR EXCELLENCE

matthewpiercyPlanning and Preparation

“People are status-seeking monkeys,” purports Eugen Wei, former product leader at Amazon, Hulu, and Oculus. This status-seeking links with an understanding that identity is a fundamental aspect of our very human nature. An evolution of identity all around that begets a moment of preponderance for those in the world of education. How well do schools know themselves?” 

Sensibly, we expect to find shoes sold in a shoe store, not bananas. Many models, brands, and sizes of shoes and yet all still in the shape of a shoe. However, schools often seem to brand themselves as Chinese markets. Everything to all people. The ethics of this approach might be questionable, and one might also be left to wonder if programs become diluted as a result of being out of focus. Further, some wondering might be whether there is any intersection between a school’s strengths, attributes, values, mission, and vision? And their website, what might it suggest and is it truly aligned?

As a school are we:

Athletics focused? 

Sustainability driven? 

Place-based? 

International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) Programme or Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum focused? 

Interdisciplinary project-based?  

 

We Can Have It All

As of late, I’ve given a bit of thought to “yes/and,” as opposed to “either/or.” Though there is something certainly to be said for a school having a clear identity, they need not pigeonhole themselves into one single initiative or monocular focus. Especially if interests are not competing. Sustainability can funnel down and through everything in a school. Athletics too can be tied to sustainability and individual health. While interdisciplinary projects can be place-based. Advanced Placement or the International Baccalaureate can be an opt-in for students. None of this is a stretch. In fact, it attests to flexibility and opportunity. A multiple pathway approach.

 

The Omnipotence of Culture

Identity includes culture and this culture is a bit like breathing. It just happens. For better or worse. I like to think, for the better. However, because of this, it behooves us to intentionally design cultures. So learning is optimal. And so, as schools we are ethical, ultimately doing that which we claim. Conscious and deliberate creation as opposed to letting culture just happen. Schools mustn’t play the reactive “game” of Whac-A-Mole, where the “gophers” (dealing with parent and teacher concerns, managing budgets and resources, hiring personnel as a result of high attrition, etc.) take precedence over engaging in work that improves teaching and student learning. The development of culture requires vision and the wisdom to leverage knowledge and experience. A consideration but also a plan for where a school wants to be in 5, 10 years, or even the turn of the 22nd century!

 

I would argue schools are wise to intentionally design learning for multiple pathways. Equally, I caution that we do not kid ourselves. With several foci, not everything is likely to be done well by all students. This realistic notion is one of balance but also acceptance of perfection in process. Contrary to this, however, is the importance of a school’s due diligence to create cultures of excellence. Defining what excellence looks and sounds like should be at the foundation. Following this, students must have explicit opportunities to see this “bar,” and then be encouraged to push the bar, setting new and higher standards of excellence.  

 

Not Sacrificing Excellence for Authenticity

Though there may be many pathways, the destination of a high school student is graduation and preparation for the world beyond. A Senior level thesis or capstone course can serve as a sort of rite of passage, an important stage in a young person’s life. An invitation to engage in a year-long process, to create something meaningful. To demonstrate competency, reflect throughout a process, and then showcase what is known but also able to be done.  

This is powerful.

Authenticity could appear at odds with excellence. Failure is an authentic and simply sometimes difficult reality. A student should not fail in putting the “crowning jewel” upon their high school career. To ensure this does not happen, sincere consideration must be given to competencies. Competencies are defined as the knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, and skills which lead to a student being able to do something successfully. Schools will serve learners well when these competencies are clearly articulated horizontally and vertically throughout the curriculum. Such conversations are the kindling of culture and are hopefully guided by two questions: 

~What competencies get assessed?

~How and when might these competencies be demonstrated best?

Inherent in these conversations is one single driver, PURPOSE. School is to prepare students for a future we do know not yet. 

So when “school’s out,” teachers let more than “status-seeking monkeys” out!

 

###############################

Abandoning Ordinary Pursuits

matthewpiercyInstruction

In a world increasingly topsy turvy by politics, hypothetical iterations of the Internet, climatic dystopianism and more, wisdom and laughter are of critical importance. Now is no time to revert to passivity or to remain idle and uncreative. Nor can we be as amenable school age children tethered to a desk, inside four walls, disempowered so much as to need to ask for permission to even use the restroom. 

We have all at one time or another felt this.  Lived this.  Confined to the recesses of a darkened cave. 

Graciously 2020 and 2021 allowed society to climb out of such a “cave.” Arguably a light, if not “THE” light was seen. However unpopular, and emboldened all the way to his execution, the great philosopher Socrates laid a groundwork for us to question but also “abandon ordinary pursuits.”  Authenticity, balance, and coherence are far finer than lives of compliance. Sam Haselby alludes in “What Type of Citizen Was He? of the profound heroism of Socrates. Courage, curiosity, and civic-mindedness traits similarly in dire need of today.  “Socrates likens his dialogical testing of the opinions of others to the agonising sting of a gadfly: the value of the sting is that it shocks its victim out of the slumberous condition of quotidian existence into a moment of moral clarity.”

The past few years provoked the dawning of this moral clarity. COVID, a sort of gadfly.

Socrates’ student, Plato, left an indelible mark on Western literature and his famous Allegory of the Cave symbolized how human beings may be deceived by appearances. Two worlds, inside and outside the cave. A contrast of that which is real with our interpretation of it.

In some regions of the world, the “rush back to normal,” may have us wondering if a pandemic ever even happened. So too in our schools. As teachers return to delivering curriculum, standardization reigns supreme, and children continue to be herded through lackluster experiences which extinguish innate “flames” and fervors for learning.  Default to antiquated systems, so many crawl back inside caves and into the dark. 

The courage, curiosity, and civic-mindedness of Socrates are similarly in dire need today.

What was Real?

Equity cannot be overlooked, especially with respect to the digital chasm and different levels of access to on-line education.  However, during the pandemic more exposure but also credence was given to “unschooling” and other not so well-known educational philosophies. Time was redefined, as the term “asynchronous” was a buzz overnight. Technology expanded the notion of when and how learning might occur.  Where, or a sense of place, suddenly shrunk as the world moved indoors. Life from beyond a screen became more important as borders were closed and we all were limited to just our immediate communities. In doing so, there was a realization of the important role education plays in connecting young people’s learning to a sense of place.  

Beyond spaces and places, “faces” and the conceptualization but also importance of “synchronous” became a glaring need. Consciousness developed around Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and students, teachers, and parents alike needed time to connect in “real” time. As an online and hybrid educator, “the synchronous” took on a significance similar to what photographers prize as “the golden hour.” Those special moments to engage one to another Outside of these scheduled times, greater balance could be achieved. Learners were empowered to speed up pre-recorded videos and soon found they could learn wherever and whenever. Empowered by default, they might remain in their pajamas all day, or be engrossed by Fermat’s Last Theorem at 11:30 at night.  As they wished.

And now?

 

From Wisdom to Laughter

“All I claim to know is that laughter is the most reliable gauge of human nature.” This is where we turn to humor and the irony of how the preceding quote is attributed to Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Someone who according to Britannica, “specialized in the analysis of pathological states of mind that lead to insanity, murder, and suicide and in the exploration of the emotions of humiliation, self-destruction, tyrannical domination, and murderous rage.”

For readers who lived through dial-up modems, you may remember when you first saw Baby Cha-Cha-Cha, also known as Dancing Baby. Do you remember? Considered the first meme to go viral on the internet, the rendered animation of a diapered baby performs a cha-cha type dance.  At the time, the second half of the 1990s, the term “meme” remained obscure.  Close to twenty years would pass before I really understood what a meme was. It was Harambe not Oxford Languages that in practical terms helped me understand that a meme was “An image, video, piece of text, etc., that is copied (often with slight variations) and spread rapidly by internet users.” Or simply an unserious response, created in an attempt to cause laughter. Some may say, as a result of a generational discord where youth are unable to regard major events with the “appropriate weight.” Whichever stance is taken, the motivation is one of humor. A valuable quality or state of mind.

Harambe was named after Rita Marley, widow of Bob Marley, and her song “Harambe” (Working Together for Freedom. The 440lb. 17-year old Western gorilla was shot dead while in captivity. Nearly instantly, thousands of memes were launched.  The power and virality of the internet would once again demonstrate how a collective online psyche can catch like wildfire. In “The Power of Memes,” Allexus writes how “the use of memes is important to our growing society where Meme Culture brings people together as it represents the media around us.” Whether people are “brought together” may be dependent on if the humor is shared. For at first glance, a meme may be deceiving, especially if it is re-mixed and out of context. Laughter is possible, democratization of discourse is certain.

Harambe at the Cincinnati Zoo sitting quietly

Harambe certainly stirred emotion and became an overnight social justice sensation. Similarly, the Coronavirus, also not a topic inherently humorous, would be the brunt of countless memes. However, it is possible they helped us find our smile, if even under a mask.

In a world engulfed in fear, deceit, and distraction, we have a choice. Hopefully one of reflection, redirection, and focus. Not fooled by appearances or lulled back to sleep. The pig with pretty lipstick is still a pig. And as we identify it as such, might we too laugh a little.

But also move.

Jolted awake by Socrates’ gadfly, a new reality possibly already appears in our rear view mirrors. The past few years  allowing for a recognition of that which must dissolve.  Now, might we utilize the wisdom and vision gained, along with a sense of humor, to create a new narrative.  Pathways toward the light. Out of the caves.

Again.

##########################

I Am Not a Moth and My Keys are Not Missing

matthewpiercyPersonal

Over thirty thousand people evacuated and a thousand homes ablaze in Colorado at the end of December? Difficult as it may be to believe, such impacts of climate change are predicted to be increasingly felt, unless we as a species move out of the heaving blackness and entrapment of the Anthropocene. That worldview which is dominated by a false dogma.  The one where drunken humans believe themselves to be at the very core of existence. Pivotal to the necessary upheaval and shift in human consciousness is a transcendence beyond activism and into action. 

The past few days, I coincidentally came across two very similar jokes. The first about a moth who goes into a podiatrist’s office. When asked about his problem, the response is a long-winded account of all of his troubles. Amongst these is tragic loss and cowardice.  The punchline comes when the doctor suggests the moth see a psychiatrist instead and asks why the moth came to a foot specialist. 

“Cause the light was on!” 

How many of us are similarly drawn to whatever glitters, speaks loudest, or successfully garners our attention? A currently trending stirring satirical film on Netflix called, “Don’t Look Up” does a fantastic job depicting this. The plot centers on how a planet-killing comet imminently hurtles toward earth and yet politics, economics, and society’s addiction to the frivolous divide the world.  Stall followed by avarice, are the only response offered.  Parallels might be drawn between the inappreciable ground gained (or lost!) since the 2015 Paris Climate Change talks.  

The second joke, actually stemming from a 13th century parable, also involves light.  A helpful police officer questions a man on all fours hunting for his lost keys under the streetlamp. “Are you sure you dropped your keys here?” 

“No, I am sure I lost them across the street.”

Dismayed, the officer inquires, “Then, why do you search here?”  

“Because the light is much better here.”

 

Doing Something Different

People’s propensity to search in easier places than those which are likely to honestly yield results being the crux of the joke.  Yet, laughter aside, both jokes contain truth at the core. In vulnerability, I consider my own experience. One which in the past may have been quick to step out on a ledge, even to select “adventurer” as one of three words to define myself. Yet, the moth in me began to be drawn into the known, the comfortable, and the compliant.  Foolery. Or, like the man in search of his keys I seemingly began to illogically camp under the light of a 20 watt bulb instead of under the myriad miracles of the skies.   ​

Obviously, I am not a moth and my keys are not missing.  Yet from time to time I think about how at one training a gong was struck, followed by a call to “do something different!” Anchored by an excitement for uncertainty and a wellspring of curiosity I am ready to do something different. Fussing over school standards or lunch duty responsibilities seemingly dilutes the larger sense of purpose I feel. Especially when I consider how indubitably countries, businesses, and schools are continually shifting. Human consciousness beginning to result in action.

 

Net-Zero Cannot Wait

Net-zero is a critical concept rightly abuzz. It occurs when the amount of greenhouse gas emitted is no greater than the amount removed from the atmosphere. Measuring carbon emissions is important because it has an effect on global warming.  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported how a planetary warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius “would be an unacceptably high risk, potentially resulting in major extinctions, more severe droughts and hurricanes, a watery Arctic, and an increased toll on human health and well-being.”  See: Colorado fires at the start of this article. 

Many countries have committed to reaching “net-zero” by midcentury.  Indonesia and Saudi Arabia by 2060.  And India by 2070.  Not only does each lack a detailed plan for how to achieve this, a band-aid will not help resuscitate like an AED.  Thankfully, there are bolder approaches being taken. The Kingdom of Bhutan was ahead of the times when back in 2009, they achieved net-zero. Further the country promised to remain carbon neutral for time  immemorial but in effect progressed and became carbon negative. Little wonder exists if a correlation can be made between Bhutan’s love of the planet and the country’s choice to measure gross national happiness (GNH) as opposed to GDP.

After Secretary-General António Guterres called a, “code red for humanity,” many multinational corporations committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions.  The likes of Amazon and other companies vow to do more to protect the Earth.  Their goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions is 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement goals. However, “greenwashing” or the process of conveying false impressions about a company becoming more environmentally sound, is legitimate.  This especially so after Jeff Bezos decision to add 300 metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere during a 180 second space odyssey.  A figure equivalent to nearly 3 million miles of automobile travel!  

Schools also are beginning to net-zero call. In October of 2021, Hawaii Preparatory Academy made a bold move in committing to eliminating its carbon emissions over the next nine years. In an official press release they pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2030. Colby College in Waterville, Maine paved the way in 2013 when it became the first  carbon neutral university. Nine other colleges and universities in the United States have similarly achieved this goal.

Ironically or not, it was the natural world and a snowstorm that extinguished Colorado’s wildfires. The influential writer Alice Walker suggested that the most important question in the world is, “Why is the child crying?” For the sake of this post, the Earth is this child. Pretending to not hear, only will offer up more piercing shrill and devastation. Fires, floods, and famine. The answers remain in the actions we take. Not in 2030 or 2070. Resolute must we be.

Now. 

Life on the Wire

matthewpiercyPlanning and Preparation

“Life is on the wire, the rest is just waiting.”  

~Papa Wallenda

 

The next several months of recruiting season are exciting for many teachers and administrators. Having resigned, lives are once again lived on the “wire.”  As a teacher of inquiry there seems to be a valuable ordering to the questions which might propel the decisions so many are about to make.  Our “why” paramount, hopefully a clear vision of why we remain in the hallowed field of education.  Followed by “what.”  Understanding the nature that there is not one market but many.  What exactly is most desirable?  The “who” you are, what you are able to offer, but also “who” or identity of your potential future employer also is to be considered.  And last, the “how.”  Trust is what ultimately is required here.  Confidence in yourself but moreover, a deep sense of trust in the process, and in life.  

Further, we might do ourselves a favor to remember and hold fast to the fact that similar to graduating students, there are no “best” international schools.  Unlike United States universities and colleges, there are no rankings of international schools. Even if there were, the list would be flimsy and likely, saturated in bias.  For, even the thirty odd years of US News & World Report university and college rankings recently were debunked by Malcolm Gladwell in his Revisionist History podcast. Gladwell brazenly asserts the “rankings game” report to be audaciously inaccurate in measuring the quality of institutions.  

Yet, somehow there persists a myth in the international circuit of tiered schools.  Reputation is an aspect not to be dismissed, however what makes a “top tier” school is worth sussing out.  Besides reputation, “top tier” equates to a more generous package.  Such benefits as matching retirement funds, annual return trips home, shipping allowance, and health insurance.  Benefits are unarguably measurable. Yet, they do not necessarily equate to the effectiveness of a school, student learning, or most importantly fittingness. 

 

First Rodeo

Snow was being removed from the tarmac as my plane landed in February of 1998. My life was about to be positively changed as I attended my first international teaching job fair. These were the days before the ubiquity of the internet and a physical catalog of schools was provided after mailing in a check and registering. So much has changed in the world and yet, I sometimes grapple to put my finger on how much the international teaching “circuit” has.  In many respects it still seems like a small world, especially when a new colleague is quick to connect, “Oh, you taught at X, Y, or Z school.  You must know Dan Stiles (or take your pick of names!).”  

I entered the fair expecting nothing more than a chance to gain interviewing experience.  When I received my first offer, I hurried to the pay phone, mind you this also was before cell phones.  “Dad, I was offered a job,” I celebrated.  Even more surprising, later in the day another contract was extended.  Since this experience, I have utilized the services of two other recruitment agencies and had the pleasure to teach on five different continents.  However, only in the last few years have I fully come to appreciate the importance of the term, “fittingness.”

 

Fittingness

The concept of fittingness is a constant, so long as we are willing to put our lives on a limb. Throughout life there are choices to be made, forks less or more traveled in the road.  Stress, usually self-induced, besets a mental fixation on making the “correct” or “right” choice.  For grade eleven and twelve students it often centers on higher education.  Achieving high IB or SAT scores and being selected into an Ivy or other lofty “league” school. Assuming Harvard is the best for everyone, when in reality some big fish may have a better experience in a smaller “pond.”  The reality being one where there is no “best” school.  Thankfully there are many “bests,” and the notion that matters most is the fit.

 

Abundance and a World of Choice

ISC Research,  a leading provider of English-medium K-12 international school data, trends and intelligence, reported in 2017 there are more than 9,000 international schools. To operate under the belief that there are but a few “best” schools would be a gross understatement. Seth Godin, best-selling author and entrepreneur, purports there is no scarcity.  As we close out on the Industrial Age, the opposite is true.  In effect we are living in great abundance and are experiencing a world of choice.  Instead of stressing ourselves about the “best” or “top tier” schools, what might make more sense is to create a sort of hierarchy around what matters most to you in your next place of work.  

 

Some Ideas of Criteria to Consider (not in any hierarchical order)

~location of the school and size of the city. An increasing consideration is quality of life, looking at a cities air quality may be one helpful criteria

~size of the school. Small, medium, and large schools all have their pros and cons

~history and tradition of the school.  Schools steeped in tradition may sometimes not be as quick to be progressive as tried and true systems of yesteryear may not demand revision. Unable or an unwillingness to be innovative or make quick shifts may lead to feeling like Krishnan Kanthavel, the captain of the Ever Given, as he diagonally blocked the Suez and prevented the  transit of nearly everything bought and sold on the planet!

~your personal mission as a professional 

~a school’s clarity in mission, vision, values and how these are tangibly being realized

 

Further, keeping it clear what one ideally wants in a school is vital. A component of this is fully coming to grips with what you have to offer.  Schools will want to know this.  Moreover, just as a school’s clear identity is important to you, they will want to feel confident in their ability to see an “authentic you.” Envisioning the interview this way may even help dissolve barriers which create anxiety and possibly create more of a conversational feel. Feigning questions at the end is easily discernible. Instead, determine what you really want to know about the role you are applying for, the school, or even the host nation.  

 

A Few Ideas of Questions You May Wonder

~What has your school learned through the pandemic?  Or, how has your school positively adapted as a result of COVID?

~How are you leveraging PD as a whole faculty?

~What measures are being taken to ensure students are learning in ways that fit with what the world is asking of graduates today?

~What are the top three strategic goals for your school?

~What does ___________ look like in the classroom?

~What would have been most helpful to know before you joined the school?

 

“I’m Excited”

Transition can be scary business.  Anxiety is normal when we courageously unroot ourselves and pick up our lives after any number of years.  However, it is possible to reframe the experience and actually enjoy the process. Alison Wood Brooks, a renowned psychologist found evidence across several studies of reappraising anxiety as excitement. Simple self-talk as saying “I am excited” out loud can actually work, giving credence to the aphorism, “fake it till you make it.” The doors of the world are unhinged. Your vulnerability ultimately has the power to lead to unforeseen opportunities.  Trust and enjoy life on the wire.