BIG Questions Institute Bi-Weekly Update

March 2, 2022

On Radical Acceptance

Hey,

President Volodymyr Zelensky's claim to fame before Russia invaded his country was as the winner of Ukraine's version of Dancing With the Stars and as a standup comedian.

But today, no one is laughing. His bravery and his skill at communicating with his country and the world are being lauded just about everywhere except, perhaps, in Moscow and Minsk. He may have had a reputation as unserious and over his head, but he's proven to be neither.

He chose to stay, to accept the reality of his situation, and to fight.

In a coaching call we had earlier this week with school leaders in locations including Kazakhstan, China, Finland, and Bulgaria, among others, amidst concern the conversation quickly turned to the messaging and framing of this nascent conflict to their diverse, international communities. To how to parse what is happening, the emotions within their students and their families, to express concern for one nation, but not at the expense of others, and the best ways to discuss the war within classrooms. There was an urgency to help make sense of what was happening, and to be proactive in mitigating any potential strife.

We discussed the need to reiterate (and possibly revisit) core values and to articulate what it looks like to live by those. To point out where there might be contradictions in lived reality, and how we are grappling with those ourselves. That as schools we are communities, with a special opportunity to hold space for listening and sharing stories, so that empathy might replace prejudice, and relationships triumph over stereotypes.

It was obvious that none of them were running from the realities and impacts of what was happening in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, on Monday the New York Times ran an article with the headline "Time Is Running Out to Avert a Harrowing Future, Climate Panel Warns." It's a sobering (to put it mildly) assessment of what the future holds for many parts of the world and for humanity in general. It paints a picture of a crisis far more existential, far more urgent for all of us than the current situation in any individual country, as serious as those are.

And yet, when we asked those same school leaders if anyone was updating their communities on the realities of climate change or building capacity to understand and act accordingly, to create spaces to listen and share stories and fears and hopes, they were silent. It's as if, after all the science and research and hurricanes and extinctions, we still haven't accepted this as our fundamental challenge. Like, it's just too hard.

But this is a moment for "radical acceptance," of our climate issues, our social and racial justice realities, the growing irrelevance of most curricula in schools, and the increasing conflicts between freedom and subordination around the world. Radical acceptance doesn’t mean we are ok with what is happening. But it does imply that we won’t turn away from what is hard or even horrific. It means that we will develop qualities of courage, presence, deep listening, humble learning, serving, and taking action - even if it feels like we are the underdogs.

After over two years of disruption from COVID, it may be easier to ignore or wish all of these challenges away in an effort to find some semblance of “normal.” But doing so doesn’t serve our students or our communities. Accepting our difficult realities and acting accordingly is the only way to deal as effectively as we can with the present and create a more relevant, sustainable, healthy, and just path into the future.

Stay well,

Will and Homa

What We're Reading

A few links to fuel your inquiry:

What Can a Long Walk in Scotland Teach Us about Education? Joy? by John Watkins

"Recently I had the great privilege to visit the Mill Bay Nature School in Cowichan, British Columbia, and watch young people whose natural enthusiasm and curiosity were being encouraged by how the school was designed and run. A great expanse of outside space had been given over to what initially appeared to us to be just pure childlike chaos. Some kids were experimenting with building fires and toasting marshmallows. Others were carving with knives. Still others were rolling large plastic cylinders across the field, laughing and tumbling as they rolled over and over inside the cylinders. There were playground elements made of tree trunks. There were bicycles racing around. Some of the youngsters were helping measure boards for a teacher to cut (with power tools) so the kids could build some kind of structure that they had imagined and designed. In the center of the field there was a gathering place, concentric circles of large rocks and tree trunks arranged as seats, and at the center a fire pit and a great platform on wooden wheels that could be hauled with thick ropes over the fire pit to form a sort of stage.

But as we watched with wide eyes while calculating the risks of that seeming chaos, one seven year old admonished us, describing what we were seeing as, 'Not chaos! Everybody is doing their playful inquiry projects!'"

PROOF POINTS: Researchers blast data analysis for teachers to help students by Jill Barshay

"Apart from controversies over the use of tests and cheating scandals, researchers are asking another basic question: has all that time teachers spent studying data helped students learn? The emerging answer from education researchers is no. That conclusion is like dropping a bomb on a big part of what happens at schools today.

“Studying student data seems to not at all improve student outcomes in most of the evaluations I’ve seen,” said Heather Hill, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, at a February 2022 presentation of the Research Partnership for Professional Learning, a new nonprofit organization that seeks to improve teaching.

“It’s a huge industry and there are major sales to schools,” said Hill in an interview afterward. “The market forces continue to push this on schools even with very, very limited efficacy evidence unfortunately.”"

The Changing Landscape: Opportunities for Independent School Transformation by NAIS

"I think it starts with conviction that the traditional design of learning is no longer relevant for 2020 and beyond. The best way to build conviction is consistent adult learning journeys to expose school communities to learning science, the latest brain research, systemic inequities, new and inspiring learning models, and future trends, and to ask them to reflect on the implications for school design. It often takes 10 months to a year to lead adult communities through this type of journey, but after they consume the knowledge and experience, they’re hungry for a transformative model of learning. It is also important to have a clear vision of your school model and a strategy. Lastly, to build a culture of innovation, you must create an environment that encourages risk-taking."

Upcoming BQI Events!

NEW COMMUNITY EVENT!

Digital Credentials and NFTs and More - Let's Learn!

On March 14 at 7 pm US ET we'll be having a live community event to talk about some of the edgiest technologies out there and the implications for education and schools. Here are all the details where you can RSVP. Hope you can join us.

NEW WORKSHOP!

From Transactional to Transformational: Exploring How a Relational Approach to Justice, Equity, Diversity Inclusion (JEDI) Can Create Lasting Impact

Join Homa and Eric Dozier on April 23 at 10 am US ET for a three-hour exploration that will help you recognize and build the skills needed to seed a “relational” approach to equity and inclusion - beyond the checklist, the lofty equity statement, and the well-intentioned book club. Details and registration here.

NEW MASTERMIND!

BQI is putting together a brand new Mastermind cohort specifically for those who are working/consulting with schools on long-term change projects. We'll share ideas, air our struggles, and coaching each other to great success in what is difficult work. Tentative start date is early summer 2022, and full details coming soon. If you're interested, let us know!

WORK WITH US!

If you're looking to...

help your school community understand the powerful new contexts for classroom learning
build capacity of your staff to incorporate sustainable change initiatives to deal with an increasingly uncertain world
learn how to use "fearless inquiry" to peel back the implications of this moment for education writ large

...then why not think about having us work with your staff, leadership team, or board with some BIG Questions worth pursuing.

Finally, if you’re interested in have the Big Questions Institute facilitate your next Board/Trustee retreat or gathering, to foster sense-making with fearless inquiry that serves your students and community into the future, contact us! Get all the details at bigquestions.institute

Onward with hope,

Homa and Will

Big Questions Institute Newsletter

The Importance of "Radical Acceptance" in a Time of Challenge

BIG Questions Institute Bi-Weekly Update

On Radical Acceptance

What We're Reading

Upcoming BQI Events!

WORK WITH US!

Don't Let Your Strategy Sound Like an April Fool's

Two Things Can Be True At Once - Lessons from Iran and Venezuela

What "Something Big Is Happening" Means for Schools