What is the most important lesson we can teach our children?

I was a primary school teacher for a while, and I absolutely loved it! However I left because I was not allowed to do the job I loved doing. I wasn’t able to meet the children where they were, to work with them to create opportunity and possibility where they could learn in an environment that was devoid of testing and competition. I felt restricted and pushed into a box known as the National Curriculum. We were told to follow it slavishly otherwise when the inevitable Ofsted inspection (a term that still makes me shudder) came we were seen to be covering all bases. Or more accurately, covering our backs. Being seen to tick all the boxes seemed to be the most important thing for us to do.

Sadly although that was written in 2012 the situation now is no better.

We are not teaching our children how to communicate effectively, how to listen with a view to grasp understanding or how to think without pre conceived influences affecting their ability to grow. They leave school feeling marginalised, confused, with a need to conform juxtaposed with a fundamental nature for excitement and adventure. Our current Millennials are leaving full time education with a mission to pay back a vast loan rather than a vision to take a risk, start a business, be entrepreneurial and change the world. On every level this is wrong.

Imagine for a moment a classroom where the fundamental ‘soft skills’ were taught. If children as young as 4 or 5 were shown how to truly listen to each other, to empathise, to understand the other person’s point of view. To be given tools to equip them with the best way to share their opinions and thoughts, to understand in its basic form how conflict resolution works.

“Currently there is no space in each school day to allow for personal growth, communication on a deeper level, self-reflection, mindfulness, introspection.”

You can contact Gill at:

gill@becollaboration.com