Leading, teaching and learning
Changemakers for Sustainable Development in Schools By John Cannings and Alexandra Catallo
A
ndrew Watson in the last issue capacity building and empowerment: the of International School magazine ability to be both creative and adaptive. highlighted that the world is close to a tipping point, citing the work Why was there a need for of Johan Rockström and Will Day. Both Webinars on ‘Case Studies for argued that in the next ten Change’? years the world is going The authors of this article, The webinars to face a number of social Alex Catallo and John provided and environmental issues Cannings, agreed with many because of climate change, participants with of the views that Andrew and some of these changes expressed, and decided to opportunities may be irreversible. Andrew run a series of webinars to to discuss further suggested that highlight what practitioners issues with the in the classroom are doing schools have a critical role in helping to avoid this grave to bring about a paradigm presenters situation and that there shift within their schools for needs to be a ‘Renaissance Sustainability Education. We in Education’. This view is one that felt this would complement the academic many writers would agree with (see, for discussions of Sustainability in Education instance, Hargreaves, 2008; Sterling, 2008; that we have both experienced. Ackoff and Haynes, 2010). As Andrew In presenting his Golden Circle, Simon also argued, we need a more fundamental Sinek (2005) shows us that finding your change in thinking and an education purpose, or your ‘why’, is crucial if others that embraces a holistic approach, are going to be inspired to join you. By including systems and design-thinking ‘why’, Sinek means: What’s your cause? and complexity. Education needs to be What’s your belief? Why do transformative and needs to encourage you get out of bed in the morning? And why should anyone care?
18 | International School | Autumn 2021
The why is our belief system, it roots us in authenticity and genuine attachment, it is powerful and it also explains why some organisations and some leaders are able to inspire, when others can’t. Sinek explains that, for success, we have to connect not just the head but also the heart. By connecting our thinking to our belief systems people are generally attracted to beliefs that align with their own.
Our WHY? We recognised early on in the webinar series that we have a shared core belief; that it is time for a shift from philosophising about sustainable development, towards a practical need for urgent social transformation. We need a cognitive shift – to take all the thinking and worrying of the last sixty years regarding Earth’s future and our place in it, and turn it into something that transforms what we do at the chalk face and how our students act when they emerge from it. In the webinar series, that ‘Why’ brought others to us, not because what we had to say was ground-breaking, but because they also believe in a need for action in schools, they had reached a tipping point as well – how can we do things differently? Others shared our belief that something needs to change. The webinars provided participants with opportunities to discuss issues with the presenters and included a wide range of people with interests in education (students, teachers, school administrators, parents). Geographically, participants ranged from China in the East to Scotland in the West. Below, we provide a brief summary of the key lessons learned from the webinars.
