Enterprise:101 - Myths and Overview

DEBUNKING THE MYTHS

"I need to be an entrepreneur myself, or be a business teacher." Anyone can incorporate enterprise into

their practice whether or not they have had any personal experience as enterprise is all about adding value for others and being resourceful. Remind yourself of our key enterprise skills; as a teacher you will already be an expert communicator, team worker and creative – you’re more than halfway there!

"I need lots of tech."

Not true at all, there are loads of premade – and free! – resources you can use that require little to no tech. For example, our Online Challenges are in the form of printable booklets, and many of our partners offer offline activities that are fully inclusive regardless of the tech you have to hand.

"I'll have to create my own resources."

We have a whole range of free online resources for you to take advantage of that you can download from our site, however if you have created your own resources and you think that others would benefit from them – share them with us and we’ll help you to promote them far and wide!

"It will cost my school lots of money."

Embedding enterprise into your curriculum costs absolutely nothing in terms of money, all you need is a little creativity and drive – check out our Resources page for access to loads of FREE resources to get you started!

"It's disruptive to learning."

Quite the opposite! Given how flexible enterprise education is, the active aspect of it can actually engage with a wider range of learners and allow them to apply their knowledge and skills in a range of situations.

"It's all about profit-making."

As much as many do tend to associate Enterprise with making money, the two do not necessarily go hand in hand. We know some practitioners are weary of the concept of profit-generation, so why not focus on adding social or cultural value for others as opposed to solely financial? Enterprise education does, however, offer a super context to develop financial capability in your learners. They might choose to donate any money raised to a cause they feel strongly about or you could form your own social enterprise to show that profits can be invested back into their cause rather than the business owners’ pockets.

SUMMARY

In summary, any practitioner has the potential to be an enterprising educator – the secret is in adding value for your learners by being creative and open to opportunities that will enable you to facilitate the development of their skills and knowledge for learning, life and work. By thinking outside of the box and applying an enterprising pedagogy, simple learning experiences can be elevated and enhanced by incorporating multiple curricular areas, active learning strategies, using real-life contexts and building partnerships beyond the usual classroom environment.

Whilst enterprise education can help learners who choose a pathway to entrepreneurship or self-employment, it also equips ALL learners with the skills required to be successful learners, active citizens and adaptable members of the workforce, in order to fulfil their potential.

Enterprising learners find new opportunities and are often more engaged in their learning. Enterprising employees are adaptable, continuously learn and are more motivated as they help to shape their work and their organisations. Enterprising members of society make things happen to benefit the community – they drive campaigns, mobilise others and get stuff done!

Enterprise education plays a vital role in Scotland’s curriculum and wider education policy, and it’s important to remember that support is available. All references throughout are readily available for you to utilise, and you can also visit the Scotland’s Enterprising Schools website to download any of the free resources hosted to jump-start your enterprise practice.