“I spent a long time trying to come to grips with my doubts, when suddenly I realized I had better come to grips with what I believe. I have since moved from the agony of questions that I cannot answer to the reality of answers that I cannot escape, and it's a wonderful relief.” ― Tom Skinner
Recently I advanced we have the control, capacity, competence, and confidence to ensure that each learner masters literacy and numeracy. We really do know what is necessary for us to do this. Sadly, achieving universal mastery or lack of is found more in how we feel about the fact that we haven’t.
Taking a risk that some will call idealistic as well as unrealistic I offer the three (3) steps necessary to achieve universal mastery of literacy and numeracy - in our time!
Step One: Inside out not outside in
Step Two: Permission
Step Three: Move the Fulcrum
I was “moved to the reality of answers that I [could not] escape” with respect to the awareness, understanding, and action necessary to address the failure to learn within our control as educators. I asked those I was honored and humbled to lead to suspend both energy and effort being expended on factors outside our control to focus on what we do, indeed, have control (more on this in a future writing). I shared the adage of “working smarter rather than working harder” was flawed. We needed laser “focus”. To inform our “focus” we needed to think differently about both the problem and our current path of action.
Einstein once said, “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” So it is, universal literacy and numeracy begins with our thinking.
I could think of no better example of changed thinking than to steal from the health field.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest I was introduced very early to what would become the “modern wellness” movement (I am not associating wellness to alternatives to medicine – rather, wellness as it relates to healthy lifestyle choices to improve physical health). I really didn’t give it much thought until I was confronted with a “new” reality.
Wellness posits we can proactively make decisions now to reduce, minimize the likelihood of health related issues in the future. Without judgment, exercise, food, controlled substances, tobacco, and etc. are areas of personal preference and choice. Yet, we learn more each day about the adverse impact of unhealthy choices within our control.
An interesting psychological phenomenon is at play. In general, past as well as emerging medical evidence attributed to use, misuse, or overuse is more often or not ignored, dismissed, rationalized, or suspended to continue in unhealthy practices or behaviors. I know - I did.
My personal disclosure is that I love sweets and don’t have the discipline to stop once I start – not so much in the form of candy but definitely in the form of donuts, pastries, ice cream, cookies, and etc. Then a sobering thing happened at an annual physical.
In my mid 30’s I learned the average American male gained 1-2 pounds annually. As my doctor pointed out, I was well ahead of the curve and making my way to be a robust candidate for Type II adult onset diabetes – my father as well as his father had both contracted Type II diabetes. Thus, the proverbial writing was on the wall.
My doctor told me, “well, I have good news and bad news – which would you like first?”
I said, “go for it – your choice.”
He paused and then said, “The bad news is that if you continue with what you’re doing you are highly likely to follow in your father and grandfathers foot steps.” “The good news, is that you have time to do something about it – now!”
Though I had suspended up to that point the reality that changes were needed, in hearing his words I experienced “conviction” – hearing and seeing old things in a new way. As we discussed a plan of action, he said, “lose weight, change your eating habits, and get back into physical exercise or …”
We discussed the “or” and what he said was simply not an option. I did not want to be on medication or any other possible treatments due to something that I could influence or possibly even control through choice.
There it was!
I internalized the reality and therefore “owned” the steps necessary to change my behavior – inside out. Suffice it to say; I was highly motivated to take action. I wanted to be proactive not reactive.
The antithesis of wellness is treatment – outside in.
The treatment mindset consists of the belief and practice that we can correct albeit with medication or surgery the unhealthy choices we’ve made. Treatment contends that there is an intervention, remediation, response or “treatment”.
The treatment mindset is closely aligned to a deficit model. Though many have denounced the deficit model in education, it is, however, very ingrained in mental models influencing practice everyday. One need only to look at what is expended in dollars on intervention programs as well as in human capital to remediate failed learning to see that the deficit model drives practice.
It is time to stop. It is time for different. Different begins with our thinking.
Thus, the first step in ensuring mastery of literacy and numeracy is accepting what were once questions without answers to answers that cannot be ignored.
Now more than ever we can employ a “prevention to intervention” model in education. Akin to wellness versus treatment, we don’t have to continue a “failed learning" intervention model when we can actually effectively and efficiently “prevent” intervention. Curious?
Next week, the prevention to intervention model outlined in Steps Two and Three - I promise this is not only doable but necessary. As we learned in our work, the "failure to learn" is just too expensive.
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