Seth Godin’s recent blog post ‘Pushing back on mediocre professors’ makes a persuasive argument to rethink our current educational system, approach, books and the professor! The post is meant to be a catalyst and as an educator, I was inspired to assess my own practices…
-In the age of ‘on demand education’ I go to great lengths to ensure that what I teach is relevant and helps learners excel in our challenging business environment. This means keeping myself educated about new trends, practices and concepts that are shaping the way we do business. I learn through networks, consuming a lot of online content and reading books. I strive to give my students real value, a compelling reason to pay attention and a vision to create opportunities in this new exciting world.
“The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know” – Albert Einstein
-One size fits all is doomed…and the movement is fast catching up with our educational system. In this noisy, always connected global environment, I highly personalize my interactions with learners and work with small groups and individuals. This creates an environment that is conducive to learning and development. In addition I participate in the Leaders of Tomorrow mentorship program at the Vancouver Board of Trade. This program is smart, it pairs aspiring students from local universities and colleges with industry professionals for a year and upon successful completion, students graduate just like they would in a college or university! I’m baffled as to why more educational institutions don’t adopt such models!
-In this age of change, I grasp every opportunity to encourage students to be curious, creative, imaginative, and be more tolerant towards failure. Heading into tomorrow, students need to perceive failure as a vital part of learning and education needs to do away with systems that create fear of failing and discourage experimenting and creation.
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work” – Thomas Edison
-As technology plays a colossal role in shaping our new business environment, how could I not I encourage, promote and celebrate it! Laptops, iPhones, blackberries and everything in between are a norm in my sessions.
There is no scarcity of information on this digital stage leading to the death of broadcast in the classroom. I deliver value through personalized engagement, creating an environment that encourages discovery and at the same time adapting a learning attitude to stay ahead of the curve. In today’s age, being an educator is a tall order!
