Few institutions in our society are subject to as much passion, dissent, and, ultimately, paralysis as education. What is the source of the crisis in education and why does it seem to be so difficult to resolve?
As readers of this blog you won’t be surprised that my answer to both these questions is beliefs. Whenever you discover dysfunctional behavior—in individuals, organizations, or institutions—you will find beliefs at the source.
To understand the role of beliefs in creating the current crisis in education, let’s look at one widely accepted belief about what education should do: The primary purpose of education is to impart a prescribed amount of information about specific subjects.
As a result of that belief, we have federal, state and local programs designed to insure that students achieve a minimum level of proficiency (in other words, a minimum amount of information acquired) according to standardized tests. We rank our country compared to other countries based on scores on standardized tests that measure this.
What happened that initially led most people to accept the belief that a good education can be measured by the amount of information acquired? To answer, we must go back in time.
Compulsory education
When compulsory education was initiated in America over a century ago, its purpose was to prepare people to work in factories. Workers needed to read and write and be able to follow instructions. What a person knew about the world remained true during a lifetime of forty-some years. The amount of new knowledge produced during adult life was minimal. It wasn’t particularly important that one learn how to think independently or creatively.
Given such an environment, it made sense to conclude that there was a certain amount of information needed to succeed in life and that the function of school was to provide that information. The belief about the importance of learning a certain amount of information while in school was not wrong when it was formed. It made perfect sense and was totally appropriate, given the circumstances. It was the logical outcome of looking at the world as it existed when the belief was formed.
In today’s world, however, “facts” are in a constant state of change.
The amount of new knowledge produced every few years is greater than all the accumulated knowledge to date. The ability to succeed in the business world today (forget succeed—the ability even to get hired!) depends not so much on the quantity of information you know and how well you can follow orders but on your ability to think and act on your own. As Alvin Toffler put it, “The illiterate of the future are not those that cannot read or write, but those that cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
Today, people are not only changing jobs several times during their work lives; many of them are changing careers several times. Moreover, it has become increasingly clear that a satisfying life consists of more than business success. It requires a good sense of yourself, the ability to relate well to others, a positive sense of oneself, and lots more.
We need a new set of beliefs about education
The proposal for national standards to measure how much information has been learned in school is consistent with the existing beliefs about what education should be, but those beliefs are no longer appropriate. We need schools that operate consistently with a new sets of beliefs that are appropriate for today, one that opens the possibility for new educational strategies. There are some schools providing what is needed, but by definition they are “alternative” schools, operating outside the prevailing set of beliefs.
Let’s consider the difference between the “current” set of beliefs and a possible new one that is more appropriate for our time.
Compare the strategies resulting from different beliefs
Notice that the beliefs constituting the existing paradigm generate questions and strategies about how to achieve norms, obedience, and correct answers. The new beliefs lead to questions and strategies about how to motivate for lifelong learning, how to strengthen self-discipline, how to awaken curiosity, and how to encourage creative risk-taking in people of all ages.
Ron Miller, author of What Are Schools For?, describes the essence of this new paradigm:
Holistic educators recognize that all aspects of life are interconnected. They contend that education must be concerned with the physical, emotional, social, aesthetic/creative, and spiritual qualities of every person, as well as traditionally emphasized intellectual and vocational skills…. In our culture, education is implicitly equated with the transmission of information, particularly through written sources. But holistic educators have, for two centuries, asserted that education is an active engagement between a person and a vastly complex world. Holistic education emphasizes experience, not “Great Books” or a few “basic skills.” … Why limit students to a curriculum of academic subjects when the entire cosmos is at hand? Education, as John Dewey so eloquently argued, must not be seen as “preparation” for life—it is life! Education is growth, discovery, and a widening of horizons. This is just the opposite of traditional educational goals—discipline, order, high test scores—that aim to prepare children for the limited world which the adult generation has created.
If this description of an alternative model for education makes sense given today’s world, what educational strategies might we use to improve the educational system? We might focus on learning how to ask the right questions and how to think, rather than on dry facts that are not seen as relevant to one’s life. We might give students more responsibility for their own learning. We might use more learning experiences outside the classroom. We might relate the information that is taught to each student’s daily life. We might blend information from different areas together into core curricula so that students learn math when they study art and grammar when they study drama.
Strategies already exist that could solve most of today’s educational problems. What’s missing are the beliefs that would allow us to accept those strategies.
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I’ll expand on that problem theory by saying this. I’ve been here for a number of years and back in the 70’s the big trend was talking about how people feel. They started talking about things like depression for instance. In their quest to enlighten people did they actually help ? or did they become a part of creating a problem that never existed in the first place ? Think about it, lol.
So when these self proclaimed masters of the secret came onto the scene I wonder the same thing. Did they help ? or did they create more problems where none existed to begin with ? lmao
Teaching and Learning
It’s not just the schools who are responsible in teaching our children, it’s the entire society.
A society consists of families. Parents of every family are the purveyors of the environment in which they bring up their children. Teachers are parents/guardians; whether they are married or unmarried, have children or are childless, doesn’t matter. They all are part of the same paradigm. That is, if it’s a functioning paradigm. If it’s a dysfunctioning paradigm, then the educational system will be hampered. An ill-prepared and unhappy child will always have trouble learning. If the child is burdened by a broken/dysfuntional family, and has a “bad” teacher, who, then, is responsible in correcting that child’s paradigm?
Actually thats not true. I’m a living example of a child who was raised in a dysfuntional home. I love to learn, always have and always will. As a result of that childhood experience I am also a critical thinker. I’ve had insights into things that no one on the planet has discovered, or at least no one is talking about it lol.
My thoughts on what you’ve said about correcting a childs paradigm are simple. Granted the road is so much smoother when one has been raised with Shelly’s methods, however I’ve discovered that despite external influences I’ve managed to self correct.
So the question I have is why would anyone want to take responsibility for what ails society ? If you take it on, it becomes your problem and who’s to say a problem even exists ? I’ve found it’s best to channel ones time into doing what they love. The rest will take care of itself. But thats just me. I’m not here to save the world, lol, I’m just here to have an experience.
Thomas,
I, too, since I learned to read, have loved to learn. Though there was no physical abuse in my home and my parents were married for 41 years(my father died in ’89), it was much more subtle. I came out of childhood shy, unprepared for being on my own, scared, and very little confidence in my abilities. Most people are concerned about their child “making it” and really, is it up to me to make sure of it? This ultimately creates a paradigm of control of “how” this is going to be accomplished according to my own vision. The ultimate for any child is, as you state, doing what they love. And it all begins with sharing with that child that what they love to do is the ultimate. Force, in the end, just creates its own problems. Humility is about feeling good about who I am and what I do; appreciation and recognition are just the icing on the cake.
Merry Christmas,
Lauren
I love this post and so appreciate the insight. The research to support the connection between beliefs and education will help me in my quest to make parents more aware of their role in planting seeds of purpose in the life of their children. The parent role is key until we begin to see education reform.
Hi Camille,
Take a look at Shelly’s parenting course that has some of the best material I’ve ever seen on parenting. http://parentingthelefkoeway.com.
Thanks for taking the time to post.
Love, Morty
OMG, it’s funny how this work reminds me of something someone said to me in the past. Life is empty and meaningless, lol.
You know know Lauren Thom Hartman says that everyone born has or is a genius. I happened to read several of his books after someone I know suggested I read Indigo children. Ahh, life’s chain of events, lol.
I just recalled a quotation I collected years ago:
“Education is the lighting of a fire, not the filling of a bucket.” -W.B. Yeats
This is the direction schools need to go in order to graduate young people into the world who can think for themselves instead of filling them with dogma.
Morty,
A thought provoking article. Here are some thoughts that it provoked in me.
1. The most Basic skill that anybody has to master is problem solving.
2. The next skill is the ability to identify a problem before it becomes unsolvable. (too much resource spent for too little gain). Only a crisis or total breakdown with force a solution to be found.
3. The next skill has to be the ability and willingness to take ownership for what happens in your life. Tied into this is the willingness to experiment and try new things. Willingness to put your existence on the line if need be.
4. The ability to overcome adverse circumstances is a basic survival skill. I am not talking of situation specific skills, I am talking of the mental framework you have when you encounter adversity. Occurrence handling should be a basic skill taught to all sentient beings.
5. The most basic duty of all education has to be the ability to create a mental model of the universe that is accurate and realistic and equips students with the ability to survive and thrive in this ever changing world.
6. The skill that everybody needs in today’s world and does,nt get at school is teamwork and brotherhood. The version that is taught everywhere simply teaches you that you belong to a team or a fraternity and only victory and annihilation of all other teams is the end all and be all of teams. People belonging to other teams are inferior or deficient in some way. Folks in your team are cool or hot or hep, all others are trash. How many of us think of ourselves as a human and a child of light ? We think we are Americans and the guys in Afghanistan are bozos, heathens or hoodlums. Guys in Afghanistan think Americans are Satanic, ADD and OCD patients and out of control control freaks. When are schools going to teach that we are all passengers on the same ship called earth and that this boat has sprung a leak and it needs to be fixed.
7. When will schools teach that our bretheren are still arriving and they will not have a pot to piss in, if we continue the way we are going. I am talking of the future generations of man that are yet to come. I am talking of the future generations of other species yet to come.
8. Schools teach analysis, classification and differntiation and how to break things down in order to understand what things are made of. While this is important, what is vital is that schools teach synthesis, commonality and integration and allow stidents to understand how things operate in this brownian motion based world we all live in.
9. Morty makes the point that everything including knowledge is speeding up and folks need to constantly adapt going forward. This reminds me of what happens to brownian motion when the medium is heated. Maybe Arab spring, Europe Spring (or is it Autumn ?) are symptoms of things coming to a boil ? Look at the speed at which recessions are occuring in time. We are getting busts at ever increasing frequency. Does it remind you of how water boils ?
If you can understand what I am indicating, your education has not been a total waste. If not, well, its too bad that guys like me have to sink along with you. But that is life, and one can only make the best of something that he has in hand.
Cheers !
Interesting point about teamwork, lol, excuse my laughter but at one point I explored that “concept” as it is in the world today. I had to ask myself if I am such a valuable team member then why am I not being compensated equally. lmao. I love it.
There is a belief in business that one, meaning the CEO is more valuable than the person who sweeps the floors for instance. The thing is you can have the greatest idea on the planet but without others your idea or vision is useless.
I often wonder why the US has taken on the role of ” peacekeepers” when they haven’t a clue, lol, how to achieve that goal or ideal. I think that in the US we’ve been led to believe that our model of democracy is the ultimate package and yet we have more problems than you can shake a stick at, lol.
And here’s the crux of that belief, yes we need these politicians to solve our problems, lol. It reminds me of a parent who never taught their children how to solve their own problems. It’s unfortunate but many are still sucking mommy’s tit. lol
I must have had a decent education or it may have been my thirst to learn, but your synopsis makes perfect sense to me. All my life I’ve searched for the heart of matters; not to dissect each part, but to understand what goes into them and work with what is(using Occuring tools helps tremendously in “dusting away” pre-conceptions and assumptions) instead of wishing it is a certain way. I love to learn all the time; putting time into finding a way to “beat” someone is something that wastes time. Competition is okay if it shows new ideas and ways of doing things. I enjoy watching cooking competitions on tv, not to see someone beat someone else, but to see how creative the competitors can be with the ingredients they’re working with. Communication is part of the fuel that is bringing the “medium” to boil. The more we engage, the more beliefs clash and an even better reason to dissolve those beliefs as well as everyday occurrings so we can see one another as human beings sharing this planet, instead of as adversaries competing for the resources available. Thanks for sharing your insights.
Lauren
Lauren
I agree with you with regard to your insight about competition. If it creates win win then its a good thing, otherwise it creates ill will, lol.
I recall when Obama got into a pissing contest with North Korea about nuclear weapons. It upset me because what the leaders have been doing amounts to nothing more than the actions of a dysfunctional parent. The old do as I say but not as I do. Yes I wrote a rather long letter to the white house and the core idea was you don’t have the right to tell anyone how to live their lives, not now, not ever.
The motivations I had in doing that had everything to do with knowing myself and the gift i have for leadership. I don’t know what I love more art or leadership. I’ve had hands on experience and even went to school for leadership. I’ve read many many books on the subject as well.
Before I became a single parent I had a great job in management. I had a reputation that proceed itself, the pay sucked but it was a learning experience that I’ll cherish for the rest of my days. There was a vp there that I often brainstormed with and something she said I’ll never forget. She made a point to tell me what she had said to a seminar leader once. She saw something in me I didnt see in myself. She told that leader , you see that young man there, he’s gonna go far someday.
When I was going through my divorce things came to a head and I walked away from that organization. I just felt as if my kids were more important than working for a place that was changing its mentality from a heart centered to a bottom line business. I’ve been self employed ever since.
I rebelled as a child and not in the best of ways either. I got into drugs and drinking to numb myself from the anger I felt. It didn;t work though, lol. At the time I was also on a quest to discover why people behave badly so to speak. I’ve gotton my answers. Now I’m at a point where I’m not sure where to go.
Out of curiosity have you ever read Anastasia ? I happen to agree with most of what’s been said, especially when it comes to mother earth and just how badly our society has treated her. I made a comment to someone about the expansion in sedona. I think they should be ashamed of themselves for allowing that to happen. That space belongs to eveyone and theyve ruined it all for the sake of a buck.
A few more thoughts then I’ll let this go where it may but I happen to agree with Morty on his take on the self help industry. I wondered to myself does it have to get to a point where that industry is regulated ? Licensed ? and hard core proof that their methods work ? unconditional money back guarantees ?
I can’t begin to tell you how much time and money I’ve wasted in that area.
Anyways another stream of thoughts came to mind regarding the us of a. Oprah did a show on the happiest places to live in the world. My thought after watching was why not implement the best of the best right here ?
Hi,
Thanks for taking the time to write a great comment.
Love, Morty
Lauren
No I haven’t heard the natural confidence dvd. I’m still working through Morty’s program, plus I’m doing Joseph Riggio’s work as well. TCP is what thats called.
A thought came to mind though after reading your post. It’s all possible that I am not really stuck, that like the prize fighter I am once again in preparation mode for what’s next, or what it is that I’d like to do next.
Someone I know suggested that I get some of my newest photos printed and get involved more in the gallery scene. He’s a teacher and I’m also considering going back to school for a degree in art. Not because I need a degree but because of where it may lead me.
I didn’t leave on the best of terms where my old “spiritual” teacher was concerned. I fundamentally disagreed with the philosophical approach she was using. I think that many of the LOA teachers I’ve encountered have done the same thing. I’m not saying it’s wrong in and of itself but the real test for me is noticeable change in a short amount of time. So far I like Morty’s program.
As a side note to that experience with the “spiritual” teacher. Someone in the group asked me if I would ever be a teacher. At the time I said no, but what I continued to say was simple. Once you got what you needed from me you would never have to return, not ever.
I would have no desire to sell more and more. I think thats one of the greatest flaws with many of the teachers out there.
Thomas,
It’s not a question of selling more and more. The question is: does learning ever stop?
If a teacher continues to develop additional useful material that you cannot create on your own, is there any reason you can’t keep studying from the teacher?
I’ve developed some of my most powerful matrial in the past two years and I hope to do even more in the next few years.
For years I helped people eliminate beleifs, which made a profound difference in people’s lives. Then I figured out how giving meaning to events, moment by moment, also had a profound impact on our lives and wasn’t the same thing as beliefs. So I figured out a way to help people stop giving meaning moment by moment.
Who knows what’s next?
Love,Morty
No one knows whats next. I’m all for learning, the problem I had with that teacher was her claims didn’t fit the studies. It was the same old stuff everyone else was rehashing. A few of the beliefs had conseqenses I didnt care for. It kinda fits with what you said about the spiritual crowd, are they trying to escape reality ?
Even Dr Riggio says yesterdays teachings are already out of date. I for one happen to agree. I think your work and his are a nice compliment to each other.
As a small part of the national ed. reform movement – No, the REAL one – not the one proposed by Arne Duncan, Bill Gates and Michelle Rhee – the one that made the educator’s march on Washington happen. Angela Engle and I began collaborating about a year ago with this new wing of the National At-Risk Education Network, that we are calling Uniting4Kids (.com, of course). We are all volunteers feeling our way towards Real Reform. Each of us has a context and many of us other careers as well, but we do believe more along Ferguson’s model.
Many of us are fascinated with the Educating for Human Greatness concept by Lynn Stoddard, a dear man – 84 now – who has dedicated his retired life to tirelessly spreading the message about child-centered learning. His theory, which I am blessed to have helped edit in his new book, is all about character building in the seven I’s of Integrity, Interaction, Initiative, Identity, Inquiry, Intuition, and Imagination.
Many of us see subject matter (content) as a vehicle for learning life’s important things – things you will need all your life. I have written several books in education, but nothing like the one going on with a group of very smart feet-on-the-ground educators, all of whom are working in the schools in some capacity, or have retired. Our model is an amalgam of best practices…what has already been proven to work…but put together in a cohesive, meaningful, and (dare I say it?) ENJOYABLE manner.
Learning should be like that hobby you may have…the excitement on getting to indulge in it – even if for a short while, the eagerness with which we devour the latest edition of the hobby’s journal, and the enthusiasm of working on a project in that hobby area. Learning should mostly be like that. All of it keeping us ready and able to handle the next thing…whether today or 20 years from now.
There are BASICs we all need…but even those are fun to learn when in context of being part of some thing/activity you are enthused about. I remember wanting to be a certified diver and went through some training spread over ten weeks held at our local YMCA. We had a book and classes every Tuesday night. We had to have our own scuba gear for the class or could borrow our instructor’s equipment. I became so frustrated as week after week went by and we weren’t even in the water; yett I devoured that book, poor thing was dog-eared and had two or three different colors of ink underlining things each time I reread the chapter for the week. I could not wait for Tuesday whiling away the time reading articles or watching videos by Cousteau over and over. <====THAT kind of regard we need for learning.
Our new model – which will also be a manual – is months away from being published. But I think it will make a major contribution to REALISTICALLY reforming education in a way that works. It is simple. Not easy ;-) – but simple, applicable, useful, and – most importantly – meaningful. And I think meaningful is the key word. Right now our country is in a Race to Nowhere educationally, and hungry for leadership and direction that truly exhibits its care for children in a way that eventually benefits us all educationally.
Thanks for reading. Keep up the stream of consciousness, Marty.
Tony
P.S. Oh, Affirmations DO work but the formula is so specific and exacting that few wish to mess with it, i.e. it takes work. EEK! hahaha
Hi Tony,
Sounds like you are doing some really interesting work on education.
I’ve been interested in what makes for a “good” education since I had two children who needed to be educated. I’ve read a lot and learned a lot, and still have a lot to learn.
But whatever the “answer,” we are going to have to change some beleifs to be open to anything fundamentally different from what we have now.
Love,Morty
Thank you for your very informative article which i am very happy today to make a comment. Do you think this new ideas can work in Africa, knowing that we are not as advanced as you are in the United States. You know many things you take for granted there are yet to be made available here. Probably, when we develop and make some reasonable progress we shall consider this new idea you’re apostatizing. I believe strongly in the say “we have to learn,re-learn and unlearn” it is the only way to remain relevant in view of changes everywhere.
Humans learn by themselves. Does not matter, if it is Africa of USA, of Eastern Europe where I live. The only thing that is necessary, is freedom, time and some source of information, like internet. Change yourself to the better and help Your friends to change too. Learn and prosper togather. everything is possible if we believe it is.
Hi Ukpong,
Beliefs are beleifs, anyplace in the world.
It is possible to set up any type of educational system, anyplace, depending on the country’s beleifs about education.
Lover, Morty
Your observations about belief put a valuable perspective on what we should be doing with education. However, I think we can be more specific on what we are teaching so we can better help students be able to ask good questions. Steven Pinker said: “Education is a technology that tries to make up for what the human mind is innately bad at.” Becoming educated takes work because it forces us to view the world in a counter intuitive way. In other words we have to train our brains to use new ways of thinking about the world that are different from the way our brains normally view things. We call these different ways of thinking disciplines for a reason. Each discipline forces us to learn to discipline our thinking in a different way. That is what formal education should be focusing on, pushing students to practice (discipline) the many alternate ways of looking at and evaluating the world around them. We hope they will begin to use these new skills to supplement and inform those they are innately born with.
Indeed, learning how to ask good questions and to continue questioning through your entire life seems to me to flow up out of one’s holistic approach first to oneself, then to everything and everyone else. Thank you so much for an outstanding and desparately needed lucid set of arugments for a new belief system under which to operative our education processes.
Morty this reminds me of the time I was in school many years ago. In high school during the early 70’s I questioned the repetitive nonsense they were attempting to teach me. I basically told myself, what does this have to do with life? lol.
Well you know the answer I came up with was nothing. This has no bearing on how to live a happy healthy life. Idiots.
Something I’ve learned since then is I don’t believe in the concept of judgement as it’s taught by many of those masters of the secret sect. After all what do they really know other than their own experiences with consciousness. After having gone through roughly half of your course I have to say what do any of us really know for certain about life and why we are here.
I don’t deny that the world events taking place right now are in their own unique way telling us as a society that change is needed. As Einstein said insanity is doing things the same way and getting the same results. That simple analogy applies to just about every aspect of human life as we know it.
It’s not just the education system that’s dysfunctional. It’s parenting skills, government, world peace, business, etc etc. It’s almost like a disease who’s time has come to be eradicated once and for all.
I empathize with you, Thomas. By the time I reached my junior year in the mid 70s, I was bored with school. It felt repetitious like you’re saying and I felt ready to move on. After reading Morty’s article, I can see that our whole system is in trouble if students are just going because they “have” to. As far as society, it is only the beginning. I see a schism between the traditionalists who want to go back in time to a “simpler” era(translate: sweep everything troubling under the carpet) and the progressives who want things out in the open, discussed, and figured out so that all benefit. Beliefs are indeed self-limiting as well as societally limiting.
Lauren Back then I had no self esteem what so ever. The only time I was ever happy was when I was a todler standing in the crib, from that point onward it was a living hell. I was either being yelled at, smacked or beat with a belt. I grew up mistrusting any authority figures, even to this day. My original father left when I was too young to know. Mom remarried 3 more times and each time i felt as if I was to blame. She had that evil eye, omg. I used to describe mom’s behavior to my friends as if she was a dr jekle and mr hyde.
I can relate to the suicide as I felt that way as a freshman. At that point I was pretty screwed up. I was either going to kill myself or fight back. I chose to fight back.
I’m on number 14 and what I really wanted most of all was loving kind parents. I feel sorry for my birth father. He’s been living with guilt for many years now. Yes we’ve talked since that time. The last time I saw him was in may of this year when I told him that my sister had died of cancer. She didn’t deserve that.
Ironically my fathers new family got everything I didn’t growing up.
Mom’s in the nursing home now, 3rd time over the past several years. She has phase 3 alzheimers. I haven’t been to see her since my sister died. It’s almost as if I just don’t give a damn anymore.
I have to continue speaking what’s on my mind. Over the years I’ve done so many things to change my life it would make your head spin. All to no avail. Then I had a what you would call a spiritual experience, thats when I turned to the masters of the secret people looking for answers. Their response was I created that. My thought was like hell I did.
My thoughts were yeah right I told my mother before I was born that she had my full permission to abuse me. At some point I conceded that maybe they were right, after all what do I know. I do know that Dr Phil would more than likely say to those people are you nuts ?
I grew up thinking that god must have hated me and I was being punished. lol. Yes there is a little bit of bitterness in me towards that group. I’ve spent years and money i didn’t have doing every possible method they teach to no avail.
I’ve come to the conclusion that most of them are just as screwed up as the rest of us. At least now I know what not to do.
I work on houses for a living if you can call it that. I hate it. I do love photography and art though and am hopefull I can transition my life towards that field as a way of earning a living. Only time will tell.
yes, right now I’m feeling a little bitter about my sister. I haven’t been back there to visit with my nephews since the funeral. I made a promise that I would gather up all the pictures that mom had and once I did that I would return.
god only knows I tried. she was deaf and I often wondered if it wasnt mom who caused that in the first place. Yes mom beat me so bad once I thought she wanted me dead. I can laugh about that now, but what bothers me most is all that airy fairy crap I gave her thinking it would help her get past being deaf.
I do feel stuck, I have for months now.
Thomas,
You know something? You have a strong spirit because I think you know, deep down inside where it really counts, that there has to be something better than the hell you’ve lived through. Have you done the Natural Confidence DVD? It is an eye-opener and a life-changer! I didn’t have nearly the childhood you did, yet I still came out with poor self-esteem. I’ve also had the spiritual experience and decided the Bible(I was raised as a Christian) didn’t come anywhere near relating. Discovered the Tao Te Chang which described my experience more than any “spiritual” book. Keep coming here; you sound like a sensitive individual who “knows” that there is something better. And there is. Thanks so much for sharing your life; I, for one, feel privileged to hear it.
Love and Light on your Continuing Journey,
Lauren
Loved this post Morty! Yes, the American Education system is outdated and “run” using an old paradigm that is no longer needed or works for that matter.
I found school to be absolutely dreadful after Elementary schoo,l and I couldn’t wait to graduate. If I had it to do over again I would have dropped out as early as I could and gotten my G.E.D. And then go off to College or start my career at an earlier age.
Education needs to focus on independence, interdependence, creativity, emotional maturity, and creative problem solving abilities.
Morty, i think the process of discovering and eliminating beliefs that cause us suffering, because of the distorted way the mind interprets reality, is probably one of the most important things we could do for ourselves to lessen the suffering we experience. I’ve been a student of Byron Katies, “the work” for almost a year now. It has truly changed my life. It has helped me to look at many different situations that caused me suffering, because of the stories my mind created in a differnt light. I think your work is just as powerful. The differnce though is how your work is put out there for the public to use. You log on to “thework.com” there is a helpline with certified facilitators 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from all over the world, willing and wanting to help relieve people of their suffering stories and beliefs. These facilitators volunteer their time to give back to the teachings that transformed their lives and relieved them from suffering. How come you dont have anything like that? I beleive in capitalism and making money. There’s nothing wrong with that, but at the same time if your facilitators had life changing results becasue of what they learned from you, dont you think that it would maybe a good idea for them to give back and donate time to a helpline, to help those that cant afford all the costs that your dvd’s and things cost. I beleive Katie Byron is still making tons of money, even with all the volunteers working on helplines. Log onto her site and see how many volunteer facilitators there are from all over the world. These people are amazing. Their lives changed and this is how they give back. There are also facilitators that charge fees but plenty more that just give back. I worked with 1 facilitator for a time that I actually paid, and she helped me greatly, but when other issues came up, i couldnt continue to keep paying $150/hr, i then went to the helpline and it was transformative. It would be great if you offered something like that. I hear you talk a lot about spirituality. Spirituality is giving back. Although you have a free thing to get rid of 3 beleifs, its not enough for some people. As you know, there are deep rooted beliefs that sometimes people need more help with. It would be nice for your facilitators to volunteer and give back for people that cant afford all those costs.
Reply
Hi Orrie,
Thanks for taking the time to post your suggestion.
Most people who just “do” the Lefkoe Belief Process are not able to help others eliminate beleifs. Some people can learn it that way, but most people have to be trained to use it effectively. Our process is more complex that Byron’s four questions.
Many people who have figured out how to use it on their own or after training help friends and family all the time. I wouldn’t want to have these people answer a call to the Lefkoe Institute because I wouldn’t know if they really knew how to use the Lefkoe Belief process effectively and I wouldn’t want them representing our work incorrectly.
But if they want to help people they know, then that’s no problem, and people do that every day.
Love, Morty
Morty, i think the process of discovering and eliminating beliefs that cause us suffering, because of the distorted way the mind interprets reality, is probably one of the most important things we could do for ourselves to lessen the suffering we experience. I’ve been a student of Byron Katies, “the work” for almost a year now. It has truly changed my life. It has helped me to look at many different situations that caused me suffering, because of the stories my mind created in a differnt light. I think your work is just as powerful. The differnce though is how your work is put out there for the public to use. You log on to “thework.com” there is a helpline with certified facilitators 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from all over the world, willing and wanting to help relieve themselves of their suffering stories and beliefs. These facilitators volunteer their time to give back to the teachings that transformed their lives and relieved them from suffering. How come you dont have anything like that? I beleive in capitalism and making money. There’s nothing wrong with that, but at the same time if your facilitators had life changing results becasue of what they learned from you, dont you think that it would maybe a good idea for them to give back and donate time to a helpline, to help those that cant afford all the costs that your dvd’s and things cost. I beleive Katie Byron is still making tons of money, even with all the volunteers working on helplines. Log onto her site and see how many volunteer facilitators there are from all over the world. These people are amazing. Their lives changed and this is how they give back. There are also facilitators that charge fees but plenty more that just give back. I worked with 1 facilitator for a time that I actually paid, and she helped me greatly, but when other issues came up, i couldnt continue to keep paying $150/hr, i then went to the helpline and it was transformative. It would be great if you offered something like that. I hear you talk a lot about spirituality. Spirituality is giving back. Although you have a free thing to get rid of 3 beleifs, its not enough for some people. As you know, there are deep rooted beliefs that sometimes people need more help with. It would be nice for your facilitators to volunteer and give back for people that cant afford all those costs.
yes! confirms a lot of the education and learning theories that I’m learning in my Master’s program, especially one of educational reform’s leaders Paulo Friere
Love the article, and love the comments by all.
I would like to know of any schools that currently teach with this strategy. Are there?
Thank You Morty, I always enjoy your posts.
Judy
Hi Judy,
The one my children went to is a great example: The Mead School in Greenwich, CT. Call them and ask if they know of any schools in your area.
Love, Morty
This is a timely article for me. I am considering homeschooling my daughter (still young so we have some time to decide) for the very reasons you mention in your article. It is a difficult decision to make because it goes against the norm of everything I “know” and I wonder if she would be missing out on some experiences by not being educated in a traditional classroom. I don’t worry about “socialization” – there are many other homeschooling families and resources in our community. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on homeschooling.
Hi Jody,
We were considering homeschooling when we found an incredible alternative school when we lived in CT: the Mead school in Greenwich. If we hadn’t found that, we might have tried homeschooling.
I think most public schools are toxic environments that kids have to overcome for the rest of their lives.
I think there are far more advantages than disadvantages to homeschooling if you have the time to do it.
Love, Morty
Morty,
Wonderful, timely article. Educators themselves are now seeing the impotance of character over test scores, as they see that test scores alone do not get the person through life, and this is so true! I see high scoring people broke and living off their parents and self-made people flying though life! I wish society would awaken to this, though. Society continues to judge.
This new system of education will take a while to implement as people stray away from it, as people aske themselves of its outdated significance and effects on their life.
Thank you!!!!
Some things can only be learned by repetition. Speaking for one and learning to play a musical instrument are 2 I can think of. One must learn some basics before they can do problem solving and think for yourself.
Problem solving and thinking for yourself begins at home; not in a system that actively discourages thinking for yourself and encourages repetition and fitting in as the standard for getting an education. Children naturally do things over and over until they learn it; the trouble begins when beliefs are applied such as “You’re six years old and so it’s time to learn to read” or “You’re 11 and still can’t muliply and divide? They’re must be something wrong with you(as opposed to something not working with the system). Or this one, “We have this IEP for your son and he is going to learn this(translated as: even though he has no interest in this subject whatsoever, we are going to force him to learn it)
Hi Mac,
I agree with Lauren’s comment. I agree that some things can only be learned by repetition. But there is a difference in someone choosing to learn a skill because one is interested in it and someone being told they must learn a skill by repetition that they have no interest it.
Also, there is a difference when most of education consists of learning skills by repetition.
Love, Morty
Hi Morty,
In Canadian schools,and I mention Canadian because I don’t know much about other country’s educations systems, my kids struggled through the “Discovery Method” of learning. This method challenges students to figure things out for themselves and come up with their own solutions. It tries to teach them to think for themselves to understand what they are learning at a deeper level. By nature it is a frustrating system as you don’t get to do things in a comfortable, repetitive way. You are forced to constantly struggle to think for yourself.
When I went to school it was more of a rote learning method. Having been brought up in that earlier paradigm I used to think the Discovery Method was a bad thing,as I felt my kids weren’t learning the facts that they need to know, but I have since changed my mind.
I have had the good fortune to travel to India through my work and my impression from working with people there is that they are much better at doing things consistently and following prescribed methods than we are but struggled with problem solving. (I would love input from people who went through the Indian education system.) From that I saw the benefit of what our educators are trying to do. The good news is that our education system is moving in the direction you are describing.
I wonder what beliefs the new paradigm comes from that we will eventually let go of as we move on in this ever changing adventure.
Love,
Frank
Dear Morty,
I am a student myself who struggles a lot with exams, exam preparation and the educational system itself…What sort of beliefs should I acquire and how can I do that? By affirmations?
Sincerely,
Timo
Hi Timo,
Personally I don’t think much of affirmations. I’ve never sen them work, and maybe they do for some people.
The major issue is not what positive beliefs do you need to create, but what negative beliefs you have that are getting in the way. Our Natural Confidence program would help a lot.
Love, Morty
Great article Morty :).
Thank you very much for the powerfull perspective ( in harmony with what I also think and promote ).
It comes just in time when we ( a team of 12 inspired coaches ) are on the verge to launch a pilot project in high schools in Romania for transforming the way the education is approached and fostered. It will constitute a source for reflection for all the involved stakeholders.
Looking forward to your next great articles :)
Keep doing it :)
Costel
Hi Costel,
Please let me know how the project in Romania goes. I’d love to hear.
Love, Morty
Morty,
Such a timely article! Children are naturally curious and ready and eager to learn. The problem is the “curriculum”. Once kids are told what they “must” learn the curiosity and natural eagerness to learn fades. Children are natural scientists until an adult comes along and attempts to direct what they are learning. After that, learning becomes another “should” or “need” or “must” instead of a natural process we are all born with. Learning something new now still thrills me. When I go to someone’s house and see few books around, I wonder how they can possibly role model a love of learning. I look forward to seeing more on this subject.
Love and Light,
Lauren
Morty,
Good analysis of the condition of our education system. And it got worse when measuring the results of information passing became popular. As you noted, entire countries are rated on how successful their schools are at passing the prescribed information on to the kids. And in order to cram as much useless information into those young brains, they’ve given up on the holistic approach.
There was a time not many years ago when the school systems where I live decided to stress self-esteem in the students. Then along came the standardized testing to make sure all districts in the state were meeting the arbitrary standards.
When you stress upon kids that they’re to learn a predetermined amount of information, they’re naturally (most, anyway) going to see that as the end goal. Done. Finished.
The lucky kids are the ones whose parents instill a curiosity and desire to learn in them. Never finished.
Owen
I don’t believe you mentioned the importance of knowing how to find information and answers, of knowing where to look, the importance of asking the right questions and questioning assumptions.
Hi Mary,
Yes, those things should be part of a “good” education.
Thanks for taking time to post.
Love, Morty
Thanks for another great article. Yes, learning should be seen and approached in a new angle in accordance to the changing time. Students should be taught to love learning, and how to learn and apply the knowledge and information gained that will serve them well in life, rather than the emphasis on academic results. Reminds me of the analogy of teaching one to fish, rather than to give them a fish.
Very interesting article and I find myself in agreement with your ideas. As a long time educator I also believe there are many teachers who would also agree. If we were to begin to implement systems based on the Beliefs of a New Paradigm of Learning, one challenge teachers would face is how to operate within the current system of teacher evaluation and the new paradigm. However challenging, the topic is timely and worthy of exploring. Thank you!