“We believe that the kind of person our learners become is far more important than how much they know. By viewing each of our learners as trustworthy, capable, and kind we know we are making a profound difference in their self-worth and who they become.”
The Village School
This session, Adventure learners are exploring the five Learning to Live Together character traits outlined in the TVS Profile of a Learner: accountability, compassion, servant leadership, collaboration, and respect.
Accountability
“By rising above and consciously holding ourselves accountable, we will be able to overcome what was holding us back and achieve things that we never thought possible.”
Janyssa Berrios
Learners dove into Session 2 with Janyssa Berrios’s Tedx Talk on accountability. After reflecting on Berrios’s ending challenge (see above quote), learners were invited to share any tools and strategies that they could use to hold themselves accountable during Session 2. One learner said, “I need to break big tasks down into small tasks. That will help me reach my goals.” Another learner stated, “I want to make daily goals and have a list of things I need to do.” To utilize these strategies and provide the space for each learner to make progress at their own pace, learners have been writing at least two goals of their own on a shared whiteboard in the studio each day. For example, one learner might plan to do forty-five minutes of math and thirty minutes of reading, while another learner may choose to write a Deep Badge Book review and complete research for Civilizations.
At TVS, learners have a lot of freedom and responsibility. One of their biggest responsibilities is taking ownership of their learning and putting their best effort into their work and community.
Compassion
“We don’t get harmony when everybody sings the same note. Only notes that are different can harmonize. The same is true with people.”
Steve Goodier
During the second week of Session 2, learners explored compassion as a way to help each other overcome obstacles. Naturally, this deep dive began with a story–a story about a snail and a caterpillar. In the story, a snail and a caterpillar are going to a garden party and face an unexpected challenge along their path–a wooden door. The snail’s shell is too big to fit under the door so she asks the caterpillar if they can go another way. At first, the caterpillar has a hard time understanding the snail’s request because he has never personally experienced that challenge. After talking things through with the snail and doing his best to see the situation from the snail’s perspective, the caterpillar and snail work together to find a different way to the party.
At the end of the story, learners were asked the following question:
Which of the following is the most important for seeing another perspective so we can help each other overcome obstacles?
- Focused listening
- Reminding yourself that everyone faces different challenges in different ways
- Asking thoughtful questions with sincerity
- Something else?
Though there were individuals in each camp, the majority of learners chose option B. Learners then discussed the benefits of tapping into compassion, shared several concrete examples of approaching situations with understanding, and explored how compassion can build a team.
Servant Leadership
Leaders eat last.
Simon Sink
At the beginning of the year, Adventure learners watched a talk given by leadership expert Simon Sinek on how to build trusting teams. In the talk, Simon challenges the audience by asking, “How do we create an environment in which our people can work at their natural best?” and stating, “Leadership is not about being in charge, it’s about taking care of those in your charge.” Simon’s question and statement served as two touch points for the learners while building the team last session. Now, two months later, learners have been challenged by Sinek’s words once again.
Sinek discusses servant leadership in his account of how he developed the title for his book Leaders Eat Last. Sinek proposes that the phrase ‘leaders eat last’ is very literal and that leadership itself is servant leadership. When asked what the phrase ‘leaders eat last’ looks like in day-to-day life, one learner responded, “Servant leadership looks like making sure everyone is taken care of.” A second learner added, “Leaders eat last looks like checking on someone when they’re having a bad day.” A third learner shared, “It’s helping people when they need it.”
Collaboration & Respect
Learners will wrap up their deep dive into the Learning to Live Together character traits by exploring collaboration next week and closing out the session with respect.
Learning to Live Together
At TVS, learners learn how to live together. The environment is often messy and the community is constantly changing. As each trailblazer ascends their mountain, they’re equipped with the tools they need along their path and, more importantly, choose who they are as they climb.
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