Published on December 4, 2024
On Presentation Day at HVGS, the students walking across the stage today are being recognized for the goals they have achieved: what they have learnt, the people they have become, and the service they have undertaken. They are recognized for demonstrating mastery in the knowledge and skills needed to be successful learners, holistically and within subjects.
Sometimes, though, we view achievement as about “doing” things or getting the top grades. Excellence is about more than hitting the target, getting an award on stage or a top grade. Excellence is also about being the best possible version of ourselves, learning from our mistakes, pivoting and doing things differently next time.
I have the great privilege of working with our aspiring leaders in Year 11 using a model called the Social Change Model of Leadership. It is a values-based model that looks at the interdependence of our individual, group and community values in leading change for the betterment of society. The model begins with an exploration of individual values: consciousness of self, congruence and commitment. The idea is that a person needs to know themselves first and foremost, be willing to act in congruence with their values, and understand that commitment is about more than just getting things done. Commitment involves
- acting with conviction,
- taking responsibility and embracing shared ownership,
- staying dedicated,
- engaging in work that is sustainable, and
- being persistent in the face of adversity.
A student’s progress on this path is harder to measure than subject grades but equally important.
The social change model of leadership also describes collaboration as essential in a community. Collaboration involves deep listening and a willingness to engage and hold space for the values of others that might be different to our own. It also involves the ability to engage in controversy with civility.
Deep listening and engaging in controversy with civility are skills we aspire to teach students, especially in the age of social media where we react impulsively (or compulsively) to the latest post by an influencer, without really pausing. Pausing before posting allows civility to creep into the way we talk to each other, online or in person. Success and achievement, then, can be measured by our capacity to be thoughtful, careful and caring in the way we speak to each other.
In 2019 the Education Council in Australia said that one of the tasks of education was to help students become active and informed citizens. Knowing one’s own values, acting in congruence with them, being committed and authentically collaboratively are all important skills needed to be active and informed citizens. As is a person’s capacity for critical thinking.
In a highly digitized society, with Generative AI being used by so many of us (and no I didn’t use if for this blogpost), the acquisition of knowledge is becoming easier and easier. “Google” is both a noun and a verb – “just google it” is a catch phrase we use almost every day.
For several years, I have taught Theory of Knowledge in the IB Diploma. The overarching question that guides this course is: “how do we know what we know?” In that course we explore how knowledge is constructed in mathematics and the arts as well as in science and history. We learn that every subject has its own logic, and it is this logic that determines what ways of knowing and types of knowledge is considered valid within that discipline. The course is all about critical thinking!
Critical thinking is much harder than simply finding knowledge. It involves applying the right knowledge at the right moment and discerning truth from fiction; it involves pursuing understanding with commitment.
It requires many moments of pausing to avoid rushing towards an answer that may not be the right one. It involves looking at problems from multiple angles and multiple perspectives to figure out the best possible solution that minimizes negative consequences. It also means pausing to question our own ways of thinking and assumptions.
A student’s capacity to think critically is a measure of their success and achievement.
As students reflect at the end of this year and analyze their report cards or the awards they received, as educators and parents we should also be asking them to consider this. Ultimately achievement and success will come with their capacity:
- To think critically
- To know who they are and what they value
- To act in congruence with their values
- To really listen to others so they can learn from them
- And their capacity to engage in controversy with civility.
As the Principal, this is what I am most proud of about students at HVGS. Our students embrace a values-based education and strive to be the best version of themselves in the process.
