A positive and uplifting community
Earlier this year, I conducted my 8 week block placement at SMLC, whose purpose was two-fold, firstly, I aspired to support the organisation's work in the role of a volunteer and secondly, I was required to undertake a research project. My researcher role required me to observe and interact with learning advisors (LA) and learning group advisors to create an in-depth understanding of what they do and my role as a volunteer resulted in me helping students and LA's on a daily basis with activities and workshops.
Looking back and writing this, I disgustingly remember counting down days where my placement would be over. I was tired, felt a bit lost and couldn't comprehend the idea of having to wake up so early to spend my day in a school whose unique take on education I just couldn't wrap my head around. However, I also remember a few weeks into my placement that coming to SMLC felt more than just a compulsory part of my routine or placement module, I was excited to be here and be caught in the hustle and bustle of workshops, the Romeo and Juliet play and just generally learning more from everyone in little ways. I found that being here not only enhanced my research but also me as an individual, I found myself extremely inspired and motivated by the students around me to pursue what I found interesting and work on my own self-management skills.
Being at SMLC not only allowed me to pass a significant part of my university degree but it also made me feel a part of a positive and uplifting community, where I found myself growing as a person and I can confidently say that I ended my 8 week placement with a heart full of love and appreciation from the SML community and a better mindset.
Therefore, I came back to SMLC as a volunteer to continue giving back to a wonderful community that helped me in indescribable ways. In addition, after getting an 8-week taster of the crazy antiques here at SMLC, I wasn't able to stay away from the one of a kind students and staff here, and the home-like smell of butter and toast that always fills the air.
by Ashna Mahtani
Thoughts from India
I am in Bangalore to attend and run a session at, this year’s International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC). I used the opportunity to arrive early to talk with some teachers and especially to gain insights into the current situation here from Amukta Mahaptra, who runs SchoolScape based in Bangalore. (Amukta is also the convenor of this Conference and is well known in India for her work.)
Overall the picture here is very similar to what is happening all over the world. State-run schools are very traditional, classroom-based and totally teacher led. There is minimal room for young people to have a say in any aspect of school life. However, outside the formally approved system there are real innovations. Here in India much of the initiative has come from NGOs working within communities. For instance, children’s parliaments have been set up that give a real voice to young people.
Also there are a growing number of schools outside the standard system. Here in Bangalore there are around 100 small Montessori schools. I was able to visit one. Such schools may still keep to imposed curricula but SchoolScape is attempting to work with teachers to encourage a more child-centred approach. I visited the building site for SchoolScape’s new premises which will offer more opportunities for their work.
Looking forward to the Conference, it’s a great opportunity to meet people doing amazing work all over the world. Given the location of this conference there are large groups attending from Nepal, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Korea, Hong Kong as well as from India. News from the actual conference will follow
Ian Cunningham, November 12 2018, Bangalore
The worst attender in high school...
Nobel Laureate and President of the Royal Society Sir Venki Ramakrishnan was being interviewed on BBC radio recently. Here is someone who is about as respectable as you can get. Yet being questioned about his education he was happy to say that he was a poor attender at school and at university. One trick he explained at university was to sit in lectures by the window so that after the register had been called, and the lecturer had turned his back to write on the board, he could climb out of the window and go off for a coffee.
It reminded me of Bill Bryson’s tales of school and that he was the worst attender in his high school. He was regularly hauled up for his poor attendance. At one meeting with the careers counsellor she had trawled through career options given his poor school records and in the end said; “It doesn’t appear that you are qualified to do much of anything.” He replied; “I guess I’ll have to be a high school careers counsellor then!”. For this response he was marched to the principal’s office (and not for the first time). It’s a shame that the school did not recognise his obvious comedic talents instead of punishing him.
Another example is of a boy in Bolton, Lancashire with no interest in his schoolwork. He tended to spend time with his mates or watched comedy VHS tapes that he had recorded. He gained one GCSE then after school did a series of seemingly dead-end jobs such as in the bingo hall and at the local cinema.
Because he enjoyed cracking jokes and fooling around he started to do some stand-up comedy gigs in local pubs. Eventually he developed a comedy stand-up act. He was officially entered in the Guinness World Records book for the planet's biggest-selling stand-up tour. His ‘Tour That Doesn't Tour Tour… Now on Tour’ show sold 1,140,798 tickets in 113 arena dates between February 2010 and November 2011, earning him a place in the 2013 edition of the book.
His name is Peter Kay and he has also won awards for his comedy acting.
His time when he was seemingly loafing and doing nothing was actually a crucial time of learning for him. He learned from watching comedians the art and craft of doing stand-up. He also used his time in the bingo hall and at the cinema to listen to people so that he could learn the potentially funny things that went on in daily life.
Looked at from a short-term point of view he was a complete failure. Taking a longer view it’s the opposite. He was, and continues to be, a brilliant self managing learner.
This is also true of the scientist Venki Ramakrishnan and the best selling author Bill Bryson. Whilst everybody is to some extent self managing in their learning, clearly not everyone is as effective as these three. Hence our developing Self Managed Learning. What we try to do is to create structures and processes that support effective self managing. However even within these structures and processes we have to be patient.
In SML College we’ve seen students who seem not to have settled and not to be doing much eventually get the idea and go on to successful careers. Patience is absolutely crucial in our work because structures and processes are not magic. Trying to force it is often unhelpful and it requires high levels of trust in young people from adults working with them to avoid inappropriate pressurising.
Ian Cunningham, December 2018