Going to conferences can be a challenge from the standpoint of there being so much to do or learn. I have always tried to focus on going to sessions or workshops that are run by national leaders or visionaries – the types of people you don’t get to interact with everyday. Peter Reynolds is just such a person, and having the opportunity to spend a day with him Sunday was fabuluous. His message is unbelievably simple, and unbelievably opposite of what our education system is today – focus on the people and foster their creativity. All the rest will come from that.
I attended this session looking to help re-focus what should be important in our work, and that is just what happened. We spent some of the day making different items in order to explore our own creativity. It was a nurturing, relaxing, warm environment. So much of what happens in school is hard, fast, and stressed. Too little time to study for too many tests – forget about the needs of the people in the school – no time for that.
Peter was an inspiring, motivating person to work with (along with Bill and Katie). I believe we could benefit a lot from bringing his message to our school. For character development, creativity, and focus on the people, the mission of Fablevision fits directly into our work at school.
Images courtesy of Peter Reynolds/Fablevision (www.fablevision.com)