What I learnt at School (yesterday)
So, yesterday I did my talk to about 270 pupils at a Secondary school in London. They had all gone into what was called the 6th form in my day, it’s all different now….mmmm….sound like my parents yet again.
Anyway in the main my plan worked really well to keep the examples used in the talk to things that they would be interested in so things like relationships, dating, Nintendo DS and Playstations etc……even opened the talk telling them about when I spoke for Ann Summers earlier in the year.
Now the thing is it worked too well at times, because when speaking at schools there is a fine balance in speaking about things that interest them, but will not distract them into lots of whispers and giggling because of something that has been said.
They did brilliantly though, I must say, a real credit, at 16 or 17 if I’d been sent to sit in a hall for an hour and listen to someone talk about anything I’d have been thinking “What’s the point?”.
However I know some of them took the messages on board and hopefully over the coming days and weeks others will too as they encounter things in daily life that remind them of my talk.
As I said to them at the start, you’ve not got to learn anything from me, I’m not going to tell you things you need to learn, I am going to tell you what you need to forget and unlearn.
You see we are all born without limiting beliefs and comfort zone issues, and we all live in the moment in our early years, no fear of failure or what others may think. We learn bad ideas and bad habits, and bad ways of thinking from those around us.
That’s why I always say to my audiences that a 3 year old could do my job, and would be better at it than me! They live for the moment, in the moment and are curious about everything.
I really do wish someone had shared such messages with me at school in the 6th form, although I do wonder even if they had would I have noticed?
Mark Rhodes
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Comments
Mark, Sounds like a fantastic meeting with these teenagers! I wish we had someone like you when i was at school. well done x
When my children were growing up I was very aware that they were not learning anything much that related to ‘real life’.
I’m all for academic learning and qualifications to get you started in life, but when someone comes out of school at 16, 17, 18 – or, if they go on to further education, 21 or 22 without a clue what they need to function effectively in the working world.
The problem is – none of my kids teachers showed much awareness of things as simple as good communication skills – and they were teachers, who communicate for a living!
My take is that we need lots more people like Mark in schools – helping kids prepare to hit the ground running when they get out there in the workplace!
September 18th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Brilliant! But are you sure that someone didn’t try to tell us about ‘dancing as though no one is watching’. If we only knew then what we know now…. is an old expression and one that will be uttered by those same 17 year olds when they reach 40ahem. Because yes, most of them will have forgotten your pearls of wisdom as you no doubt forgot those of the insightful adults who spoke to you as a 17 year old. Thats the beauty of youth, they don’t have to listen, they feel they know it all already. And in a way, they do.