Keep it simple
Stupid. That’s what typically follows the directive. It makes it the snappy acronym, K.I.S.S. You know, “Embrace the “KISS” principle,…” and all that sort of paradigm shifting jargon that gets unpacked when you’re faced with finding answers to a problem, or considering how best to respond to a challenge.
But what if things are just plain messy, mucky, and tangled after generations of “simple” attempts to craft answers, feather out solutions, and/or derive change-based results.
At that point, perhaps it’s time to keep it elemental; maybe it’s time to examine component parts and functions over making simple changes. Of course, this is what generates some confusion, because at this point simple deviates from our false perceptions simple equates to easy and evolves into complex process of dissection.
Of course, it is there that simple may just reign supreme.
When dissecting things into component parts and functions, it may be best to consider simple, binary divisions.
Take the life of a student.
Functionally, speaking, students can attend and be present in school, or be absent in body or attention; engaged or disengaged. compliant, or non-compliant; analytical or unsystematic in their thinking.
As for their component parts, students come with a cognitive self and a social/emotional self; the posses a pen or wear down a pencil; they come with materials in hand (or backpack), or lack the tools to do the work; they have academic skills across multiple disciplines to succeed, or they have gaps resulting in a lack of achievement; they exude confidence, or they roil with self-doubt. And so on.
Writer and entrepreneur James Clear, in his blog post, “First Principles: Elon Musk on the Power of Thinking for Yourself” refers to such sort of dissection as first principles thinking. Simply put, this is the art of boiling situations down to their foundational truths by beginning with answers to questions such as What are we absolutely sure is true? What has been proven?
I was moved by this particular post. Clear draws on the work of Elon Musk with Space X, ultimately acknowledging that innovation is the fruit of first principles thinking and reasoning. And, Innovation is something I would like to spark in my current professional role.
I want to take the alternative program I am tasked with leading to a new and innovative place, I do not want to simply tweak things so as to leave alone that which isn’t broken. While I do want to add recognition, positive reinforcement, and an increased sense of community to what is in place, I think we can do better by our students and our learning community in general. Of course wit will take having my team members and students buy into doing things radically different than they have occurred in the last 30 years. It will be hard work, nor doubt, but it may be made easier once we break things down into component parts, forms and functions alike, and then see what we can create out of the mix.
At frst glance, what needs to be examined is school itself. What are it’s forms, and what are the functions it performs. Then, there is the classroom. And the teachers. And, ultimately, the students entering school and classroom.
I am excited to break things down in this manner. I am excited to begin asking of these elements, What are we absolutely sure is true? What has been proven? in order that we might get down to the elemental level and begin combining something new and innovative, a true alternative to what has been in place for the program’s lifetime, and a radically different place than the mainstream provides for our students.
I’ll keep the world posted on my/our journey and progress.
-Schlegs
schlegsofminne 