What I Am Learning

Blog Post from August 2017

Positivity Project

I had a conversation with a non-educator about education. It started with the typical, “the problem with education is…” To which I immediately rolled my eyes and prepared to “school” him in whatever nonsense was about to come out of his mouth. I know you know what I am talking about. We have all been there.

He started complaining that his children will not able to attend the school in his neighborhood. I began to explain the purpose of busing students away from neighborhood schools but found out quickly that he understood the purpose but this did not change his opinion of the situation. He then said something I have been thinking about ever since.

“I would never do anything for anyone else that would negatively affect my family. I was not raised that way.”

As shocking as it was to hear this sentiment expressed so candidly, the reality is this mindset is much more common than we realize. Research referenced by the Positivity Project shows a shift in our society. Today, people are more concerned about themselves and personal success than about caring for other people. Students report their parents would be more proud of them for getting good grades in school than being a caring member of their school community. In one study, 80% of middle and high school students ranked being happy or achieving at a high level over caring for others. To learn about a 75 year study on human development that further highlights this shift in our society watch this Ted Talk by Robert Waldinger (the current director of the study).

We are developing people who are more narcissistic and less empathetic than ever before and we have to do better. Hortons Creek Elementary will be combating this growing trend by using the philosophies of the Positivity Project. This project was developed using positive psychology - the study of what makes a satisfactory life. So, what has this research revealed? Robert Waldinger stated, “The lessons aren’t about wealth or fame or working harder and harder. The clearest message that we get from this study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.”

As a Positivity Project partner school, staff will work to adjust the messages we send to children so they will begin to see value in the true elements of a quality life. Our mission, aligned with that of the Positivity Project, is to “empower students to build strong relationships, and to understand, appreciate, and exemplify the character strengths in us all.” Positivity Project’s simple but powerful tagline is #otherpeoplematter. Can you imagine how much better our world would be if we all truly believed that statement and lived our lives accordingly?

So, how will this look different at Hortons Creek? Because we are just starting this journey, we do not have it all figured out just yet. Positivity Project will be evolving throughout the school year but here is what we do know. Students will be learning about 24 characters strengths - strengths that are already within each of us. We want students to recognize these strengths within themselves and in others and use them to strengthen relationships. Students will participate in morning meetings where the focus will be on building relationships and developing an understanding of character. Students will also spend time reflecting each week on the character strengths they exemplified and the ones they can continue to improve. When conflict occurs, the focus will not be on the rule that was broken and how to best punish the offender. Instead, our focus will be on repair. Students will learn how to repair the harm that was caused by their actions and work to heal the relationships that were strained. We also won’t be rewarding children for “good behavior.” We want students to become intrinsically motivated to exemplify character strengths because they understand good character leads to strong relationships and strong relationships lead to a happy life. Read this article about how one school ditched awards to refocus on students and learning. As one Harvard study found, “If we want children to be happy, we’d be better off focusing on helping them develop meaningful relationships and coping capacities, cultivating in them the tools they need for meaningful, sensible achievements and reducing their self-occupation.”

Watching the current events unfold on the news each day builds an even greater sense of urgency. We have to start seeing the humanity in each other. We have to start valuing relationships with other human beings. We have to start caring about more than ourselves. This is what makes a life worth living. This is what will help build a healthier, happier world.

#otherhawksmatter