The Direction of Intention

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In Nebraska this summer we named the institute, The Art of Teaching and Learning, and we meant it. It was not a fancy title, not meant to be clever; it was an intention.

Artistry is not something you do; rather, it is a way of being that is defined by the capacity to step into the unknown. That’s a good definition for learning, isn’t it? Teaching when done well is high art. If you were looking for easy answers and manufactured solutions, this was not the place for you. There was no room for transactional thinking. This institute was about the ferocity of inquiry and jumping into the exuberant uncertainty of transformation. It was a form of art called teaching and learning.

On one of final days we led an experience called The Bridge. It involves a lot of chairs and a clear intention. As this group of teachers supported each other to safely cross the chasm, they transformed into a community. Each member mattered. Their actions mattered. Their focus mattered (all false outcomes and standardized blah-blah went out the window, excellent process and relationship cleared their sight and they remembered why they’d become teachers). There was no win or lose, there was only powerful offers and potent learning. They transcended their circumstance and entered a common narrative (a single intention).

How often do we lose our intention in the tall weeds of our circumstance? A community forms when an intention is pure. There is nothing more powerful than a community with a clear intention. They can’t be derailed by circumstance or politics or experts or status because they are in service to the fulfillment of their community and that is not possible if any single member is left behind. Quality process and a focus on relationship trumps test scores and outcomes.

Transformation is never found in the answer, it is always found in how you engage with your questions. This too is a great definition for learning. Just ask the teachers at the institute that rediscovered their artistry. They are clear about what learning is and what it is not.

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