What is one word that can help us transition with the wisdom and the courage that we all need right now? This word is #interconnectedness.
If there is one thing that we have in front of our faces on a daily basis, more evidently so since the pandemic #COVID19 has started, it is that we exist in a system that is interconnected. Thich Nhath Hahn says it poetically in the title of one of his books: When you are drinking tea, you are drinking the clouds ('Quando bevi il tè, stai bevendo nuvole').
Researchers at MIT define something interesting, and related, as the C-factor, meaning the concept of #collective intelligence, defined by P. Levy as 'a distributed intelligence, constantly enhanced, coordinated in real time, aimed at the effective mobilisation of skills and the whole of the human qualities of the community, for the mutual recognition and enrichment of people'.
´The concept is based on the idea that groups of people can have #wisdom that goes beyond the wisdom of individuals (G. Mulgan, 2018).
When thinking about restarting school, my wish and advice is to do it in the awareness that each member is interconnected and capable of wisdom, when we mutually invest in building bridges and cultivating an explicit and visible alliance between school and home.
There will be worry, there will be frustration, there will be excitement and joy as we will meet each other, there will be imperfection: all of this was there also prior to the pandemic, just as interconnectedness was and the opportunity to invest in actions that are aimed at reciprocally supporting each adult and institution that takes care of our children's development. As we ARE the environment of our children.
So let us be aware of the #transition, give it its time, don't put pressure on students and educators (parents included), give them time to have a voice and to feel the relational safety of restarting. Give each other the gift of presence, of equanimity, of kindness and of gratitude.
“A transition is how we get unstuck. A lifequake may be voluntary (we leave a bad marriage, start a new enterprise) or involuntary (we become ill, ...), but the transition must be voluntary. We must choose to take the steps and go through the process of turning our fear and anxiety into renewal and growth.”
In his recent article, Bruce Feiler (July 16, 2020), suggest to focus on the following aspects when transitioning:
Finding a ritual to foster predictability and continuity
Let go of something “Shedding is a way to clear out some unwanted parts of our lives to make way for the new parts to come” (this could be related to some expectations about how school ‘should be’ that are likely to create rigidness and hinder the necessary flexibility for this experience – both for parents, teachers and for students)
Do something creative: “a fresh start”. Be explicit about the transition and its characteristics with children
Retell your story: “We can’t keep the wolves from interrupting our fairy tales, and that’s OK. Because if you banish the wolf, you banish the hero”.
Practice a slower #pace, it's the pace that allows choices to be made in safety, while when in a rush, or pressured, we are more likely to make mistakes and suffer from consequences.
Practice, intentionally, L.E.S.S. is more:
L. listen, not only the words, but looks, tone of voice, gestures, posture, ...
E. express, not only with words, but through music, body signs, dance, painting, the arts
S. share and connect
S. soothe, be an active source of calm for your beloved ones, through your presence
Allow this to be a fruitful time for #narration, #mindful breaks, caring behaviour. Emotional education passes through the possibility of giving a voice to one's internal world, discovering that our words are doors and bridges that allow for sharing and dialogue with each other.
Support each other as adults, be patient, bring lightness when you manage to, smile.
Giovanna
Dedicated to Ms Lucy Ruocco, thank you Lucy
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