The search for meaning has been called a "megatrend" of the 21st century. This should not be surprising since the drive to look for and discover meaning in life, including our work life, is effectively built into our DNA--in fact, it helps to define our "human-ness." It was the world-renown psychiatrist, Dr. Viktor Frankl, who argued that the search for meaning is the "primary intrinsic motivation of all human beings." So, it's now time to ask ourselves: what are the implications of this meaning-centered megatrend for education?
This is a question I’ve been thinking about myself as I prepare to do a keynote presentation at the Calgary City Teachers’ Convention Association in a few weeks.
In my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, written at Frankl's personal urging, it shows how, by discovering "The Meaning Difference," each and every one of us holds the keys to unlocking our inner mental prison. In other words, we do not have to be prisoners of our thoughts, if we do not want to be! Our common search for meaning can help turn life's challenges into beacons of hope, no matter what our personal circumstances are or where we work. When it comes to education, we must recognize that being "prisoners of our thoughts" adversely impacts our roles and responsibilities as teachers, students, staff, and parents in spite of our best intentions.
Viktor Frankl’s lessons affirm that by committing authentically to meaningful values and goals, both inside and outside of the classroom, educators at all levels will be able to realize their full potential as catalysts for continuous learning and development. It also is clear that it is teachers who must lead the way in the pursuit of meaning---not only by discovering the deeper meaning in their own work and personal lives---but also by inspiring others, especially students, to do the same.
Today we live in a world of many formidable challenges. At the same time, there is a call for hope and a cry for meaning that can be heard loud and clear. Only by meaningfully engaging students, parents, teachers, staff, and the community-at-large in the continuous learning and development process will we be able to turn hope into reality and co-create a better world for all.
In the ongoing Viktor Frankl Personal Responsibility Dialogue online at the Global Dialogue Center (see link below), people all over the world have been sharing their experiences and observations. Many of their stories demonstrate how each of us has something meaning-full to contribute. Below are two examples that illustrate how we can discover deeper meaning in education in ways that may not be so obvious --- one is a businessman's personal story of developing young entrepreneurs and the other is an observation someone made of a student’s innovative idea that is making a difference:
“While I am working to set up my own business, I’m also helping students learn entrepreneurial skills. We need more projects in schools that introduce students to entrepreneurial ideas and thinking at an earlier age then most of us learned. They need to learn how we all achieve more by working together.”
“I was touched by the actions of a high school student. When he realized that all the left over food was being thrown away by his lunchroom, he found a way for the food to be saved for hungry people in our community.”
As you can see, if we work together to co-create an environment where every student, parent, teacher, staff member and member of the community recognizes they have a meaning-full role to play in making the world a better place for all people, it will ensure no person is left behind.
In what ways are you seeing meaning in education emerge in new ways?
How do you think we can ensure no person is left behind?
All the best,
Alex
Alex Pattakos, Ph.D.
author, Prisoners of Our Thoughts
founder, Center for Meaning
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