Like Cinderella, I was looking for a way into a place beyond my station…

Unlike Cinderella this wasn’t some party to meet a daft Prince and I really was doing everything I could to get in :D

For example, I’d joined an Education MOOC to learn from others in the field I care about.

BTW, this works!

So, if there’s a field you care about and you’re not looking our for relevant MOOCs? Get in there! Basic rules: be positive, be polite, de-escalate arguments (sometimes it’s down to you to find the maturity lacking in the ‘adults’ at these things!) and, most of all, say what you think.

By doing this I virtually met Dara Feldman; Teacher, Author, International Speaker, Virtues Project Facilitator AND my very first mentor in the field of education. Hurrah!

We talked via email, I read her book and really wanted to speak with her live but; Who the hell am I to ask for that? She’s been interviewed on “This is America” for gawd sake!

So I did only what I hope you’d have done in the same situation… made a pitch anyway ;-)

After STUDYING her book (and I mean studying it - pen & paper in hand) she received an email from me with a document called:

“Interview on Dara Feldman’s book: The Heart of Education” -see it below the video

This document basically said ‘if I was lucky enough to ever interview you, Dara, these are the kinds of things I’d love to learn from you.’ She played ball & we made this 20 minute interview which we titled: When the Teacher is Ready the Student Appears

So that you get the most info for your time (and are spared from seeing my I’ve-never-done-this-before nerves) I’ve cut parts in the video below but, if you’ve 15 minutes extra and want to watch those things, feel free: unedited interview is here on Youtube.

These are some classic Dara quotes from our conversation…

“Students are here to teach us things too, and we’d better listen up!” Video 1/5
“after I got taught the Virtues Project language I was like, yea yea, I was on to you!” Video 3/5
“it’s dark, it’s scary, it’s wet, it’s hard…” er, what’s Dara talking about here? :D Video 4/5

Below is the text Dara received from me that gave her confidence an interview might be worthwhile… Continue reading →