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