Inspiration won’t come easy in a school where we want everyone to be the same, to blindly follow orders and compete against each other. However for those brave enough to let children follow their dreams and dare to be different a more exciting and stimulating world awaits.
Research is clear that inspiration is not down to chance. It can be activated, captured and directed. We can all learn how to inspire others. Psychologists Todd Thrash and Andrew Elliot found that inspired people had the following qualities.
More open to new experiences.
Lookto be stimulated, open to the new and the different.
Less competitive but more optimistic.
Not more conscientious or hardworking than anyone else.
Not particularly focussed on the achievements of those around them.
Inspiration in school is the spark that ignites amazing changes and opens up new possibilities. It can propel children from apathy to possibility and change the way they see their own potential. It won't happen to order but If we offer new experiences, focus on cooperation not competition, risk being different and continue to find ways to simulate then we might just make all the difference.
When I was a headmaster in the UK, a guest speaker told me he always asked the pupils who their inspiration was. Some of his audience said they are inspired by pop stars and footballers but others said they want to be like their parents and teachers.
What we do and say in front of children matters every day and our influence is enormous. Inspiration can change a child’s life forever and we all have this phenomenal power within us.
Peter Hogan
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