Right Answers, Wrong Approach
Two weeks ago we certified and licensed 18 new Creative Wealth Coaches from around the globe. After just five days, these people weren't just ready to empower kids and adults with financial information, they are transformed into new human beings. Financial freedom, after all, isn't just about money. What an experience! I wish it for all of you.
Since then, I've been thinking more about one of the philosophies I am passionate about instilling in our attendees (kids and adults)...the desire to 'question everything.'
You see, I don't believe our traditional schools are working. And I'm not alone in this belief. And here's one of the many reasons why I don't believe it's working.
From the time our children (and they are all ours!) enter school, to the time they leave, they are, for the most part, filled with facts, statistics, dates, names, places, etc. You get the picture. They are forced to learn these things so that they can regurgitate the ANSWERS on a test after which, they are then graded in some odd way as if their ability to know (memorize often) those particular answers, in some way prepares them for life. 
I'm going to save the topic of why testing is so bad for our kids for a later date but if you want to learn more, read Carla Hanniford's Smart Moves. But be forewarned, you'll find yourself more than a little upset and ready to get involved with changing our education system after you read this thought provoking and enlightening book!
Here are some questions for you...
When was the last time the date Christopher Columbus set foot in America came up when you were buying a piece of rental property as an asset?
Was the capital of Spain important when you were researching stocks or mutual funds?
When was the last time you used the War of 1812 to develop a marketing plan to launch a new website that would help you build financial freedom? (OK, so this may actually be relevant:-)
Now don't get me wrong...knowing 'stuff' is really important. My question to you though is this...Why do we send our children to school in the first place? Because we're supposed to? Because someone said we had to? Because it's a law? WHY?
I want to say we send them so they are prepared to live happy, successful lives. But that little part of me that knows the history of Kindergarten (look it up) has a hard time believing that. Especially with our current success rate of getting kids from Kindergarten to graduation in 18 years. And why 18 years? See how the question thing works?
From what I've gathered, the reason we send kids to school is to get them into college. Are you aware that this is the criteria most high schools use when evaluating their success? Not the kids' success, the schools'!
I personally believe that schools really produce employees and soldiers, both of which we need, but at whose expense?
Next question for you, and I might add here that our newly trained Creative Wealth Coaches were at a loss for answers to this one: Where are our next leaders? And I mean true leaders; like JFK, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ghandi...those types of leaders.
And why ARE leaders leaders? Not because they know a bunch of irrelevant information. They are leaders because they QUESTION EVERYTHING and aren't afraid for speaking out to the world that there's a different way, and perhaps a better way to do things.
I don't begin to assume that we can change the course of our schools overnight (though I'll suggest how we might in a later article or you can email me now and ask), but we can begin to instill in our children, the desire to 'question everything, regardless of their ages.
Your next question: Why DON'T we want them to question everything? What would happen if they did?
I believe it's that last question that might have fired up your brain. Oh no, we'd have anarchy on our hands, no one would follow the rules (not a bad idea really because many of them need changing right now), they wouldn't do their homework (maybe they'd learn something else important; something they were actually interested in and that was relevant to their lives at the time).
My opinion is that kids must be empowered with the ability and desire to question what is happening to themselves, their communities, their worlds because these kids grow up to be leaders and all I have to say is that the time to start growing them is now!
Just something to think about. |
Elisabeth Donati (aka Miss E) is CEO of Creative Wealth Intl., LLC, a company devoted to empowering individuals of all ages with the tools and information they need to be responsible for themselves and the world. 
