Changing the Paradigm of Education

PART ONE – I opened up the textbook on human intelligence and started flipping through the pages. A chart caught my eye. It listed the average IQ scores of people at different levels of academic and occupational success. At the top was the average IQ of Ph.D.’s. I was way lower than that number. I went down the list. College graduate? Closer, but still no cigar. Semi-skilled laborer? In my dreams. My blood pressure rose as I finally reached my level: lucky to graduate high school.

In a fit of panic, I threw the intelligence book as far as I could. Unfortunately, the librarians didn’t appreciate my display of passion. As they came running toward me, I could just read the look in their eyes, “Code Rainbow, Code Rainbow, learning disabled student acting up again!”

One day, sitting in the ‘resource room’ bored out of my mind, a substitute teacher came up to me and asked to speak to me after class. She looked me right in the eyes. I’ll never forget what she said next: “You seem too bright to be here. Why are you here?” I was startled by this question. No one had ever asked me anything like that before. It had not even dawned on me to ask myself that question. I suddenly realized I had no good answer.

So I took myself out of special education. Once I started to believe in myself, and started challenging myself, everything suddenly changed. A world of possibility opened up to me. It wasn’t clear sailing, of course, but nothing worth achieving ever is. At every step of the way, I fought expert predictions— all the way to a Yale Ph.D. I eventually came up with a new theory of human intelligence. I didn’t much care for the traditional one. Thankfully, that chart in the book on intelligence I looked at all those years ago in the library didn’t list the average IQ of those who come up a new theory of human intelligence! Not that I would have paid such a prediction much attention, anyway.

Over the past few decades, I’ve been in search of the truth about the nature and nurture of abilities, and the limiting factors of success. Along the way, I’ve discovered there are no universal laws; no general limits. There are so many different paths to greatness—those that have already been traveled and those that have yet to be invented. People who think in terms of limited possibility are more likely to live a life of limited possibility. Those who imagine, dream, and persevere among setbacks are more likely to achieve their dreams.

This is a lesson we desperately need to translate to the way we approach education. Despite what some may say, our schools today are neither all good nor all bad. But one thing is certain: the basic foundation for engagement, excellence and authentic learning is not accessible to most students, especially the most underserved. The foundation, that is, of true inspiration — the force that goes so far beyond motivation, empowering young people to do what others say is impossible. To defy the odds. To see an imagined and bright future yet realized. Building this foundation requires changing the paradigm from one of powerlessness, success-failure dichotomies, student apathy, and isolation to one of autonomy, passion-based learning, growth-oriented mindset, and team-building. In these conditions, inspiration thrives.

Inspiration changed my life all those years ago, and I want it to change yours. Inspiration gave me intrinsic motivation, self-belief, and the strength to persevere. It took all three factors to stay on my path, despite expert predictions and inevitable setbacks. Only years later did I discover that a wealth of psychological research points to these three characteristics as important drivers of success. Ironically, I had to persevere to get to the point where I could learn that I had the qualities that helped me get to that point (don’t think too hard about that one)!

But you don’t have to wait. The science of inspiration can be applied right away. In future posts, I will be describing fascinating psychological research that shows the important psychological factors involved in inspiration and personal success. The good news is that the number of characteristics is manageable and attainable. The even better news is that The Future Project is designed to get you there.

I will never forget that first conversation I had with Andrew Mangino, Co-Founder and President of The Future Project. It was at The Olive Tree Cafe in Greenwich Village, New York City. Andrew was telling me about the main goals of The Future Project, and their plan to create a culture where everyone is inspired. I remember feeling chills up and down my spine.

All those years ago, by pure chance, a substitute teacher looked in my eyes, and saw a future. Let’s not leave it up to chance. Armed with as much research as possible, and the willingness to believe in the future of young people, let’s work together to start creating that world where everyone is inspired.

Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman is a cognitive psychologist specializing in the development of intelligence, creativity, and personality in education, business, and society. He applies a variety of perspectives to come to a richer understanding and appreciation of all kinds of minds and ways of achieving greatness.

Scott is co-founder of The Creativity Post, a non-profit web platform that features quality content on creativity, innovation and imagination and Chief Pedagogical Advisor of The Future Project. He is also Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychology at New York University.

Find out more at ScottBarryKaufman.com.