A Quote
“We've made a fascinating discovery: there's nothing wrong with the kids that affection and sunshine and food and enthusiasm and Herbie's music can't cure.
I figured that if you treat children like human beings, it increases the likelihood they're going to behave that way.”
A Thought
Think about a place that seeks to inspire greatness and excellence. What does it look, sound and feel like? Have people devoted time to caring for it? Is beauty present?
Now think of your school’s environment.
Places and spaces carry messages. Those messages influence how we feel and act. If this wasn’t true, Trump Tower wouldn’t be layered in marble, churches wouldn’t use architecture and art to inspire awe, and wealthy schools wouldn't have beautiful grounds and buildings that inspire the pursuit of excellence.
I’ve been lucky enough to be in quite a few schools around New Zealand, and here’s something I’ve noticed: if a school environment is going to be lacking in beauty, that school will, without exception, be in an area with a high percentage of underprivileged kids. And, in those schools, there are few smiles on kids faces. Who can blame them - every day they get the message that the world around them doesn't care enough to make it nice for them.
Is it the fault of the underprivileged that their schools aren’t beautiful, inspiring places?
Or, is beauty something only the wealthy and privileged deserve?
How do we want our kids to feel and act at school?
An Action
In the grand scheme of things, there is little a teacher or even a principal can do. But little is not nothing, so …
Where is the beauty in your school environment? How can you get closer to it?
Try, when thinking about your classroom layout and environment, orienting yourself to beauty instead of instructional utility.
Want to read more about the place of beauty in education and ways to amplify it? The upcoming October deep-dive essay, which is available to subscribers on the paid plan only, is focused on beauty.
Take advantage of this limited-time offer to upgrade your subscription.