#KOImemories - 2. The Day we Experienced the Grand Force of Growth in Song: Yes SONG!
To help celebrate our 10th Anniversary, our amazing team members chose their Top 10 favorite #KOIMemories to share with you monthly here and on our social channels. Our favorite of course is the day we decided to partner and create KOI Education!
#KOIMemories
For this next memory, let’s first take a leap into the Star Wars Universe - and think about 'The Power of The Force’. It is evident from all the movies that the Jedi code taught them to embrace challenges, to keep going even when it got tough, always see the effort as the journey to success, learn from criticism and get inspired by the success of others. These teachings are timeless, and strongly emulate the characteristics of a Growth Mindset. The KOI team believes that creating and practicing a growth mindset is one of the most important human qualities we can strive for. It is directly tied to our belief and ability to learn, change, earn and develop at any age. So, for our KOI Team members Ruth and Debi - their favorite memory was when they experienced this grand force of growth in song - yes, SONG!
On the first day of training, ‘The Force’ was silent, too silent! And yes, there were even a few audible groans and complaints over the prospect of a full week of training scheduled over summer break! We knew we had an uphill battle as we felt the resistance from a few members of the group.
The KOI team kept pursuing, creating tons of ways to animate the learnings and get the teachers involved in making the changes. The KOI approach provides teachers the opportunity to reflect on their teaching, observe and trial different approaches, pause to evaluate and apply KOI’s trusted evidence based modifications. The key ingredient here - the opportunity of time - to understand, to acknowledge, to reflect and to embrace change.
Minutes before the client's graduation ceremony, the group stood up and presented Ruth and Debi with a card with so many incredible comments and notes of thanks. But it didn’t end there….they were inspired so much by their growth over that week that they serenaded Ruth and Debi with a song to the tune of “Bear Down Arizona”. This gesture resonated so deeply with the KOI team: “I have never been so moved by a group of fellow educators”, says Ruth, “it was so reinforcing that they truly appreciated our expertise, leadership, humor and hearts.”
So they say Yoda, the Jedi Master, is undoubtedly one of the most iconic teachers in film history….well this little story adds KOI Education to that infamous list!