2.4.4: The Culture of Self Discipline and LCL

22 Grit: The Power of Passion and

Perseverance, Angela Duckworth, 2016 Both Kolb’s learning styles and cycle could be used by teachers to critically evaluate and to develop more appropriate learning opportunities to ensure activities designed and carried out in ways that offer each learner the chance to engage in the manner that suits them best.

As with many of the other models presented here, there is deeper analysis available, so feel free to research these ideas further.

During our research and training weeks, we discussed the best way to encourage children or participants to accept responsibility for their learning, particularly when encountering difficulties, or when the learners are more accustomed to a traditional teacher-centered approach. We came to the conclusion that the most important thing is to progressively build a culture of Learner-Centered-Learning.

This means accepting that it may take some time to do, and that it is easier for some participants to take part in such a process than it is for others. It means striving to develop a culture of dialogue, where there is a problem-solving attitude, and feedback and active listening occurs between both teachers and learners. This should be commonplace and recognised as an integral part of the educational process.

The challenge is also to build a culture of self-discipline; in which every participant is able to organise and understand their progression and learning path, where every teacher is able to provide tools to enable this, and where the teacher is aware and attentive to each individuals learning goals.

It’s not just creating an individualised learning path, as learning remains fundamentally a social process. The challenge for the teacher is to be able to ensure that the group develops democratically and in a supportive way, while providing everyone with the tools they need to push their limits.

We want participants to be passionate learners. We want them to be engaged with their peers and the circus skills in a productive and positive way. We want them to move on from their time with us better prepared for life, to contribute to their communities, and our world.

To conclude this chapter: a word from Angela Duckworth, author of ‘GRIT’22. Duckworth uses the word ‘grit’ to highlight that learning is neither immediate nor linear, and for this reason every learner needs ‘grit’. Grit is the passion and perseverance needed for very long-term goals. She points to the critical importance of identifying purpose for one’s learning, and to the essential role of teachers in nurturing students’ innate capacity to learn.

Developing Grit, motivation, focus, concentration and self-responsibility, is the first step towards building an LCL culture.