Teaching and Leading for Uncertainty: that's our work.

We tend to get quite fed up when people talk about "21st Century Skills". What are we really talking about? And we don’t mean to start a debate about what they are exactly. But roughly, even, what are they?

We’ve got a sense they are some sort of soup made from:
 - creative and critical thinking
 - collaboration
 - communication
 - innovation
 - agility
 - adaptability... the list goes on.

But what is it that sits at the core of all of these qualities, skills or traits? And when it comes to a classroom, what are we really trying to teach, and what do we want students to learn?

At NoTosh we have chosen to use a Design Thinking framework and while there are many different models that could be used to assist students in developing these skills, and many variations on Design Thinking itself, the reason we’ve adopted this model is because inherent in it is uncertainty.

The model initially assumes the problem we're dealing with is unknown. The problem space might be defined and feel clear, but the actual problem worth solving within that space is uncertain until we delve deeper. As we collect information and understand different perspectives, as we immerse ourselves in it, a position emerges, often one that is likely to challenge our assumptions and biases. It's all very uncertainty-filled.

The mindset of uncertainty requires us to remain open and responsive, rather than fixed and resolute. That mindset gives us a nimbleness and agility that sees the reality in front of us rather than the tightly held beliefs behind us. All that experience we've earned doesn't get in our way.

Nevertheless, there is a comfort in certainty, we feel like we need to know what’s coming so we can effectively plan for and deal with it. Moreover, we plan ahead in our lives to give us a (false) sense of control rather than just living in the moment and responding to things as they arise.
 
A lot has been written about recent global events and what we have learnt, or should have learnt, and for many in the world still dealing with the situation the lessons are still to come. But for us there are a few key takeaways:

1. We are not in control - ever - we just think we are sometimes;
2. We need to be nimble and fluid, due to point one; and
3. We need to be more comfortable with uncertainty, so that we can live out point two.

In terms of translating these lessons to the classroom, is there a place for educators doing less planning, rather than more planning? Do students sense our discomfort with uncertainty when everything is over-curated and there’s little space or time for discovery? How might we throw more uncertainty at them to build resilience and develop agility and adaptability?

It is the answers to those questions that will lay the foundations for our young people to fashion the skills necessary to thrive throughout the rest of the 21st Century.

Jeremy and Ewan