I met a teacher yesterday that I would have loved to have for a mother when I was growing up. Here’s what happened. During the break of a training in creative thinking the subject of Mindmapping was brought up. At which point she gently joined the conversation adding that she learned that Mindmapping was all very well, but was “of no added value to her or to her students.”

Great! Since my personal experience is a completely different one, she immediately had my full attention. I’m curious to find out what happened in her class room, how students reacted, what questions they had, which subjects and tasks they Mindmapped on and what standard she used to define whether or not Mindmapping was of added value or not. I’m genuinely interested in hearing her story, because I wholeheartedly believe that this kind of exchange of experiences is a formidable stepping stone towards a better understanding of how we can make learning happen. 

She said: “No no, I didn’t apply it at all. I just knew it wasn’t of added value!” OK, now I’m more all ears than humanly possible. Wow, how did she know? “Well”, she said, “I read a few books on Mindmapping and I came to the conclusion that it’s a very interesting subject, just not something my classes or I would benefit from.”

See, now that’s when I knew I wanted this lady for a mother. I can picture myself, age 7, at the diner table, staring at my plate. “Finish your vegetables”, she would say. And then I would answer: “Well mom, I had a very interesting day at school today. We learned everything there is to know about salad, cabbages and tomatoes. Very interesting, very thorough. And in doing so, I came to the conclusion that vegetables just aren’t of any added value to me or to the savory meal you so lovingly prepared.” She would look back at me, filled with pride and I would get away with it.

I’m afraid I wasn’t that lucky. Her students are...hmm...are they?

Take care,
Karl

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