Being Happy

"Happy" is an answer I have used many times this year:

- What do you want to be?
- What do we want our learners to leave being?
- What does personal excellence mean?

I often quote my mother with "I just want everyone to be happy".  Unfortunately when I do this I start with "as my mother would say" and then use the slightly desperate tone of a mother who just wants her kids to stop arguing (sorry Mum).  

So, what do I mean when I keep saying I just want our kids to be happy?  Let's face it, one can be happy, but at another's expense.  Also, I think as adults and teachers we are very good at thinking we know what 'being happy' should be like for our kids.  Unfortunately those ideas are often attached to some fixed mindsets, or experiences from when we were at school.  I find myself, on a daily basis, saying to myself (often out loud) take of your teacher hat and put on your kid hat.  

Blogging hasn't been one of my fortes.  It seems to happen when I really want to get something out there or I get very excited.  To be honest, I have been in a state of excitement all year on this journey of starting a new school with a phenomenal team of people.  But my 'excitement levels' peaked on Friday when this Ted Talk clip was shared with me.  A 13 year old boy answers the question: "What if we made education about how to be healthy and happy?'

 And who best to hear it from - a kid!  I had to hold myself down from yelling out over and over again, "this is what I meant."  Thank you Logan LaPlante. 




We are all learners and we all need to hack education together.  We had 130 learners with us on Monday for Orientation Day and we started the hacking.  Watching this makes me super excited about the future of HPSS.