Times of great upheaval demand a certain kind of re-evaluation of what is truly important. We’ve heard from so many people about how this pandemic has challenged them to rediscover how precious small gestures like a meal or shared laugh can be. The education world is going through a similar re-evaluation. With anxieties about kids falling “behind,” it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that kids are hard-wired to learn and that learning is happening all the time.

It is difficult to manufacture motivation from afar. Honestly, it’s difficult to manufacture motivation, period. Any parent or educator who has ever gotten into a power struggle over schoolwork can tell you that students find it hard to engage in work that doesn’t feel meaningful to them. What’s more, a thing that is meaningful to one student isn’t necessarily meaningful to all students.

It has never been more important to honor our students’ interests. During the Brightworks Expression phase, we say, “What matters to you matters to us too!” How can we help you to go deeper and further than you believed possible? How can we make time and space for you to explore this thing you love? This arc, instead of solely focusing on Song-related ideas, we are opening up the possibilities of project topics to the important and valuable passions that the kids come up with, whether Song-linked or not.

This moment is an opportunity to meet students where they are, and to see all interests - even make-believe, Pokemon, Minecraft, Tik Tok, and Dungeons and Dragons - as valuable experiences that provide real learning. In a way, all the Expression phases we’ve ever had have been a dry run for this moment: when student passion and engagement is the true fuel propelling us forward. Famous play researcher Stuart Brown says it best: “The truth is that play seems to be one of the most advanced methods nature has invented to allow a complex brain to create itself.” It is important that we take the time now to ask the students what they are passionate about, help them set their own goals and give them structures for accountability.

The collaborators and staff will still be keeping an eye on learning opportunities that come up during this Expression-at-home. In addition to creating meaningful skill-building experiences, we will be running this Expression phase similarly to project time at school. Each student will be paired with a staff member that will meet with them regularly to check-in and help them stay accountable to their goals through documentation, feedback, and troubleshooting. Although not ideal, we’re very excited to see what passions Distance Expression uncovers in the kids!