I’m so enjoying the thinking skills module, but it’s giving me a professional itch my current job doesn’t scratch. It reminds me why I became a learning professional in the first place. I wanted to empower people, to enable them, to give them a leg up, to give them access to places they needed help to reach. I have almost always worked in the corporate sector, but the fact that I was in a position to teach people new skills, to support them as they grappled with new concepts, was enormously fulfilling. For the most part, I felt protected from the politics, the posturing. Sadly, I find myself in the full blast of all of that right now. Even worse, I have had no direct contact with my learners for nearly two years. I currently work in a so-called learning organisation, but there are only three of us that I know of who are passionate about learning, who romp like labrador puppies with oversized feet and daft grins through the world of new learning I tried to upload a picture, but I couldn’t get it to work, so pop over here for a look). The focus is on the commercials, and the learning must comply.

The combination of those factors is grinding me down. Quenching my fire. I didn’t realise quite how much until I watched a video of Feuerstein teaching thinking skills to disaffected children. Ah, I sighed to myself, imagine going home at the end of a day of doing that. Imagine making that much of a difference to people. Imagine knowing that someone got to a new place today because of you. Because of what you showed them, taught them, opened up to them.

Deep sigh – I seem to have lost my way.