DAVID MILLS
The Silent Life Coach
A child-led vision for the future of education
A civilisation's approach to education defines that civilisation. And its approach to education is determined by how it views its young.
The time has come to stop viewing children as passive recipients and dependent consumers of educational packages designed and delivered by adults, and to instead acknowledge, honour and celebrate children as the teachers, artists, poets, philosophers, visionaries, pioneers, entrepreneurs, inventors, innovators, community builders, way showers and trail blazers that they truly are.
The education revolution is an inside job. And the people riding the crest of the wave of this inner shift in human consciousness are children. They have the power to lead us out of the darkness of ignorance and into the light of truth. Our job as awakened adults is to listen, trust and follow their lead.
The twelve presuppositions outlined below, if acted upon, have the power to set our children free; to unleash their innate passion, wisdom, playfulness and creativity.
Together, we can create a New Way of Life on this planet. A New Civilisation. A New Humanity. A New Earth.
The Eduspire Paradigm
The Eduspire Paradigm is a conceptual framework for education and life 'outside the box'. Its purpose is to liberate children from the chains of externalised conditioning.
Eduspire stands for 'education infused with spirit'. Rather than children being 'educated' (which implies external teaching or instruction), they can instead be 'eduspired' – that is, inspired to educate themselves. Eduspire is an approach that empowers children to go within; to look inside themselves for answers, for guidance, for love, approval, happiness, meaning and fulfilment. It is an inside-out model of education that gives rise to an inside-out world view. A healthy and harmonious relationship on the inside translates into healthy and harmonious relationships on the outside.
At the heart of the Eduspire Paradigm are twelve presuppositions, born out of my own life experience. The interrelationship and overlap between them is intentional; they are to be viewed collectively, as befitting a model of education designed to support a multi-dimensional, synergistic and co-creative view of life.
All of my interactions with children are guided by these twelve presuppositions. I live my own life according to these twelve presuppositions. I am committed to the design, development and support of learning spaces and environments that operate in accordance with these twelve presuppositions.
Presupposition #1:
Every child is unique.
Presupposition #2:
The simplicity and wonder of childhood is real life.
Presupposition #3:
Learning is as natural as breathing.
Presupposition #4:
Education is the pursuit of passion.
Presupposition #5:
The purpose of education (and life) is to be yourself.
Presupposition #6:
Every child has an inner teacher.
Presupposition #7:
We are all teachers and learners, irrespective of age.
Presupposition #8:
Nature is our greatest external teacher.
Presupposition #9:
Failure is feedback.
Presupposition #10:
Change is the only constant.
Presupposition #11:
Children are natural-born creators.
Presupposition #12:
Education is a collective responsibility of the whole community.