Growth Orientation

Over the past week a few ideas have come together for me and I feel ready to write about what I’ve been calling Growth Orientation.  This is something I’m developing as a core philosophy and practice, and, as it is in development, I find it difficult to organize clearly.  This week I made significant progress thanks to Tom Burritt’s post on drumchattr.com.

Tom has been reading on university programs and on-line course offerings, and I highly recommend reading his post and following his links to the articles he’s citing if you ever plan on attending a university (hint).

Here’s what I’m bringing together philosophically:

1. My undergrad at Iowa State imprinted on me the statement, “Lifelong Learning”
2. I strongly prefer the “apprenticeship” model of education to the “lecture” model
3. I believe the successful study of any discipline requires developing universal tools of learning
4. I don’t think anyone is responsible for my education but me
5. I don’t feel personally responsible to anyone for their own learning
6. I feel the internet makes the above two statements totally reasonable
7. I find goals to be highly motivating… until completed, then they become highly demotivating
8. I find the pursuit of college degrees to be at the heart of some of the saddest, most financially crippling stories I’ve ever heard
9. I think individual entrepreneurialism based on individual brilliance is the new normal, and anyone who can be replaced cheaply or easily will be
10. I find myself to be better at the service of building people with information and action than I am at generating and protecting exclusive, unique content

That’s a lot of disparate stuff, which is why I say I have a hard time focusing my material at this early stage.  This is my current conclusion:

• Goals are temporary.  The momentum gained while working on them reverses upon their completion.  It is easier to talk about and remember how you were successful before than it is to be successful again.
• Growth is continual, and generates momentum the longer growth continues.  The bigger you grow, the bigger you CAN grow and the bigger you WANT to grow.
• Therefore:  Growth is a more beneficial focus in study over a long period, and Goals are only suitable as a temporary means to accomplish a short-term end.
• Furthermore:  Because in western culture we are inundated with goal-oriented thinking all the time, special attention needs to be given to NOT making goals, but attending to steady growth instead.

Example: Marching season is over, so all my students are selecting pieces for solo and ensemble contest, because that’s the next major calendar event (goal). Inevitably I am asked over and over, “what should I play?”, which is a fair question, because you have to pick SOMETHING, but it’s November, and contest for many people is in late February or March.

If I set a piece as a goal now, we start a cycle, where we work for 4-5 months to get ready, then play, then move on.  The challenge becomes selecting a piece that will be a suitable goal, and fulfill all our needs for that entire period.

IF, however, I refuse to choose a piece, and place our focus on maximizing growth during this period, there will be, among other things, pieces getting played, and when we get a few weeks away from contest, whatever is good at that time can be used.

Now the “goal” is relegated to its appropriate place as a short-term solution to a specific problem.  We need a piece to play so we get feedback at contest.  We pick a piece, we play, we get feedback.  Done.  The real value in the 4-5 months of study is the growth, and that may very well be accomplished better without a big contest piece.

The idea of Growth Orientation is one of service:  I exist as a teacher to add value to my students.  The content of lessons is not substantially different than what would be used in goal orientation.  The pieces are mostly similar, the instruments are mostly similar, the specifics of each piece are mostly similar, etc.  What is different is the emphasis on helping students to grow as people by growing as players, rather than on setting goals for completion of material or success at scheduled events.

This also eliminates the common idea that when a piece is learned it’s “done”. Anything that has its value defined by helping to complete a goal loses that value when the goal is complete.  Any piece used in the growth process retains its value as long as growth continues, and could be called upon again at any time, for any suitable reason.

In goal orientation, each completed goal involves an opportunity for stagnation, because a new goal is needed to continue working with purpose.  In growth orientation each small instance of growth leads to greater growth, because there is always one more obvious step to take.

What I want my students to take away from this idea is simple:

1. You will need to learn and grow through your entire life and adapt to be successful.
2. Learning itself is a skill you develop any time you learn anything.
3. You are at the center of your own learning and growth.  It really is all about you!
4. Once you get good at it, no one will ever teach you better than you.
5. The best way to grow to a higher level is to connect with someone who is beyond you at whatever specific thing you’re learning.  Add their value to your own!
6. Always take time to benefit others in their growth as well.  It is impossible to help others without also helping yourself.

I will continue to develop this idea and write on it as it gets better.  I’m using it in every aspect of my life, teaching, study and growth, and I can see its positive effects every day.

Happy growing!