I don't have a plan

The title starts with an "I". Accordingly, this post contains personal experiences and unscientific opinions.

A year and a half ago I decided I am going to do something about education; even change the education system. I started talking about it with people. Usually, the first responses were enthusiastic. Often, there came a question along the line of "so how exactly are you going to do that - what's you're plan?" I didn't have a plan. How can I have a definite plan without knowing much? All the knowledge I had was my own experience, the complaints of others, and some rumors. Some people regarded my lack of plan as an indication I am not serious about it. But I thought if I formed a plan before I learned much more about the situation, and before I made an orderly effort to define my own goals - then I would be unserious. Worse, acting on a difficult talk without preparation is a good start for an eventual failure.

So, for a long time I insisted on not having a plan, and tried my best not to form definite opinions. I started by going to Finland to meet some of the people who changed Finland's education in the 1970s. One motivation for that trip was to see in my own eyes that it is possible to "fix" an education establishment, and that humans have done it. This is an inspiration I was looking for, and keeps me hopeful. Also, they do have a plan. I spoke with Dr. Jaakko Itälä, who was a leader of the education reform movement and served as a minister of education during the reform. In the first phone conversation we had, he started laying down his action plan: How to create a movement, how to generate political and popular support, etc. When I visited him, we sat together with Prof. Erkki Niskanen, who takes the academic angle of education reform, and he had prepared a list of types of laws that need to be passed as part of the plan. They were (and are) decades ahead of me in terms of planning. Much to catch up.

I took some time to read classic books, to listen to experts and researchers, to meet activists and teachers, to teach - standing in front of real students, and to think. Of course, I could go on for years, learn more and more, and still not be sure about the way to go. It is not really for humans to know, but we can do. A good indication that I may be ripe for some action is the fact that some of my precious preconceptions haven't survived the period of learning so far - I had to abandon them. This means I learned something new, which is good. I am going to keep studying and expanding my experience, and at the same time I am going to allow myself to start develop my plan.

What Fun!