Book News: I happened upon some kind words shared online about my new book Finding Joy. There’s no way around it. When someone reads your words, finds value in them and then talks about it on the internet — that’s a huge win! Pop on here if you want to give it a quick read and please feel free to share.
My sister/creative partner and I were in Banff, Alberta earlier this week for a media conference. We were making the rounds, pitching film and television projects to big players like BBC and CBC. If you read Good Enough last week you might remember that I shared about having missed a big educational conference much closer to home (because FEAR!). So how, you might ask, did I manage this one? Well, to be honest, media moguls in wrinkled suits are not terribly intimidating in person, and I don’t intimidate easily…which is why last week’s confession was such a big deal for me. But the beauty of Banff was also a big help.
There’s a concept in educational discourse called “the third teacher.” Made famous through the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood learning, a philosophy taken up by many educators, the learning environment as “the third teacher” is recognized as integral to a student’s educational experience. And I can say absolutely that what I learned about the state of the media industry right now was solidified — and even amplified — thanks to the mountain backdrop of this conference. Perhaps some of what I learned might be applied to your own circumstances in and beyond the classroom:
Everyone’s got great ideas! No matter how big their budget, the monster companies with the power to say “no” still have to walk up and down the big hill to the Fairmont Hotel in Banff. And since I am not afraid of an uphill climb, the playing field feels leveled in some small way when we are all equally dwarfed by an enormous string of mountains.
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Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser There is radical care given and received in the doing of creative work. It’s not just the final product that matters. We might know that intellectually, but I really felt the power of doing in Banff. Walking alongside the rushing waters, running ahead of Bec who was wearing uncomfortable shoes, trying to make it to a session on time — that whole experience was hilarious and beautiful. A true teachable moment for me. (I did end up making it to the session, and it was fine, but the adventure of getting there…navigating horse manure, off roading in wedge heels…was what made the whole experience memorable. You’ll have to follow our Tiktok account to see that video!)
Collegiality might look different in a new setting. The trek back to our hotel at the end of a conference day was a 40 minute walk. No big deal…except for the two cattle grids that we had to navigate our way across each time! It’s hard to get conference attire and cattle grids on the same page so we had to find work arounds. Together. Iterating, problem solving, pivoting — whatever business term you want to use, we did it (x2 in the rain!) in Banff.
Wherever you are this week, rural or city living, I’d love to hear about your “third teacher” provocations. Thanks for reading and sharing with someone new!