Teacher Training- Education Week

Elixir was invited to present a workshop at this years Education Week Conference. The conference is a forum that is attended by key stakeholders including government, private education institutions and international experts. Spintelligent, the organisers of Education week were interested in Elixir's innovative approach to developing a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in schools. In South Africa, our education system has to contend with many issues that go beyond the normal challenges that schools face in ensuring that schooling prepares people for the 21st century.On top of the fact that curriculum's cannot respond quick enough to the rapid pace of change in the global economy and to the development of knowledge around what constitutes a 21st century education, South Africa also has a host of other problems related to funding, poverty, teacher training and the legacy of the apartheid era.  In spite of all our efforts to overcome these issues, Elixir believes that we are still missing the mark in giving young people the real skills needed for the world at large and that the solutions we need are not that far out of reach-in fact, they are very simple!

There is no question that job creation and entrepreneurship are the most vital goals of education, yet efforts to develop these in schools remain limited, which reflects in the fact that with a 26% unemployment rate we are scoring as badly as 41 out of 43 in certain categories of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. There is no way that you can develop an innovation and entrepreneurial mindset by having "Entrepreneurship Day" or "Innovation Day". Elixir believes that students have to be consistently challenges and re-enforced to start developing themselves in these critical areas. There is no question that the best people to provide this support are the teachers who have the most access to them each day and who educate in the formal subjects that make up the bulk of he curriculum. The challenge however is how do we develop this culture within the framework of an established and highly entrenched curriculum that is supported by an old paradigm of what costumes an effective education?

The next question is how do we incorporate all of these must have skills into curriculum programs that are jam packed? This question is what inspired Elixir to come up with the Entrepreneurship Incubator workshop for teachers. The guidelines were that it had to draw on all of the learning's that Elixir had acquired in developing vocations, leadership and innovation with countless organisations and with dynamic entrepreneurs. The next imperative was that teachers could facilitate these results in a maximum of 5 minutes in each class. Our belief is that with correct planning, preparation and delivery, one could always create a powerful learning in 5 minutes and find the time in the normal curriculum to do so.  Finally,in those 5 minutes teachers had to facilitate all the practical skills that were being ignored or poorly implemented by schools, they included.

-Developing young people's networking ability

-Developing each students self awareness around personal vision,passions,values and abilities.

-Develop students creative problem solving ability

-Inspiring students to be innovative and entrepreneurial

-Ensuring that students consistently set a powerful and intention for their future and their day while managing their expectations and the challenges they confront daily.

-Developing each students unique vision and vocation development

-Challenging young people to increase their industry exposure &  work experience

This may sound like what schools are already doing and what they should be doing anyway but let me give you an example of what the workshop includes,. Let us consider the first objective, developing the networking capability of students. Networking is about developing connections that share similar passions, values and abilities and who share a common vision with you. Most people in the business world will tell you that it is not what you know but who you know! Sales people will also tell you that the best source of new business is either from friends, existing customers or referrals, because they either believe in your value or trust someone else's opinion enough to give you a chance. Ask most people how they got their job and they will tell you through a contact or through one of their families connections. I met 100's of educators at the conference and not one told me that they teach young people how to network! Networking is one of the most critical life skills which requires self-confidence, open mindedness, creativity, communication, self awareness , enthusiasm and a want to come from a place of service to those that you meet. I have been to so many networking sessions and still I am met by grown adults who have no idea how to connect with people to sell themselves, sell their product and how to create opportunities.To think that people are meant to develop these skills as soon as they graduate is crazy.

As a result, we train teachers to be able to facilitate networking sessions and ask effective coaching questions that develop the attitudes, skills and systems that support effective networking.In 5 Minutes, I asked teachers to develop what they saw as their key value proposition, an expression of the value that they can offer to people and society and a reflection of their passions and abilities. Just asking young people to define their value proposition starts them on the vocation development journey and no matter how educated you are, you can still be passionate, enthusiastic and hungry to learn. In 5 minutes I asked the teachers to write their core passion on a piece of paper and walk around the room holding it up in the air with pride. Soon , we had 6 groups of people that shared similar passions in education standing in circles talking about their challenges, ideas and interests. This is the source of innovation, connections and self esteem. "A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." .Those words by Margaret Mead speak into the importance of creating powerful support bases from young people to develop their lives and the country at large.  I asked many of the teachers whether they had asked children one question? How big is your database? I also asked them whether their database reflected their interests or their ambitions? I asked whether they had connected with the one person that has achieved success in a specific area that they valued? It is sad that often the answers that I get to these questions are often the limiting beliefs that stop us form connecting with people. "He won't have time for me!" "I have nothing of value to offer him!" "I am to scared!"

The Elixir Education Incubator is a new approach to giving teachers the practical tools to start developing a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within schools. We appreciate that for it to be effective it has to be practical, very simple and it must be based on the coaching principles that support learner engagement, ownership and self awareness.The Education Week workshop was a resounding success and for those of you who are interested in reading the comments from the 30 or so educators who were in the workshop, please see below. Attendees were asked to rank out of 10 the degree to which the workshop gives practical tools that could be used in creating a culture of Innovation & Entrepreneurship. They were also asked what they workshop did very well. For those of you have any quetions or who woulf like to knwo what the workshop involves, please contact Jeremy on 021 685 6744 or jerem@elixirgroup.co.za

School	Name	E-mail	Score/10	Comment	Do well?
	AR Brown
	Ebrahim Vanja	vania.ebrahim@gmail.com	8	Very relevant for teachers	It equips educators with skills to address many learners issues in our education systems
	Makobo Julia	?	8	Tools used were very relevant to day to day experiences	The facilitator offered will communicated skills that can be used in personal and professional develoopment
Capricorn College for FET	Makgabo Agnes Shongoane	mshongoane@capricorncollege.co.za	8	The workshop was very relevant and hands on	The workshop made the delgates aware of some of the key issues in education that are sometimes overlooked.
Capricorn College for FET	NL Selowa	lselowa@capricorncollege.co.za	7	The workshop was very practical	The workshop was very effective in creating delegate participation and helping them to discover their abilities.
	MA Montsi	mafubeinter@galmail.co.za	10	Excellent-it could improve the state of our institutions	It gives us more relevant information we can use back home
West Coast College	Nomathemba Nkila Dapula	nnkila@westcoastcollege.co.za	7	Lot of work covered in a short time	lets you think and draw from your own experience
Univen	Dr Aaron Ravhudzulo	ravhudzulo@univen.ac.za	8		It opened the eyes of delegates on how to coach learners
Vhembe FET College	TP Malima	tpmalima@yahoo.com	10	It was awesome as all the things were covered	Modelling and practically engaging everybody on real issues
Capricorn College for FET	KJ Phochana	kphochana@capricorncollege.co.za	8		Focus on development
Vhembe FET College	SC Khubana	fetvhembe@telkomsa.net	7	Most of the issues discussed were praactical and applicable	New ideas and innovations were discussed.
	Linda Stofile Hlahla	lindastofilehlahla@yahoo.com	8		It outlins the challenges es experienced by the sector and showed pays to explore for increased productivity and performance
	Nkanyiso shezl	mkanyisos@nissan.co.za	8	It helped me to discover myself	teaches one to develop a positive attitude in understanding others
	BV Ntuli		8		Constant interaction with the facilitator by the educators
	Jemima Phoeko		10	The workshop was excellent
EEC Fet	Francois gouws	francoisg@eec.edu.za	8	User friendly and realistic	Highlight possibilities to assist students to have hope
	Montsi Tumelo	mafubeinter@galmail.co.za	10	It was fascinating,enjoyable and more practical
	Dolo Malose	dolomalose@gmail.com	6	In some examples I found them abstract	Helped me to realise that simple things that are disregarded can contribute significantly to education
Univen	Peter Mulaudzi	peter.mulaudzi@univen.ac.za	7	It does address teacher innovation and developments	Exposes particpants to skills that are value-laden and which work with learners.
MGI	Fiona McCalister	fiona@mgi.ac.za	8	I woudl have given it a 9, if there were more exampels of applying what we learnt	It gives you new ways of thinking of things, gives you new perspectives
	Leonard Kope Malatsi	kope.malatsi@gmail.com	6		It helps introduce a good approach towards value proposition to students
HRE Polytechnic	Stephen Raza	straza@afritechno.com	8	I thought it had the ingrediants of a positive way of thinking about life	Practical excercises
	M Tshilshwalivha		8	It was very clear
Hluvuka High School	GW Nkonyani	gwnkonyani@gmail.com	8		Motivating participants to have self confidence and innovative ideas to help people grow in their leadership skills
Gauteng Education dept	Thandeka Masondo	thandeka.masondo@gauteng.gov.za	8	It was very practical and relevant	It blended very well with the coaching concept
GEK Fet College	KMD Lethuba	doo@sekfetcol.co.za	7	Near excellent	Networking and Interaction
DUT	Darren Lorton	dlorton@dut.ac.za	8.5	Set of practical transferrable skills were acquired	Opportunities to engage with eachother and each issue.
Univen	Samuel Mashau	takalani.mashau@univen.ac.za	7		Students may have the feeling that they have potential and can takle any obstacle
Sek Fet College	Tefu Alletah	tefuc@sekfetcol.co.za	8	The workshop covered most of the critical areas,I am impressed, excellent work	Making one realise that nothing is impossible in life. It only needs one to think out of the box and develop a culture of continual brain excercise