Margaret Wheatley
Bringing Schools Back to Life: Schools as Living Systems

In Creating Successful School Systems: Voices from the University, the field, and the community. Christopher-Gordon Publishers, September 1999

Margaret Wheatley has addressed in a wonderful and inspiring way some of what is missing in society as a whole, not just in schools. Reading this paper, however, has made it clear to me the extent of lag time in education as there are forward thinking organisations with incredible integrity that have been teaching leadership and interconnected behaviour in the world for years. The educational world has withstood setbacks such as political suppression, pious domination, class discrimination and many forms of widespread criticism and judgement, making education in the world an unfavourable and confusing subject. I believe that teaching will take on a different role in society and end up the backbone of society, not companies, not politicians but teachers and the art of teaching. As human nature slowly evolves through the seven deadly sins it is becoming apparent to us all that the world will not cope too much longer with the greed of corporations, the gluttony of consumerism, the lust of politicians, the envy and wrath of opposing nations etc. At the end of the day human nature will be left to contemplate human nature and the stunning realisation of our intrinsic interconnectedness to all things on this planet and beyond. Human beings will be left to ponder the question “What does it mean to be human?” triggering a different type of educational process. So the teaching of teachers will need to alter a bit to incorporate these future changes. Leadership and the ability to work with others will become an essential quality in human nature so teachers need to be demonstrable leaders in society. That does not mean that teachers need to spend every spare moment forging leadership projects in the world, but teachers need to have imbibed the qualities of leadership for themselves and be masterful in group interaction. This can only elevate teachers, and therefore schools, to a place of solidarity in the world. I agree with Margaret Wheatley's viewpoints on Living Systems, and in line with Hattie's viewpoints I believe that the process of teaching teachers will be the answer. I think that the focus needs to be not on the school as an organism but on the growth that is happening inside the heart of that organism - from within the teachers. I believe that teaching will gradually go back to what it once was, a spiritual art.