Ian Chriswick, Cymbrogi's Lead Educator and Champion for Curriculum for Wales tells us about his own 'Sliding Doors' moment... when he decided to come join us...
We are at a 'Sliding Doors' moment in history, facing unprecedented challenges that climate change presents us with. The wellbeing of our younger generations has never been so at risk. Eco-anxiety, social pressures and a curriculum in flux has led to confusion, apathy and in some cases a nihilistic attitude towards learning.
But the grown-ups responsible for their care are suffering too. Over the past few years, working within a senior leadership team in a bilingual secondary school, on top of the day job (teaching maths) I was partly responsible for managing the school's response to COVID. I was also responsible for Curriculum for Wales development, outdoor learning and developing the school's sustainability agenda. This all took its toll. I was becoming over-stretched and my family life began to suffer.
It was around this time that I participated in a Cymbrogi event, a 2-day Educators ‘What Matters’ residential in West Wales. It did what it said on the tin, and more: it enabled me to gain perspective of 'What Matters’ to me as an educator; an opportunity to focus my energies on the issues I am passionate about: sustainability, outdoor learning and developing an exciting curriculum for the future.
Since then, I was lucky enough to be invited to become a part of the Cymbrogi family as a Lead Educator, and I am so glad I did. The work that we are doing will never be more important than it is now.
For those of us working in education, we owe it to ourselves, our families, and ultimately the next generation in our care. If we can’t focus on what matters to us, how can we be expected to help young learners do the same?
We all have a 'Sliding Doors' moment at some point in our lives, I have chosen which door I wanted to walk through, and I now intend to help others do the same.
