Partners in Learnership Videos

Each week we will be distributing a video relating to Learnership from James Anderson on the Taradale Intermediate Facebook page and on Hero. We will also add all the videos to this page, so you can find them all in one place.

These 'nudges' from James will strengthen our partnership in developing Learner Agency, and grow our understanding in the intricacies of Learnership. 

We would encourage you to watch them as they come through, as well as reflect on James' nudges.

Your child does not need a better teacher

Parents often tell me that they want their child to have a better teacher. But if we want our child to achieve more in school, and set themselves up for life, it's not a better teacher they need. What they need is to become a better learner. To develop the skill of learnership. 

What is Learnership?


When you went to school learning was probably something you just did. But the science of learning has progressed. Today we understand that learning is a skill, and arguably it's the single most important skill we can develop. That's what Learnership is. The skill of learning. It's about getting better at getting better. Here's how to start talking to your child about learning as a skill. After all, they don't go to school just to learn. They go to school to learn how to learn well.

I wish I hadn't said that

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We love our children, and we want the best for them. But sometimes, unintentionally, we say things that can get in the way of them becoming effective learners. In this video I tell the story of how, in an effort to encourage my daughter, I might have been teaching her not to try too hard. I wish I hadn't said this... 

Please stop telling your child they are smart

I get it. We want to encourage and praise our children. But please, stop telling them how smart they are! Telling children they ARE smart (or clever, or musical, or artistic etc etc) can actually undermine their ability to learn and stop them challenging themselves with their learning. But there is a better alternative. Try this... 

The Mindset Continuum

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Carol Dwecks work on Mindset has captured the attention of world - as it should. But as useful as the idea of Fixed and Growth Mindset is for understanding the importance of Mindset, the power in changing mindset comes from recognising it as a continuum. As parents, our job is not to instil, or install or even ask our children to adopt a Growth Mindset. Our job is to nurture and nourish an increasingly growth-oriented mindset in our children, and for that we need to recognise that our mindset falls along a continuum. You can download a copy of the Mindset Continuum from www.jamesanderson.com.au   

Specialisation, not Categorisation

It's easy to categorise adults by their talents and abilities. Some people are artists. Others are leaders. Some people have mathematical abilities. Others are carers. The list goes on. But while we can categorise adults, we can't, and mustn't categorise our children. What the difference between the categories of adults (that are real and purposeful) and children? The answer is: time. The time to develop those abilities. Behind any current categorisation is a a life time of specialisation. A lifetime spent developing those abilities. As we nurture that understanding in our children, we help them recognise they choice they have to develop those talents and abilities in themselves.