Episode: 704

Episode Title: Kindling the Minds of Students

How can we kindle students with the excitement of learning? The secret is to forge a human connection with them. More on that, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 704 show:

This is The Perna Syndicate—hello and welcome! As we’ve been discussing all week, both vessel-filling and flame-kindling are essential in education. The trick is, for Generation Z it’s crucial that they be in the right order. If we kindle the minds of students with curiosity about the topic, they will then be open to the information we want to impart. We have to kindle their flame before we can fill their vessel.

So how do we practically kindle that flame? The best way to inspire students to love learning is through the conduit of a human connection. 

A human connection stands or falls on three questions that every young person is silently asking. Whether they even realize it themselves or not, they all want to know: Do you see me? Do you hear me? And do I, in fact, matter? 

If young people feel that the answer to any of these questions is no, we’ve lost them. No human connection will be forged. No flame will be kindled. No vessel will be filled. 

On the other hand, if they do feel seen, heard, and valued, they will welcome that interaction and give you a voice to speak into their lives. And they’ll listen.

Taking the time to connect with students, to show them that they’re not just a number—well, it’s the only way that I know to kindle their minds with the fire of learning. They don’t want instruction from someone who doesn’t care about them. Would you?

Next time, we’re going to talk about what happens when we first kindle the flame and then fill the vessel for Gen Z. Spoiler alert: it’s a good outcome. We’ll see you next time on The Perna Syndicate!