Learning, when done well, is a thing of beauty.

In this section of the book, I help you change the way your community thinks about, talks about and celebrates learning. Consider a master craftsperson at work. Their expertise isn’t just about what they create – it’s about how skillfully they work. The same is true for learning. When done well, learning itself becomes an art form, with students demonstrating the same kind of expertise we recognize in other domains.

Next Steps

1. Read this section of the book to dive deeper into these ideas and explore the examples that will help you bring them to life in your school.
2. Listen to the audio summary below for a quick overview of these key concepts.
3. Use the activities provided to explore what this means for your school.

How to Explore These Ideas With Your Team

1. Exploring Expertise (45 minutes)

• Have team members identify a domain they consider skillful
• List the qualities that define expertise in that domain
• Apply that same thinking to learning – what would expertise in learning look like?
• Discuss how to develop this expertise in your students

2. Identifying Beautiful Learning (30 minutes)

• Share experiences of witnessing “beautiful learning”
• Analyze what made these moments special
• Identify the elements that elevated learning from an act to an art
• Consider how to create more of these moments

3. Understanding the Elements (45 minutes)

• Introduce the five elements of Learnership
• Have teams examine current practices through the lens of these elements
• Identify opportunities to develop each element
• Create strategies for weaving these elements into daily practice

Reflection Questions

• Where do you see examples of “beautiful learning” in your school?
• How do your teachers currently think about learning as a skill?
• What would it take to raise the status of learning in your school?

Don’t have the book yet? Purchase Learnership here

Want to discuss how these ideas could transform your school community? Schedule a time with James

Ready to Continue Your Learnership Journey?

Now that you understand what Learnership looks like, it’s time to dive deeper into each of its essential elements. In Part IV, we’ll explore the five key elements that make up Learnership and how they work together to create skillful learners.