The guest is Roman Krznaric, public philosopher, author of The Good Ancestor, and founder of the world's first Empathy Museum. He explains how the good ancestor framework can be a foundational guiding principle for school leaders. Starting from the place of asking what legacy our present-day decisions will leave for future generations, Roman traces good ancestor thinking from indigenous cultures to present-day innovations.
Use these prompts to spark discussions with your leadership teams. (You can also read the full episode notes here.)
Key Takeaways
- Reflecting on Roman’s model of our acorn and marshmallow brains, where do each of those postures show up in your school community? How might you include more acorn brain thinking and exploration into your planning and culture?
- Roman talks about doing a long-term thinking plan for schools by envisioning the students of 2050 and exploring what they need in a school. What might that elicit in your school community?
- The concept of an empathy museum centers around walking a mile in someone else's shoes. What might an empathy museum activity look like in your school?
- Roman spoke about a menu of conversations among diverse participants. What might a menu of conversations look like in your school? In your classrooms?
- Conversation questions based on the good ancestor framework:
- What are your own fears and hopes for the future?
- What legacy would you like to leave for your family, your community, and for the living world?
- What do you think should be the long-term goal of a school, or of a species, or of a planet?
- How can your school put this thinking into practice?