Austin Scholar #150: How the most controversial educator created the best school in the UK
(& what you can learn from her)
Hey, y'all!
This week from Austin Scholar...
How the most controversial educator created the best school in the UK (& what you can learn from her)
Scholar’s Sources: What I’ve been thinking about…
My sister came to Stanford to visit me this past weekend! I know it’s only been a few weeks since Christmas break, but I was already missing her so much. I feel so at peace and genuinely happy when I’m with her, so her visit has definitely fueled me for these upcoming midterm weeks.
Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, where my sister and I spent our Saturday.
How the most controversial educator created the best school in the UK
I first found out about Katharine Birbalsingh, Headmistress of the Michaela School, from this video. A majority of her claims are shocking – completely contradictory to modern parenting and educational thought.
But her school has the best academic results in the UK. A school that started in 2014 is now beating out all of the venerated hundred-year-old institutions. She must be doing something right.
What, though? Well, she attributes this success to the fact that motivation in education is just as important as the content students are learning.
This is, surprisingly, part of what makes her controversial. So many modern educational theorists (myself included) have talked about the importance of having a “why” – a reason for learning and improving that goes beyond oneself so that education becomes a lifestyle, not just a requirement.
Birbalsingh recognizes that your “higher purpose” is a part of your education, but believes that it comes much later. Purpose only comes after the attainment of other, more immediately motivating goals:
Level 1: Avoid Demerits/Detentions: At the foundational level, students are motivated by a desire to avoid negative consequences. They follow rules and complete assignments primarily to avoid punishment.
Level 2: Earn Merits/Rewards: Students begin to see the value in positive reinforcement. They strive to earn merits and rewards, shifting their focus from avoiding punishment to achieving recognition.
Level 3: Impress Teachers: Students develop a desire to gain the approval and respect of their teachers. They view their teachers as role models and strive to meet their expectations.
Level 4: A Great Future/Self-Development: Students begin to connect their present actions with their future aspirations. They understand that developing good habits and working hard will contribute to a successful future. They take ownership of their learning and development.
Level 5: It's Who You Are: At the pinnacle, desired behaviors and values become integrated into the student's identity. They are no longer driven by external rewards or punishments but act according to their internalized values and character. They *are* the kind of person who is diligent, respectful, and strives for excellence.
Here is a visualization of Birbalsingh’s pyramid of student motivation (courtesy of Poe):
I’m a rule-follower and lover of structure, so this pyramid makes sense to me – the step-by-step process and clear stages make it easy to identify where I am and what I’m working towards. My sister, on the other hand, would look at this pyramid and scoff. She’s much more free-spirited than I am and prefers to work and learn on her own terms.
Now, I’m always looking for new and innovative educational ideas, but I must admit that this path seems antithetical to much of the rhetoric out there (even by Jordan Peterson and Elon Musk). But for any rule following kids, I can see how this is helpful.
It’s easy for those students to get stuck in stages 1-3 – to follow rules and strive to impress their mentors and teachers, yet fail to go beyond conforming; they don’t reach those final stages and become their own person. They’ve followed the rules and avoided punishments for their entire life, yet have never found a true passion or purpose. This pyramid structure allows them to move past that extrinsically motivated hamster wheel and figure out what kind of person they want to become.
However, if a rule-following kid was placed from the onset in stages 4 or 5, they would probably be lost and overwhelmed by the lack of structure and feel they don’t have the skills or habits to succeed. The bottom-up structure of the pyramid helps scaffold their development by teaching them how to perform well, and then slowly letting them go on their own.
With this model, I can 100% understand how certain students thrive in their academics and development.
But I don’t think it’s for everyone. My sister, for example, would be stuck on step one forever – she needs to feel as though she has a purpose first. Things like demerits, detentions, and impressing teachers don’t matter to her.
Last year, she bragged about how she was #1 in the school in both detentions and academic performance.
Her story proves that not every successful student is motivated by Birbalsingh’s Pyramid – you have to recognize what works best for your kid.
If you do have a rule-following, academically-focused kid (like me) who you want to help become the best version of themself, you can use Birbalsingh’s Pyramid to help motivate them. Here are exercise ideas built around each step in the pyramid: