It's has been about 10 years since I read the book, In Over Our Heads by Robert Kegan. This difficult and challenging book looks at the development of the human mind throughout the stages of our life. Robert Kegan believes that the constantly changing demands of modern life may be developmentally inappropriate for many—perhaps even most—adults. We should no more blame or punish adults for their inability to meet the challenges of their lives than we would punish an infant for not being able to turn over, or a five-year-old who had not mastered abstract thinking. Instead of blaming adults for simply being unable to meet these demands, Kegan asks that we learn how to support development—and have the patience to wait for it to come. He says, “The expectations upon us…demand something more than mere behavior, the acquisition of specific skills, or the mastery of particular knowledge. They make demands on our minds, on how we know, on the complexity of our consciousness”
This, of course, got me thinking about optometry students. How often do we hear that they are not prepared for the rigors of optometry school? How often do we blame "helicopter parents" or less-than-rigorous undergraduate programs for this lack of preparation? But, I challenge you to consider Kegan's thoughts here. He says that in an ideal world, people would grow best if they continuously experienced support and challenge. He goes on to say that environments that are too heavily weighted towards challenges without adequate support are toxic. Think back to when you went to optometry school. Was the environment toxic? Was it painful? Where you challenged at every turn with a lack of support? Psychologist tell us that this type of environment leads to feelings of anger, helplessness, futility, and dissociation. Is that what we want for our future health care providers? Do they need psychological scars to be good OD's? I think not!
In contrast, Kegan points out that if an environment is too heavily weighted towards support without adequate challenges, this will promote devitalization. Is this what we are seeing with our students that always received trophies and had all problems cleared by their parents? Is this what we are seeing when KMK gives our student resources without them earning them? What is the right balance?
How do we find the proper balance between support and challenge? This challenge falls squarely on the shoulders of educational leaders (in the broadest sense). I'd suggest two key concepts for all school leaders. The first is student teamwork. A sense of shared purpose towards a common goal will lead students towards a sense of loyalty and identification with the team. So, failure is no longer a personal cost but a cost to the team. Second, educational leaders must develop a faculty that work in sync. Kegan says to teach a faculty "to breathe together." Only by keeping all faculty members focused on the mission can we reach greater goals such as retention rates and NBEO performance. Does this mean that everyone does everything the same way? No! It means that everyone on the faculty works towards the same mission in their own way. The diversity of faculty approaches just enrich the student's experience.
Obviously, crafting this balanced environment is difficult and sometimes painful. But, the results will be worth the effort. Consider the developing minds of your students and do your best to challenge and support them through their curriculum. Optometry school is tough! I always liked to say during "interview days", if optometry school was easy, everyone would be an OD. We know that 1st year students embark on a tough 4-year journey, so let's be sure to be the best guides along the way regardless of how poorly we were treated when we took the journey!
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