Bruce Staley

Living on the Growing Edge is the title of a book I read some years ago. The author recalls meeting a remarkable teacher, “…o ne of those gifted people who realises that she is not teaching subjects but persons. In her classroom young people not only mastered learning skills, but began to understand themselves and life. This teacher was able to consistently encourage her students and help them excel.” Her method, a concept common in education, was to discover the ‘growing edge’ of each of her students, where the student is ready and able to learn. Beyond that the student is not able to cope, and behind that the student is easily bored. [1] Since launching into a consulting career in 1993 after many years of secure employment I have been acutely aware of my ‘growing edge’. Private practice has been my ‘teacher.’ It’s definitely never been boring; although at times I have thought I have extended myself beyond my ‘growing edge’ and have wondered how I would cope. I hav...

Living on the Growing Edge is the title of a book I read some years ago. The author recalls meeting a remarkable teacher, “…o ne of those gifted people who realises that she is not teaching subjects but persons. In her classroom young people not only mastered learning skills, but began to understand themselves and life. This teacher was able to consistently encourage her students and help them excel.” Her method, a concept common in education, was to discover the ‘growing edge’ of each of her students, where the student is ready and able to learn. Beyond that the student is not able to cope, and behind that the student is easily bored. [1] Since launching into a consulting career in 1993 after many years of secure employment I have been acutely aware of my ‘growing edge’. Private practice has been my ‘teacher.’ It’s definitely never been boring; although at times I have thought I have extended myself beyond my ‘growing edge’ and have wondered how I would cope. I h...