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Dr. Jane Vella<\/a> and Rebecca Hutchins<\/a> talk with Dr. Paula Berardinelli about on of Jane\u2019s personal favorite axioms: \u201cNo laughing, no learning!\u201d Jane and Paula have known each other since the last century at UNC Chapel Hill, and they are still very close friends and neighbors to this day. Paula introduces a new \u201cindicator of engagement\u201d that emphasizes the importance of setting the stage for laughter!<\/p>\n Listen on\u00a0Apple Podcasts<\/a>,\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0virtually\u00a0anywhere<\/a>\u00a0podcasts are found!<\/p>\n This show is produced by Global Learning Partners and Greg Tilton Jr, with theme music composed by\u00a0Kyle Donald<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read the transcripts for the episode below<\/em>. JANE<\/strong><\/p>\n Welcome to Simply True,<\/em> with yours truly, Dr. Jane Vella. On this podcast, we sit down with dear friends and colleagues from over the years to do one thing: explore the simple truths behind some of my favorite sayings in Dialogue Education.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n REBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Hello, and welcome to Simply True with Dr. Jane Vella<\/em>. I’m your host for today’s episode, Rebecca Hutchins, the Chief Business Officer and co-owner of Global Learning Partners. Today, Jane and I are joined by Dr. Paula Berardinelli to explore the axiom, “no laughing, no learning.” Welcome Paula, thanks for joining us today.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PAULA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Well, thank you, Rebecca. It’s lovely to be with you all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n REBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Let’s begin by rooting ourselves in our history. Paula, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to know Jane and Global Learning Partners?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PAULA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Actually, I know Jane from the last century. We met in 1990. I was finishing my doctoral work and a classmate of mine was taking a class that Jane was offering prior to Global Learning Partners \u2013 called Jubilee Popular Education Center \u2013 and I set up lunch with Jane, on a Monday, and she said to me on Thursday she was going to be offering a class at UNC Chapel Hill, and I was at NC State at the time. And I left lunch, I went to the graduate school and I said, “How do I do inter-institutional registration?” I went over to Chapel Hill, I – this was all when things happened in person, and was in the class that Thursday. And, so, Jane and I have had a long friendship and colleague-ship – mentorship, actually, throughout these years.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n REBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Thank you, Paula. So, of course we’re here today to discuss the axiom, “no laughing, no learning.” So Jane, do you want to start us off? Where does this axiom come from?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n JANE\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Thank you, Rebecca. Well, this comes, “no laughing, no learning” directly, I think from my experience. As I mentioned in an earlier podcast, I’ve been teaching since the last century, Paula, and I noticed as I taught different people, different groups, in different parts of the world, that when people felt safe, there was a great deal of laughter in the room. And it wasn’t that- my wonderful jokes, it was in the small groups, they were laughing with one another. And I realized that that was- it’s almost like the apple in the apple pie. It’s got to be there. And you don’t put it in intentionally. It’s in there via the design. When people get a chance to be transparent, talk honestly with one another, you can’t help but see the funny things that are happening. And when they laugh \u2013 and we’ve learned from neurobiology now, that the amygdala is quiet, they can learn, they can create new dendrites in their brain. Wow. That’s where it came from, Rebecca.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n REBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Thank you, Jane. And Paula, I’m wondering if you can say a bit about what this axiom, “no laughing, no learning,” means to you?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PAULA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, to me, it’s a beautiful indication of engagement.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n JANE\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Yes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PAULA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Because, if learners aren’t engaged with the content, with each other, with the whole purpose that we’re gathered for, whatever the learning event is, well, we need to back up and find a point of connection, so that there’s value created for everyone. So, for me, this is about engagement. And I will say that, you know, when I met Jane, I was working on theory development. And, so, it’s like, how do you take a theory and move it into practice? And, so, you know, engagement is a concept, the axioms, their concepts and to bring it into a tangible indicator reality. For me, I look at teeth \u2013 have I seen everyone’s teeth? And, you know, the opportunities of everyone working remotely right now, is finding ways to engage people online, is to see their teeth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n JANE\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n That’s wonderful, Paula.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n REBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n It is, I love that, Paula, thank you. I’m wondering, Paula, if you could say a bit more, if a story comes to mind that illustrates that for our listeners.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PAULA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n So, not long before COVID brought us all inside, I had an opportunity to do a class on crucial conversations. And I was at a manufacturing plant. And I had the room set up, we bring tables, and I had all the materials set up and people were filing in, they were very quiet. And I started with introductions, and the informal leader of the group said to me, “Before you get started, what you need to know is a third of us have just worked the third shift and found that we have to be here, a third of us came in from our day off, and only a third really want to be here.” And in that moment, I thought, well, I’ve seen his teeth, and they’re fangs \u2013 what am I going to do about this? And in that moment, you know, sometimes inspiration and insight meet, and I said, “Okay, let’s start fresh, I’m going to invite everyone to grab a post-it note off the table. And I noticed in the lobby, as I came in, there was a museum of all the inventions and products your company has made. Let’s go down to the lobby and spend 10 minutes in silence, so we don’t disturb the people that are working around there, and notice all the contributions you have been a part of.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n JANE\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Wow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PAULA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n And we came back upstairs, and I started and I shared what I noticed about what they – their products were – that I had them in my home and I didn’t even realize that these folks created those products. So, with that, my informal leader, he jumped up to the front of the room, in front of the flip chart and he put his post-its up there and he told the most amazing stories. About how he contributed and what were some unknown facts about how things happened. And the rest of the group joined in and we laughed and we cried and there was such a sense of engagement and pride. And it took over an hour to do introductions that day and it was my sense of – that the learning had happened.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n JANE\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Oh, Paula. That’s beautiful.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PAULA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Thank you.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n REBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Thank you, Paula. That is beautiful. I like the connection between the engagement and the learning and the pride. That’s really nice. Jane, I wonder if you might have a story of where this axiom rang true for you, from maybe a little bit further back in history.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n JANE\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n I have so many stories. I want to first, if I may, Rebecca, corroborate what Paula just said, because I noticed Paula, as you told your story, that the principle of affirmation \u2013 lavish affirmation \u2013 was in your invitation to them, to talk about their contribution. How about that? The principle, and it is a principle of storytelling. It’s both a practice, but it’s also the power of the story. And then, what, Paula, you just told showed how the emotional impact, you said, “We wept. We laughed. I saw teeth and I saw tears.” Wow. In your short story, you’ve named, I guess 10 or 12 of the principles, as well as, “no laughing no learning.” So, these axioms capture, in a tight and concise way, the whole, pardon the pun, the whole story of dialogue in education. Honestly. My story is a – oh, it’s just a wonderful story, again, when – when I was in Tanzania, we had, in front of our house, we had a tree, a large orange tree. And across the – the compound from my house, was a primary school. And as soon as the oranges came out on that tree, they were tiny, they were green, and they’d make you – your hair would rise, they were so sour. And as soon as they arrived on the tree, those children would come rushing over and strip the tree bear and eat the oranges. And I said to my friends, “I have an idea. Next year, let’s put a fence around the tree, so the kids can’t get at the tree, when the oranges first come out.” Well, the children were not very happy about that, but we did it. And then, the oranges blossomed – I mean, the tree blossom, the oranges ripened. And we laugh so hard, because when we took the fence away, of course, the children saw the fruit, they came rushing, they grabbed an orange, and the word for orange in Swahili is “machungwa.” Notice, “machungu,” means bitter. Hello? Orange bitter? they named the fruit, because they ate it too soon. And so when they ate the orange, we went out there, of course, and we were laughing because the – the the children were -were so excited at eating this. And I said, “What do you think of machungwa?” And they said, “Yeah, it’s good, but it ain’t an orange. It ain’t an orange.” So, what – what I mean, is in a dialogue, and that was not a dialogue by words, it was a dialogue by fences. And then we took the fence down, and that was when we were – everybody was laughing, the children were laughing with joy. I think that’s one story that always stays with me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n REBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Thanks, Jane. That must have been, just an amazing experience watching those children.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n JANE\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n I’ll never forget it, Rebecca, I’ll never forget. It brings tears to my eyes as I tell the story. “They ain’t oranges.” And, so, I saw then, again another axiom, we can change the systems, the worlds, we can even change the meaning of “machungwa” because they weren’t “machungwa” anymore. How about that, the meaning of words can change by our dialogue.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n REBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n That is pretty powerful, for sure. Paula, I wonder if anything else comes to mind for you, after hearing Jane’s story, that you want to share with us?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PAULA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Well, another story did come to mind, Rebecca, and that is back in the late 90’s. Jane had asked me to accompany her to Hungary, where we were introducing Dialogue Education to early NGO’s. And there were a group of Americans who had a grant and they were introducing NGO’s in Poland and Hungary, and they had pulled together leaders from these groups. And we spent a week doing the first course in Hungary and I will say that was also a very powerful experience of “no laughing, no learning,” because, Jane and I were met with incredible resistance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n JANE\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Oh, boy, oh, boy. I can’t forget it, Paula.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PAULA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n And in particular there was one young man who took his materials and a black sharpie and just drew, like, colored across all the content. And I knew again, you know, well, okay, we’re – we have a new opportunity here. And so we called a break and he and I went for a walk around the lake and he was very transparent about how he was expressing his – yeah, he just felt like, “What did Americans have to say?” And and he said, “…and I’m the one in the room, who’s telling you the most truth.” And it was only when we were able to get to the truth, were we able to come in and reset. And then again, you know \u2013 what happens when we’re really paying attention to the learners – is we went into table groups by mother tongue, right, the native language, and people started to tell stories, and we had to continuously check back in with where people were with the concepts and draw the fact that we weren’t presenting new material, nor was it American material. It was about ways to engage their learners, so they could achieve their goals. And by the end of the week together, you know, we were laughing and singing. And I have to say, there will be times when resistance takes precedence. That you can’t get to the laughter, because you don’t want that fake nervous laughter.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n JANE\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Right.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PAULA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n It needs to be from the heart and from the belly and – and, so, sometimes we have trouble getting through the resistance and we don’t get to – like the sweet – Jane, it’s as if the – we grab the quick orange that’s sour \u2013<\/p>\n <\/p>\n JANE\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Yes. Yes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PAULA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n \u2013 before we let- before we work through the – whatever the process gets to be, where you get the sweetness of the orange. And, so, I think, with “no laughter, no learning” is, I’m not a stand up comic, I don’t come to entertain. So it’s – it’s not as if it’s all about the leader or the facilitator going for the laugh. It’s really about how do we fully engage the learner? And, we have to – we have to earn their respect and their trust, to get to that true laughter.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n JANE\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n And you notice, everybody who’s listening, did you notice what Paula did? She took that young man, and they – the two of them walked around the lake. Wow, that’s engagement. And you notice the engagement is not only in the learners, it’s also in us. And you notice she left me back there, because, I talk and that’s not what was needed then. Paula was listening. Oh, Paula, how beautiful, honey. I’ll never forget that experience.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PAULA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Oh, it was – it was life changing! Yes, Jane, that was life changing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n JANE\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n We saw a lot of teeth. We didn’t know we were looking at the indicator at the time. At the end of the week, whooph!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n REBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n That’s great. I love that both of you shared these three very different stories, yet, there’s so many similarities between them. So, thank you so much, Paula, for joining Jane and I today. And as someone who has been practicing Dialogue Education for quite some time, what’s one final wisdom you would like to leave us with today? Maybe an insight, or a new axiom that has been simply true, for you, over these years?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PAULA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Well, Rebecca, I would say, in this century, what I’ve come to, as a practice, is to begin with a breath and begin with a smile and to set the tone of welcoming. Some of our colleagues work with horses, and they talk about when a horse feel safe with you, they’ll lick their lips and their teeth, and they’ll start to chew because they’re telling you, that I’m safe to be with because you’re safe to be with and – and you look for licking and chewing and, so, I think about what’s the parallel as a human. How do I let people know that it’s safe to learn together, it’s safe to be vulnerable? So, I invite people with a smile and a breath.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n JANE\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Beautiful, Paula.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n REBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n I love that. It is beautiful. Thank you. Thank you so much, both of you, for your time today.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n JANE\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Thank you, Paula.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PAULA\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n It’s been a joy and a pleasure and lots of laughing. So, thank you for inviting me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n OUTRO (MEG)<\/strong><\/p>\n Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Simply True with Dr. Jane Vella<\/em>. This podcast is produced by Global Learning Partners and Greg Tilton, with music by Kyle Donald<\/a>. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast player. To find out more about Global Learning Partners, whether it be our course offerings, consulting services or free resources, go to www.globallearningpartners.com. We invite you to sign up for our mailing list, subscribe to our podcast and find us on social media to continue the dialogue.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dr. Jane Vella and Rebecca Hutchins talk with Dr. Paula Berardinelli about on of Jane\u2019s personal favorite axioms: \u201cNo laughing, no learning!\u201d Jane and Paula have known each other since the last century at UNC Chapel Hill, and they are still very close friends and neighbors to this day. Paula introduces a new \u201cindicator of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":25056514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\n\nDr. Jane Vella<\/a> and Rebecca Hutchins<\/a> talk with Dr. Paula Berardinelli about on of Jane\u2019s personal favorite axioms: \u201cNo laughing, no learning!\u201d Jane and Paula have known each other since the last century at UNC Chapel Hill, and they are still very close friends and neighbors to this day. Paula introduces a new \u201cindicator of engagement\u201d that emphasizes the importance of setting the stage for laughter!\n\nListen on\u00a0Apple Podcasts<\/a>,\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0virtually\u00a0anywhere<\/a>\u00a0podcasts are found!\n\nThis show is produced by Global Learning Partners and Greg Tilton Jr, with theme music composed by\u00a0Kyle Donald<\/a>.\n\n \n\nRead the transcripts for the episode below<\/em>.\n<\/em>\n\n
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\n\nJANE<\/strong>\n\nWelcome to Simply True,<\/em> with yours truly, Dr. Jane Vella. On this podcast, we sit down with dear friends and colleagues from over the years to do one thing: explore the simple truths behind some of my favorite sayings in Dialogue Education.\n\n \n\nREBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nHello, and welcome to Simply True with Dr. Jane Vella<\/em>. I'm your host for today's episode, Rebecca Hutchins, the Chief Business Officer and co-owner of Global Learning Partners. Today, Jane and I are joined by Dr. Paula Berardinelli to explore the axiom, \"no laughing, no learning.\" Welcome Paula, thanks for joining us today.\n\n \n\nPAULA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nWell, thank you, Rebecca. It's lovely to be with you all.\n\n \n\nREBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nLet's begin by rooting ourselves in our history. Paula, can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to know Jane and Global Learning Partners?\n\n \n\nPAULA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nActually, I know Jane from the last century. We met in 1990. I was finishing my doctoral work and a classmate of mine was taking a class that Jane was offering prior to Global Learning Partners \u2013 called Jubilee Popular Education Center \u2013 and I set up lunch with Jane, on a Monday, and she said to me on Thursday she was going to be offering a class at UNC Chapel Hill, and I was at NC State at the time. And I left lunch, I went to the graduate school and I said, \"How do I do inter-institutional registration?\" I went over to Chapel Hill, I - this was all when things happened in person, and was in the class that Thursday. And, so, Jane and I have had a long friendship and colleague-ship - mentorship, actually, throughout these years.\n\n \n\nREBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nThank you, Paula. So, of course we're here today to discuss the axiom, \"no laughing, no learning.\" So Jane, do you want to start us off? Where does this axiom come from?\n\n \n\nJANE\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nThank you, Rebecca. Well, this comes, \"no laughing, no learning\" directly, I think from my experience. As I mentioned in an earlier podcast, I've been teaching since the last century, Paula, and I noticed as I taught different people, different groups, in different parts of the world, that when people felt safe, there was a great deal of laughter in the room. And it wasn't that- my wonderful jokes, it was in the small groups, they were laughing with one another. And I realized that that was- it's almost like the apple in the apple pie. It's got to be there. And you don't put it in intentionally. It's in there via the design. When people get a chance to be transparent, talk honestly with one another, you can't help but see the funny things that are happening. And when they laugh \u2013 and we've learned from neurobiology now, that the amygdala is quiet, they can learn, they can create new dendrites in their brain. Wow. That's where it came from, Rebecca.\n\n \n\nREBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nThank you, Jane. And Paula, I'm wondering if you can say a bit about what this axiom, \"no laughing, no learning,\" means to you?\n\n \n\nPAULA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nYes, to me, it's a beautiful indication of engagement.\n\n \n\nJANE\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nYes.\n\n \n\nPAULA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nBecause, if learners aren't engaged with the content, with each other, with the whole purpose that we're gathered for, whatever the learning event is, well, we need to back up and find a point of connection, so that there's value created for everyone. So, for me, this is about engagement. And I will say that, you know, when I met Jane, I was working on theory development. And, so, it's like, how do you take a theory and move it into practice? And, so, you know, engagement is a concept, the axioms, their concepts and to bring it into a tangible indicator reality. For me, I look at teeth \u2013 have I seen everyone's teeth? And, you know, the opportunities of everyone working remotely right now, is finding ways to engage people online, is to see their teeth.\n\n \n\nJANE\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nThat's wonderful, Paula.\n\n \n\nREBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nIt is, I love that, Paula, thank you. I'm wondering, Paula, if you could say a bit more, if a story comes to mind that illustrates that for our listeners.\n\n \n\nPAULA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nSo, not long before COVID brought us all inside, I had an opportunity to do a class on crucial conversations. And I was at a manufacturing plant. And I had the room set up, we bring tables, and I had all the materials set up and people were filing in, they were very quiet. And I started with introductions, and the informal leader of the group said to me, \"Before you get started, what you need to know is a third of us have just worked the third shift and found that we have to be here, a third of us came in from our day off, and only a third really want to be here.\" And in that moment, I thought, well, I've seen his teeth, and they're fangs \u2013 what am I going to do about this? And in that moment, you know, sometimes inspiration and insight meet, and I said, \"Okay, let's start fresh, I'm going to invite everyone to grab a post-it note off the table. And I noticed in the lobby, as I came in, there was a museum of all the inventions and products your company has made. Let's go down to the lobby and spend 10 minutes in silence, so we don't disturb the people that are working around there, and notice all the contributions you have been a part of.\"\n\n \n\nJANE\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nWow.\n\n \n\nPAULA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nAnd we came back upstairs, and I started and I shared what I noticed about what they - their products were - that I had them in my home and I didn't even realize that these folks created those products. So, with that, my informal leader, he jumped up to the front of the room, in front of the flip chart and he put his post-its up there and he told the most amazing stories. About how he contributed and what were some unknown facts about how things happened. And the rest of the group joined in and we laughed and we cried and there was such a sense of engagement and pride. And it took over an hour to do introductions that day and it was my sense of - that the learning had happened.\n\n \n\nJANE\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nOh, Paula. That's beautiful.\n\n \n\nPAULA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nThank you.\n\n \n\nREBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nThank you, Paula. That is beautiful. I like the connection between the engagement and the learning and the pride. That's really nice. Jane, I wonder if you might have a story of where this axiom rang true for you, from maybe a little bit further back in history.\n\n \n\nJANE\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nI have so many stories. I want to first, if I may, Rebecca, corroborate what Paula just said, because I noticed Paula, as you told your story, that the principle of affirmation \u2013 lavish affirmation \u2013 was in your invitation to them, to talk about their contribution. How about that? The principle, and it is a principle of storytelling. It's both a practice, but it's also the power of the story. And then, what, Paula, you just told showed how the emotional impact, you said, \"We wept. We laughed. I saw teeth and I saw tears.\" Wow. In your short story, you've named, I guess 10 or 12 of the principles, as well as, \"no laughing no learning.\" So, these axioms capture, in a tight and concise way, the whole, pardon the pun, the whole story of dialogue in education. Honestly. My story is a - oh, it's just a wonderful story, again, when - when I was in Tanzania, we had, in front of our house, we had a tree, a large orange tree. And across the - the compound from my house, was a primary school. And as soon as the oranges came out on that tree, they were tiny, they were green, and they'd make you - your hair would rise, they were so sour. And as soon as they arrived on the tree, those children would come rushing over and strip the tree bear and eat the oranges. And I said to my friends, \"I have an idea. Next year, let's put a fence around the tree, so the kids can't get at the tree, when the oranges first come out.\" Well, the children were not very happy about that, but we did it. And then, the oranges blossomed - I mean, the tree blossom, the oranges ripened. And we laugh so hard, because when we took the fence away, of course, the children saw the fruit, they came rushing, they grabbed an orange, and the word for orange in Swahili is \"machungwa.\" Notice, \"machungu,\" means bitter. Hello? Orange bitter? they named the fruit, because they ate it too soon. And so when they ate the orange, we went out there, of course, and we were laughing because the - the the children were -were so excited at eating this. And I said, \"What do you think of machungwa?\" And they said, \"Yeah, it's good, but it ain't an orange. It ain't an orange.\" So, what - what I mean, is in a dialogue, and that was not a dialogue by words, it was a dialogue by fences. And then we took the fence down, and that was when we were - everybody was laughing, the children were laughing with joy. I think that's one story that always stays with me.\n\n \n\nREBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nThanks, Jane. That must have been, just an amazing experience watching those children.\n\n \n\nJANE\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nI'll never forget it, Rebecca, I'll never forget. It brings tears to my eyes as I tell the story. \"They ain't oranges.\" And, so, I saw then, again another axiom, we can change the systems, the worlds, we can even change the meaning of \"machungwa\" because they weren't \"machungwa\" anymore. How about that, the meaning of words can change by our dialogue.\n\n \n\nREBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nThat is pretty powerful, for sure. Paula, I wonder if anything else comes to mind for you, after hearing Jane's story, that you want to share with us?\n\n \n\nPAULA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nWell, another story did come to mind, Rebecca, and that is back in the late 90's. Jane had asked me to accompany her to Hungary, where we were introducing Dialogue Education to early NGO's. And there were a group of Americans who had a grant and they were introducing NGO's in Poland and Hungary, and they had pulled together leaders from these groups. And we spent a week doing the first course in Hungary and I will say that was also a very powerful experience of \"no laughing, no learning,\" because, Jane and I were met with incredible resistance.\n\n \n\nJANE\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nOh, boy, oh, boy. I can't forget it, Paula.\n\n \n\nPAULA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nAnd in particular there was one young man who took his materials and a black sharpie and just drew, like, colored across all the content. And I knew again, you know, well, okay, we're - we have a new opportunity here. And so we called a break and he and I went for a walk around the lake and he was very transparent about how he was expressing his - yeah, he just felt like, \"What did Americans have to say?\" And and he said, \"...and I'm the one in the room, who's telling you the most truth.\" And it was only when we were able to get to the truth, were we able to come in and reset. And then again, you know \u2013 what happens when we're really paying attention to the learners - is we went into table groups by mother tongue, right, the native language, and people started to tell stories, and we had to continuously check back in with where people were with the concepts and draw the fact that we weren't presenting new material, nor was it American material. It was about ways to engage their learners, so they could achieve their goals. And by the end of the week together, you know, we were laughing and singing. And I have to say, there will be times when resistance takes precedence. That you can't get to the laughter, because you don't want that fake nervous laughter.\n\n \n\nJANE\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nRight.\n\n \n\nPAULA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nIt needs to be from the heart and from the belly and - and, so, sometimes we have trouble getting through the resistance and we don't get to - like the sweet - Jane, it's as if the - we grab the quick orange that's sour \u2013\n\n \n\nJANE\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nYes. Yes.\n\n \n\nPAULA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\n\u2013 before we let- before we work through the - whatever the process gets to be, where you get the sweetness of the orange. And, so, I think, with \"no laughter, no learning\" is, I'm not a stand up comic, I don't come to entertain. So it's - it's not as if it's all about the leader or the facilitator going for the laugh. It's really about how do we fully engage the learner? And, we have to - we have to earn their respect and their trust, to get to that true laughter.\n\n \n\nJANE\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nAnd you notice, everybody who's listening, did you notice what Paula did? She took that young man, and they - the two of them walked around the lake. Wow, that's engagement. And you notice the engagement is not only in the learners, it's also in us. And you notice she left me back there, because, I talk and that's not what was needed then. Paula was listening. Oh, Paula, how beautiful, honey. I'll never forget that experience.\n\n \n\nPAULA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nOh, it was - it was life changing! Yes, Jane, that was life changing.\n\n \n\nJANE\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nWe saw a lot of teeth. We didn't know we were looking at the indicator at the time. At the end of the week, whooph!\n\n \n\nREBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nThat's great. I love that both of you shared these three very different stories, yet, there's so many similarities between them. So, thank you so much, Paula, for joining Jane and I today. And as someone who has been practicing Dialogue Education for quite some time, what's one final wisdom you would like to leave us with today? Maybe an insight, or a new axiom that has been simply true, for you, over these years?\n\n \n\nPAULA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nWell, Rebecca, I would say, in this century, what I've come to, as a practice, is to begin with a breath and begin with a smile and to set the tone of welcoming. Some of our colleagues work with horses, and they talk about when a horse feel safe with you, they'll lick their lips and their teeth, and they'll start to chew because they're telling you, that I'm safe to be with because you're safe to be with and - and you look for licking and chewing and, so, I think about what's the parallel as a human. How do I let people know that it's safe to learn together, it's safe to be vulnerable? So, I invite people with a smile and a breath.\n\n \n\nJANE\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nBeautiful, Paula.\n\n \n\nREBECCA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nI love that. It is beautiful. Thank you. Thank you so much, both of you, for your time today.\n\n \n\nJANE\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nThank you, Paula.\n\n \n\nPAULA\u00a0 <\/strong>\n\nIt's been a joy and a pleasure and lots of laughing. So, thank you for inviting me.\n\n \n\nOUTRO (MEG)<\/strong>\n\nThank you for tuning in to another episode of Simply True with Dr. Jane Vella<\/em>. This podcast is produced by Global Learning Partners and Greg Tilton, with music by Kyle Donald<\/a>. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast player. To find out more about Global Learning Partners, whether it be our course offerings, consulting services or free resources, go to www.globallearningpartners.com. We invite you to sign up for our mailing list, subscribe to our podcast and find us on social media to continue the dialogue.","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[863,9,688,70],"tags":[94,443,839],"dipi_cpt_category":[],"post_author":[487],"location":[],"timing":[],"content_custom":[],"learning_hours":[],"topic":[927,925,926,928],"length":[706],"sector":[],"client":[],"type_of_work":[],"download":[],"location_one":[],"timing_one":[],"learing_hours_one":[],"location_two":[],"timing_two":[],"learing_hours_two":[],"yoast_head":"\n