Our Transformative JournEYS

Transformative Learning Theory is an adult education based theory that suggests ways in which adults make meaning of their lives. It looks at “deep learning,” not just content or process learning, as critical as those both are for many kinds of learning, and examines what it takes for adults to move from a limited knowledge of knowing what they know without questioning (usually from their cultures, families, organizations and society). 

Ella's Story - Ella is a middle life Asian American who returned to college as a working adult, mom and wife.  As she completed her B.A. in Business, she took a class in Production Operations taught by an educator who understands transformative learning and individuation.  Ella lead a student team and wrote a letter to her professor five years after graduating.  In her letter she divulged her personal transformative journey, resulting in a successful global business owned by her and another woman.  She mentioned that the class she took in Production Operations served as a catalyst for helping her see her own value and strength, and now she was realizing her dream.

Cynthia's Story - Cynthia is a young married woman, an Appalachian, who lives with her husband on a small farm in rural South Central Ohio. She was in her final year at a private, two year college where she took an entrepreneurial class with the author, who taught there.  She disappeared after mid term, and upon her second consecutive absence, I called her, inquirying why she had missed class.  Her grandmother had died, the woman she could trust and love, after beinging abused by both parents. She was in deep depression and was having a difficult time making meaning of her life, since her grandmother's death coincided with a number of other incipient changes in her life, changes which caused her to question who she was and where she was going.  After a long discussion, Cynthia returned to class, and completed not only her class, but graduated that Spring, honoring herself and her grandmother.  We spoke of how important graduating was not only to her, but also to her grandmother, who was proud of Cynthia and knew she was capable of college and more.

Above Stories by Scott Wallace

Other stories will appear as they are shared.

Number 64

What is rooted is easy to nourish.

What is recent is easy to correct.

What is brittle is easy to break.

What is small is easy to scatter.

Prevent trouble before it arises.

Put things in order before they exist.

The giant pine tree

grows from a tiny sprout.

The journey of a thousand miles

starts from beneath your feet.

Rushing into action, you fail.

Trying to grasp things, you lose them.

Forcing a project to completion,

you ruin what was almost ripe.

Therefore the Master takes action

by letting things take their course.

He ramains as calm

at the end as at the beginning.

He has nothing,

thus has nothing to lose.

What he desires is non-desire;

what he learns is to unlearn.

He simply reminds people

of who  they have always been.

He cares nothing about nothing but the Tao.

Thus he can care for all things.

from Tao Te Ching, by Lao-tzu, translated by Stephen Mitchell, 1988 Harper & Row

As we make our personal journeys, we will encounter hazards, doubt, allies and unseen help!

When we finish a journey we come back changed internally.  We are not who we were when we left.