Lessons on learning from 'La La Land'

It’s already won 7 awards at the Golden Globes and is nominated for a recording breaking 11 awards for BAFTA. Writer and Director, Damian Chazelle has said he wanted "to take the old musical but ground it in real life where things don't always exactly work out"[1]. What he’s created is a film with five valuable lessons for learning relevant to education.

Lesson 1: Build learning motivation out of the energy of students’ aspirations

We have all dreamed about what we could become. In La La Land the main character Seb wants to own a jazz club and co-lead Mia wants to be an actress, something she has been imagining doing since she was little. The plot unfolds the story of these dreams.

In classrooms across the country, what aspirations do our students have? In what way are schools places of aspiration and hope?

There is no denying the value of hope, even for people on the margins of society who feel limited in every way[2]. Strong career ambitions can have a positive and powerful effect on academic performance. A recent study revealed that nearly 30% of 10 year olds wanted to be either sports stars or performing artists, by 13 more aspired to be actors but another 10% also wanted to be doctors or in business[3]. It is easy for adults to look down on some of these ambitions as pure fantasy. Many young people encounter cynicism and sometimes even teachers give the impression that they would prefer their students to lower their aspirations.

It is true that a person’s dreams can evolve or change; often there is a refining of plans in relation to a greater awareness of personal limitations. But surely it is not the business of schools to ‘reality check’ kids out of their ambition? At some point, Mia and Seb need the other to confront and exhort them to not abandon their aspirations. Part of the mission of schools should be to harness the motivational power of dreams, showing how they may be attained through hard work, effort and perseverance. 

Lesson 2: Positive learning relationships are important to foster

Mia and Seb encounter each other unexpectedly, several chance meetings gradually unfold into a relationship[4]. However independent we are, it’s important not to underestimate the importance of learning relationships and our need for recognition from others. Chance encounters of two apparently very different people which leads to harmony and synergisms is the stuff of romance, for sure. But, in fact, there are many opportunities in life to be open to others, listen and take note of the perspectives of those with whom we would not normally associate. When this happens we often grow as people because these encounters stimulate self-reflection and broaden our understanding of the world around us. This helps us think abstractly, develops our empathy and stretches our creativity[5]. 

In many ways classrooms are places of chance meetings. A mixed group of students and a teacher find themselves meeting at the same time and place. At the beginning of the year only a handful, perhaps, would have planned to be with each other. Classes can too easily slip into ‘them’ and ‘us’, that group and this. Teachers who work to resist this, who bring themselves to each lesson and encourage students to respectfully value each other enrich the educational opportunities of school[6]. Just as Mia and Seb took the time to learn about one another’s interests and backgrounds, so too do all those who find themselves positively learning together whether in lesson or on a date!

Lesson 3: Make the curriculum relevant and teach with passion

The audience learns quickly that Seb’s passion is jazz. It comes as a disappointing shock when Mia states, “I hate jazz.” No doubt many students can be heard muttering their way out of lessons, “I hate history”, or “Maths is so boring”, and “I just don’t get the point of English”. We’d do well to learn from Seb. He responds to Mia by not accepting her dislike of jazz as final, she needs to hear it live, to understand its origins. Making it relevant and meaningful, these are shown as the means by which Mia can be brought to an appreciation of jazz. It will take most of the film before she acknowledges her new found love of jazz but Seb persevered. His passion for it is ultimately infectious.

It’s one thing we know students respond to well. Teachers with a real passion for their subject make a difference to students’ learning motivation[7]. This doesn’t necessarily mean wearing volcano socks if you’re a geography teacher or a scarf with DNA prints to your science class. But it does involve showing why your subject matters, helping students see connections between the curriculum and their lives.

 Lesson 4: Help students see that effort and perseverance are pathways to success

Central to the story is how both Seb and Mia have to overcome disappointment and failure. On the path fulfilling our potential there are no want of challenges. Perhaps one of the greatest of these is coping with our own limitations and emotional lows. Mia goes to audition after audition for acting parts all without success. Even her use of initiative in writing, producing and starring in her own play seems to end in humiliation. Meanwhile, Seb’s dream of owning his own jazz club nearly gets side-lined by compromises due to apparent necessity. These disappointments and the near abandonment of their ambitions pushes their relationship to breaking point.

How we perceive difficulty, failure and the need for perseverance have a profound influence on our learning. We know that resilience and a growth mindset encourage us to see the application of effort and a willingness to overcome knock backs as pathways to reaching our potential[8]. School cultures which foster these dispositions are not easy to create. It takes more than a few posters and an online questionnaire. Students need to be encouraged to embrace and hold to values that will positively shape their self-awareness. They need peers and teachers who they can trust. 

In La La Land, Seb is shown on his piano, turn table next to him, practising again and again to master the melody; Mia is seen writing, rehearsing, learning her lines. We see that it’s their diligence, effort and commitment that help them realise their potential. From gritty efforts, their characters emerge stronger and better.

Lesson 5: No regrets, always look ahead

Finally, the lead characters in La La Land stand at a new place in their life’s journeys. Do they look forward and press on or regret their choices? It is easy for us to assume that prior success or failure will determine the results of future endeavours. Rarely do the choices we make work out exactly to plan. Those who have a changing and learning disposition recognise that like a healthy plant we always need to be growing towards the light. Obstacles, disruptions, unusual shadows and clouds will mean that each day we may need to recalibrate our trajectory a little. Regret can be appropriate for mistakes made but when it takes over, it leads to paralysis not growth.   

Good quality formative assessment always points students to what can be improved in their work next time[9]. Students can easily get stuck thinking about their last performance. They can regret their choices to study in one way or another, to choose this subject rather than a different one for GCSE or post-16. These feelings can lead to doubts that muddle our thinking, hindering our ability to apply our energy and skills effectively[10]. Schools need to be places of second, third, fourth, fifth chances. Teachers who maintain high expectations of their students greatly increase their potential to flourish[11]. 

We end nearly where we began – looking towards the potential of our students, encouraging their hopes for the future. La La Land may not be everyone's favourite film, but its lessons on learning are well worth thinking about. The music of learning has harmony and themes, melody and rhythm, that should get us all dancing.

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Interested in knowing more about learning power, the importance of seeing the relationship between learning dispositions and willpower, or considering how teachers' development can be supported? Have you ever wondered how to create a learning environment where people continue developing and growing?

Nigel is an educational researcher, consultant and speaker working to help schools, organisations and all kinds of people realise their learning potential.    

References

[1] https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/la-la-land-emma-stone-924617

[2] Joanne Bryant & Jeanne Ellard (2015) Hope as a form of agency in the future thinking of disenfranchised young people, Journal of Youth Studies, 18:4, 485-499.

Flouri, E., & Panourgia, C. (2012). Do primary school children’s career aspirations matter? The relationship between family poverty, career aspirations and emotional and behavioural problems.

[3] Louise Archer, Jennifer DeWitt & Billy Wong (2014) Spheres of influence: what shapes young people’s aspirations at age 12/13 and what are the implications for education policy? Journal of Education Policy, 29:1, 58-85.

[4] The fact that dance is key to their coming together positively should not be missed. Dance is metaphor for interpersonal harmony. I recently heard Wayne McGregor, Royal Ballet choreographer, argue persuasively that one reason dance should be taught in school is because of the transferable skills it develops relating to working with others (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b088jj5y).

[5] Leung, A. K. Y., & Chiu, C. Y. (2010). Multicultural experience, idea receptiveness, and creativity. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology.

[6] The Developing Mind, 2nd Edition: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D

[7] Patrick, C.B. Hisley, J., & Kempler, T., (2000). What’s everybody so excited about? The effects of teacher enthusiasm on student intrinsic motivation and vitality. The Journal of Experimental Education, 68 (3), 217-36

Carbonneau, N., Vallerand, R. J., Fernet, C., & Guay, F. (2008). The role of passion for teaching in intrapersonal and interpersonal outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100(4), 977.

[8] Duckworth, A.L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M.D., & Kelly, D.R. (2007). “Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals”. Personality Processes and Individual Differences, 92 (6), p. 1087.

Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House Digital, Inc..

Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2012). Mindsets that promote resilience: When students believe that personal characteristics can be developed. Educational Psychologist, 47(4), 302-314.

[9] Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of educational research, 77(1), 81-112.

[10] Eysenck, M. W., Derakshan, N., Santos, R., & Calvo, M. G. (2007). Anxiety and cognitive performance: attentional control theory. Emotion, 7(2), 336.

[11] Cotton, K., & Wikelund, K. R. (1989). Expectations and student outcomes. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.