“I always wanted to be a teacher and growing up in Golden Bay, I was like a mother hen to the other kids. My motivation has always been to empower others and to help them to live their passion. That’s what drew me to the classroom.
But I would see these five-year-olds come in with a light in their eyes and within months that light would be gone.
Our education system puts a lot of focus on getting the answer right, but there’s little room for individual learning styles or learning from your mistakes. Kids would know what to learn, but not how to learn in a way that worked for them.
I wanted to continue kids’ energy for discovery, and to help teachers and parents focus on how kids take in information. So I started my company, Spectrum Education, from a bedroom in my house in 1994.
I started travelling all around New Zealand doing presentations and workshops for teachers, parents and students, and I really enjoyed it. Before long, I was being invited to speak to people around the world and I’ve now presented in 18 countries – from Papua New Guinea to the US, the UK and Europe.
I also joined the National Speakers Association of New Zealand and in 2011 was accredited as a Certified Speaking Professional, an international honour held by less than 10 per cent of speakers worldwide, and only nine Kiwis.
It was while I was speaking at a conference in Orlando, Florida, that I met Hollywood actress Goldie Hawn.
Goldie set up the Hawn Foundation after her son experienced some learning issues at school and she held a dinner at the Ritz Carlton Hotel with other educational speakers from around the world. It was the most expensive meal of my life, but it was amazing. Goldie is lovely, beautiful, funny and interesting.
Karen with Goldie Hawn in Florida.
She wanted to hear all about what we were doing in New Zealand and shared her top learning tip: to let kids spend three minutes, three times a day, being still, because it’s in the stillness that the best ideas come.
It’s something I totally agree with, that we all need mindfulness to let the great ideas come.
The idea for Study Smart, my educational board game, first arose in 2000. We’re a board-game family and I thought this could be a good way to teach learning skills. But it didn’t progress until two years ago when we tried to crowdsource funding for it.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to crowdsource enough money, but while I was speaking at the NSW Parents Association in Sydney last year, they bought 300 copies, which was enough to put the game into production.
Study Smart is a fun, easy way for students to learn study skills, memory techniques and exam strategies, and includes motivation tips too. It’s aimed at students aged 10 years and up, but I teach study skills to MBA students at Victoria University – who are usually mature adults in the workforce – and they’ve successfully used it to learn how to study more efficiently.
The oldest person to come to one of my workshops was an 82-year-old woman who was going to university and wanted to ease back into study. She told me she wished there was something like this when she was at school.
The well-learned family: Sasha, Karen, Denny and Hamish.
It’s been a challenge running the business and raising two children (Hamish, who is 16, and 14-year-old Sasha), but for the last 14 years, my husband Denny has been a stay-at-home father, which helped a lot.
He’s recently gone back to work as a trainer and I now run the business with three staff from the basement of my Lower Hutt home, so that has made it a lot easier to be there for the kids.
I’m currently focused on getting Study Smart into schools, and I’m passionate about working with parents and students on the skills that students need in the future.
For example, it’s predicted that 40 per cent of current five-year-olds will be self-employed, so we need to ensure that we’re teaching skills like creativity, risk-taking and innovation.”
As told to Sharon Stephenson.
Quick fire
What makes me happiest is…
Being at the front of the room presenting, providing ideas, inspiration and practical tips to improve someone’s life.
The one thing I’d love to teach all children is…
To be yourself. Make mistakes and learn from them. Chase your dreams and strive to be the best you can be.
My favourite family ritual is…
Our Friday movie and home-cooked pizza night. We’re all in the kitchen cooking together, laughing, sharing the happenings of the week and often singing.
