Passion is the only prerequisite.

We can transform the entire approach to education if we make passion a prerequisite for teaching and learning.

As a former actress, director and choreographer, I spent many years between two different worlds, observing the often-comical dry business environment full of rules and etiquette, called “corporate culture” and the free, feeling and vibrant “theater culture,” where every day was a new day. Guess what?! I do not remember most of my business presentations to CEOs, however, I do recall every play and every character I created to the degree of excruciating detail.

We develop actors by inspiring them, instilling emotional connection and demonstrating the meaning behind every word. When an actor learns a body of text or a character, they internalize the content to the point where it becomes an inherent part of them. Isn’t that what education should be all about? Why aren’t we teaching our kids this way?

Our kids deserve to feel excitement, fear and uncertainty approaching a secret exploration journey–where literature is not a book, but someone’s life, and geometry is not just shapes on paper, but everything around us.

The only criteria for our educators is whether they are passionate about teaching, and whether they can inspire the next generation to explore. We insist on a bright future, one in which our kids can “create a world of many, many right answers.”

I encourage every parent to select their educators and schools based on the criteria of passion! These are people who will transform your child’s future. Choose wisely, and don’t be afraid to change the status quo!

Svetlana Tikhonov is an entrepreneur, an educator, an actress and a visionary with a passion for education.