Each year, the Lincoln School senior class picks a theme, a sort of cartoon spirit-animal, from which they base their senior uniform and events. Since I’ve been at Lincoln, different generations have picked The Incredibles, Monsters Inc., and other well-known cartoons for this purpose. This year, our senior class has chosen Scooby Doo, my favorite cartoon as a child, and this got me thinking; what lessons can we learn from Scooby and the gang. So, I tried to re-assemble my memories of Fred, Daphne, Wilma, Shaggy, and Scooby, as well as their most memorable capers. What follows are some important life-lessons based on the memories of a young child watching early morning and after-school cartoons on a television that had, at most, four channels to choose from.
Leading Forward, Together
Administratively, we also choose a theme each year for Lincoln School, and this year our theme is Leading Forward, Together. It’s an intentional continuation of our theme from last year (Leading Forward) as we are still committed to acting as leaders in the effort to overcome and learn from the pandemic in order to create a better tomorrow. But the addition of the word “together” is call to action as well. Not only are we returning to campus full-time for the first time in 18 months, we are also acknowledging the strength we have as a community and the importance of leveraging that strength to make all our lives better.
Scooby Doo understood this too. In every episode (at least the ones I remember) the gang at some point splits up. Sometimes it’s not their fault, other times it’s a part of their plan, but it never works. The gang never solves the mystery or catches the culprit while they’re apart. Yes, they gather clues that are important to ultimately finding the solution, but they always have to come back together and act as a team to solve the mystery and save the day. This is an important lesson in teamwork, one I hope our seniors and all of our students will learn from and imitate this year as we come back together on campus. We are stronger together, period.
Mystery Inc. Were Entrepreneurs
At Lincoln School, we believe in the importance of engaging in entrepreneurial thinking. This doesn’t mean that we’re constantly trying to invent a better mouse trap or create a new business. Instead, we want our students to have opportunities to engage in creative problem-solving that addresses real-world issues and seeks to better our communities. We do this in a lot of ways, from incorporating the UNSDGs in our daily learning to emphasizing service-learning both in and out of the classroom to encouraging our students to think creatively and take academic risks in their learning. We’ve also encouraged our students to engage in their learning experiences using an entrepreneurial “model” of thinking that follows or resembles the 3IR process: identify the problem – ideate possible solutions – iterate possible drafts or prototypes – reflect on the process and learning in order to learn and improve.
And so, one of the first things I realized when thinking about Scooby Doo and the gang is that Mystery Inc. were entrepreneurs. Think about it; every episode followed the same story-arc, and that arc IS the 3IR process of entrepreneurial thinking. To wit:
- Identify: The gang is presented with a mystery. In fact, they seek it out. This is the first key step of the entrepreneurial thinking process. Entrepreneurs look for a question to answer, a problem to solve, or in this case, a mystery that is plaguing a community. At Lincoln School, we also stress the importance of developing and acting with empathy, something we see with Scooby and the gang in every episode. Yes, they’re naturally drawn to thrill of the mystery, but they also genuinely care about helping others. They are looking for opportunities to improve the lives of others, a key attribute of all entrepreneurs.
- Ideate: They don’t start with a plan; they act! This is another key aspect of the entrepreneurial process and one we see again and again in every episode of Scooby Doo. Entrepreneurs see a problem and are willing to act. They assess their level of risk, make sure they’re safe, and move forward as best they can towards a solution. The gang doesn’t wait until they have a perfect plan. They don’t wait for someone else to tell them what to do or to show them the way. They see a problem and they act to address it.
- Iterate: They come up with and launch an imperfect plan. After they’ve chased (and sometimes run from) the answer to their mystery for a while, and they’ve gathered a few clues to its solution, the gang always comes together with a plan to solve it. They know the plan isn’t perfect, but they accept this and refine the plan as they go. This is a key differentiator for entrepreneurs: a willingness to make and learn from their mistakes.
- Reflect: They go back over what happened to make sure everyone understands and learns. At the end of every episode of Scooby Doo, the gang takes the time to explain how they solved the mystery and why the problem existed in the first place. They do this to make sure everyone understands what happened and to help everyone learn from the experience. Reflection is a pivotal part of the entrepreneurial process because entrepreneurs know that the learning never ends. They’re going to encounter another question, problem, or mystery…and they’re going to act again.
This is the thing about entrepreneurial thinking: it works. By seeking opportunities to create positive change, by acting with empathy, by taking risks and learning as you go, and by reflecting on your work to better understand the problem and solution…by learning or doing or even solving mysteries in this way…we can make our world a better place. Mystery Inc. clearly understood this and are actually role models for who we at Lincoln School want to be and become.
Being Brave is NOT the Absence of Fear
As an adult, the mysteries Scooby and his friends are out to solve seem a little silly: a glowing deep-sea diver or a ghost that looks like a bed sheet? But to the characters in the cartoon they obviously were frightening, and that alone is an important lesson for all of us. Even Fred ran from the monster sometimes. Mystery Inc. weren’t successful because they weren’t afraid; they were successful because they were afraid and acted anyway. This is the essence of courage or bravery, and it’s one I hope our students understand well. Being brave is acting for the betterment of others in spite of fear. Fear is important. It is our friend. It keeps us safe because it tells us when to be cautious, when to assess risk, and when to take a step back to re-evaluate our surroundings. But it must not cripple us. We must not let it stop us from doing what is necessary to lead forward. Scooby’s friends understood this and, in each episode, Shaggy and Scooby did too. This is one of my favorite parts about the cartoon. In every episode Shaggy and Scooby are scared, and in every episode they step up to the challenge, face their fear, and (accidentally as it may be) save the day.
NEVER Underestimate the Disruptive Force of a Small Group of “Meddling Kids”
Mystery Inc. was comprised of four teenagers and a dog. OK, so occasionally they added a puppy, a litter-mate, or the Harlem Globetrotters to the mix…but essentially it was four teenagers and a dog. Together, they’ve solved somewhere around 50 mysteries. I looked it up to try to find the exact number but with multiple cartoon series and a few live-action movies to include I couldn’t get an exact number. So be it. That’s around fifty communities saved from what plagued them. Fifty bad-guys caught. Fifty times they made the world a better place. Fifty times they heard some version of “if it weren’t for those meddling kids.”
At Lincoln, we want our students to have the opportunity to impact their local and global communities. It’s in our mission statement. It’s who we are. Everything we do is built on the premise that we can give our students the tools they need to impact our world. But the thing is, they don’t have to wait. Our students can and should have an impact NOW. Don’t accept the status quo simply because “you’re just a kid.” As they saying goes, “if you see something, say something.” Mystery Inc. understood that it was their right and their responsibility to act when they saw others suffering. At Lincoln, we aim for nothing less.
I am thrilled to be returning to campus this August with all of our students each day. I am honored to help guide their learning, and I am proud to work with every member of our community as we Lead Forward, Together. As I reflect on the lessons I learned from Fred, Daphne, Wilma, Shaggy, and Scooby I can’t think of a better theme for our senior class.
I can’t wait to live in a world made better by our very own “meddlesome kids.”
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