Wk 3 Response to Daniela

What's your passion?
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Daniela wrote:

While reading the Art of Possibility I kept thinking the book was talking directly to me…corny I know! I have been having a difficult time reaching my new class this school year, they are unmotivated to learn and unwilling to take responsibility for their actions. I have attempted just about everything I have up my sleeve. I have had to take a step back and re-analyze my job. As I was reading the statement “how much greatness are we will to grant?” (p. 73). It is my job to inspire and bring out the best qualities these kids have, as the book said I am going to have to speak to their passions. I am going to have make connection with them. These chapters made me feel like I can still go in a make a difference. I have been feeling a little defeated and needed something to give me inspirations. I think this was it. I am looking forward to making a change!


My response:

Daniela,

I have been there with the class that seems so hard to reach.  It is not a great place to be.  I think that you have the right idea in thinking about seeing what they are passionate about.  Sometimes it is hard to find passion in the uninspired, but once you do that you will have them for life.  My advice, sit back...take a deep breath...and listen to them as they talk...their passion will reveal itself to you!

Heather

PS:  I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought this book was written for them.  It is such an awesome feeling to find a book that speaks to you!  I've been reading excerpts to anyone that will listen to me!!

Wk 3 Response to Christine

Like my mic??

Christine wrote:

Practice 5: Leading from any chair

This practice was a great reminder for me.  As parents we often forget to let our kids lead.  As mom, I am the director.  I call the shots, but I also cook dinner, do laundry, pay bills, play counselor, supporter, protector, chauffer, and on and on.  While reading this practice I was reminded that like any good director I should sit back and let me kids lead.  My youngest son Alex who is 12 reminded me the other day that I have told him several times that he could cook dinner, but in his words “it never works out”.  He is right on that.  I would like to say it is because he has other things to do, but often it never works out because of me.  I have either been to distracted or found it easier to do it myself.  In either scenario from the tone of his voice he has been left clearly disappointed.  I am so glad to have read about this practice.  It was the reminder I absolutely needed.  Alex and I are going to plan a night where he can “lead from any chair” and make dinner. 

Practice 6: Rule Number 6:  Don’t take yourself so goddamn seriously! 

This practice made me really laugh!  I think this is great for EVERYONE!

I know I definitelty take myself too seriously!  This will be my new Mantra!

Practice 7:  The Way Things Are:

With every chapter I read I fall more and more in love with this book.  I am a strong believer in things happening for a reason and timing being everything.  In general I would say I am a positive person.  However, in the past several weeks my stress level has increased and I have found myself more and more frustrated with the way things are.  Usually, I can find peace and acceptance with the way things are and am able to continue moving forward.  However, recently I have found myself being more frustrated than usual and less patient.  These feelings leave me feeling overwhelmed and disheartened.  Neither of which I like feeling. While I was reading this chapter, I began to see these changes.  I am so glad that I have read this.  The reality of life is that things are the way they are at times and it is at those times that we have to take a deep breath and remember it’s the way things are today but not necessarily the way they will be tomorrow.  Finding acceptance today gives you the power to accept tomorrow. 

Practice 8: Giving Way to Passion:

As I was reading this chapter, I was aware that this is one area I must work on.  I have no identifiable passion.  Perhaps that is because I have yet to participate.  I can think of things I enjoy and those things I would like to do, but I am the master at ignoring or discouraging myself from participating.  For example, I like to sing.  I don’t have the confidence.  I have been told I have the ability, but when it comes to it I am afraid.  As I was reading this chapter I stopped and asked myself, “What am I afraid of?” The answer was not being good enough or failing.  As I made this realization it occurred to me, that I may or may not be good enough, but unless I participate I will never know.  I liked the concept of BTFI.  Beyond the Fuck It is where I need to go.  I need to hold my head up high, and sing if that is what I want to do.  This is a chapter I will definitely read again!

My response:

Christine,

Getting out there and doing what you love is always a scary thing...it is intimidating to put yourself out there and see what the response is.  My motto:  This is what I love, if you don't...screw you (PG version here).  It has taken me years to get to that point, but once you are there it is so liberating! I love to sing...I am a horrible singer (smoking for a few years killed my voice)...I sing anyway.  I sing loud, I sing proud and I don't care the looks I get (I once had someone a few cars behind me that knew me who called my phone and told me to put my windows up b/c she could hear me from her car...I sang even louder).  The hardest part is HONESTLY not caring what people think, if it makes you happy.  I think that you are at the beginning of this realization and I hope you continue down that road.

All my best,
Heather

Wk 3 Response to Reading: The Art of Possiblity

Remember Rule 6
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As a teacher we are always “leading from a chair”.  I can’t make my students learn, I can’t make them succeed.  My goal is to guide them, engage them, and help them create that inner desire to succeed on their own.  I understand the idea of asking what is wrong with me if they are not succeeding, but I also think that this can take away some of the personal responsibility of the students.  Students need to also participate for the relationship to work.

I love, love, LOVE Remember Rule #6.  I totally live by this!  I vow to never take myself too seriously and try to lighten up the mood with humor whenever possible.  I have found that this helps to ease tense situations…also defusing a situation with humor often times allows both parties to leave with their dignity (save face).  I am also not opposed to their Have the best ______ ever scenario ::wink, wink::

I also found the inner battle between the calculating self and central self very intriguing.  After reading this, it was easy to ascertain which self tries to be dominant in certain situations.  While I usually stay in the central self, there are time where I find my calculating self trying to rear it’s ugly head.

The way things are is such a difficult concept sometimes.  There are times when you just want to vent, cry, scream and not accept the injustice of certain things.  However, in the end, there usually isn’t much you can do to change the situation, only your reaction to that situation.  I try to highlight this with students when we talk about childhoods and the situations in which we were raised.  I was raised in a difficult situation, where I was always in that survival mode with a drug-addicted parent until I entered the 6^th grade.  I told my students that I could have held onto this difficult background and let it guide my adult life.  Instead I chose to realize that this was the situation and that I could rise above it…I didn’t let my inability to change my past alter my future.

Wk 3 PPP Think Aloud: Presentation it is

Jen and I in Second Life working hard!

So this week it was decided to do a presentation.  Not only that, but Jen Selix and I are going to work together and make a presentation dealing with motivation in different work places.  Jen and I have been partners since month 1 and have worked on numerous projects together as well as bouncing idea off of each other for months when the work was all solo.  I feel confident that we can rock the heck out of this presentation!  Also the fact that we both live in Central Florida helps when deciding which conferences to apply for...we could easily attend the ones here in Florida together!!

Most of our projects have been in Google, so we will do something that can easily be put into a Google Doc.

I am super psyched to get working on this project!