MAC_Wk2_Post3_Response2

Photo by S. Noack

Melissa,

You reminded me of my first years teaching.  By that time, about fifteen years ago, I thought that the great teacher was the one who had few students passing the course.  I remember even competing with other teachers about who had the longest list of students failing the class!! This was in an undergraduate program.  What a big mistake!  I realized that two semesters later.  It was just reflecting on my teaching and what I was doing?  I think it was also seen the faces of the students and their frustration. 

It is great that now we have a reminder that we are part of the change and as you say it is not always easy, it is something to work on.  But maybe with the help of other colleagues we can keep reminding each other what is important in life and make others and ourselves happy and successful.

Original: http://mlodhi2.blogspot.com/2011/04/week-2-reading-presence.html by Melissa Lodhi.

This has been one of the most important readings that I have done over the course of this Master’s program.  Its lessons are vital to my contributions as an educator.  As a young teacher, I often misread the intentions of students and tried to bend them to my will and what I thought was best for them.  I was frustrated when they failed to engage or seemed sullen or defiant.  After many years, I began to engage them in a different way, I guess giving them the “A”.  In this way I have made much stronger connections with students and have seen them make contributions of their own.  Along the way, I sometimes lose sight of this power and get caught up in daily successes and failures.  This is a wonderful reminder to remain present and to pursue opportunities to make a contribution, not just achieve personal success.

By seeing life as a game in which perception is the only reality one is able to put things in perspective.  Much of the anxiety and stress I face is the product of my own desire to meet invented expectations, which have been constructed by myself and by others.  I am now practicing giving the “A” in my relationships and at work, focusing on contributions, not just winning.

The approach laid out in the book is not easy to ingrain in daily habits.  While I agree with the concepts in theory, it is hard to consistently put them into practice.  Old thought patterns continue to crop up and I must constantly remind myself that the obstacles are all invented.  This has definitely given me something to work on and a new way to approach life.

MAC_Wk2_Post2_Response1

Boston, MA  taken by S. Noack

Jason P.,

I agree with you, the reading has lots of ideas we can put into practice.  And that is the problem!  To go for it!  But as I shared in my blog, I think that you can start with something simple in your weekly routine of your classes.  I do not think you have to wait until next year.  I encourage you to try now while we are reading the book. As B. Zander says, “we might invent something that brighten our life and the lives of the people around us.”  With my little try I could see the shinning eyes!  It was worthy.

Original: http://mrpeglow.blogspot.com/2011/04/edm613-wk2-post-1-reading-art-of.html by Jason Peglow.

I really do love books like this although I always have such a hard time applying any of it to my actual life practice. For example, in the chapter on giving an A to others and to your self, all I could think about here was how could I give an A to my students? Every time the idea came into my mind while reading this chapter I thought of so many reasons why it wouldn't work, or the negatives that could result. It is funny how quick one's mind admonishes the self into thinking something new or risky is impossible. But, I have made it my goal that all summer long I am going to try to make this happen in my classes for next year. I mean...who am I to tell a student they are only a C? I will simply do my best to chip away at the marble to reveal the statue. My classes are enjoyable and the kids always seem to show growth in their writing while they are with me, but I always come away at the end of the year feeling like I wasted so much time doing things that were unnecessary or irrelevant for them. I am hoping I can find a way to change that for next year. I guess I am chipping way at my own block of marble as well.