Week 2 post on reading
I have to admit that when out instructor said that this book was not so much a "study" book and more of a book to try and see the over-arching concepts, I was a little skeptical and thought that this might not be what I was expecting out of this class. I am glad I was wrong. What a pleasant surprise it was to start reading and become engrossed in the words that the authors had written. Maybe it is because the authors are in the music field and I could relate to many of the stories that were presented, but I would rather say that it was the subject matter. I believe that one thing that helped was watching the Ted talk that the author gave on "Music and Passion" helped me visualize what the author was talking about. I have included that talk here in this post.
In chapter one of the book the authors challenged us to "Think outside of the box." At the end of the chapter there were a couple of questions that the authors presented as a kind of way to think about what was just read. At the end of chapter one the following questions were presented:How can we think outside the box we live in? What assumptions are we making that we’re not aware that we are making? What might we invent that would give us other choices? As I thought about these questions, I felt that I often had been looking at the "small picture" in my life rather than the "big picture." For example...I had some issues with my employer this year, and all I could do was focus on "how am I going to make it from this week until the next?", and sometimes even "how am I going to make it until tomorrow?" After reading the first chapter, I now am thinking "Ok, so there are some difficulties with my employer, so that just means that there is something better for me out there." I was assuming that I would be living with this over my head all the time and would have to constantly be worried. Life, unfortunately is not like office max with an easy button, but I have now got a button inside of me that says "something better is coming."
In chapter 2 of the book, the authors talked about stepping into a universe of possibilities. One questions that was posed at the end of this chapter was How are your thoughts and actions a reflection of the measurement world? Being in education, teachers are constantly reminded of measurements. Be it state tests like the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or a county test, or a benchmark that somebody has set for students to reach. Teachers are almost constantly thinking of the next test that we have to give. I would like to challenge myself to start with a class of A students.
In chapter 3 of the book, the authors talked about giving everyone an A. This was a really neat chapter because it made me think about my teaching style. What would it be like if I taught my classes with the same methodology that the authors used? I would like to try this this coming school year, but it will have to be explained to my classes that they all have an A and that each one of them is an A student, but there will still have to be some sort of measurement to satisfy the "powers that be." One story that hit home in this chapter was that of the second violin-itis. This was especially eye opening to me since I play second violin with the Venice Symphony, and I cannot tell you the number of times that I have actually thought that I am just a second violin, so what does it matter if I practice or not. After reading this chapter, I have a whole new appreciation of being a second violin.
Chapter 4 picked up where chapter 3 left off in asking us "How will I be a contribution today?" I like the way that the author asked his students to think about how they contributed in the past week, then he asks them how they willcontribute in the coming week. Being in the performing arts, it is sometimes hard for students to see the end prize, so this could be a stepping stone in getting students to think how they are going to contribute and not just coast along.
I said. . .
I too have had issues in my workplace with fellow teachers, administrators and students who make my existence a miserable one. If I had only read chapter 1 10 months ago!
I concur greatly with a lot of what you reflected in your reading particularly the second violin mentality. I played second violin for eight years and it felt so inferior to the first violin section. The Zanders say that it is all invented. And if that is true, then that whole mindset can be changed if one DECIDES to change it. This book does a great job of revealing the worth that we should see in ourselves, not in a haughty way, but in a way that helps us see what service we can be to others.
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