My Contribution
I love Zander’s idea that a leader does not doubt peoples’ abilities to do what it is they are to do. As I look at education I ask, What if all teachers believed in the abilities of all of their students? How would education change? Stop thinking about everything along the way, and see the big picture. Have a vision, a long line, and see it through! How would education change?
Zander’s video on Ted was moving and showed the connection possible for classical music through Zander’s determination and perception. His connection to the conductor as a person to make others powerful, and make others feel it is possible. I loved his question: Who am I being if my children’s eyes are not shining? I hope to take this and use it in the classroom. I want a classroom with children’s eyes shining.
The idea of enhancing our quality of life and the quality of life for those around us as we have the power is really meaningful to me. I think this year has been eye opening for me as I look and understand perception and the big part it plays in each of our version of reality. I have looked at this through my Masters courses, my own Bible study, through the students I teach, and now this book. It is amazing how life opens something up to us, and we see it all around. I see this as the power of God. In this book, I feel the importance of perception and I love thinking about how our brains constructs our reality, and how that reality is just ours, we can not know if it is the reality that is real, or created, because our brain constructs our own thoughts. The idea of it all being a story we tell, can change our own thoughts about every situation. For me, the closer I become to God, the more I want his will, this leads me try to be a better person, think about others feelings, and desire good. I love the idea in the book of setting the context and letting life unfold
I loved the thoughts on giving an A, not just in the classroom but also in the everyday world. It is so true that we measure everyone according to a standard measure. When we can believe everyone has a unique gift to share, and that not all of us have the same gift, we can begin to accept and love people for who they are, learn from their gifts, and accept their differences, as well. I love the idea of giving A’s, looking at what is great about this person I meet that I can learn from, rather than comparing them to a standard measure I set.
I love the question, what did you achieve today becoming, how did I contribute today? So now I ask this of myself…How did I contribute today?
Kristi,
ReplyDeleteThese blogging assignments are great as we can really open up with our discoveries with these awakening experiences. I can really relate with you on the idea on enhancing the quality of the lives of other people. I am amazed with my experience at Full Sail too and I think I will have some withdrawals when it’s over. The readings and video this week are so powerful especially when Zander plays the song from Chopin and says to imagine a loved one so we can know what Chopin meant when he wrote the song. Sometimes experiences like that become almost indescribable and to imagine if we can make someone feel like that is on a higher level I cant even think of. When I write music for instance, I become so inspired when someone says my music made them feel something. It’s like receiving the best gift in the world.
Kristi,
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts are inspiring to read. I can hear the excitement and passion that exudes off the screen as I read them off my own screen. Your idea that allowing life to unfold and creating a construct that allows one to do this is true in so many ways. It’s a confusing concept to try and construct something in our own minds while at the same time trying to allow Him to lead us in the right path. To let go and let God is a difficult concept because we often times try and control so many variables in our lives we inevitably lose sight of what we should be striving for in the first place which you put so eloquently . . . “to be a better person, think about others feelings, and desire good.” All these things are His desire for us as human beings in relationship with one another. I relate the idea of “giving an A” to grace in life. This idea that we are forgiven and accepted before we do anything of substance on our own runs parallel to what we read about this week. Hopefully we contribute in a way He finds acceptable. Thanks for sharing.
Kristi,
ReplyDeleteIt is so true that every person has their own different and unique abilities. I love that you hit on that. I also feel that our perception of those abilities can have either a positive or negative impact on a person. By ultimately giving everyone an A not only in the classroom, but in our everyday lives we are altering our perceptions from the beginning instead of having that stigma attached to a letter grade or always being judged on our performance. I know that during my time at Full Sail there have been instructors who have tried to teach us this valuable lesson and it is hard not to be ultimately concerned with that letter grade, but I do try to look at just doing the best that I can on a project versus being concerned with the score I will receive on it.
You hit on chapter four as well, which I loved on being a contribution and how each of us can contribute in our lives on a daily basis. It doesn't always have to be something big to show that you have been a contribution to those around you. If you just take an opportunity to be a value to society and make a daily contribution you can be amazed at how something so small can make you as a person feel so big. I know that when I was leading Girl Scout troops for five years that I tried to instill this in them through community service projects that we scheduled. Going and singing Christmas carols to a group of senior citizens who may not have anyone else, donating Girl Scout cookies to our troops overseas, and even just helping other young girls with arts and crafts projects to get them interested in the world of Girl Scouts helped them all to make some small contribution to those around them. It made me feel good about not only what they were doing as they made those contributions, but how they grew to be a better person because of those contributions.
Kristi,
ReplyDeleteI appreciated your take away from the reading this week in your idea about our ability to enhance not only our own quality of life but also for those around us.
I've dealt with a very difficult year being a new teacher at a middle school replacing a loved teacher. In the final 4 weeks of school I've only recently started to get kids to respond to me and not just give me a hard time.
Beyond the transition, I've felt that it requires believing that what you teach really means something to your students and it should show in the deliberation. Students know when a teacher is not on top of their game vs. when they are and they respond accordingly.