The Art of
Possibility – Chapters 9 – 12
Chapter 9 – Lighting
a Spark
This chapter really sends a wonderful message – that we as
educators, parents, mentors, and humans – have the ability to light the spark
of interest, of enthusiasm, of change in other people. I’m certain we all have those opportunities
on a nearly daily basis – the magic lies in how often we choose to put forth
the effort to make it happen. Sometimes,
we pass the spark and see immediate results.
Other times, it takes a while.
I had a student five years ago, as an eighth grader. He was struggling with his family, with
school, with friends, with his sexuality, with nearly everything. He sent a clear message to me that he hated
science, did the bare minimum to pass my class, and was just pretty
disagreeable in general. On to high
school he went, and I did not see him until just a few weeks ago.
I was doing some shopping in the Target close to my school,
when from behind me, I heard a low, booming voice say, “Hey, Mrs. Sanchez! Are you going to be polite and say good
morning?” (This was something I’d said to him, oh, probably 500 times when he
was in middle school.) When I turned
around, I was enveloped in a hug by a nearly grown man with crazy long
dreadlocks, flip flops, and the biggest, warmest smile I could imagine coming
from the kid who had surely despised me!
We visited for the next twenty minutes. He wanted to know what was going on at the
middle school, how it had changed, who the new troublemakers were, if all of
his old teachers were there. He told me
all about his four years of high school – the classes he’d taken (any and all
of the honors science courses offered) and what he was planning to do after
graduation in a few weeks. He again gave
me the smile, put his arm around me, and told me that he had been accepted to
university, and would be pursuing a Biology degree, as he wanted to become a
Molecular Biologist! (Imagine my
surprise!) Unprompted, he added, “It was
your class that really got me interested in science. Remember the labs we used to do, like
extracting DNA from strawberries? You
thought I wasn’t paying attention, but I was really interested in that
stuff.”
I guess he’d been carrying the spark around in his little
tin box, just waiting for the right opportunity to light the fire.
Chapter 10 – Being
the Board
Being the board – although I understand the premise of this
chapter, it was kind of a struggle to read.
Basically, what I’m understanding, is that we have to own our own
“stuff”, not put blame on other people, and not put up obstacles to impede the
forward movement of others. Seems simple
enough, right? I think it would be
simple for me if I could only remember to keep Rule #6 in my head and
heart. Sometimes, in my interactions
with students, family, friends, and even strangers, it is difficult to not
internalize and not “own” other people’s stuff.
In the heat of discussion or argument, it is equally difficult to step
back, figure out why this moment of time is on your board, and figure out what
to do or what to say without antagonizing others.
Chapter 11 – Creating
Frameworks for Possibilities
“A vision is an open invitation and an inspiration for
people to create ideas and events that correlate with its definitional
framework.”
From this chapter, I chose the above referenced statement
because it is so clear, so concise, and so meaningful to me. As I think about the school where I teach, I
realize that part of the unhappiness, part of the unprofessionalism; part of
the lack of cohesiveness may be due to our lack of vision. We have a mission statement, developed by our
principal and the site leadership council, made up of her, a group of parents,
and possibly a couple of teachers.
Unfortunately, it is a mission, not a vision statement. If it were a vision statement, and if staff
felt motivated and inspired to create ideas and events to match it, I think we
would have a much more satisfied staff.
Nobody likes to be forced to buy into something they didn’t help create,
or that they aren’t asked to contribute to.
It is difficult to support! I
would love to share this chapter (and the entire book, for that matter) with my
administrator.
Chapter 12 - Telling
the We Story
I can work with this notion of “We” instead of “you” or
“I”. When I think about it, particularly
in the classroom setting, where I typically have 36 faces looking to me for
direction after face #37 has said or done something inappropriate, I have the responsibility
to direct everyone in the room to understand the power of “We”. I think the power of making something “our
problem” instead of “your problem” is amazing…maybe it’s just the age of the
students I have. Eighth graders love to
get involved in conversation about something they deem as “wrong” or “unfair”. Making a problem the responsibility of “We”
can lead to resolution everyone can live with, and remember longer than if I
had awarded a consequence.
Paula,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your interpretation of each of the chapters this week. How amazing that the young man is going on to pursue a career in Molecular Biology! It just proves Zander’s point about us being the spark and offering the things that light us up. You most definitely lit a spark in that young man. What a great testimony to you! Chapter 10 was a hard chapter, but a reminder that we need to incorporate Rule #6 more often. I am in a situation now that I have to employ Rule #6. It isn’t going to be an easy task, but a necessary one. Reading you thoughts on Chapter 11 made me think that you just need to go to your administrator and discuss exactly what you wrote, creating a “Vision” statement to go along with the “Mission” statement. Maybe your spark will light hers and in turn open up a world of possibilities to your campus. Remember it only takes one spark to start a fire.
Paula, Your opening statement from your take on chapters 9-12 was truly remarkable. I know that I have had educators in the past that have seemed to lose that ‘spark’ and enthusiasm for educating our young minds. It is key to never lose that spark. Year after year our students expect the best that we can be to best prepare them to be globally competitive.
ReplyDeleteI also viewed your same struggles for chapter 10 and how it is important and difficult to step back from other people’s issues and to only be in control of yourself. Could this be an ongoing challenge for teachers? Especially for those within the early primary grades that view strict control of their classrooms a must.
Great reading blog post!
Paula, nicely put! "A Mission statement vs. a VISION Statement". The difference between the two makes a huge difference in garnering support and compliance from faculty and staff. If the philosophy of an institution is not constructed with grassroots involvement, then it will feel like we are helping achieve THEIR goal, not ours.
ReplyDeleteAnd wow! Your story about how your former student pursued a degree in Molecular Biology is so inspiring! It is stories like those that make it easier for me to wake up Monday morning, commute into the City, and listen to how students forgot their flash drive, lost their work, or didn't do their assignment at all. Because I know that somewhere in that classroom, there is going to be ONE student who will 'spark' :)
Paula, I love it! A vision is an open invitation that describes a framework for participation. In this way, we can truly collaborate effectively, as we know we are gifts and grant each other greatness, recognizing that then we are all gifts. I make it my mission to see the spark in each of my students and kindle it, allowing it to burn more brightly not just for that person, but for the benefit of all, as sparks work! Also, yes, it's always a challenge for each of us to not internalize each other's "stuff" so that we get into self-preservation mode and defensive. Not much production happens from that environment/setup. Being the board allows us to step back for the broader, more holistic picture and greater understanding. Stepping back, changing space, to consider the same reality from a different angle allows us to not feel stuck in one area ( or attacked) and its easier to see the possibilities then.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a wonderful story about how the care we share can and does make a difference. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete