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Is your Cup Half Full or Half Empty?
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After reading the first four chapters in the Art of Possibility, I began thinking about my personal story and my survival thinking. I use the personal motto, “attitude is contagious” and try hard each and every day to live it. Although, people try hard to crush my spirit I don’t let them defeat my positive outlook.
The reading shared the story of the shoe factory with one marketing scout seeing the negative “no one wears shoes” and the other seeing the positive “they have no shoes”. Which describes you? I tend to look for the positives in any given situation.
As a teacher, I am constantly looking for the positive and potential in my students. It wasn’t until I read chapter 3 and the Michelangelo quote that it truly became clear. We must chip away the obstacles that tend to get in the way of each child’s developing to their fullest potential. Using the practice of “Giving an A” could transform attitudes and open the universe of possibility for even our students.
As I reflected on this chapter, I wonder what grade my students would give me?
It really made me reflect on my own teaching and even my personal relationships. Revealing I must talk and get to know the why behind the attitude, before I can truly change the thinking.
Jana,
ReplyDeleteI think the practice of “giving an A” would greatly change how students view school. They get so much pressure put on them by teachers and parents to “do well” and “get good grades” that this practice would give students time to enjoy their learning and take some risks. This is something that I am looking forward to implementing into my own classroom.
Jana,
ReplyDeleteYou sound like an incredibly positive and powerful person. If you are able to prevent others from affecting your positivism and are continually looking for the positive in people and situations then you have to be quite a force in your school and community. Being able to find the good is something many find difficult so it is awesome when a person such as yourself is part of any organization.
Finding the why behind students' (and others') attitudes is an important first step in being able to help improve those attitudes. Although I have not practiced the art of "giving an A" as described in the book, I too am looking forward to implementing it.
From the way you described yourself, I am sure your students would give you an A!
wonderful reflection and comments about the reading. I might add that the chipping away is something that the student does for themselves while we enable and cheer them on. :-)
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