MAC Wk 3 - The Way Things Are

Reading chapter 7 of Ben Zander's The Art of Possibility entitled: The Way Things Are was really the first time while I was reading that I began to disagree with him a little. I don't necessarily think that you should always simply accept the way things are. Zander compared human beings to the animals in Babe and said that the duck speaks for most of us when he says that "The way things are stinks," but I disagree. I believe that one of society's biggest problems is that too many people act like the cow and accept things that they should not accept. There are way too few people in the world trying to change things. Of course, if you just complain about how much things stink, you won't get anywhere either. I understand that Zander is saying not to simply accept things like the cow does, but not to live in denial about the world. It reminds me of the serenity prayer:

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

The key here to me is the wisdom that Zander fails to mention - maybe it will come later in the book. His point is a little clearer to me later on when he discusses glasses that are half empty and half full. What he is really trying to say is that all we need to do is change our attitude, our perspective on the world and our circumstances. I think the key is not to accept the way things are, but to understand why things are the way they are. If we understand why, then we can know the difference between what we can change and what we can't. Focus on the why.

MAC Wk 2 - Passing on the Possibilities

Now that I think I finally have my own life under control (at least for the moment) I have been called upon to help someone else and I am struggling. A friend of mine who lost her job a few months ago called me this week and asked if she could move in with me because she had no other place to stay. She is an older lady in her 60s and she was recently diagnosed with glaucoma and is losing her sight. She is feeling very down on herself right now and doesn't feel like anyone would want to hire her even though she is talented, articulate, and good at her job. I am especially thankful that this month I am reading The Art of Possibility because there are some very good ideas that I can not only apply to my own life, I can pass them on to her. I also, for the first time, am thankful for all the hell I went through over the past year because it really has made me a stronger person and has given me a set of skills and experiences that I can use to help other people. But this is a difficult journey. Being depressed is difficult and since I have only recently come out of my depression, being around someone who is also depressed is especially stressful. I will continually look to Ben Zander for help.

MAC Wk 2 - Comments to Patti L.

"In fewer than three weeks, I will be starting a new adventure in my life (no… not the parenting thing… that comes about in the spring).  Last year, I received a letter of non-renewal for my position as a 9th grade English teacher.  I was devastated.  I thought I had found a home at my school, and I had no plans to leave it.  I was in love with my students, my faculty, and my successes as a teacher.  However, as some of us are aware, when you’re low man on the totem pole, it doesn’t matter how much of your heart and soul you commit to your job.  Now, through the goodness of a former principal (from the same school), I will be trying on my new hat as an 8th grade reading teacher.  As part of my students’ reading response journals, I’m going to try Ben Zander’s assignment of having my students write down their contributions.  In an age where the written and the spoken word are being replaced by the digital media world, it is important for students to tell stories and to show others the joy of reading and writing."

Patti,

I am so sorry to hear of your experience at your former school. I can definitely relate to it and I am glad that you have found another place. I am also embarking on a new adventure this coming school year, and I wish you the best of luck. I can tell that you are a passionate and compassionate person and that is the most important thing you have to contribute to your students.

MAC Wk 2 - Comments to Becky

"At one point, the author stated that “the conductor decides who is playing in his orchestra.” When he comes in, everyone is in their seats and he can recognize who is bored and how they are going to participate. I relate this to being a teacher, especially of mathematics. When I start the year, I can see the students that enjoy math and are excited about math. I can also see the kids that have a goal of not being noticed the entire year. I am the conductor of my class and I get to decide who plays and how they participate. I don’t think my students know this, but I try to find those students that are not confident and math and I try to get them involved as much as possible, especially at times that I feel they will get a correct answer to build their confidence. "

Becky,

I like how you related being a conductor to being a teacher. I agree that we are the conductors of our classes and we are responsible for getting our students to play the most beautiful "music" possible, even if our music is in reading, math, or science. Allowing our students to conduct from their seats and do things they never thought possible is something we as teachers should always strive for. Thank you for sharing.

MAC Wk 2 - Being a Contribution

I have to say that the book The Art of Possibility is very uplifting. Right now I am at a relatively good and stable place in my life but in the past there have been moments when I definitely did not feel like I was much of a contribution. In today's world, it can be very easy to get wrapped up in the competitiveness of day to day life and get down on ourselves.

Last year was a hard year for me, a time when I had very few days when I felt like a contribution. When I think about the past year, it is easy for me to slip back into my old negative ways. Now I have a new job and a new outlook on life.  I am now able to pass on the positivity to my students, friends, and family.

Have I been a contribution today? I think that I have, but the biggest contribution that I think I can make right now is by passing on this information to others. I have a friend who recently lost her job. She was no longer able to afford an apartment of her own and she asked if she could move in with me. I didn't really know her very well, at work we were basically just acquaintances, but I agreed to let her stay with me. Is this my contribution? I don't really think so. I was just doing what anyone else would do for a friend in need. But I can contribute to her in a bigger way. Having gone through some terrible things in the past year, I can be a friend and inspiration to her, which can have even more of an impact than simply providing houseroom. I hope.

MAC Wk 1 - My Own Possibilities

This past week I had the opportunity to visit with some amazing people and educators in the state of West Virginia. A few months ago I was hired to teach at a new charter school here in Austin. This new charter school is part of an incredible pilot program implementing Globaloria, a curriculum designed to teach kids to develop their own educational, socially oriented, web-based computer games using Flash. The curriculum incorporates many web 2.0 tools and has a truly innovative approach to education. My school is the only school in Texas to be using the program and the only other place where it is being implemented is in another pilot program that has been in place for three years in the state of West Virginia.

While I was in West Virginia going through training to learn just exactly what Globaloria is and what I am supposed to be teaching, I had the opportunity to meet some incredible people who are passionate about what they are doing and why they are doing. It was truly refreshing to see the amount of support the Globaloria program has in West Virginia and how willing they are to implement new technology and new methods. Even though I was so far away, I felt completely at home with the people I met. They embraced me (they gave me an "A") and I realized that what made this program truly special was not the technology, but the people behind it. 

MAC WK 1 Response to Stacey

"Last year the idea of "POSSIBILITY" was so easy for me to envision, but the closer I get to completing school the box opportunity seems to get smaller. I find myself restricting myself and losing sight of a purpose. My thoughts and actions are becoming limited which is moving my passion to uncomfortable. The chance to step into the "Universe of Possibility" that I designed and visualized is becoming challenging and my fear is not allowing me to continue in my transformation. The idea that I must continually question, "how my thoughts and actions, in this moment, reflections of the measurement world?", forces me to acknowledge that there will be struggles and fears, but there are possibilities in the transformation."

Stacey,

I am glad that you chose to write about some of the uncertainties and fears you are facing jumping off of this cliff into the realm of possibility. Many people in school, including our students, face the same fears you are facing. The world of possibility seems so big that at some point it overwhelms you and it seems to come crashing down. I think this book can help us as students and teachers realize that what is really scary is how we are going to be judged. The important thing is to cast aside these fears of being judged so that we can truly embrace our abilities.