This week our e-learning focus continued on Dewitt Jones and his feelings towards possibilities. We have to remember that even in the most challenging moments, if we can see just a glimmer of possibility, improvement can happen. We also need to push our selves beyond performing "good enough" and instead aim for something more.
I experienced a no-win situation last spring when I had squirrels in my ceiling.... YEP! I was renting an apartment and woke up to some light scratching a few nights in a row. Then one morning I was jolted awake but the loudest scratching ever! [Is your skin crawling yet?] I really thought something was coming through my ceiling. When I returned home from school I saw a 4 ft piece of soffit had been pulled down. I called my maintenance emergency and for some odd reason they didn't see this was an emergency. Hello, people! They spent the next several weeks trapping the squirrels and I slept on my couch most nights because of the scratching noises. I called during that time period to inquire about breaking my lease. They explained that I would need to find a subleaser or finish out my monthly payments through the end of the summer. I did not think anything was funny at the time but after they fixed the problem (finally....) and especially when I moved this summer, I get a kick out of the ridiculousness of the story. I also provided my coworkers with plenty of comic relief with my daily updates on my living conditions. We even joked that they were actually raccoons in the ceiling (also not nearly as funny at the time) and our gym teacher secretly had my class bring in all sorts of raccoon stuffed animals and put them all over my classroom.
I agree with Dewitt's statement that the opposite of scarcity isn't abundance, but rather possibility. I have always been a glass-half-full kind of person and I think Dewitt falls into that category as well. It is easy for people to give up because something is too difficult or probably won't work. Instead, I think it is a very powerful skill if we can encourage (or teach!) others to take a shot and see what happens. The worst that could happen is a failure and then you know how to make a change for the next attempt. I see this all the time in my classroom with kids scared to take risks. We started a new science curriculum this year and I'm taking all sorts of risks and my kids know that there is a good chance that things won't work like I plan since it's my first time doing the curriculum. We're all okay with that! In preparation for the conference, I want to inspire my attendees to try a little something new. I don't expect them to implement the grand scheme of guided math, but if they could take one strategy back to their classroom and have some positive results that would be awesome!
Love the story! How awful! I am really disappointed I cannot attend your session at spring conference. I believe we are presenting at the same time. Like you probably, I am nervous and anxious about how my session will go. I hope there is enough conversation to fill the time and I hope what comes out of my mouth makes sense. I get tongue tied when I get nervous. But if I remember that half of us there are all in the same boat, it won't be so bad. Your session will be great! You have been doing awesome things in your classroom that people will be eager to hear about and try for themselves. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAngella, that's what I keep thinking as well. We are all in the exact same position so everyone will be flexible and willing to make the best of a conversation that maybe falls flat. You will do great!
DeleteWhat a great anecdote to support your point! I love stories like that! It is so hard to see the positive when you are in the middle of the "battle" with whatever it is that is dragging you down or causing stress. But, like you said, in retrospect and when we introspect we can find a lesson to be learned and see the positive possibilities of being put in uncomfortable situations. It is is those situations that we can either grow or shrink back and as you have show, when we choose growth and embrace the failures with the success we live an authentic life that our students learn from. Way to go! Keep up the courageous and brave work of being an authentic, not-afraid-of-failure teacher.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Seeking out those silver linings is one of the best things I have learned any try to share with those around me. Good luck at the conference!
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