Authors Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander write, "We perceive only the sensations we are programmed to receive, and our awareness is further restricted by the fact that we recognize only those for which we have mental maps or categories for." This makes me feel like I am back in my educational physiology course in college (by far one of my favorites). But this statement is so true. For me this ties in not only well with the first chapter but all the chapters. We want to look beyond just the worldly measurements or constraints that we have learned or perceived up to this point in our life. We want students to think outside the box and not ever limit themselves in their capabilities, and of course we want them to feel like they are active contributing members of the world we live in.
Can I just say that the chapter that talked about "giving an A" was truly insightful. Often times I find that my students, and even myself, feel distinguished by a worldly measurement such as a rank in the class or a grade received. But I thought it was very interesting to see how students reacted once they realized they were given an A. They were perceived as being an "A." I could just see the Taiwanese student's light bulb illuminate the brightest it had ever been when he was explaining his thoughts.The authors, Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander,truly state it well when they say, " Students would be in such a chronic state of anxiety over the measurement of their performance that they would be reluctant to take risks."
Since I wrote my free choice post prior to writing the reading reflection, I hadn't yet gotten to the 'Being a Contribution' chapter. As you will see/read in my post, I was struggling with the idea that my AR project will actually impact others. I think contribution is a big part of our society. Often times if you haven't written a book, produced a movie, starred in a movie or done something that impacts more than 100 people, we don't feel as thought we have contributed much in life. One of my goals as a teacher is educate students so that their education will become their children's education thus creating active and educated members of society. So does this mean that I am striving towards contribution? You betcha! (But honestly, I never really looked at it like that prior to reading this book.)
I found this book to be a great refresher. It really helps me to see a whole new side of myself and the life that I live. I am really looking forward to reading more!
I'm so glad that the book spoke to you and lifted your sights to believing that in helping the few that you work with daily you are beginning a ripple of good that may stretch across generations and across thousands of miles. One of my favorite friends, the principal of Ocoee Middle School, Sharyn Gabriel, whom we worked with on the "Gotta Keep Readin'" video has a mission that she does not want to imagine that the future scientist who finds the cure to cancer might be falling asleep in her school because her teachers are just going through the motions. It's a daunting but important mission we have one possibly disenfranchised student at a time.
ReplyDelete