Greetings, Bloggers! Thanks for your thoughtful reflections on the assignments. I love reading your ideas and responses from so many different perspectives. Select at least two questions/activities below to complete for this week's assignment. Be sure to comment on at least one other participant's response.
1) On page 210, Pink give us directions for a "Cartoons Captions Game". Try this activity with friends or family to determine if this is something you'd like to try with your students. If you don't subscribe to "New Yorker", I encourage you to check out Hendersonville's library collection or sip some coffee at Barnes and Noble while you browse through a copy of the journal there.
2) We have another opportunity to test ourselves with the Humor Scale (p. 211). Check it out and post your findings.
3) Explore the various game sites listed on pages 212 and 213. What's good? Unimpressive? Worth sharing?
4) How is Pink's notion of "meaning" a part of your teaching? Should we even broach this subject in a secular classroom? If so, how?
5) How does teaching add meaning to your life? How does it add to your happiness?
What is the importance of your response to these two questions to your students?
6) Can you envision a labyrinth somewhere on your school's site? If so, what words might be attached to your school's labyrinth for students, staff, and other stakeholders to ponder as they walk through it? Why are these words significant to your school--how do they connect to your school's purpose?
7) Reflect on the 20-10 test in your life circumstances. Share what you can.
8) Complete the "But Out" exercise on on pages 238 and 239. Impressions?
9) Have you read any of the suggested readings on pages 240-241? If so, give us your critique (ever so briefly).
10) If you were to dedicate your work to someone, who it would be? Why?
Happy Blogging!
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I will respond to questions 5 and 8. How does teaching add meaning to my life is easy. When I see a former student about to graduate or has already graduated and comes to my room for a final goodby and thanks for helping them through tough times in their lives thats when I realize I've made a difference in a childs life. Or when a young child comes up to me and gives me a hug and says he/she misses me, thats one of the warmest feelings you can experience. Teaching can be one of the most rewarding professions there is.
ReplyDeleteIt is so very important to let your students know how you feel about them and how happy you are to be their for them. When you are happy in a classroom, your students are happy. This is one of the keys to success for your students. They need to know how important they are and how important they are to you.
In response to question 8, "But out". As I tried this exercise I really had to take time to think of how replacing but with and would work. Sure its easy to say "and "instead of "but", however, its not always easy to fix. I think the more you try and the more you work on using "and" in your life the easier it will get "but" it is something you really have to work at. I indend to try this in my everyday life and in my classroom and see what happens. I think it will be a welcoming experience.
I will respond to question 4 and 5. Finding meaning in your life and in what you do in the classroom is tremendously important. Without meaning we are all just going through the motions. If we, as educators, do not feel as though our work is meaningful then it will not be satisfying for our students or ourselves. Regardless of the fact that we are teaching in secular classrooms, every experience that our students have must posess meaning on a broader level than simply a classroom activity. These lessons must be presented with the big picture in mind in order to develop a lesson that has meaning in life outside the four walls of a classroom.
ReplyDeleteRegarding how teaching has meaning in my life. The answer to that is simple. When I became a teacher it wasn't for the summers off, the glorious salary(ha!), the profound respect of the community (ha! ha!)...it was more of a journey for me to discover my life's purpose. I teach because I care, because I want to make a difference in the lives of others, because I want my voice to be heard long after I am gone through the actions and thoughts of my students. Teaching gives me the personal satisfaction that at the end of the day, yes I am one person, but I am one person who made a difference in the life of another. How do I know I made a difference? Like Shelia said in her posting, when a child comes to me with a hug and a huge smile and tells me "I love you, Ms. Amanda.". Or, when I see students who are almost grown who run up to me and, still seeking my approval, tell me about their latest accomplishment, or where they are going to college, or...the best one yet...that I was their favorite teacher as they recall something we did in our classroom when they were young. There aren't many professions where you can be made to feel like a celebrity when you go to the grocery store as your students, or former students, eyes light up as they run to you shouting your name! I teach...I make a difference and that brings me tremendous happiness.
I agree with Amanda's posting on question 4. If we as educators can't find meaning in what we do, then can we truly be successful? I think not.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading this book, I was amazed at the many websites listed. It will take some time to access them and check them out. I was glad to see that you listed one of them as an option for a question. I decided to test myself with the humor scale. I have four children of my own and teach over 600 on a weekly basis in Elementary PE! In Dr. Thorson's introduction to his test he says,"You'll be happier if you lighten up." This immediately rang a bell with me...my husband often says, "Lighten up,
ReplyDeleteFrances." when someone gets angry or pops off about something in our family -or when I get stressed out. The Humor Test is easy to complete and fun to read and assess. The test indicated that I am reluctant at times to say things that will crack up the group or I may think of it 10 minutes too late. :)
It suggested that I often smile and go on and that if things get tense, I may help ease the tension. I do have an appreciation for humor. My best friend growing up had the greatest laugh and boy did we laugh!! Overall, this test indicated that I use humor sometimes, but perhaps I could learn to let myself go and that I should enjoy more variety. I am really going to try. In the assessment section, Dr. Thorson said, "Young males, tend to score fairly high on performance and creativity, probably because their peers value being funny." I need to respond with humor to my fifteen year old, and male students in my classes, when I can. We will all be happier! I have really enjoyed this assisgnment. I hope some of you will check it out.
Both Shelia and Amanda feel as I do that teaching is important and meaningful on many levels. I also want my students to know that I am here for them. I want them to see that I am happy and teaching is important to me. I am passionate about what I do each day and feel a big responsibility for my plans and actions. I am amazed that all teachers don't show passion and feel the importance and meaning of their jobs. Children, of all ages, need to know that they are each important to us and we are there to help them succeed which provides them with meaning and happiness, as well as confidence to try new things and be proud of what they do. Hopefully, we can, through our actions, demonstrate that there is something larger than us, if we put others above ourselves and treat them the way we want to be treated we will make a difference and provide meaning to ourselves and our students.
ReplyDeleteI think the "But Out" exercise is powerful. It forces you to stop making excuses and come up with a plan to make the changes necessary to succeed at the list of things you would like to change in your life which would make a great differencce!! -what a great way to turn a negative into a positive. Action does provide results! I just need to get moving and accomplish some of the things on my list. Thank you, Mr. Pink!!
ReplyDeleteI am responding to question #6. I am not quite sure that I can even imagine a labyrinth at our school. What would be on it? Connected to our purpose? I am not so sure I would be open to this. Why not? Not sure. The only thing that I can come up with is that maybe I am too connected to my southern origins and culture that the idea is uncomfortable.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Shelia, Amanda and Nina that there is meaning on many levels. However, everyone experiences that meaning a different intensities. There is meaning in the subject, in the students as people, in conveying life skills (such as teamwork and discipline that a coach "teaches") and other things. The more intense the meaning for the teacher in a certain area, the stronger they are in that area for the students. Yes, the student as a person should come first, but the other areas of meaning cannot fall by the wayside.
ReplyDeleteThe 20-10 Test - I want to say that if either the 20 or 10 test came my way, I would stick with my current job as a counselor in a school. (Talk about meaning - many days my job has meaning!) I would do a lot of things differently in my job, but I would like to think I would stay. Really though - not sure if I could do that. Life is short anyway and my kids are only young once.
ReplyDeleteResponse to question five over meaning. Despite all of the challenges that as a teacher I face, and even when I feel I cannot face another day, I will have a rewarding day in the classroom. I have always felt that I was meant to teach so I have always connected meaning as a teacher with my inner self in so many ways. In those dark times, teaching does give me real happiness. I think some of the frustration that I feel with standardized tests(and other teachers as well)is that it strips some of our creativity and some of our meaning away from us.
ReplyDeleteresponse to humor scale question 2
ReplyDeleteI scored a 55 on the humor scale. I once again got my husband to take the test and he scored a 50, thus surprized with my score and even more by outscoring my husband. I do believe a good sense humor makes being a teacher easier, especially during hard times.
response to amanda's post on meaning
ReplyDeleteNothing I can really add to her post, it was a wonderful read and speaks to so many of us. thank you.
Activity #9. I have read one of the suggested readings on pages 240-241, Victor E. Frankl's Man's Search For Meaning. Viktor Frankl, a former Nazi concentration camp prisoner, became a neurologist and psychiatrist . Man’s Search for Meaning, is a revised version of Frankl’s book From Death-Camp to Existentialism. Frankl, endured years of unspeakable torture in Nazi concentration camps. As a result of his suffering in the camps, Frankl developed his approach to psychotherapy known as logotherapy. The core of his theory is the belief that man’s primary motivational drive is his search for meaning. In Man’s Search for Meaning, Frankl describes his experiences in the concentration camps in the first part of the book. The second part of the book is a brief description of logotherapy and its applications.
ReplyDeleteFrankl initially intended on publishing the book anonymously so that it could never enhance the reputation of himself as the author. Much to Frankl’s surprise, it became an unintentional best seller.
According to WIkipedia, the basic principles of logotherapy are:
* Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable ones.
* Our main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.
* We have freedom to find meaning in what we do, and what we experience, or at least in the stand we take when faced with a situation of unchangeable suffering.
I purchased the book for $1.75, two years ago at McKay Books on Charlotte Pike. It was worth the price.
Activity #8. The "But Out" exercise on on pages 238 and 239 is great for those who seem to be bogged down with the problems of life and have filled our minds and speech with excuses instead of dealing with the problems. Briefly you state something you would like to do with a "but" that keeps you from doing it. Then you state what you would like to do with an "and" in place of the "but." Strangely, by doing this, my mind goes into problem solving mode toward the obstacle that is keeping me from doing what I want to do. I feel so manipulated just by merely changing one word. Gee.
ReplyDeleteI loved empowerment of the "But Out" exercise......just by substituting that one word, it gave a whole new meaning to the statement. Instead of being defeated by the statement with "but", you were challenged to solve the problem by thinking forward with the word "and". I agree with Blake's comment--it does seem as though we are manipluated just by changing that one little word. Still, it does make you see possibilities where once there were none.
ReplyDeleteOh, my other eye-opening experience was the Humor test. I didn't know how badly I needed to lighten up! My score wasn't that bad (a 48), but still I truly thought I had a much better sense of humor than that.
I have read the Victor Frankl book as well. If you have never read it, please do! I read it after I read Night by Elie Wiesle (spelling?) a few years ago. Another one that everyone should read. And McKay is a great place to find copies of both of those titles among thousands of other books you should read before you leave this earth! They are THE BEST used bookstore. If you haven't been and you love books, you are definitely missing out. Take your old books and Dvds to trade in for credit. You'll be glad you did!
My first response is to the Humor test. I think I normally have a pretty good sense of humor and laughter is a big part of my days at school. However, life today has been a bit stressful so I don't think I scored as well as I might have if I was working. Spring Break is wonderful, but routine is good for me.
ReplyDeleteI would like to answer number five also. I feel like teaching is my calling and I definately do not view it as a job. I teach Kindergarten. Kindergarten is a special place. It is the beginning of a child's school carrer. A positive experience in Kindergarten can set them up for sucess, and unfortunately the opposite could set them up for failure. I feel a strong responsibility in my role as their teacher. I also feel a responsibility to their parents as well. With some of the parents, it is their first experience with having a child in school. Because of this I work on forming relationships with each child and each family. The feeling of my classroom is more like a family and a home than a sterile classroom environment. All of which add so much meaning to my life. Happiness for me happens everyday in many ways. It is in the brightening eyes of a child who has struggled with reading, but then "gets it". It is in seeing a child pick up a pencil for a child that has dropped it...AGAIN... or watching the child who has just learned to tie their shoes, tie a friend's shoe. It is in witnessing a child bring canes to the child who needs them to walk down the hallway. It is in hearing a child who in the past has struggled with behavior and social skills hop in their car in the afternoon to tell their mom they "lived above the line today". It is in a note from a parent thanking me. It comes in a flower (a weed really), given to me from a grubby playground hand or a hug given to me on a Monday morning with an "I missed you". With all of this, I could never imagine myself in any other profession. And believe it or not, I am looking forward to going back to school on Monday!
ReplyDeleteResponse to Blake and Becky: I think I need to go to McKay books!
ReplyDeleteI chose to answer questions 2 and 5. I try to always stay upbeat and positive and it is much easier when you are around people that have a good sense of humor. I believe the scale is very "unscientific" to say the least, but I scored a 57, with the highest in attentative.
ReplyDeleteI use humor in the classroom with my students as a way to keep their focus and attention on either me or the lesson. Sometimes students can use humor in a negative way, so I often try to refocus them to let them to let them know that there are appropriate times.
As for question #5, I think I could write a while. I'll blog the short version. My college started in computer programming and I realized that I did not belong behind a desk crunching numbers on the computer. I have been teaching for four years, now and absolutely love the profession. Each year I get to meet 125 very different individuals. I try to find something to relate to each student and have a connection with. Unfortunately, many of the students now are without male figures in their lives. I try to be a positive influence for my students and teach them not only science, but life lessons as well.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the year, mid-term, spring break, and the end of the year, we work on shaking hands. Students always give me terrible hand shakes and most don't look me in the eye. I stress the importance of first impressions on job interviews and being able to present themselves. Girls ALWAYS get to leave class first and are at the front of our lines when we go anywhere.
I think the importance of this is that you have to want to make a difference in your students. Kids know when you are genuine and can pick up when teachers care. It is my hope that some that I have felt like I haven't gotten through to will one day see that I tried to help them. Teaching is the only profession I know that you can positively impact so many children. I am blessed to enjoy what I do and be able to help my students.
I will comment on questions 4 and 5. We have to have true meaning in our lives for any type of success. Since I am the last to post on this blog, I am able to read the other posts. I have to agree with almost everyone on some sort of level. There was a time in my life that I had to really do some self searching. I came to the conclusion that the meaning in my life is to make a difference in a childs life. It makes me feel wonderful when a child comes up to me for a hug or a high five and tells me they miss me or they love me. I have taught in the elementary and the middle school setting and in some sort of way each age level show their importance to me. I feel that teaching is my calling and each student in some sort of way is my own child.
ReplyDelete