THE ART OF POSSIBILITY
The more I read of this book I wonder why we weren't assigned to read it at the beginning of the program. I love the creative and uplifting ideas about new possibilities in life. I am going to suggest that my 21 year old niece, who just graduated from college, living in Washington D.C., read it.
CHAPTER 4
I never experienced the dinner table game, but I do know what it feels like to judge yourself by other people's standards. I am always comparing myself to others. That's why I love the contribution game. Contribution has no other side. I started to write down my contributions for the week. I feel one of my contributions is reading to children every day. I help my husband with dinner every night. I help with cleaning the house. I do the laundry. I work and go to school. I take care of dogs every day.
I think everyone should make a list. This shows how important you really are!!!
CHAPTER 5
In chapter 5, the silent conductor is discussed. How is the conductor going to know what the players are feeling about his effectiveness? He can tell a lot by looking into their eyes, posture, and their whole demeanor. This is how I analyzed my AR project through observation. I could tell how my students were feeling more through their conversations because fifth graders really don't care if the teacher hears or not. If a project wasn't liked by some then I'd hear some moans. Occasionally, some students would roll their eyes. You can't please everyone.
CHAPTER 6
One of the reasons I married my husband was for his sense of humor. I 100% agree that laughter is the best medicine. After a good laughter, you always feel better. The discussion about calculating self and central self got a little confusing. From what I understand, calculating self is thinking of him/herself and central self appears once Rule Number 6 has been practiced. I just love the games that are played in the book. Participants were to "Have the Best ___________ Ever." It didn't matter how they filled in the blank. The participants were encouraged to remember Rule Number 6 and have it be fulfilled. This a game that could be played in real life.
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Your blog (about chapter 5) reminded me of many conversations I had this year with an observer I had in my room. The observer will be doing her student teaching next fall, and was worried about being boring. I explained how important it was to read the mood of the students as you are going through your lesson. You have to walk around the room and, as you said, look into the eyes of the students to gauge how your lesson is going.
ReplyDeleteI’ve let her teach some lessons and purposely made her teach ones that were confusing. My goal was to show her how crucial it is to really understand the lesson you are teaching. The teacher has to not only know the information inside-and-out but also know how to stray off the script. When I first began teaching, I would plan out what I would say, almost to the word. I quickly learned that lessons never go as planned and began to adjust my preparation techniques.
Now, I simply now the facts and fill in everything else on the fly. When I explained this to the observer she didn’t believe me because my lectures seem very scripted. When I showed her my “script” for a 30-minute lecture on a post-it note she was horrified. I told her it wasn’t that scary, and it comes naturally. Each period throughout the day has its own personality, so it’s counter-productive to think one version of a lecture will work all day. As I walked her through how to adjust what you are saying based off student reaction she began to feel more comfortable.
I forget the book, but I remember the term edutainment from my credential years. The book explained that teaching is now a form of entertainment, and successful teachers prepare as if they were stand-up comedians. Students expect a show or they lose interest. The role of imparting wisdom now has to be a balancing act of providing information, but masking it as something fun and exciting. And just like a comedian, a teacher needs to make sure they are connected with their audience and adjust accordingly.