Week 2: Comment on Abbie's Blog

Wk 2 Reading - Contributions

Wow...the next three chapters in our textbook, The Art of Possibilities, were extremely eye-opening for me! Ever read something that makes you feel self-absorbed, small-minded, and ashamed? That's how I felt when I read about making your life a contribution, instead of focusing on competing and playing games on a daily basis. Committing your life to being a contribution forces you to take the focus off of yourself and on to other people!
I don't think it was a coincidence that yesterday during the church service I attended, the pastor spoke about Jesus's life being focused around pleasing his Father. This is how we should live our lives, focused on pleasing our Father. I think one way of doing this is living our lives to be a contribution to others. I feel like I'm finally getting the message that is so desperately being directed at me.

Another aspect of the book that I connected with was Rule Number 6. I thought it was best put by the authors in the quote "Lighten up, which may well light up those around you." I'm going to post this on my desk as I start school again tomorrow - I think it will make a big difference with the way I look at things in the classroom!

Week 2: Comment of Kathy's Blog

Wk2 Reading "Leading From Any Chair"

As a musician, the "5th Practice of leading from any chair" (Zander, 2000 p.67) was a chapter I really resonated with! I have played for many conductors in my lifetime. My favorite was a man named Hugo Huss, and I played under his direction for multiple summers when I attended Symphony School of America. He was easy to follow, passionate about the music, and inspired me to reach a level of performance that I wouldn't have dreamed possible. I'd like to think that he would have embraced the concept of the "white sheets" (p.70)

I've led from different chairs in my playing experiences...Principal flute, 2nd flute, Piccolo....section member. My favorite chair is 2nd flute, supporting the harmony and being a strong voice underneath the principal...my college flute professor taught me much about that role, as we would play duets at every lesson and he would play 2nd! More often than not, I model that concept with my private flute students. When I think of my present teaching position, I "play the principal flute role" in the elementary piece of my position, but in the middle school instrumental piece, definitely the supporting role of "2nd flute"! Piccolo is probably my least favorite chair, because of its high exposure...nowhere to hide...totally out there!

May my eyes be more open to recognizing which chair my students lead best from, allow them to experience passion, and teach them to be a strong voice where they are most comfortable, and also risk the exposure of an "out there" chair!

Source:
Zander, B. & Zander, R. (2000). The art of possibility. Boston, MA:Harvard Business School Press

Week 2 Reading

"Against the Grain." Photo by Joe Huber © 2010

On Being a Contribution:

I can sympathize with Zander’s (2000) predicament of feeling like he never had anything worthwhile to say at the dinner table. I can remember those moments where I felt compelled to make something up. It wasn’t my fault though. School bored me. It was much too easy. Needless to say I was never able to contribute much.

On the other hand, I am reminded of a quote in one my favorite movies, “Home for the Holidays” (Foster & Rajski, 1995) Two of the main characters played by Holly Hunter and Dylan McDermott are discuss how awkward they feel around their parents. McDermott’s character responds that whenever he’s around his father he asks him how he is and the response is always “Bogey bogey par par son.” McDermott’s character reveals that he doesn’t have a clue what that’s supposed to mean.

I think that part of the reason why we might not feel as if we contribute is because it is hard to find someone to validate us for our thoughts, emotions, and interests.

Taking these two concepts to heart, I began to surmise that I could apply this to the classroom, and on some small level I do. I always ask with genuine interest what my students are going through. It goes back to something that I learned in my undergrad degree. When you ask someone how they are is it just a conversation starter? Do you really care? When they ask you do you deliver a canned response and continue walking? Of course it helps that I’ve always been more able to relate to small children more than I do with adults.

After reading this particular chapter, I plan to follow Zander’s letter writing example yet again in my classroom. I too want my students to contribute, and the white sheet method will work nicely. I know that my students do contribute, but the simple act of writing it down may make it both more relevant and more obvious.

On Leading:

I must admit that I’ve followed Zander’s example here. I don’t lead from the front of the room; in fact, I don’t lead at all. I let my students do that. I give them a gentle nudge here and there, but more can be learned in relinquishing control than maintaining it.

Rule #6.

I’m beginning to enjoy how Zander begins his chapters with anecdotes. As I read this passage, I couldn’t’ help but think how I plan on creating a giant poster for my room that states “Kindly Remember Rule #6.” I think that as adults we tend to take ourselves too seriously far too often. I know that I do from time to time. In fact, I take quite a bit seriously that a year from now won’t even matter. The problem with ignoring rule #6 is that it prevents us from enjoying the process because it only lets us stress about the imaginary outcomes.

Foster, J. & Rajski, P (Producer), & Foster, J. (Director). (1995), Home for the holidays [motion picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures.

Zander, R. S. & Zander, B. (2000). The art of possibility. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press