STACIE'S BLOG POSTWk 3: Reading
YOU CHOOSE, WHICH WILL IT BE?“But our universe is alive with sparks. We have at our fingertips an infinite capacity to light a spark of possibility. Passion, rather than fear, is the igniting force. Abundance, rather than scarcity, is the context.”
~Zander & Zander
As I read this book, I have to shake my head and laugh. I’ve read these concepts before. They are beautiful and positive; just what a downtrodden, negative world needs to hear. Then it hits me. Oh ya…this is all biblical truth. Yes. These are biblical principals spoken throughout the bible by Jesus himself. Take for example the 4 practices for chapter 9, “Lighting a Spark.” Every one of these principles is about investing positive life into others.
1. Imagine that people are an invitation for enrollment
2. Stand ready to participate, willing to be moved and inspired
3. Offer that which lights you up.
4. Have no doubt that others are eager to catch the spark.
The most amazing aspect of this book and the remarkable point of this chapter is that it is our passion that holds the spark, the igniter. Ben Zander has used his passion for music to invest positive life into the people around him. The spark he invests is positive thinking.
“The secret was, I believe, that I genuinely wanted to share the music with the children, and I trusted their ability to respond to it and to be partners with me in our whole undertaking (Zander & Zander, 2000)
The other message that spoke to me in the reading was the concept of “the downward spiral.” This is the idea that our negativity thinking limits our possibilities in every area of our lives whether this is work, family, or personal goals. I know that I personally can be caught in the trap of negative energy in a quick hurry, especially when I’m frustrated with my current circumstances. Being a teacher is so hard when we are fighting unmotivated students, ridiculous standardized tests, and a scary economic situation, and sometimes, the weight can pull me into a downward spiral. However, I’m reminded to find the positive in it all, and I can say without a doubt that I love working with kids and the slightest possibility that I might spark or inspire something within them. When I look at my career from that perspective, the rests seems to melt away for another day. In fact, I like the idea of lighting a spark and participating in enrollment so much, that I am going to pain the phrase “Light a Spark” on the wall in my classroom. I’ve already commissioned the art teacher, who is also my great friend, to begin painting. Hopefully this phrase will remind me on those difficult days why I do what it is that I do. After all we all have a choice to make. Will we be the negative force or the positive force in the lives of others today?
Stacie,
What is interesting to me is that these are also Buddhist teachings. I think that most religions, or religious philosophies try to incorporate happiness and positive thinking when utilized and interpreted correctly.
Our passion does hold the spark, and as a teacher I can attest to that. I carried my passion for learning, taking risks, and trying new things into my classroom on day 1, and I quickly became a rock star in the eyes of students who had never met me before. I was excited, I spoke their lingo, and I lit a spark. Give a kid a textbook and they'll let their dog eat it (personal experience-I kid you not). Give a kid a laptop and show them how to use technology, and they'll do their best to please you.
I like your idea of painting "light a spark" in your classroom.
I think that it's important to remember to create a mantra that you believe in and post it in our classroom. I have "be the change that you want to see" in mine.
I love that you looked at teaching from a different perspective. I too find myself doing that. Especially since I now have 100 students posting to my SNS teacher site, and a small group of them wondering when Hewbz will be on WoW to play. I've even developed a fan base that wants me to learn the intricacies of Runescape and were willing to help their teacher level up and move beyond Noob Island. I will take spending even the worst day in my classroom over the best day reviewing my adult life.
Zander's book really helped me set the tone for this school year, and I'm looking forward to the journey.