A WILL TO SUCCEED

Have you ever wondered why some people are successful and others are not? Further, how is it possible that the least favored make great strides while the popular and most favored seem not to.....

Is it safe to say that success is dependent on WILL?

We are all wired differently and motivated by different things. Do we really expect everyone to strive for the same things simultaneously? Is it erroneous to think like this? Or are we led to believe that this is the norm...

I believe and I may be wrong that what we do or become in life is defined by our meaning of the word "success". Moreover, the attainment of this success is dependent on what we are willing to do to achieve this state. Will we strive to attain this in an ethical manner or will it become "by any means possible"? Does it even matter?

What are you willingly to sacrifice in order to succeed? How will you know when you have succeeded? More importantly, how do we know when others have succeeded? Are they being measured by our standards?

How does this impact what we do as educators? Can we foster "a will to succeed" in our students? As we prepare for the coming week, I encourage us to think about Helen Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan. What are some of the lessons to be learnt here?

Have a Fabulous Week!

Petreno

TOO TIMID TO ACT

Last week I had an extraordinary experience of witnessing the results when there is a failure to act. Though at times it may seem as if you are boxed in a corner and you may feel that there is no way out..... there usually is..... if we look hard enough and are willing to take the risk. Being too timid to act only serves to exacerbate the problem causing it to spiral out of control.

This is usually evident in the workplace when you know that given circumstances may be morally and ethically wrong. Still if you maintain that its not your problem and it will soon go away then you are as much a part of the problem rather than the solution! Where does one get the courage to stand up for injustice? How do you attack it? Why do some people have the willpower while others don't? Is this an innate quality or does a certain type of "prevailing climate" fosters  the development of such a trait? 

Conversely, being able to address injustice at its roots requires a leap of faith, mental toughness, and an acknowledgement to suffer the consequences of one's action at all costs. This is not a task for the "faint" of heart but a "warrior". This is the flip side of being too timid to act!

According to Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, it is imperative that the lower level needs to be satisfied before those at the top of the pyramid. Is it that most people get stuck in the middle? The most fundamental needs are physiological, safety, love, belonging, and esteem.  The growth need is that of self actualization. 

What will you do when you are faced with injustice? Do you run away or do you fight? More importantly, how will you fight? Being too timid to act limits your potential for "self actualization". Did Abraham Maslow get it right?

Or is it that we are stuck at the need for safety? In situations like these I can't help but remembering these clips from the movie Office Space......

What will it be when your time comes? Will you be too timid to act?

Enjoy your week.

Petreno

THE POWER OF THE MIND

Why is it so easy to believe in things that are negative? Do you fear that the things you are most afraid of will haunt you? How can we rethink the negatives and make them positives? Is this even possible? Do you believe in the power of the mind?

Recently I sat down with a student who wanted to share the frustration and anxiety being experienced while preparing for an upcoming exam. I could physically feel the pain and anguish as I sat listening quietly to this outpouring. The student described feelings of being torn, helpless, and being an outright failure. Though it may have seemed dismal, I was happy that this student took the time to reflect on the upcoming task and admired the sincerity, and courage to speak up about this internal conflict! How many of us would have been this brave? Honestly?

It was indeed a learning curve for me! I have witnessed first hand what it takes to be a "reflective learner". Here was this student, thoughtfully analyzing and assessing to determine how best to move forward. This was one of the most fulfilling part of my career. We don't get to see this happening much in the classroom but when it does, you get an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction. When students are able to predict their performance and monitor their level of mastery and understanding (metacognition) they become more actively involved in their own learning. Additionally, they have to become resilient learners.....who are not afraid of failure.

There are two types of mindsets according to Carol Dweck. A fixed mindset where intelligence is seen as "fixed" as compared to a growth mindset where intelligence can be changed and developed (Dweck, 2008). A growth mindset can be developed from three simple steps:

1. Learn, learn, learn
2. Realize hard work is the key
3. Face setbacks

Sadly, overcoming a fixed mindset is challenging. It requires extraordinary discipline and total commitment. As educators, we have to be prepared to guide students as they transition from identifying their current state to the their desired goal. The realization of such a goal is also intricately associated with the power of self motivation and possessing a positive mental attitude. This is where it becomes even messier! A conscious decision has to be made to bring about the desired change. THIS IS THE POWER OF THE MIND!!

Together the student and I worked out a  plan of action. I knew that if the plan was followed through it would bring ultimate success....in time. Additionally, such qualities as patience and discipline are imperative.....other challenges to overcome with time.

How many times in life have we been faced with the same? How did you succeed? 

I will now close with the following:

"The Man Who Thinks He Can"

    

WHAT WILL BE YOUR LEGACY?

As professionals we are often focused on the work that we have to accomplish and rarely do we take the time to reflect on the impact made on the lives that we've touched. At times it is difficult to fit this in our busy schedules but it is imperative we make reflection a priority.

We work in a fast paced environment where immediate results are the norm. Often we tend to make decisions that are either erroneous or irrelevant resulting in catastrophic situations that could have been easily prevented. Nevertheless we should persist to do what is right!

A few weeks ago I was at an event for a good friend. One who was with me through my most difficult time. She taught me a lot about the profession and relationships. I was flabbergasted at her accomplishments! Why? She lived what she preached and managed to remain extremely humble. You could feel the love, respect, and admiration at the function. She truly touched lives.

So let me ask.....what will be your legacy? How have you impacted the lives around you? Are you just focused on surviving each day? Does your work extend beyond your present circumstances? Do you just do things to please people around you or because it is right?

Have a Great Week!

Petreno

A FAILURE TO CONNECT

As an educator it is difficult to hear or be a witness when students are not having a good experience at school. You just want to reach out and make everything right..............

How can you help to bring about change if those at the top are convinced that "all is well"?

Students feel disenfranchised, disconnected, and worst do not trust those who should have their best interest at heart. 

This failure to connect has produced a rather negative school climate where interactions are purely punitive, unsafe, and cold. Can one assume that learning is taking place? 

Does a school exist? 

Research has shown repeatedly that students learn from teachers who they trust and whom they believe genuinely care about them. Further, it is imperative that their psychosocial emotional needs be met. Learning takes place when people feel connected and there is structure. 

Did Linda Cliatt-Wayman get it right? What are the lessons to be learnt here? How do we move forward?

Have a Productive Week!

Petreno

A SCHOOL ON THE BRINK

A few weeks ago I was at an event to kick start Homecoming. Since it is a shared campus all the schools in the building were present in the
auditorium.

At the beginning of the ceremony, the mistress of ceremony(mc) publicly acknowledged the respective administrative body of each school. When the names of a given school administration were called the
student body was strangely quiet. They were even a few "boos" scattered here and there.

I was both mortified and embarrassed! The students have clearly made known how they feel about their administrators. Can it further be elaborated that this was how they felt about their school........teachers included! I could not help but to think.......Have the adults in that given school failed to connect with the students?Is this a school on the brink?

I was deeply troubled. If this is the current reality, can it be said that those students have a school? Is there learning taking place in the classrooms? What good is it if the
students don't feel "good" about their school? What are they really trying to tell us?
Are we listening? What can we do about it?

The students have stopped cheering.

Who will champion their cause? Let's get the students cheering again!

Have a great week.

Petreno

TEACHING MY HEART OUT!

For the last few weeks I have been teaching my heart out. In planning and delivering my lessons I gave my best. All the knowledge, techniques, skills, and yes the "bag of tricks" amassed over the years were brought into play. I thought I had it all covered but alas was I wrong! I was confident that I could step in and make changes immediately. This was far from the truth!

How many times have you underestimated the situations that you are experiencing? What was your initial reaction? How did you move forward? Why was it important for you to find a resolution? Did this experience impact your future actions?

This year I have been given a unique population and was asked to help them achieve their academic goals. Initially I had declined but later decided to accept the task. After teaching this group for the past few weeks I gave them an assessment. I was floored when I saw the results. They did horribly! 

Where did I go wrong? 

I was tempted to take this personally. I am of course a perfectionist! This however was the wrong approach. In today's world we are being expected to own failure.....If the students don't learn, the teachers didn't teach".....how often have you heard this? I can say after teaching my heart out, I knew they got it based on their feedback on exits, classwork, conversations, and discussions. There is an excellent classroom climate, teacher and student share a commendable rapport, students have been provided with the necessary tools for working.......so exactly what went wrong????....

After carefully and thoroughly reflecting, I came to the conclusion that these students have gotten accustomed to failure and in fact look forward to failing. They have been so beaten by prior experiences that they are living other's belief for them. Nothing is more powerful and damaging than when students believe their teachers "don't expect them to pass" and it's business as usual! 

Currently, my agenda is to change this paradigm. I am so happy that I am experiencing this "challenge". I am in absolute agreement with Rita Pierson: Every Kid Needs a Champion!

Have a Fantastic Week.

Petreno