Saturday, May 26, 2012

Wk 4 Reading Art of Possibility: Graduation



This book continues to bring awesome memories back from when I was in Jr. High and High School and how everything I went through as a band member is now helping me to be a great teacher.  Seriously, we should have started Full Sail University reading this book.  What I like about it the most are the stories.  Most books are just what one individual thinks or his/her research, but this book contains substance by bringing us in the lives of real people.  I love the story of the 10 year old from the ‘failing’ school who was given a chance to conduct the band. WOW! What a dream and all because a man was able to enroll others to see the positive outcome of what seem to be pointless.  I now can relate to the feeling I get when our 4th graders graduate.  For the past two years we’ve been able to take our kids to their actual future high school and have them walk the auditorium stage as they receive their diploma.  We are the only school in our district doing this and believe me that it brings chills to know that they will eventually attend that school. From the proud parents to their bright smiles it is worth spending that money to rent the buses and purchase the balloons.  We’ve enrolled ourselves in our community and have benefited from their positive feedback and gratitude.   Sure, we cannot please every parent even when the place sat more than enough people there were still complaints. But as I learned from the book, when this situation gets on the board I have the opportunity to make the change and help solve the problem or make it worse.  As they say, “the ball is in my court”.  What I will do next time is choose a better framework.  See this as an opportunity to make our graduation ceremony better the following year.  Constructive criticism.   
    

2 comments:

  1. I agree with reading the book in the start of the program. There is just one thing that makes me second guess to do it, is that the impact the book has had in all of us. I don't think the impact of it would have been the same. Reading this book at this point of the program has provided me with the relief that getting through the last month will be "Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy." Making lemonade

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  2. Great example of paying-forward and giving your students an image of their possible future, as graduates. It can be so difficult to maintain the belief that one can succeed when the whole world seems to saying that you are nothing but a failure and that the noise kids hear in the poorer neighborhoods and schools. Why try, you'll never be anything? So wrong and so destructive, when kids really need something to believe in. Onward and upward, my friend.

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