Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve… this is the world many of us live in. We don’t get our way and become weak at the knees with defeat. The Art of Possibility begins its 7th chapter talking about exactly that. It mentions the fact that we have choices in which we can make to either accept what has been dealt to us or simply not. The chapters goes on to discuss the presence without resistance with the pathways being cleared to possibilities (Zander & Zander, p. 110).
Chapter 8 of The Art of Possibility discusses “giving way to passion.” Giving way to passion has two steps. Te first step is knowing you are holding back and realizing the need to let go. The second step of giving way to passion is participating wholly. After reading this chapter I came to understand that most times we as individuals are afraid to giving into what we truly care about. The young pianist has a hard time conveying the true emotional energy of music, but later learns to be a “one buttock playerm” (p. 127). He gives way to his passion, letting go of his stiff demeanor.
Chapter 9 in The Art of Possibility is as equally interesting. The author discusses the ninth practice, "Lighting a Spark". The practice of enrollment is about generating possibility and lighting a spark in others (p. 137). I thought about the students at my school and then I thought about myself. I work in the inner city at a school where the average teacher teaches for an average of 2 years and then quits. The work environment is highly stressful. You see it’s not stressful because the kids are behavior issues or even academically challenged. It’s stressful because the teachers are expected to give the students 150% everyday. They are trained three weeks prior to the beginning of the school year and observed almost daily. If administration can take the time to “to light the sparks” within the teachers perhaps they would stay past the two year mark.
Tamara, I think you as a Technology Integration Specialist in the inner city middle school, you may have a new mission or you may already do it, encourage the weary teachers to light sparks in students lives and keep on trying. I studied the book "Fire in the Bathroom" http://www.amazon.com/Fires-Bathroom-Advice-Teachers-Students/dp/1565848020 which also teach teachers that not all the students can be light up. We do our best but don't allow one or two students to drag our feet. We need to keep on moving.
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