Week 2 Reading: You Can't Keep It If You Don't Give It Away

“You Can’t Keep It If You Don’t Give It Away”

I learned early on in the counseling field that you cannot keep what you do not give away.  This is similar to what I understood from my reading of the next three chapters for this week's assignment.

I feel that I am a contribution to many, especially in my field of work as an educator.

I am not sure that I resonate with the idea of viewing life as a game per say, but I guess I like the idea of how the book puts it that you can WIN every time in the game of being a contribution.  I truly believe in turning a negative into a positive; which is what I understood the "contribution game" to be about.

I love that so much psychology is involved in this book because as a former counselor I can totally understand and connect with it.  I also love how the authors connect these concepts to music and art.

 "My students are mere instruments of my will..."

I plan on implementing two ideas from the chapters I read for this week.  The first one is by using exit tickets with my students.  I will have my students write how they have contributed to the class each day during their closing reflections.  I will use the following reflections:

Today…. I contributed to my class by-------

Today….I contributed to my own learning by-----

Today….I contributed to the learning of others by----

Pick ONE:  something that you did that you feel was a Contribution

The second idea is from the use of the "white sheets".  I will place them as a sort of parking lot where my students can anonymously write what I can do as a science teacher to coach them or empower them to learn science more beautifully.

"Lighten UP~Remember Rule #6: Don’t take yourself too seriously!'

This chapter really helped me put things into perspective.  Especially when I think about the professional world and how people get caught in the rat race of winning and succeeding at everything.  I know that even in teaching it gets difficult once testing begins because the pressure is on to perform and it is not as much fun.  This principle will come in handy to remind me that if we maintain some degree of humor in what we do, it will certainly help us get through those rough times.

There is one thing that will always remain constant~and that is Change, so we must remain “permeable rather than vulnerable”.  I would much rather go with the force rather than waste my energy and exhaust myself trying to fight the force when change is going to come about anyway.  I might as well be open-minded and see where it takes me and see what interesting thing may come of it.  It is like being at a concert; when people start pushing and shoving.  Rather than get upset and start pushing back, I just simply let my body go and I go with the movement of the crowd.  It makes for a more pleasurable experience and I end up closer to the front anyway! ;)