Any Chair
Leaders sit in all types of chairs. We have leaders of our country, of our schools, of our communities, and of our organizations, just to name a few. So the concept of any chair does apply. As educators our job is to lead our students in the right direction to prosper into life long learners. Some types of leaders were mentioned in this chapter that stood out and one was the insensitive management type leader. These types of leaders may take us further down in the reading when we meet the wall. It also brings to mind the two types of self. The calculating and the central. The calculating is the more dominant one and I think that is where the insensitive mangement leader fits in. I thought the statement, " A leader does not need a podium, she can be sitting quietly. The leader maybe anyone of us." I thought that was powerful. People in higher positions can just supply the tools and allow the work to be done. It would lmake the work environment a bit more pleasurable to work in. There are leaders in everyone, it just needs to be brought out of the individual.
Rule #6
I love this rule. Lighten up and have a sense of humor, that helps to alleviate the stresses of life. Enjoy life while you have it because no one is promised tomorrow. I also agree that it is important to look at yourself in the situation and ask is it me. It may not be you but at least you have explored the possibilities. I also got the message that you should take the opportunity to explore your inner self.
The Way
This concept should have a balance. I agree that sometimes it is easier to accept things as they are rather than fuss over everything. On the other hand right is right and wrong is wrong, therefore you have to be careful of what you accept. There were a few statements that I withdrew from the text. " When we dislike a situation we tend to put all our attention on how things should be rather than how they are." "A storm sweeps overhead showers and thunder only to be followed by clear patches of blue." "Nature makes no judgement. Humans do." These statements are so true.
The Wall
The wall is not a good place to be because communication has shut down. If you can not communicate, you will not be able to resolve anything. " The practice of being with the way things are allows us to alight in a place of openness where the truth readies us for the next step and the sky opens up." I agree with this statement.
Giving Way to Passion
The message I received was get on with things that matter to us. There were two ways:
1. Release those barriers of self that keep you separate and in control.
2. Allow yourself to be a channel to shape the stream of passion into a new expression for the world.
Dena,
ReplyDeleteThis is a perfect review of these chapters from our reading. You have done an excellent job of pulling out the important pieces from each. I like how you mention in your post that nobody is promised another day and how you related this to the reading. It is a grim, cold truth, but if you understand this fully and think about it enough, it really can change the way you live and more importantly the way you affect others lives. Thanks for your insight! Great job!
Jon
Dena
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that teachers are leaders with an important job, to lead our students into becoming life long learners. I think some students are lost because they come in contact with teachers who put up a wall that blocks communication and not develop an open dialogue that facilitates more active learning. Those teachers who are passionate about what they do are the ones who pass that passion on to their students who then can pass it on in whatever field they decide to go into.
Hi Dena,
ReplyDeleteI love how you broke down chapter 6 Lighten Up. The students deserve to have teachers who don't put up the wall you discussed in this post. When this wall is placed up the students can tell and are not able to learn from the teacher. This is an obstacle put in the way of student/teacher communication. We as educators must remember to lighten up and allow our students to feel that we genuinely care about them and their education. My policy is firm but fair. My students understand that I truly care about them but they must obey the rules and regulations to be successful. Great Post!
Chanda Robinson
good summary and observations about the reading.
ReplyDelete