Melissa said:

What moves me most about Chapter 1 is the following:

I so remember the 9-dot puzzle. It took me a moment to remember that the answer was not just going around the perimeter of the dots. It also made me think of a discussion I had with a fellow teacher not to long ago. She had never played the game dots. When you just place dots all over the paper and who ever can make the most boxes wins. I was so tickled that I could teacher her that game.

I like the way to “practice” the it’s “all invented”. I never thought about my thinking process in this way before.

What assumption am I making?

That I haven’t yet invented.

That would give me other choices?

Then

What might I now invent?

That I haven’t yet invented,

That would give me other choices?

We have to be willing to think differently. When everyone thinks a like, then conversations are boring, nothing new can occur, and nothing exciting can ever occur. In going through the process and asking questions allows for more meaningful conversations. In this society, we are in need of problem solvers, children who can think before they act, and understand how to think for themselves.

What moves me most about Chapter 2 is the following:

The chapter discusses the universe of possibility. Having the ability to give, create new ideas, and being a contributor. It further discusses the emotions such as joy, grace, wholeness, and passion. I am not a parent, but I can relate to watching the Olympics, understanding the life of Nelson Mandela, and seeing the fall of the Berlin Wall. The universe of possibility makes me reflect on the book The Secret. It discusses how you put out energy into the universe and receive back the energy positive or negative that you put out. Nelson Mandela continued to think beyond his confinement and was mentally free to imagine a life without Apartheid and eventually became physically free.

It discusses survival-thinking and scarcity-thinking. Survival-thinking makes me think of all the people who feel like they have to sell drugs, rob, steal, move back in with their parents, or staying in a broken marriage. People feel like they have to steal or sell drugs because they don’t have options in life to improve their quality of life. In the tough economy people move back home to save money and get emotional support due to the inability to find a job. Parents are staying in broken marriages to financially stay afloat or protect the emotional state of their children. Scarcity-thinking is in relation to the natural resources available in certain areas. I would also think it might now refer to the scarcity of jobs in this tough economic time.

What moves me most about Chapter 3 is the following:

The practice of giving an A and being present in the universe of possibility intrigues me.

When the author discusses giving all students an A with a stipulation as to why they deserve it, it makes me remember a time a teacher gave us all A’s. We were told it was ours to lose. That there were certain expectations and as long as we completed all activities and gave extreme effort at the end you would have an A. I think that process works well in a college and even high school class (depending on the course). I have to say it was one of the most relaxing atmospheres for learning. The course was a great experience. There were four of us that because close and challenged each other for the next years to come and took that professor for as many courses as possible. Sometimes having a great learning experience trumps the final grade. I love the letter from the Taiwanese student about being a 68 and now an A. So many people view themselves as a number. When you finally release others view of you and give yourself a fair chance, you can be successful and build your own self worth.

What moves me most about Chapter 4 is the following:

I think in today’s society there are so many families who don’t have meaningful communication at dinner or any other time of the day. So many children equate being successful with earning money and if they did a good or bad job. I think that the concept of contribution builds up the spirit. As a teacher I may not have all children in my class on grade level. However, I know that they have all shown growth academically and personally. I know that the student who was sent to the office every day of Kindergarten only spent 6 days in the office this past year. I know that my student whose father was in Japan during the tsunami was comforted when the class researched the tsunami and showed support. In life there are contributions we make in the lives of others that cannot be measured. Being able to pour into the life of another is immeasurable yet the feeling of being able to contribute is priceless.

My Respond:

Melissa, I like how you took the reading and analyzed it chapter by chapter. Seeing how others viewed the reading brought a totally different outlook for me. Thanks for sharing and giving me perspective.