Week 3 - Response to Tania Shavor

Tania,
I loved your post. The Four Agreements is one of my favorite books and I keep it on my nightstand to look back on every once and again. The way you conduct yourself at work shows a lot about you as a person. I'm sure your supervisor greatly appreciates that you are aware of her situation and show support for her in your own way. You are indeed putting "leading from any chair" into practice. I respect your courage in goal setting and it seems that you have very strong convictions and are sure to do great things in the future.

Week 3 - Response to Mike Skocko

Mike,
I too pulled the same exact inspirational passage for my blog post from the reading. I think what you have accomplished in the Mac Lab is and will continue to be great. I know you have a lot invested in your students and the resources you create for them. I appreciate your candidness about the posts this month as I too wish I could be focusing more on the mentoring taking place where I work. I think it is a matter of them (FS) trying to find an outlet for us to discuss the reading. I think I much rather have preferred a discussion post in which we all went back and forth on one page relaying our thoughts. There's always room for improvement right. I hope all goes well for you at Adobe's HQ. Good luck!!!

Week 3 - The Art of Possibility: Lead by Example

Chapters 5 through 8 have been my favorite thus far. I highlighted much of the text for my own personal use to reflect on again later and I even stole a quote and put it on Facebook.

"Being present to the way things are is not the same as accepting things as they are...It doesn't mean you should drown out your negative feelings or pretend you like what you really can't stand. It doesn't mean you should work to achieve some "higher plane of existence" so you can "transcend negativity." It simply means, being present without resistance: being present to what is happening and present to your reactions, no matter how intense."- The Art of Possibility

What I read resonated with me and I know that I will be able to put it all into practice.Two items stood out to me the first being the story in Chapter 5 regarding the National Youth Orchestra of Cuba and the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. It mirrored a story of my own that actually came about while doing my Challenge Based Research project. The story in the Art of Possibility talks about two orchestras coming together and having difficulty with each other's pieces of music. Each orchestra struggles to follow the conductor leading the pieces and all seems to be failing until one conductor suggests letting the students who know the piece lead the students who don't. This takes the pressure off of the unknowing students and allows the other to become natural leaders.

In conducting my Challenge Based Research Project, this situation occurred with my administrators. I had both experienced and inexperienced/newly hired ones in the same meeting. We were discussing the merits of creating a handbook and training manual for all administrators. Through discussion emerged a brilliant idea to start a mentoring program in which more experienced administrators could train and give guidance to new administrators while also allowing new administrators to bring some creativity and change to many of the processes. Needless to say it all worked out very well and we are continuing the challenge based research I conducted continuously into the future as a group of administrators working to make change within the University.

The other main "Ah-ha" moment that resonated with me was the Rule Number 6. I often have a problem of taking my self too seriously and reading this chapter put that "practice" into context for me. It allowed me to examine further how I take myself to seriously and when/if it does happen again how to diffuse it. I wish I could make copies of this chapter and give it to everyone I know, not to force it on anyone as the book says, but just to give others the chance as I have to realize that we all at one point or another take ourselves too seriously and this does us all no good in the long run. Live and let live, right?!
(photo credits: 1. Chair by misbrzi  2. Flickr

Week 3 Wimba

Class was great. I am a bit jealous of Jason and his outing, but soon I will be on vacation myself in sunny Orlando with all of you. After watching the session, I am more clear on the abstract assignment. I can at times be long winded so this will pose a great challenge for me. I am also now less worried about the final project. I had much trepidation before watching this Wimba. It seems my fears were shared with others and in turn soothed by Jason's explanation and the pre-Wimba videos.

I found everyone's comments' on the Art of Possibility fascinating. We all seem to be taking at least one "Ah-ha" moment from the book. It still amazes me how I feel I've heard much of what I've read in this book before, but I feel like it is hitting me for the first time. Looking forward to expanding in this week's post.

(photo credit: Nolan O'Brien - Flickr)