Wk 2 Reading - Contributing to the environment

As teachers and students we are all so concerned about appearance. Do I look ok? Did I express that statement right? What do the other teachers think of me? What do my peers think of me? Do they like me? These questions can consume us, until we are so concerned about ourselves and consumed with not failing. We set ourselves up for failure by being so concerned about it. The way to truly succeed is to consider what we can contribute and what we already contribute to the setting we are in. Every student contributes good things to the class, and it is vital that they know that in order to feel that they are a success. Every teacher and student contributes good things, and the more we think and dwell on those things, the better chances at success we will have.

Part of contributing involves Rule Number 6 from the reading. The rule of humor. The contribution of humor adds so much to a classroom setting and any setting we come into in life. The ability to lighten up situations and make people laugh promotes learning. Every teacher might grow tired of their class clown cracking jokes constantly, but that person contributes something important in the class. As teachers we need to show our students, even our "troublemakers," that they do contribute good things in the class. They do not need to be consumed with failure. Through teaching the students the rule of humor and contribution, we can teach them to be a success in life.

The Art of Possibility, chapters 4-6