Staying Optimistic

I listened this morning to the BYU devotional speech given by Jeff Wilks on 9-25-12.  He made some great points about how to stay optimistic that we can apply to Esperanza.  I have tweaked his points to fit Esperanza:

1. Quality and excellence do not mean perfection.
2. No matter what struggles, challenges, or adversity we may face, keep trying anyway.
3. Stay focused on the goal.
4. Only seek the approval of those who matter.
5. Find and remember the joys

Wilks also gave an idea about journal keeping that he learned from Henry B. Eyring that can be applied to Esperanza:  Keep a journal to record each day the answer to the question:  "What happened today that proves that Esperanza is a worthwhile cause to pursue?" 

Learning From Lot's Wife

I listened this morning to the BYU devotional speech that Jeffrey Holland gave on January 13, 2009.  The counsel Elder Holland gave in this talk is a reminder when making Esperanza a reality seems overwhelming and the challenges seem insurmountable. 


http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=1819

Being Tested Is Part of the Process

I listened this morning to a BYU Devotional Speech that Elder Robert D. Hales gave Sept. 14, 2010.  Although his speech was focused on spiritual things, I feel that there were some lessons in his speech for us at Esperanza. 

We will be tested, often to our limit. And the greatest blessings will be based on how well we endure our tests.  They [tests/challenges] are provided for a reason—so that we can become and accomplish what we were sent to the earth to be and to do.

[What we are to be} won’t come without challenges, and it won’t come about all at once.  We are prepared line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. And that always

Elder Hales told a story I have never told before to explain how we can move forward.  “As a boy, I had the job of shellacking a wooden floor. As I neared the end of the task, my father found me in a terrible predicament. He literally stood at the door and laughed. I had worked from the only door to the far end of the room. I had painted myself into a corner, without a window. There was no escape! At that point I had two choices: sit down and accept being stuck for many hours until the varnish dried or walk back across the floor, undoing all I had done. I knew what it would take to refinish it properly. The sanding and refinishing—I knew what was ahead of me, and so did my father.”

Through our choices “we are either choosing to move toward a new door with many possibilities or into a closed corner with very few options. “

A New Perspective

This is helpful to remember when we are facing challenges at Esperanza.

What Is An Expert?

This came from Justin Tarte's December 11, 2011 BLOG posting.  I really liked the message so wanted to share it. 

The 13 habits of experts...

As part of the Poplar Bluff Junior High School book club, we decided to read "Fires in the Mind" by Kathleen Cushman. Though the book was not quite what I expected, it nevertheless had some great takeaways. One of the many takeaways was Cushman's part on "the habits of experts." As educators, we are constantly learning and growing, and I can personally say that most times I do not feel like an expert. The term "expert" is defined as:

ex·pert/ˈekspərt/

Noun:	A person who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area.
Adjective:	Having or involving such knowledge or skill.
Synonyms:	noun. specialist - connoisseur - adept - judge - master adjective. skilled - skilful - skillful - proficient - adept

The 13 habits of experts:

1) - Experts ask good questions...

2) - Experts break problems into parts...

3) - Experts rely on evidence...

4) - Experts look for patterns...

5) - Experts consider other perspectives...

6) - Experts follow hunches...

7) - Experts use familiar ideas in new ways...

8) - Experts collaborate...

9) - Experts welcome critique...

10) - Experts revise repeatedly...

11) - Experts persist...

12) - Experts seek out new challenges...

13) - Experts know their own best work styles...


After looking at and reflecting on this list of habits, I realized that Cushman defines expertise not in the traditional way many of us are accustom to. Cushman doesn't focus on what you know or the skills that you might have, but rather as how you use information and approach a particular situation or issue. She focuses on the "growth" mindset rather than the "fixed" mindset. The way Cushman describes the term "expert," makes me much more comfortable than the traditional dictionary defined way. If these are the habits of experts, then I want to be this kind of an expert...

Laughing Helps Learning

I once heard that we learn 700x more if we are laughing while we are learning.  Don't know if it is really 700x more but research does say that when emotion is tied to something there is a better chance we will remember it.  Therefore, not only do we want to challenge our Esperanza scholars we also want to have lots of fun in the process. 

The Importance of Peers

A couple of days ago I saw a segment on TV about THE THREE DOCTORS. I was reminded that I had read their book The Pact a number of years ago. Seeing this TV segment and reading the book are reminders how important peers are, especially for students in challenging situations. We should, therefore, do everything we can to encourage our Esperanza scholars to follow the example of these three doctors and form a similar pact with their peers.

The following is The Three Doctors story taken from their website http://threedoctors.com/our-story/

Drs. Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt and George Jenkins, fondly known as The Three Doctors serve as an extraordinary model of leadership for anyone who’s been through any kind of life challenge or major hardship.

As teenage boys growing up on the tough inner-city streets of Newark, New Jersey these three kindred spirits made a pact: they would stick together-go to college-graduate-and become doctors. Surrounded by negative influences and having few positive role models, made this a not so easy feat. Now several years later, these three men have overcome countless obstacles and proudly bear the subtitle of doctor and serve as the face of health and education for youth and families across the country.

Today, Dr. Hunt is a Board certified internist at University Medical Center at Princeton and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Jenkins serves as Assistant Professor of Clinical Dentistry at Columbia University. Dr. Davis is a Board Certified Emergency Medicine Physician at St. Michaels Medical Center and Raritan Bay Medical Center. Davis is also consultant for the Violence Prevention Institute focusing on gang awareness and preventative medicine in Essex County. The doctors have additionally authored two inspiring books about their lives: The Pact, for adults, and We Beat the Streets, for children. A third book The Bond, highlighting fatherhood relationships will be released in 2007.

Doctors George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt and Sampson Davis deliver a well-needed and urgent message of hope and inspiration everywhere they go. Their key essages-Never underestimate the power of self-reliance and inner strength-Attach a timeline & devise a strategy for achieving your goals-and finally-Surround yourself with like-minded people who are in line with your aspirations.

Growing up in the streets of Newark, they know first hand, the pressures and struggles of life in the inner city and how difficult it can be going at it alone. Determined not to become victims of their environment, the trio stood firm in their mission and together became one of the most remarkable success stories of inspiration, dedication and determination. Dr. Sampson Davis asserts, “Strength comes from knowing that the power to overcome adversity and prevail lies within one’s self and you have to first realize that. Once realized, you have to accept accountability for your life and take the necessary steps to turn hopes and dreams into realities.”

The Three Doctors are frequently asked their formula for becoming prominent, successful men, and doctors at that… and while their lists are long, they are certain that success comes in many different forms as does talent. Dr. Jenkins comments on some of the fundamental elements they all needed, “Learning patience was key to our success. Our children are in an age where they want everything now and instant success is not only rare, but also deceitful. At some point you need a strategic plan on how you propose to live your life and carry out your goals for the long-term and that is just a starting point.”

At this website http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/pact.html are some great discussion questions for their book The Pact.

Thank You to the U.S. Women's Soccer Team

I, like so many others, was heartbroken when the U.S. women's soccer team didn't win the World Cup title. They were so close! They had come so far and had had so many miraculous wins.

Numerous times I have experienced personal and professional losses when I was so close. Often times the loss has caused a great deal of pain and heartbreak. During these times it is helpful to pen my ponderings on the following questions:

• What more do I have to learn?




• What is the lesson here for me?




• What is the waiting teaching me?
  

I want to have the courage that the U.S. women's soccer team displayed by picking myself up from the ashes of broken dreams and face the next challenge.

Codfish and Catfish in the Same Tank

Many years ago, fishing for codfish in the Northeast had become a lucrative commercial business. The fishing industry recognized that a great market for codfish existed all over America, but they had a major problem in the distribution. At first, they simply froze the fish as they did all their other products, and shipped it out across the country. But for some reason, after the codfish was frozen, it lost its taste. So the owners decided to ship the fish in huge tanks filled with fresh seawater. They thought for sure that would solve the problem and keep the fish fresh. But to their dismay, this process only make matters worse. Because the fish were inactive in the tank, they became soft and mushy, and once again they lost their taste.

One day, somebody decided to put some catfish in the tank with the codfish. Catfish are a natural enemy of codfish, so as the tank traveled across the country, the codfish had to stay alert and active, and be on the lookout for the catfish. Amazingly, when the tank arrived at its destination, the codfish were as fresh and tasty as they were in the Northeast. (This story came from the book Your Best Life Now Journal by Joel Osteen)

This story has important messages for us. First, a challenge to any aspect of what we are doing at Esperanza has the potential to make us stronger as we find evidence to support our decision. Second, we need to be careful that in our desire to help our students be successful that we not take away all challenges they face as those very challenges may have the potential to make them even stronger and better able to make a difference in the world.