Ok. So this was a great read: The Art of Possibility by Benjamin Zander and Rosamund Stone Zander.
I was so inspired that I made this visual collage from pictures that I have taken over the years. Take a look at it!
I was touched in so many levels by the first four chapters of this book. And, I feel like sharing this personal anecdote.
In 1996, my whole family moved to the U.S. from Mexico because my dad was getting his master's degree. My sister and I did not know any English and this was the day before school. Our parents called us to the living room and told us something that went like this: we want you to know that to us you are the most beautiful, intelligent, funny, and amazing daughters in the whole world and nothing or no one will make us think differently of you. We know that you don't know any English. We know that you will struggle, and when you get a failing grade, we want you to know that we will see an A because we see the effort you put in, because we see you growing, because we see you becoming women of outstanding character. Don't worry about grades, go live and enjoy our two years here. Make the most of it and if in the way, your grades happen to be A's, so be it... That evening, a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders, I was no longer scared, I was ready to take over the world!
Needless to say, my sister and I did extremely well. Due to language immersion, we were proficient in English within 4 months. I went on to tutor in Spanish, French, and Chemistry after school and took some extra courses to graduate a year early. My parents believed in me and that made the difference. I was given an A and the rest was history.
Saray,
ReplyDeleteVery nice photo collage. Your story of your family's move to the US is inspiring. Eliminating the pressure for good grades by your parents was obviously an important milestone in your family's life. By removing that "artificial" metric within the current school system, they helped you and your sister create a learning environment truly condusive to "real" learning of all the possibilities. I hope to make a small contribution to this "lack of grades" mentality by currently working with my local school district. We will be re-designing several courses to bring game theory and eliminate the need for traditional grades. Once again, the metrics must be questioned and possibilities, without traditional boundaries need to be presented.
Saray,
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your photo collage very much. Thank you for sharing your family's move story. I was amazed at the thoughtfulness and far-reaching implications your parent's decision had on your life. I am beginning to work with my local school district to re-construct several of their courses in a similar fashion. Combining game theory, an engaging story and no grade point average to be concerned with, we are hopefully bringing a similar story to other students. We hope to eliminate the pressure of traditional grades, provide an engaging learning environment and simply "teach" our kids. Thank you for a very important story!
Wow, your post was so inspiring. Your visual collage was beautiful. I am glad to see that someone else was touched by this week's reading as well. It sounds like you have awesome parents, and I believe it is the love and support of parents that cause children to soar and strive for excellence. As teachers, we see students everyday who long for such approval and acceptance. Unfortunately, many parents today are so self-absorbed that they don't see this longing in their children. May we always take the time to reach out to these students and show them love and support. Your post made me want to remind my two beautiful daughters (ages 12 and 16) of how much I love them and will always be there for them to support and encourage their growth and efforts.
ReplyDeleteHi Saray,
ReplyDeleteGreat collage and great story! All it takes is one person to believe in you to change your life. Your parents opened the doors to possibilities. Your story made me stop and question, who received an "A" from me today? And did we tell the person they were getting an A. Or, better yet, did we we show them.
Thank you for sharing that story! That is fabulous!
Saray, I was really touched by your post. I wish more parents were so supportive, understanding and encouraging. You are proof that with perseverance and a foundation of loved ones that believe in you and your abilities you can do anything. I can only imagine the relief you felt after your parents sat down and shared such heartfelt words and I’m sure it made a difference on how you integrated your new surroundings. Now if only we could pass on this influence to the parents of all the young influential minds that enter our classrooms each year. However, we as educators can be that influence as well. Thank you for sharing=)
ReplyDeleteWonderful collage as well!
Saray, Thank you so much for sharing your story and your collage. Both brought tears to my eyes. The collage was a beautiful interpretation of the chapters in the book. Your story reflected the depth of love parents have for their children, and gave me pause to consider how I show that to my own son and the challenges he is facing as a teenager. I am going to ask my husband to read the chapters also, and see where we go from there. This message of belief and love is very important for educators and parents alike, as well as being a message to ourselves about self perception. It comes at the perfect time.
ReplyDelete-Catherine
Saray,
ReplyDeleteI was moved by your collage and story. I wish all parents had the confidence in their children tey way yours did. I feel more children would blossom as you an your sister did. Reading Jackie's comments made me think about Friday in my classroom. At 7:40 am, when my day with the kids starts, I had given them all A's. It was one of the best days we've had all year. I didn't tell them I gave them A's, but we had such a great day together. It's one of the many reasons I love teaching, everyday is a new day.
~Andrea
Saray,
ReplyDeleteThat story was very moving, I believe that parents all around should be this way. Your collage and story is very inspiring and Zander's book in my opinion values the effort and quality versus the measurement. Many children are relieved when they here those type of words, it takes the anxiety out of trying to measure up. You are such an accomplished young woman, I know your parents are proud!
-Jonnika www.jondiconsult.com/blog.html
Saray,
ReplyDeleteYour Story and Collage is very touching, an inspirational light of hope for many children who face barriers growing up. I admire your parents for removing the anxiety and fear you had by allowing you and your sibling to be yourself and support you both as you take on a new challenge. I think all parents should act in this manner. In my opinion the measure of success is how you apply the information in real world situations, not necessarily the grade made at the time. For example, I always was a C student in Math, but I tried really hard, I received tutoring, studied extra, joined study groups, etc. So my parents accepted that I tried my best and accepted my "C" grades. Now i apply those same math skills as the site manager of operations for my company. I conduct billing, assign pricing structure, discounts, and deals. Asses cost, volume, profits and loss. Finding ways to increase revenue and cut back on expenses. So in the area of application I receive an "A" even though my transcripts speak otherwise.
Wow, I really appreciate the work that you put into this week's blog. The presentation video embodied the essence of what Zander is saying. I even appreciated the music that went well with your words too. It was moving to see that your parents removed any barriers before you experienced them so much so that they were not even barriers. They gave you far more than any grade could ever do and that was giving you "Self Reliance".
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your story because I have a daughter who is struggling in school, who I must remind that she is capable of conquering the world.
Thank so much!
OMG, That is so beautiful... wow, I hope you don't mind that i share it with the rest of the emdt staff and others. Thanks, so much. Very beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSaray,
ReplyDeleteYour post and your video are beautiful. What an inspiring and amazing story. Thank you.
Rena
This was very moving and inspiring, with your permission may I share this with others.
ReplyDelete