Benjamin Zander’s TED talk on classical music is one of my favorite TED videos. I can’t remember when I first saw this, but I have seen it on numerous occasions and have enjoyed it each time. As I started reading the book, Art of Possibility, I thought I would get a jump on the reading before reading the introductory assignment page in FSO. My plan of action was to discover what the purpose of the book was and how it was connected to the class as quickly and efficiently as possible. I had blinders on trying to figure what concrete lesson the book was trying to teach. In my haste I missed who the author was and why we were reading this book. So in that frame of mind I had difficulty understanding the purpose and connection of the book to the class. It wasn’t until I took the time to read the assignment completely in FSO and then finally discovered that Zander was the same person who co-authored the book, it made total sense. Chapter One Learned: It’s all invented.
As I continued reading through the book I found Chapter 3 to be especially applicable to my everyday life and teaching. The stories that the Zanders tell do a great job at illustrating the point of Giving an A, as well as to give concrete examples of how to apply these practices in real life. Personally, as someone who tends to be a little bit of a perfectionist, this chapter provided the perfect anecdote to free me from the chains of creative block that has often stalled me from making further progress on a variety of projects. So what I take away from this chapter is that by giving yourself an A you are in a sense taking away the fear of failure. Eliminating this fear allows you to explore the boundaries of creativity and expand the realm of possibility. Often times you just need this extra push of confidence to overcome small mountains. 
In band you can’t really ignore things when they don’t go well. The kids know when they completely bomb because often times they know how a certain piece should be played. So sugarcoating a bad performance is not effective at improving performance. What is important, however is to get the kids to realize what mistakes were made and how to fix them. It is through this concept that the ideas of Chapter 3 take flight. Allowing students the safety net of not being afraid to fail will allow them to try harder pieces, explore the range of their musical abilities and teach them persistence despite adversity. (In a performance, despite how bad things might be going the idea of continuing through but being able to adapt and adjust on the fly is crucial) Giving the students the freedom to do this is important.
Thanh,
ReplyDeleteYou said what I was thinking in your post about giving an A. I too am a perfectionist and sometimes stall out or hit a block when I am not certain how to accomplish something. I will take a really long time to get something just right...which can be very frustrating for me and those around me. I like the idea of starting with perfection and trying to become it...instead of trying to create it...That's a lot of pressure. It is just a different mental position for me... to approve before I procede...It makes it ok to learn without all of these parameters placed on it. Very freeing...wonder if I am capable of it?? :)
This definitely was a book which I had to read slowly and diligently in order to catch the entire meaning. The comment you made about it being important in band to let kids know that learning from their mistakes and fixing them is the most important thing is very true. However, I believe it is true for all ages in all areas. Kids definitely need that safety net in order to be willing to take a risk and many times adults do, too. I completely agree with you in that giving the students the freedom to be able to adjust on the fly is crucial. What an important life lesson that is!
ReplyDeleteThanh, what a beautiful, real, heart-felt expression of what you got out of the reading! I’m glad I “had” to read your blog…hardly felt like an assignment. I had seen the Zander video previously, too, but enjoyed it just as much the second time around. What an inspirational teacher and what an inspirational approach! I enjoyed reading your self-evaluation about your perfectionism. I would have to agree with you because I’ve seen that in you when we’ve worked on projects in the last year. The cool thing is that you have identified that as a strength and weakness and have devised a strategy to not let your creativity to get stumped. Kids don’t have the maturity to do that, so I’m glad that your own personal experience has given you the opportunity to help your students as well. Nothing like making ideology real and practical for our every day lives. Wasn’t that one of the key points we learned in one of our classes? Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThe only TED talks I am familiar with are the ones we have been required to watch by classes this year and I agree this is definitely a very engaging one. I too found that this was not a book I could skim through or read quickly and still get the idea of what the point was. I had to read very slowly and take notes along the way, but the message sure is a good one and well worth the time. You have a good point that eliminating the fear of grades allows students to explore and therefore bring out their creativity. I do not teach band, but I feel that no matter what the subject area (or even the age) people learn from their mistakes.
ReplyDeletegreat summary and observations on the reading... Question is whether you can see yourself giving yourself an "A' regarding the Publishing/Leadership project?
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