Nancy Keck’s Blog

Photo from Benjamin ZAnder’s webpage http://www.benjaminzander.com/book/  The book “The Art of Possibility” by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander is a truly inspirational book. It is one of those books that you want to read bits and pieces so you can get the full impact of their messages. But, on the other hand you don’t want to put it down because you want to see their next insight on a the next topic. This book has been an inspirational read for me and I hope to put some new “possibilities” into my professional teaching life as well as my personal life. The book reminds me of the analogy is the glass “half full or half empty”.The first “practice” is one of invention. I learned that there is a world of discovery… you should think outside the box… stretch yourself beyond your limits.The “second” practice is the universe of possibility. This practice will become my basis for more ”inquiry” based learning in my mathematics class.The “third” practice is Giving an A. I am a lot like Roz, I will leave everything to the last minute and even if I have to stay up all night… I produce. I cannot do my projects in bits and pieces. I produce better work if I’m under pressure. I am having a difficult time trying to do the thesis that way. As a grader, I tend to lean towards giving A’s for those who had spent time making an effort to grasp the material. I don’t like tests… I like projects where students can show their creativity with the content delivered.The “fourth” practice is Being an Contribution. I agree with Benjamin’s father that you can’t live a life of bitterness. I had many apprehensions about beginning a Master’s program at 59 and teaching full time. I have found this remarkably uplifting that I have been successful in this program only downfall is that “thesis” ugh!The “fifth” practice is Leading from any Chair. The message is that you don’t always need to be up front and in the spotlight to have leadership qualities and be a great leader.The “sixth” practice is Rule Number 6. I break rule number 6 constantly. I tend to take everything very seriously and dwell on my short-comings or mistakes. Truly need to re-read this practice over and over.