Dear Louis, Roy F. Baumeister wrote a paper titled "Free Will in Scientific Psychology" where it is proposed that free will actions (like choosing how you see the world) use more caloric glucose energy in the brain than unconscious actions. Maybe the trick to motivating positivity in a classroom is chocolate!
Cheers, Arlie 2008/9/2 Louis Schmier <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > It's the things and events we focus on make up the world we perceive > and think we > live in. This means, each of us literally chooses to which she or he gives > her or his > attention, what sort of a classroom appears to her or him. That is, what > we attend to is > our reality. So, the roles perceptions, presumptions, assumptions, and > attentions play > are crucial in determining the type of academic world we experience. > > I came across this poem. It ties in with an exercise I run in my > workshops on > creating a motivating classroom that I call "The Parable of the Dandelion." > This poem is > titled "Dandelions and Mud Puddles." > > We can see dandelions as a weed that invades the pristine beauty of > our gardens. > Or, we can see it as a beautiful flower or a fluffy white ball to > wish upon or as > a > source of nourishing food and drink. > We can see a mud puddle and see only dirty shoes, soiled clothes, > and stained > carpets. > Or, we can see it as a pool to stomp in, splash around in, and have > fun. > > We can feel a wind and worry about how it will muss our hair or toss > leaves on our > > manicured lawns. > Or, we can close our eyes, let it massage our face, and imagine > we're soaring on > an > updraft like an eagle. > > We can see a rain storm and see only that we will be drenched, > depressed by the > grayness, \ > and that the warm rays of the sun will disappear. > Or, we can sing and play in the rain as if it was a water fountain, > realize the > raindrops > are nourishing our gardens, and think warmly of the sun that > still shines > above > the gray clouds. > > Now, just replace "dandelion" and "mud puddle" with "student." > > We should discipline our own emotions and give them the light and > warmth of love, > hope, and good cheer. Our conscious efforts to be positive, enthusiastic > and supportive > can have a huge impact not only on the emotional well-being on each > student, but on his or > her ability to experience the joys and pains of learning in healthy and > constructive ways. > Dreamy? Touchy feely? Well, being a cancer survivor of four years and > having > "miraculously" survived a massive cerebral hemorrhage last year, I know > that happy is > better than sad, enthusiastic is better than resigned, blooming is better > than wilting, > warmth is better than chill, calm is better than irritation. The truth is > that we are as > what makes us happy or what makes us sad and angry; we are as we see "this > is the best day > of my life" or "this is the worst day of my life." > > Seeing the good side or being able to discover and savor things to > be grateful > for, doesn't reduce or erase the inconveniences or discomforts or headaches > or > disappointments. But, it can change dramatically how we choose to deal > with them and what > impact they will have on our ability to persist, persevere, and feel > accomplished, > satisfied, fulfilled, and happy. > > Make it a good day. > > --Louis-- > > > Louis Schmier www.therandomthoughts.com > Department of History > www.halcyon.com/arborhts/louis.html > Valdosta State University > Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /\ /\ /\ /\ > (229-333-5947) /^\\/ \/ \ /\/\__/\ \/\ > / \/ \_ \/ / > \/ /\/ \ > /\ > //\/\/ /\ > \__/__/_/\_\ \_/__\ > /\"If you want to climb > mountains,\ /\ > _ / \ don't practice on mole > hills" - > > > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
