Fulfilling The Promise, Chapters 1&2

The first chapter gives two metaphors about differentiation, the first one being based on the book The Little Prince. I LOVE this book, so I was very excited to read this part of the chapter. It focuses on taming the fox. Often when we think of taming something (or someone) it tends to have a somewhat negative connotation with it. It implies that we are in some way breaking their free spirit. But as the book points out, that is not at all the intention. We tame something so we can understand it. The two truths learned are 1."What is essential is invisible to the eye." 2."You become responsible forever for what you have tamed." We cannot see, or label the things that are essential in life or in teaching. The most essential piece is love. And as far as being forever responsible, I remember some of my elementary school teachers crying on the last day of class. Those were the teachers that made me want to cry for leaving their classes as well. We had tamed each other. I want to be the teacher that mourns the end of the school year, because of the connections made with her students.

Chapter two talks about the needs of the students. There are five things the student needs in order to be fully engaged in school. They are affirmation, contribution, power, purpose, and challenge. If you fail to fulfill all five of these, then your student is not getting the most out of your classroom. Each is important in its own way and cannot stand alone. Without affirmation the student will not continue to progress because they do not feel they have attained the goal with was set for them. Without contribution the student will constantly sit out, and never feel the need to progress because thus far they've done just fine without putting forth any effort. They have to feel powerful, because that is what gives each of us the drive to move forward. Where there is no feeling of power there is a sense of weakness, or even emptiness. We must give them power to find strength. Everybody needs a purpose. With no purpose we have nothing to move forward to, we are just aimlessly roaming. Challenge is so important. Every child needs to feel challenged. It is so easy to want to help the child that is behind, but the child that is ahead needs just as much challenge. Every child deserves to move ahead a full grade level, every year they are in school.