Is This MyStory opens the door to a place where you can be yourself. Through the use of stories and familiar questioning techniques, you will be transported into the World of Expression where you will discover your place of power. To order your copy from Amazon, click here.
I’m Not Like Everyone Else
Apparently, “we now expect everyone to take photographs all the time” Really? Dom Knight in his article ‘I Hate Instragram’ seems to think so.
I guess that means, I am not like everyone else.
I admit, as Knight points out, the one billion dollars paid by Facebook to I
nstragram suggests snapping photos on smart phones is incredibly popular. Nevertheless, I question Knight’s combination of personal language and hyperbole.
Who is the we Knight refers to? Does everyone take photos all the time?
Clearly I sit in isolation, because, as much as I enjoy using my camera to record special moments, I do not feel compelled to turn paparazzi at the drop of a hat, tissue or yawn… Obviously I am not part of the ‘everyone’ group – I am not part of the cool, hip, or ‘in’ crowd (perhaps I am showing my age).
Maybe, if I was less confident in myself, I would be compelled to grab my phone and snap the dog before a wave of outcast fear overwhelmed me. Thankfully, I don’t. Instead I chuckle, shake my head and reach for my computer. I am grateful to be an individual who chooses her own ‘all the time’ actions.
Articles such as Knight’s fuel my quest to share the power of critical literacy. I believe (and here it is important to note the use of the word ‘I’ and think carefully about its use) critical literacy promotes self esteem. As a critically literate person, I can read an article such as the one written by Knight and rather than feeling deficient for not following ‘everyone’ behavioural patterns, I recognise the use of persuasive language, appreciate the humour, and feel content.
Again, consider my use of language; the word ‘content’ is used deliberately. Hopefully you can predict why. I use the word content to demonstrate a lack of aggression hurled toward another person’s opinion. I feel content to be an individual, I feel content to read opinions different to mine. I do not feel the need to debase another to argue my case. True, I may look for inconsistent argument, I may question use of language, but I am content to live with a difference of opinion. I attribute this to a strong sense of who I am. Critical literacy gives me this self confidence.
You may be wondering how critical literacy links to self esteem. Put simply it allows me to read past marketing hype and journalistic hyperbole. Therefore, I rarely absorb the ideas thrust upon me by the media; I don’t believe everything I read.
So no I don’t think everyone takes photos all the time.
What do you think?
How Do I Manage Examination Stress
Stress can be destructive, it can leave suffers feeling unmotivated, demoralised and frustrated. So why do schools continually place teenagers in stressful situations without offering the tools to manage examination stress.
Many year 12 students from NSW are approaching mid- year examinations; most are probably experiencing varying degrees of trepidation and anxiety. However, some are feeling anticipation and excitement. How do you feel right now?
Your emotional response to upcoming exams is likely to reflect the degree to which you feel prepared for your examinations. When a person is placed in a confronting situation their emotional and physical response usually varies according to their perceived ability to manage and respond to the conditions. Therefore, in simple terms, if a person believes they have a measure of control over the resources required to overcome a challenge and they know where and how to access those resources, they are more likely to approach the situation with a confident attitude.
As a result, a student who understands the course content, is aware of the specific knowledge required to complete the examination and is familiar with examination structure, usually feels better equipped and more enthusiastic toward their examination, than a student who has not understood course material and has little familiarity with examination expectations.
While you nod in agreement and think, ‘yes of course, it is obvious that students need to prepare academically for their exams’, have you also recognised that academic preparation is only part of the preparatory process. Content and skills based preparation is the portion that most schools acknowledge responsibility for and thus, is where most time and resources are directed. However an equally crucial component is mindset preparation.
Stressful situations could be described as a natural part of life. Certainly they are a common occurrence and often unpredictable. Therefore it is not always easy to ensure we have the necessary knowledge and skills to meet the expectations of a particular challenge. Nevertheless, it is possible to maintain control of our emotional response to a situation. In large measure a student’s ability to approach examinations with anticipation and excitement depends on their attitude toward judgement and failure. This is the area where many schools do not support their students.
A large number of students develop the belief that tests and examinations are a measurement of their ‘worth’. They harbor the notion that their entire future is dependent upon a few hours spent inside a school hall hunched over a piece paper on a small desk. It is little wonder these students view examination with fear and resentment. Nevertheless, schools can help students discover a more helpful attitude toward examinations.
As a teacher, I believe it is my responsibility to offer teenagers mechanisms to manage stress; to teach them specific strategies to channel and / or alleviate it. One such strategy is demonstrating an alternate perspective toward examinations.
Examinations evaluate what you know, not who you are. They offer a snapshot of your knowledge level at a particular point in time, not of all time. They are simply a guide or channel which directs subsequent learning. However to truly appreciate this sentiment, it is also worth challenging popular impressions of failure. Failure is not an end point, nor does it prophesise the future; failure is a signal. It is a sign to change, a suggestion to move in a different direction or to adopt a new strategy.
At this point one of the more common analogies offered is how Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before he created a working light bulb. While you think about that, also reflect on your own experiences. Recall other learning situations. Although you may not remember details, consider how you learnt to walk. You probably dragged yourself up, cruised around holding on to furniture spending a lot of time on your bottom as you failed to navigate between one handhold and another. Yet, with each failure, you were testing new approaches, you were strengthening your muscles and your muscles were learning what was required of them. Each failure became an opportunity to learn.
Hopefully this example has illuminated an approach to examinations. Of course it is important to ensure you understand the required content and skills. However it is equally important to walk confidently toward your examinations. Use the handholds provided by your teachers. Have a clear vision of where you want to go and cruise around – practise, practise, practise. Then, when the space in front of you is open, draw upon your own muscle strength and stride forward. If you fall, pick yourself back up, think about what you have learnt and keep moving toward the place you chose as the next respite position.
Stress does not have to be destructive; it can be managed. Examinations can be viewed with enthusiasm; they can become a practice field. Schools can encourage students to develop a proactive attitude toward failure. Students can learn how to approach confronting situations with confidence and courage. This is the mindful state of a learner who knows they can learn.
Let Teenagers Have an Internet Voice
The storm created by Caitlin Flanagan’s book Girl Land, is an example of adults believing they are ‘in the know’. Of course, the Internet has affected the lives of young women and yes, the impact has been far reaching – it has also influenced the lives of young men. In fact, the Internet has probably affected most of us.
However, what frustrates me in the debates surrounding the Internet and today’s youth, is the seeming belief that adults have all the answers to the questions that assail our kids. Often, it seems as though adults look back on their own lives – their own challenges and opportunities, their own disappointments and triumphs, and apply ‘I wish I had’ hindsight to direct the lives of younger people.
To my way of thinking this is problematic. Firstly it neglects the very obvious fact that today’s world poses a very different set of challenges and opportunities to those present ten years ago – let alone 25 years ago. More importantly, it diminishes the intelligence and responsibility of today’s teenagers. It seems that adults can be so busy protecting teenagers and warning parents, that the self proclaimed ‘experts’ forget to actually ask young people what is going on for them and what they think they, as teenagers, should be doing do about it.
Think for a moment about the extraordinary achievements of the ordinary young people you know. On a daily basis I see young people taking directorship of their own lives and achieving remarkable results. Of course they need support (we all do), but they also deserve a hearing. We adults can learn much about the lives of young people and what they need to make their life meaningful, safe and advantageous, simply by listening to what they say they need.
In my humble opinion, debating over the Internet’s effect on the lives of teenagers and what we as a society should do to protect them, is simply tokenistic posturing, if we don’t also include the voice of young people. Sure, young people need support, but they do not need to become a mini-me. Young people need to develop skills. They need critical, emotional and digital literacy and they need adult’s respect.
I love listening to the ideas of young people – through their innocent and creative lens, they have usually, already seen the solution.
A Good Book is Hard to Put Down
Sometimes I am scared to pick up a book. I worry that once I open it, I will become lost. The dishes will not get done, the washing will languish dejectedly in the corner and dinner, well let’s just say we will be lucky to find enough bread to make peanut butter sandwiches.
I know that once I pick up a good book, it is nearly impossible to put it down. Although I sometimes wonder if this habit signals an obsessive nature, what I can say with certainty is, I love reading and, if I have a good book in my hand, I want to read and read and read until it is finished.
Does that mean I have low will power?
I do feel guilty. I cringe when I see the house in disarray and a ‘to do list’ which reaches gleefully toward the horizon. But, I cheerfully let it all slide for the opportunity to spend a few stolen hours curled on lounge, or wrapped in bed, utterly immersed in an alternate space. The kids roll their eyes, the phone is ignored and only the most extreme call of nature is answered. I am elsewhere.
And yet, I am in the moment. I am mindfully placed, completely focused on the task at hand. I am also aware. I realise that in choosing to pick up that particular book I am choosing to put everything on hold until I resurface. So, I choose my reading time and material carefully. I call it reading responsibly.
There are books which can be easily read in bite sized moments. For me, these are generally nonfiction, topic based tomes. In particular I like to read motivational or innovative anecdotes and theories, particularly in the morning. These types of books inspire me to think actively as I reflect upon what I read. Newspapers, journals (on or offline) and blogs may also provide fodder reading. Then there are the stories which are interesting rather than being intriguing. These are the books which can be picked up and put down as needs arise.
Thankfully I recognise which is which. I recognise my obsession with stories and accept that I must time my reading so that I fulfil my responsibilities while still meeting my desires. I delay gratification, waiting until I know I have a day for the book. My book is patient. It knows it will have my full attention… later. For now I give my complete attention to the people and tasks at hand. Mindfulness.
Why have I written his post? Why do you think?
As any student who has sat in my classes knows, I generally answer a question with a question so that you may search inside yourself for an answer that resonates with you. I have accepted that I am obsessive when it comes to reading particular books. I have been able to do this because I have taken the time to get to know myself and my motivations. What do you know about yourself?
Can you see how knowing who you are and can help you maximise your strengths and minimise your weaknesses?
Reading makes me stronger. It enhances my creativity, offers time to simultaneously relax and reboot my mind, and it proffers joy. Although it may seem as though I momentarily turn into a lazy, antisocial and selfish individual, I resurface as a relaxed, motivated and compassionate person. I simply need to get the timing right and read when it is appropriate to read. I have the choice to be responsible for my own actions.
How can you use your knowledge of yourself to make responsible choices?
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