| Stories, favorites and great (2 Records) |
Stories, favorites and great |
At the opportunity, What is the smartest thing you have seen someone do in court? #EZ.60987 Exp 10-12
A friend of mine went to court, because he was charged with drinking as a minor, a half hour before his birthday.
When his case was heard the judge was astounded the police officer had charged him. He said he would fine him a dollar for every hour, he drank before he was legal.
The judge thought this was fair, the law was the law, even if it was over vigorously enforced. So he was chuckling to himself, when he said it.
My friend just couldn't help himself though, he wanted to be exonerated. So he kept arguing with the judge. His claim was that while he was in the bar, he hadn't actually been drinking. None of the beer on the table was his.
I was his witness. A minor offense like that wouldn't even be kept on his record, because he was a minor when it occurred. And now he was an adult.
The judge said, "it's a dollar. You have nothing on your record. Do you want me to reopen this case, and retry it?"
My friend finally saw the light. And he did the smartest thing he could do in court that day, and he said, “No your honor.”
Then he shut up.
Often the best choice in certain circumstances.*
*as an example. dmn get it?. again? ...and
| Mother's Day 2015 - Not yet grade #EZ.33724 Exp 05-01
First national Mother's Day 1914
Proclamation, signed by President Woodrow Wilson designated the second Sunday in May as a "public expression of...love and reverence for the mothers of our country" due to life-long efforts of Anna Jarvis, daughter of a Methodist minister in West Virginia who organized Mothers' Day Work Clubs to care for wounded Civil War soldiers, both Union & Confederate, raised money for medicine, inspected bottled milk, improved sanitation & hired women to care for families where mothers suffered from tuberculosis.
In his Mother's Day Proclamation, 1986, President Ronald Reagan said: "A Jewish saying sums it up: 'God could not be everywhere -- so He created mothers."
Suspect you have heard the phrase: It’s a face only a mother could love. I can’t think of any higher compliment as an expression of a mother’s love, and indicates how a mother may be a patient and gentle teacher who practices:
“I will, until.”
When my mother died, I wanted to say something which adequately described her persistence and determination and remembered how I heard an explanation of how few children never learn to walk because their mother never gives up teaching until her task is accomplished.
Today I received Tom Jackson’s weekly message which included this:
◝I heard about a high school in Chicago where students had to pass a certain number of courses to graduate. If they didn't pass a course, they got this grade:
"Not Yet"
◝I thought that was fantastic, because with a failing grade, you think, I'm nothing, I'm nowhere. But when you're graded "Not Yet" you understand you're on a learning curve, which gives you a path into your future.
◝"Not Yet" also gave me insight into a critical event early in my career, a real turning point. I wanted to see how children coped with challenge and difficulty, so I gave 10-year-olds problems slightly too hard for them. Some reacted in a shockingly positive way. They said things like, "I love a challenge," or, "You know, I was hoping this would be informative."
◝They understood their abilities could be developed. They had what I call a "growth mindset."
◝Other students felt it was tragic, catastrophic. From their more "fixed mindset" perspective, their intelligence had been judged and they failed. Instead of luxuriating in the power of yet, they were gripped by tyranny's now.
◝So what do they do next? I'll tell you what they do next. In one study, they told us they would probably cheat the next time instead of studying more after they failed a test. In another study, after a failure, they looked for someone who did worse than they did so they could feel really good about themselves. And in study after study, they have run from difficulty.
◝Scientists measured electrical activity from the brain as students confronted an error. On one side, you see fixed mindset students. There's hardly any activity. They run from error. They don't engage with it.
◝But on another side, you have students with the growth mindset, the idea abilities can be developed. They engage deeply. Their brain is on fire with yet. They process the error. They learn from it and correct it.
◝We can praise wisely, not praising intelligence or talent. That has failed. Don't do that anymore. But praising the process kids engage in: their effort, strategies, focus, perseverance, improvement. This process praise creates kids who are hardy and resilient.
◝We taught them every time they push out of their comfort zone to learn something new and difficult, neurons in their brain can form new, stronger connections, and over time they get smarter.
◝Students who were not taught this growth mindset continued to show declining grades...but those who were taught this lesson showed a sharp rebound in their grades. So have thousands of others.
Carol Dweck http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Dweck
As I get older, I envision practicing the “Not yet” reminder for trying to adequately grade how well I tell all mothers I know, one day isn’t quite enough to honor them and their endless efforts.
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