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67 down...3 to go...

67 down...3 to go... 

On a brisk fall morning 10 years ago, I sat with a group of 9-year olds and we talked about respect.  They were instructed to close their eyes and imagine a scene as I described it.  Each time I introduced a new concept into the "scene" they were to raise their hand when they had the image fully formed in their mind.  It started out simple, "Imagine a field", all hands were raised.  "Imagine a small cabin in the field", again, all hands were raised.  This went on as I took them into the cabin, had them find a table in the middle of the main room, place a plate on the table and on the plate, they were to place three objects...A banana (hands raised), an apple (hands raised again) and a quetzal (no hands raised--in fact, the noises of wonderment were amusing).  Many thought I said "pretzel" so I repeated it...”quetzal".  I acted as though I expected them to know what a queztal was, just as they knew all of the other items in our scenario.

They had no clue what a quetzal was.

I explained that a quetzal was a South American bird with very colorful feathers (almost like an exotic parrot).  Light bulbs went off all around the room as they began to form this image in their heads.  I asked them to re-close their eyes and now place the queztal between the apple and the banana...all hands raised high in the air.

We spoke of respect.  We spoke of how we can use words to communicate but if we do not know the true meaning of a word, the interpretation becomes clouded. 

We defined respect.  We gave examples of respect.  We practiced respect.

I then challenged my class--the first class of my teaching career--I challenged them to make a goal for the year to gather as many unsolicited compliments they could by the end of the year (we defined "unsolicited compliments" before setting the goal). 

They set the goal at 15. 

They also agreed that the "reward" for this was the attainment of the goal; the satisfaction in a job well done.  Internal motivation was being sown.

They reached their goal.  They celebrated. We celebrated.

Each year since then, every one of my classes has set a goal to increase the number of unsolicited compliments reached by the previous year.  Each year we have met the goal.  Each year we celebrate. Each year we learn a bit more about internal motivation and the satisfaction of a job well done.

This year my students set their goal at 70 unsolicited compliments.

70!

They have (as I write this at 7:45 am on 5.27.11) 67 unsolicited compliments to their credit.

I know they will reach their goal.  I know they will celebrate.  I know they will someday reap the sown seeds of internal motivation from this experience.

I also know that when I retire, I will carry with me every unsolicited compliment reported to me in light of my students' behavior.  I will carry the cumulative sum of them all and I will celebrate. I will reap the sown seeds of knowing that I have, in some small way, instilled a sense of internal motivation to so many children. 

67 down...3 to go...

Mr. Casten
 May 27, 2011 
Copyrighted material of Michael C. Casten 

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