Monday, November 02, 2015

This and That

I have not yet gotten around to making a table runner (or large square) with my fall fabrics.  There is still plenty of time left to do it because I've decided to eliminate the Halloween fabrics and just use fabrics that work with autumn.  Yet--for some reason the inclination to begin continues to escape me.  Maybe the hectic pace of Halloween creating requires a little recovery time.

And although the rain passed through, saving Halloween for trick or treaters, we only had one small group visit.  


I'm always drawn to reading about learning and education, and two recent books that I've read (How We Are Failing Our Brightest Kids and How Children Succeed) have mentioned Martin Seligman's research--so I ordered Martin Seligman's Learned Optimism.  If the authors of the other two books thought Seligman's book was important, I wanted to give it a shot.




Whew, I'm still slowly reading this one.... I've been through stages of denial, thinking and rethinking, and acceptance about some things concerning myself (yeah, I was reading the book to see why it was so important to innovative educators--not to have to learn about me).  

Truthfully, I have been--sort of peripherally--aware of certain elements about my thinking process, but have avoided giving it too much consideration.  Kind of that "it is what it is" attitude.

The book includes a test.  Oops, that is when I began the process of denial and eventual acceptance.  Not only a pessimist, but an almost off the chart pessimist.  
NO!  Well, maybe.  OK.  But, at this late date, can I change?
I often read a book a day, but this one--I'm slowly, slowly digesting, reading only a little at a time.  Mostly because I digress into my own situation.  Not only about my passivity and reluctance to make decisions for which I might be held responsible, but also about how I can change my internal dialogue.

Just when I was successfully dealing with my pessimistic "explanatory style," Seligman shakes it up and discusses the role of pessimism, mentioning that pessimists/depressives often evaluate situations more accurately than do optimists.  

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Don Williams songs have been in my head so frequently lately (Lord, I Hope this Day Is Good and Good Ole Boys Like Me).

I woke up one morning a couple of weeks ago with "Lord, I Hope this Day Is Good" running through my head.  I wasn't at all depressed (certainly, "not feeling empty and misunderstood"), but rather hopeful, and it seemed auspicious.  Then a few days later, a blogging friend asked if anyone remembered Wolfman Jack--and I was off to listen to "Good Ole Boys."  If ever there was a song that symbolizes a literary and musical Southern reminiscence--it is "Good Ole Boys Like Me."




Then I discovered that he will be appearing here November 14!  I ordered tickets immediately as an anniversary gift for Fee (& uh, me).  Our anniversary was Thursday, Oct. 29--44 years!  OMG!


 

17 comments:

  1. I'm sure you'll find all the reflection useful, but it can be a surprise at the time..!

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    1. I did not expect to be an optimist, but boy, was my score a surprise!

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  2. Thinking about how we think is fascinating, but I always wind up with a headache! :) I had a whole semester class about how I think as a teacher--it was exhausting and illuminating at the same time. When I lead my students through the question of "How do you think?," many are surprised at just how different each person's process is.

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    1. It is fascinating, isn't it? While I love reading about thinking, I don't care much for actually doing it! Would love to see a class being led in discovering how they and their classmates think!

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  3. I thought this post was really interesting. To get this out of the way...Happy Anniversary. Terry and I celebrated 44 also in August. Don Williams...he is from the era of when I enjoyed listening to country music...I miss old Country. I am forever the optimist..always. Everyone's cheerleader. I believe it is true that pessimists often evaluate situations more accurately. My grandson is always telling me a reason that a situation will not turn out as I think....things don't work that way just because I want them too. But still I persist there will be a sunny outcome.
    xx, Carol

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    1. Ha! Old married couples, aren't we?

      I'm still shaking my head about my test results, but optimists and pessimists kind of balance each other in a way. That's why I married an optimist!

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  4. I'm definitely an optimist -- sometimes to the point that its hard for me to 'accept' reality since it doesn't fit into my way of thinking *smile*. When I realized that, I decided that rather than wonder if I was an optimist or a pessimist I should concentrate on 'acceptance'. I first have to accept it the way it is and then determine whether I can do anything about it or not. If I can -- then I try to do so, if I can't well - that's where acceptance really comes into play.

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    1. Seligman's research is very interesting. :) I think optimists often change reality to fit into their way of thinking! A persistently optimistic view rubs off on others!

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  5. I know I'm an optimist, but there are times when I really NEED to change my thinkin'! Sometimes it stinks!!!! :)

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    1. Mine, too! That is where my "explanatory style" is often pessimistic. Not "I messed up because I was tired or distracted," but "I'm always clumsy." :)

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  6. Oh, Jen, how good it is to reconnect with you after months (or longer). I decided it is now ok to blog again. (I deleted my blog A Day At A Time when someone hacked into my account and stole my profile - I felt scared and uneasy.) Then I tried to blog again briefly but couldn't stick with it and gave it up too. Finally I am feeling ok and so I'm back. I've been busy the past couple of hours trying to track down my "old blog friends" like you and others and visiting and leaving comments on a few. Happy anniversary and I also want to add that I just LOVE Don Williams too. He has the smoothest voice. Enjoy the concert!

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    1. Hey, you! Nice to see you are blogging again, Connie! I go through spells of blog silence, then blogging frequently, then silence again. That is probably typical of most of us. :)

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  7. Hey Jen. I really enjoy thinking about how people think and about how I think. It's probably really odd but I'm an optimistic who suffers with deep depression. It doesn't compute, but that's how it is. The last few years I've taken lots of professional development training that has helped me to recognize how I think. The push now is to show students how good readers accomplish the work of reading. It's actually not difficult but it takes some planning and I have to pay attention to what my brain is doing while I'm reading. And, of course, I have to figure out how to translate that to students. All of that metacognition requires "splitting" my thinking into three: reading for comprehension, recognizing what my brain is doing, and considering ways to show students how my brain works. I may have to read the books you mentioned just so I can get into this deeper and maybe even find a few shortcuts. That would be wonderful! Thanks for the recommendations.

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    1. I'm interested in the research about how to show students how good readers accomplish the work of reading. I've always taken reading so much for granted that I've never considered how it works! Funny, I've long since left teaching behind, but not my interest in learning and how it happens. One of the best books I read last year about learning: How We Learn by Benedict Cary. Loved it.

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  8. Ha. I am pessimistic all the way...or realistic as I like to say ;) I think I have (had?) that book, but have not read it. Now you've made me curious. Congrats on 44!

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    1. That's the way I've considered it--realistic. :) And as the author points out there is definitely an element of truth in that. I still saw that some of my thinking and "explanatory style" needs some more optimistic tweaking!

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    2. Yep, I do have it...was given it years ago and never read it...found it in the give-away box. Ha. Maybe I'll take a peek at it after all. :)

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Good to hear from you!