Retraining the Brain: The Unconventional Approach
In my past and especially in my current position I have lived and observed systematic changes that are being discussed, implemented, and of course resisted. Moving from a principalship to a Professional Development Specialist, my perspectives have been broadened and my limited thinking has been challenged. I now see things from the other side of the pit. Let me explain what that means:
When I was fourteen I was a high jumper. I was nothing spectacular, but I was dedicated to improve. Through my dedication, my freshman year of high school I qualified for the state track meet in high jump. I obtained a sixth place medal and was driven to improve on that ranking. Unfortunately during the winter of my sophomore year I broke my left ankle, my dominant jumping leg. This was disheartening to me because not only was I concerned about my high jump career, but I had to sit out of the entire season for my first love, volleyball. For a fifteen year old athlete, this seemed like the world was ending. I remember crying and telling my dad that it was pointless to try. This was an unacceptable mindset for my father’s daughter and he encouraged me to continue with physical therapy and beat the odds.
The temporary set back in my tenacity lasted through my surgery to tighten up my tendons and then again when I re-broke my ankle at a festival placing me in a cast for another eight weeks. I knew I was going to be pushing it to gain my strength back in my left leg to jump the height needed to qualify for the state meet. I had to figure some other angle to take to solve my problem.
My solution was a bit outside of the box and met great criticism and doubt. At the age of fifteen, I decided to teach myself to take my approach from the other side of the pit. The left side of the pit would now become my home because my right leg was now my strong one. I was determined to jump off my currently stronger leg, otherwise known as jumping wrong sided! I spent hours on the high jump pit teaching myself to be left handed and jump right footed. If you have ever written with your wrong hand you can imagine how uncomfortable this was at first. I welcomed the discomfort and even utilized it as a motivator to keep pushing through the doubts of others that were whispered to me day in and day out. The voice in my head that said I was on the right path needed to be louder and stronger than the ones that were not experiencing the slow growth.
There is no doubt in my mind that I had more repetitive approaches than any other high jumper in the history of track and field in one season. My biggest fan, my father would wait for at least and hour after every practice was over for me to finish my attempts and teach myself to work against my body and through the discomfort. I had many people tell me my work wasn’t worth it. They said I was working hard only to achieve failure and disappointment. They said it couldn’t be done. However, I kept my eye on the bar and progressed one step at a time from the “wrong” side, envisioning the “wrong” approach, with the “wrong” foot over and over again. To my own surprise one day I eventually realized that wrong approach felt right and even became second nature. In fact, I managed to literally inch my way up the standards until I beat my own personal best by several inches. Yes, you heard me, I approached the challenge in the “wrong” way and surpassed my goals. At the surprise of many, I qualified for the state meet that year. Although I did not win, I did place fifth and I did overcome the first of many challenges my life would throw at me. Most importantly I learned that with perseverance, tenacity, determination, and a strong will, taking the uncomfortable approach may provide you with much more than you ever dreamed possible.
So now when difficulties are in my way, I always take a step back and look at the solutions from all possible angles and all possible approaches. I learned through this first of many GRIT building experiences that nothing is impossible. We have to look at things from every angle, from a different perspective, even take your approach from the other side of the pit to realize solutions that would otherwise never exist.
As a Professional Development Specialist who is growth mindset oriented, I understand that as I coach administrators and teachers to approach teaching differently it’s not going to be easy. It will be uncomfortable and frustrating for them to take their approach from the “wrong” side of their thinking. The naysayers comments will ring in their head and I must teach them to find and listen to their own voice. I will encourage them and continuously ask them to look at things from the student perspective, the parent perspective, and the perspective of how to authentically utilize the skills at hand in the real world. I will ask them to look at the learning they will provide as the student’s lifeline to being a successful adult.
What do students need to know and understand to succeed? How can you teach students to discover those things that they may not fully understand on their own... when they are on their own? How can you as an educator teach a student not only knowledge, not only how to learn, but how they learn? How can you ensure that your students are ready to take on those challenges at those moments when they will need to take an unconventional approach, the approach that everyone says is impossible? How will you as a teacher or administrator drive this next generation to take the road less traveled to discover the possibilities that have yet to be discovered? How will you inspire this nation towards continuous improvement and innovation?
My goal is that I always challenge myself and my clients to approach instruction from the other side of the high jump pit to experience new heights and help students and our future leaders achieve more than they ever expected possible!
MAXIMIZE ALL POSSIBILITIES!
I would like to thank my friend who has been encouraging me for a year to write this story. It isn’t always easy to write about our own experiences, however being uncomfortable and outside of ones comfort zone is where sustainable growth most likely occurs.
