"Intellectual distinction is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for election to a Rhodes Scholarship. Selection committees are charged to seek excellence in qualities of mind and in qualities of person which, in combination, offer the promise of effective service to the world in the decades ahead. The Rhodes Scholarships, in short, are investments in individuals rather than in project proposals..."

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Inspire, Not Require: The Handbook

In reading about TJEd (Thomas Jefferson Education), have you ever been throughly frustrated by the fact that they tell you to "Inspire, Not Require," but never tell you how to do it?  My friends, I think I found the answer.
Behold, the handbook.  See?  It's called Bringing Out the Best in Others! You can buy it for $0.01 plus shipping.

BUY IT!

NOW!

Okay, I'm done yelling at you.  I feel better.

I found this little gem at the local library book sale for $0.05.  It's worth so much more.  This little book, presented to you as a case study of five individuals' stories about needing to motivate others, is well laid out, with examples.   Particularly useful are the two examples of motivating students, one by a parent and one by an educator.

Here's a little outline of the process:

1) Expectations - The Power of the Positive
2) Responsibility (Accountability) - The Strength of Discipline
3) Feedback -  The Focus of Self-Awareness
     a) Motivational Feedback - Accelerating Improvement
     b) Informational Feedback - Road Map to Success
     c) Developmental Feedback - Course Corrections

I hope you give it a try. Let me know if you have read it and what your thoughts are.  I've been applying this process with my kids lately and WOW!  I can't wait to do it with school, once we're started.

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