While trying to accommodate their different learning styles will be an ongoing challenge for me, a universal concept that I picked up on a few years ago, and that was reinforced to me in Josh’s book, is the idea that we should not praise results but rather the effort put forth to obtain those results. This makes complete sense to me and, as easy as it sounds, I don’t think I was using this concept when praising my kids. When I really started listening, I heard myself saying how smart they were or how cute they looked. Things, by the way, that they have no control over. My intentions were good, of course, but I came to realize that I was praising talents and abilities that they were born with and not the effort they put forth in using those gifts to accomplish a task. The words we use now “I’m so proud of how hard you tried”, “I love how much effort you put into that project”, are not only better for my kids to hear, but more accurate. I would prefer that they try something harder and only fair marginally well, rather than doing something easy that doesn’t take effort and pass with flying colors.

This concept of rewarding effort over ability works for any learning style; for challenged learners, gifted learners, adult learners. It’s true for all of us and the sooner these messages are reinforced the sooner we will realize our full potential for who we are supposed to be and not who we are in relation to others.  If my child is putting forth his best effort and still getting average grades, isn’t there something wrong with that? Isn’t the system flawed when my child studies hard, puts forth the effort, does his best and gets a “C”, versus a child to whom the answers come easily, needs to put forth no effort and gets an “A”? Neither child in this scenario is receiving the right message. Either you’re working hard to fail or doing little to succeed.

I believe my children are at a critical stage where their learning habits are being developed, their ideas about what it means to succeed are being molded, and their image of themselves as learners are being formed. While major changes in the public school system may be too tall of an order, adjusting our thinking as parents, teachers and educators may get us a little closer to redefining success for our children.

The Art of Learning (TAOL) spoke to me about potential. The ideas in TAOL transformed my journey as a musician because I was able to live with a new understanding of my potential and how it would be realized.  No matter how difficult a certain piece of music is, it can be mastered. The Art Of Learning teaches us that practically nothing is impossible.  Dive in and trust the process.

Working deeper, not wider

For a musician there are many small technical adjustments and segments of motion that make up even the simplest of skills.  Strumming an open string chord on the guitar can sound beautiful and complex or it can sound very one-dimensional.

It’s the same chord but there are many degrees of expression available. Understanding how a deeply refined skill in one area will accelerate my pursuit in others I was very content to focus for hours on the way I played a single major scale in one octave.

Each note possessed infinite degrees of nuance.  As a new depth in my playing began to emerge during my performances I became even more enthusiastic about Josh’s ideas.  Ron Carter is a world-class bassist.  He is a teacher as well.  A fellow musician from St. Louis was able to secure an hour of Ron’s time and went to New York for his bass lesson with the great master. All they did for over an hour was play a Bb major scale, with Ron exhorting the student to immerse himself ever deeper into each note’s potential for expression. This tells us clearly that the great masters understand the meaning of small circles; this is how mastery is to be pursued and attained.

Success is inevitable

Free from the disabling concept that some people are born with talent and others are not, we learn from Josh how to give ourselves the chance to succeed.  Are we willing to step into that process and give our body and mind the opportunity to excel?  If not, that is ok too. Just as long as we know it’s our choice.  We can climb the mountain if we are willing to. I take this very personally and I understand my prospects going forward are very much in my hands.  This alone, is a tremendously powerful revelation.  Champions are made when no one is watching.

It’s up 2 U

Possibly the most promising gift from Josh’s message is a broad and sweeping comprehension that this Art Of Learning applies to all of our human endeavors.  Maybe it’s a complicated foreign language you may wish to learn, or possibly you are intimidated by math.

It could even be a journey of personal healing.  TAOL teaches us to view any challenge as a grand set of small skills.  Over time and with focus they are threaded together seamlessly and mastery is ours.  Life is our adventure, our canvas to paint and toexperience.  No one else that I know of has articulated the visceral truth of our potential as thoughtfully and clearly as Josh.  And come to think of it, is that any surprise?  I think Josh would be the first to say, “Why not you?”

Thank you, Josh.  All the best,

Brian Clarke

Kirkwood, MO

www.brianclarkeonline.com

This is the second inspiration board created by the Cypress Creek High School Students.  They even included a reference to The Art of Learning.

Here is the inspiration board for the month of November.  Teacher Carole Scala has the students using The Art of Learning guide questions in Socratic Circle discussions.  They are also working on essays reflecting the philosophy of Josh Waitzkin.  She says, “The brush took hours to make because its handle is made of paint brushes!”

Here is December’s inspiration board.  The students drew a picture of Josh and included many of his inspirational quotes.