I think therefore...
I can have an opinion. Taking time to form thoughts, rather than responding on emotion or forming opinions based on other people's opinions makes me more credible. It is not always important for me to agree with everyone, frankly that is impossible. However, if I have the ability to take in information, process it in my own view and create an opinion my opinion is credible.
I have a guilty pleasure of reading comments of online newspapers. I enjoy trying to figure out who could be posting the comments to an article. We have a relatively small circulating paper in Rock Hill so I have become familiar with posters and their tendencies. There are some that are always fascinating to read. Others are simply irritating every time.
My favorite posters are the ones that post links in their comments to show a counter opiniion. This shows me that they read the article, processed it, and researched it further. When that person posts a comment, I feel it is valid.
My least favorite posters are usually the people that post first or second. They are usually very emotional and biased hard towards one view or another. The person responds within minutes of the article being published and clearly has an agenda or opinion formed purely off the slant of the article. Someone has to go first, I guess, but the trend seems to always be for bad posts to go first.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Journal 29, Week 10
Topic of My Choice: A politician's job is to get financial support from the rich and votes from the poor by promising to protect each of one of them from the other.
A friend of mine posted this on facebook a few weeks ago. In a nutshell, it is true. Running a political campaign takes a lot of money and getting donations from wealthy people is required in most election runs. However, those donations also come quid-pro-quo with a request of the politician.
If the politician doesn't get people to vote for them, he will not be elected. If the politician takes money from a contributor that will affect a large number of votes, is he doing himself a disservice?
I think this is why most politicians have turned out to be liars recently. It is nearly impossible to have a personal agenda. The agenda of a politician is always going to be slanted away from their personal views and influenced by either money or votes. If we found an honest politician, we could have a solid government leader. Unfortunately, it is hard to get that person elected.
A friend of mine posted this on facebook a few weeks ago. In a nutshell, it is true. Running a political campaign takes a lot of money and getting donations from wealthy people is required in most election runs. However, those donations also come quid-pro-quo with a request of the politician.
If the politician doesn't get people to vote for them, he will not be elected. If the politician takes money from a contributor that will affect a large number of votes, is he doing himself a disservice?
I think this is why most politicians have turned out to be liars recently. It is nearly impossible to have a personal agenda. The agenda of a politician is always going to be slanted away from their personal views and influenced by either money or votes. If we found an honest politician, we could have a solid government leader. Unfortunately, it is hard to get that person elected.
Journal 28, Week 10
Something from the Problem Solving 101 Book: Brazilian Soccer School
This is another tale about delving further into an issue than you originally think. At face value, the Rio school seemed to be the ideal situation for Kiwi. Had she simply let her initial research guide her decision she may have made a grave mistake. Her further researching the issue by networking with her coaches and students at the Rio school lead her to make a better informed decision.
Many times in life, we can be sold by fancy advertising and marketing campaigns. That doesn't always mean that we are making the best decision.
An example that comes to mind is car shopping. If a person buys a car purely off an advertisement, there is a good chance that the decision will be regrettable. A person should...
- read reviews of cars
- talk to owners of cars -and-
- test drive a variety of cars
...before making such a large decision. The investigation into their needs is critical in making a car purchase. As it should be with any serious decision. Maybe it's not necessary to determine which brand of deodorant you should buy, but with the purchase of a car or home or even school decision for your child, an evaluation of pros & cons is crucial. Not only are the pros and cons crucial, but weighting them by thinking of their importance to you is also critically important.
This is another tale about delving further into an issue than you originally think. At face value, the Rio school seemed to be the ideal situation for Kiwi. Had she simply let her initial research guide her decision she may have made a grave mistake. Her further researching the issue by networking with her coaches and students at the Rio school lead her to make a better informed decision.
Many times in life, we can be sold by fancy advertising and marketing campaigns. That doesn't always mean that we are making the best decision.
An example that comes to mind is car shopping. If a person buys a car purely off an advertisement, there is a good chance that the decision will be regrettable. A person should...
- read reviews of cars
- talk to owners of cars -and-
- test drive a variety of cars
...before making such a large decision. The investigation into their needs is critical in making a car purchase. As it should be with any serious decision. Maybe it's not necessary to determine which brand of deodorant you should buy, but with the purchase of a car or home or even school decision for your child, an evaluation of pros & cons is crucial. Not only are the pros and cons crucial, but weighting them by thinking of their importance to you is also critically important.
Journal 27, Week 9
What does this quote mean to you: The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven
I think the meaning of this quote is obvious. It has a lot to do with perception.
I think about people who are living in housing projects, with no jobs or steady income flow, surrounding by crime and chaos - who always seem to say that God has blessed them. Their conditions are hellish to the naked eye, but they see the big points of life. They have their health, their faith, and their family for the most part. They may not have the finer things, but they can see God's work and they know they can be blessed.
At the same time, is the millionaire living in the mansion on the hill happy? He certainly may be, but sometimes those whoo seem to have it all have nothing at all. If his mindset is positive and he cherishes the big points of life, then they likely are. However, a weak minded millionaire can be the poorest person in the world.
I think the meaning of this quote is obvious. It has a lot to do with perception.
I think about people who are living in housing projects, with no jobs or steady income flow, surrounding by crime and chaos - who always seem to say that God has blessed them. Their conditions are hellish to the naked eye, but they see the big points of life. They have their health, their faith, and their family for the most part. They may not have the finer things, but they can see God's work and they know they can be blessed.
At the same time, is the millionaire living in the mansion on the hill happy? He certainly may be, but sometimes those whoo seem to have it all have nothing at all. If his mindset is positive and he cherishes the big points of life, then they likely are. However, a weak minded millionaire can be the poorest person in the world.
Journal 26, Week 9
Topic of My Choice: How important is discipline?
At the beginning of my season, I handed out team rules. They were pretty simple and to the point of stating that players need to prioritize tennis and attend practice and matches & to communicate with the coach if anything had to be missed. They are expected to work hard and be good student athletes by representing the tennis program well to the rest of the school. All the players had to read, initial each rule, and sign at the bottom along with a parent that they understood the rules.
The last practice of our regular season was rained out. I texted our captains that we would meet in the gym and do an hour and a half of conditioning and indoor drills. 16 of the 17 girls showed up for practice. 1 that did not was a senior.
Our last match of the regular season is typically "senior night" and I like to play all the seniors in the lineup. This girl had not made the varsity lineup (7 players play in a match) all season. This was also her first season playing tennis and my take on her was that she hadn't really made much effort to try to fit in with her teammates. She was usually looking for practice to come to an end, running at less than full speed during practice drills, waiting to leave matches as soon as possible, not sitting with the other girls, and not riding the bus home with the team after matches.
I sent an e-mail to her mother after practice advising her that her daughter had no-showed to practice which puts me in a tough spot since I had been intending to play her in the varsity match. Her mother replied to me that she was sorry, her daughter had gone home sick & asked mom to call me and mom had simply forgot. I pondered this and thought...Am I being told the whole story? Why didn't she call/text when the captains texted her? If I play her, what message does it send to the younger players? If I don't play her, what reaction will I get from her and her parents?
I confirmed with my captains that neither of them had been contacted back about why she could not attend practice. I asked them to make a decision, both of them being seniors and scheduled to play on senior night, on what they feel should happen if they were in the same situation. I asked them to talk it over with one another and let me know later that evening. Both captains called me and said that they understood the rules and that there was no excuse for not coming to practice without notice. They felt that the player should be sat out, even on senior night. I supported that decision...obviously the affected player and parents didn't like that.
I feel that it was the best decision based on the interest of the team. This made me realize that for the rest of my life, regardless of whether my career is coaching kids, business, or otherwise, my decisions will be based in order of what:
1) the team wants
2) an individual player wants
3) what I want
I will not make a decision that benefits me over a player or the team. I will also not make a decision that benefits an individual over the team as a whole. The team will guide my decision making process.
At the beginning of my season, I handed out team rules. They were pretty simple and to the point of stating that players need to prioritize tennis and attend practice and matches & to communicate with the coach if anything had to be missed. They are expected to work hard and be good student athletes by representing the tennis program well to the rest of the school. All the players had to read, initial each rule, and sign at the bottom along with a parent that they understood the rules.
The last practice of our regular season was rained out. I texted our captains that we would meet in the gym and do an hour and a half of conditioning and indoor drills. 16 of the 17 girls showed up for practice. 1 that did not was a senior.
Our last match of the regular season is typically "senior night" and I like to play all the seniors in the lineup. This girl had not made the varsity lineup (7 players play in a match) all season. This was also her first season playing tennis and my take on her was that she hadn't really made much effort to try to fit in with her teammates. She was usually looking for practice to come to an end, running at less than full speed during practice drills, waiting to leave matches as soon as possible, not sitting with the other girls, and not riding the bus home with the team after matches.
I sent an e-mail to her mother after practice advising her that her daughter had no-showed to practice which puts me in a tough spot since I had been intending to play her in the varsity match. Her mother replied to me that she was sorry, her daughter had gone home sick & asked mom to call me and mom had simply forgot. I pondered this and thought...Am I being told the whole story? Why didn't she call/text when the captains texted her? If I play her, what message does it send to the younger players? If I don't play her, what reaction will I get from her and her parents?
I confirmed with my captains that neither of them had been contacted back about why she could not attend practice. I asked them to make a decision, both of them being seniors and scheduled to play on senior night, on what they feel should happen if they were in the same situation. I asked them to talk it over with one another and let me know later that evening. Both captains called me and said that they understood the rules and that there was no excuse for not coming to practice without notice. They felt that the player should be sat out, even on senior night. I supported that decision...obviously the affected player and parents didn't like that.
I feel that it was the best decision based on the interest of the team. This made me realize that for the rest of my life, regardless of whether my career is coaching kids, business, or otherwise, my decisions will be based in order of what:
1) the team wants
2) an individual player wants
3) what I want
I will not make a decision that benefits me over a player or the team. I will also not make a decision that benefits an individual over the team as a whole. The team will guide my decision making process.
Journal 25, Week 9
How would I teach Critical Thinking to a loved one vs. an employee?
This is a little bit hard for me to imagine right now since I have no children. I am married to a wonderful woman that I could try to teach critical thinking to, but I'm not sure how that would affect the happiness of our marriage. I'll just take a stab at how I might teach this to our future children, if God blesses us with them one day.
With my tennis players, I generally will go over things at the beginning of practice. I ask for their understanding and ask for questions if they do not understand. I am very cognisant of making practice run efficiently and starts and ends on time. Therefore, I usually answer questions quickly with what I feel is the best answer. By making eye contact, I can usually see that they understand or not. If they don't, generally they are encouraged to work with their teammates together to resolve their understanding.
I would start by teaching critical thinking at a young age to my own child. If the child asks questions, I would try to always ask what they think first. If they respond with something off the wall, I would ask more questions to figure out what is really going through their mind. In the end, I would turn my answer into more of a dialogue with them aboiut the subject they are trying to learn. I would also try to get them to look things up on their own, or with my assistance so that they can see how information can be gained. With internet tools nowadays, it would be beneficial for them to learn to answer their own questions in an empowering way.
This is a little bit hard for me to imagine right now since I have no children. I am married to a wonderful woman that I could try to teach critical thinking to, but I'm not sure how that would affect the happiness of our marriage. I'll just take a stab at how I might teach this to our future children, if God blesses us with them one day.
With my tennis players, I generally will go over things at the beginning of practice. I ask for their understanding and ask for questions if they do not understand. I am very cognisant of making practice run efficiently and starts and ends on time. Therefore, I usually answer questions quickly with what I feel is the best answer. By making eye contact, I can usually see that they understand or not. If they don't, generally they are encouraged to work with their teammates together to resolve their understanding.
I would start by teaching critical thinking at a young age to my own child. If the child asks questions, I would try to always ask what they think first. If they respond with something off the wall, I would ask more questions to figure out what is really going through their mind. In the end, I would turn my answer into more of a dialogue with them aboiut the subject they are trying to learn. I would also try to get them to look things up on their own, or with my assistance so that they can see how information can be gained. With internet tools nowadays, it would be beneficial for them to learn to answer their own questions in an empowering way.
Journal 24, Week 8
Topic of my choice: Coaching Seniors to be Leaders
I have a very unique team makeup compared to most sports. My more talented players are sophomores this season and we lack talented players as juniors and seniors. However, two of my seniors that play for me I feel will be tremendous leaders one day. Both have personalities that the other players are drawn to and the younger players clearly respect and look up to them. They were voted captains at the beginning of the season and have served that job well. I entrust to them some responsibilities that are meant to empower them while at the same time showing the younger players that the captains are in charge. Some of the decisions that I have them make are:
- which uniforms to wear for matches (purple or white)
- what music do we listen to at practice and on the bus
- what is our pre-match ritual or chant
I also use them as a communication tool. I text these two players any updates on rainy days that impact our practice or matches I do this so it shows them that I am counting on them to make sure everyone hears from them, and not just me. I want to be the authority figure of the team, but it is important to me that there is a line of communication that flows through the leaders.
I try to go out of my way to thank these two for the efforts, regardless of how minimal the effort was. I hope that these two have gained from the season what it feels like to make decisions that impact their peers so that they are empowered to do that in the future. Combining this confidence with their natural intelligence is going to give them a big advantage in life.
I have a very unique team makeup compared to most sports. My more talented players are sophomores this season and we lack talented players as juniors and seniors. However, two of my seniors that play for me I feel will be tremendous leaders one day. Both have personalities that the other players are drawn to and the younger players clearly respect and look up to them. They were voted captains at the beginning of the season and have served that job well. I entrust to them some responsibilities that are meant to empower them while at the same time showing the younger players that the captains are in charge. Some of the decisions that I have them make are:
- which uniforms to wear for matches (purple or white)
- what music do we listen to at practice and on the bus
- what is our pre-match ritual or chant
I also use them as a communication tool. I text these two players any updates on rainy days that impact our practice or matches I do this so it shows them that I am counting on them to make sure everyone hears from them, and not just me. I want to be the authority figure of the team, but it is important to me that there is a line of communication that flows through the leaders.
I try to go out of my way to thank these two for the efforts, regardless of how minimal the effort was. I hope that these two have gained from the season what it feels like to make decisions that impact their peers so that they are empowered to do that in the future. Combining this confidence with their natural intelligence is going to give them a big advantage in life.
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