Chapter 5:
Summary- On top of deep practice, a person needs some kind of ignition to be successful. Students who saw themselves succeeding and continuing a skill for years progressed far faster than students who didn’t have that vision. Seeing some kind of example gives students the vision to see that if that is who they want to be eventually, they need to act in a certain way now to get there. Appeals to the unconscious trigger primal cues that give people a sense that they need to be better. Students who felt lucky or had some kind of connection progressed quicker than those that did not have this added passion.
Application- As a teacher, it is important to help students find and identify this kind of spark that will help them want to further progress. For each student it will likely be something different, especially in a private studio. They need to want success for themselves. As I was reading this chapter I could think back and identify several of my own ignition moments that drove me to get to the point I am today. I had never realized it at the time, but these few instances were more impactful for me than anything I could have consciously tried to create.
Chapter 6:
Summary- One moment can ignite a talent hotbed within an entire community. He specifically uses the example of the Curacao baseball team that became wildly successful in the Little League World Series. This wasn’t always the case, but was triggered after somebody from their small island scored two home runs in the world series. This effect is most helpful for ignition when it is somebody that we don’t expect. This gives students the sense that the person is just like them and helps them have the vision to achieve the same goal. Praising for effort and having clear goals will help students know that they can succeed.
Application- I loved reading about the idea of praising effort. I hadn’t ever considered how I was giving praise, but I will be conscious of always doing it in this way to help students have a desire to progress. I think this is also critical for my own self-talk. Showing students others like them who have been successful could also be a helpful tool for sparking something in them to drive them toward success. I think it is also crucial to identify the clear stepping stones to get to the more lofty goals. Once broken down, the task will be much easier to attain.
Chapter 7:
Summary- There isn’t always a person that can ignite a hotbed within a community. In these instances, others with a vision can ignite the hotbed for those around them. In the KIPP schools, they targeted students who likely wouldn’t succeed and gave them an education full of enthusiasm and expectations. They constantly reinforced goals in subconscious ways and helped the students to think and act as a group with nobody as a weak link. Make students believe that they will achieve their goals, but also understand that it will require a lot of effort on their part. Students need to feel belonging and identity.
Application- This chapter gave me a lot to think about in the realm of teaching choir. In that context, there are generally students who are more and less excited to be there. If you can get the entire ensemble to think as a group and have the same expectations for success, I think it could make a large difference. This has to happen on the first day of class and be continually reinforced. I think it would work well to have high expectations if there is praise for effort and reinforcement of these ideas.
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