At home, we have been discussing the definition of "success" a lot over the past few days. I guess it is a stage of life when the "nest" is pretty quiet and there is time to ponder the deep questions we didn't even stop to think about when our lives were at a much faster pace and there were more demands on our thinking time. I am sure that back in the days when we spent our evenings driving to sports practices and fighting over homework (with one of our children), I am sure we didn't ponder anything other than how long until bedtime. I think we were more confident that we knew a lot more in those days. It's one of those life lessens, I guess: the more you know, the more you know you don't know it all!
Anyway, I thought I knew how I would define success until we started this conversation. SO now, I am rethinking my definitions of success and particularly how we talk about success in schools, in our workplaces, and in our families.
The folks at Merriam Webster http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/success
define success as a degree or measure of succeeding or the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence.
The folks at Squidoo http://www.squidoo.com/definesuccess
define success as "something you make. Certainly others can help you, just as others can provide obstacles, but ultimately you make your own success and your own failure."
In school, we are talking about "success" a lot lately. We talk about what being "successful" in the classroom and on the ELA looks like. We do not all agree there either, but we do agree that success may look slightly different for different students. We talk about "successful" teachers and about their students' scores on statewide and local assessments as well as students' preparation for lifelong "success."
At home, it may be seem easier to describe and acknowledge "success" - but it probably isn't. Does having a clean house equal success? If so, I am not all that successful. Does having the laundry done mean success? I won't qualify there either. How about wealth or power...how many cars define success?
In the last decade, at least one (and most years more than one) member of my family has been working on some college degree. We've earned a pretty impressive collection of bachelors degrees, masters' degrees and PhDs.. We've also worn out a few computers and accumulated some loans along the way and our studies have certainly been diverse.
When one of my kids sent me a picture of a new one of these yesterday - fresh from the mailing envelope - and crisply representing achievement... I was certainly excited and proud and happy and thinking about success again.....
......I knew it was tangible evidence of successful completion of requirements for a degree. I am sure that it represents sacrifice, many sleepless nights and untold hard work. It is quite an accomplishment for sure.....
There were some teachers along the way who would find this student's success pretty amazing....those teachers who do not know of unlimited potential of a individuals who set their sites on a goal would have overlooked this student......those teachers who give up on students who do not do homework would not have predicted this student's success....those teachers who expect compliance did not expect this student to succeed.....
We all have the potential to be successful when they really want to do something.....we all have the potential to continue even when faced with obstacles....we all have potential that is not measurable in our traditional formative and summative assessments.....
So, let me just shout it from the highest mountain top....I know someone who has earned 3 college degrees in 7 years!!!! Pretty amazing! While I was a pretty compliant student - the kind that teachers' expected to achieve success....I did not ever come close to earning 3 college degrees in 7 years - yet my kids did!
Perhaps - a working definition of success might more accurately be: achieving something you worked hard to do!
Anyway, I thought I knew how I would define success until we started this conversation. SO now, I am rethinking my definitions of success and particularly how we talk about success in schools, in our workplaces, and in our families.
The folks at Merriam Webster http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/success
define success as a degree or measure of succeeding or the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence.
The folks at Squidoo http://www.squidoo.com/definesuccess
define success as "something you make. Certainly others can help you, just as others can provide obstacles, but ultimately you make your own success and your own failure."
In school, we are talking about "success" a lot lately. We talk about what being "successful" in the classroom and on the ELA looks like. We do not all agree there either, but we do agree that success may look slightly different for different students. We talk about "successful" teachers and about their students' scores on statewide and local assessments as well as students' preparation for lifelong "success."
At home, it may be seem easier to describe and acknowledge "success" - but it probably isn't. Does having a clean house equal success? If so, I am not all that successful. Does having the laundry done mean success? I won't qualify there either. How about wealth or power...how many cars define success?
In the last decade, at least one (and most years more than one) member of my family has been working on some college degree. We've earned a pretty impressive collection of bachelors degrees, masters' degrees and PhDs.. We've also worn out a few computers and accumulated some loans along the way and our studies have certainly been diverse.
When one of my kids sent me a picture of a new one of these yesterday - fresh from the mailing envelope - and crisply representing achievement... I was certainly excited and proud and happy and thinking about success again.....
There were some teachers along the way who would find this student's success pretty amazing....those teachers who do not know of unlimited potential of a individuals who set their sites on a goal would have overlooked this student......those teachers who give up on students who do not do homework would not have predicted this student's success....those teachers who expect compliance did not expect this student to succeed.....
We all have the potential to be successful when they really want to do something.....we all have the potential to continue even when faced with obstacles....we all have potential that is not measurable in our traditional formative and summative assessments.....
So, let me just shout it from the highest mountain top....I know someone who has earned 3 college degrees in 7 years!!!! Pretty amazing! While I was a pretty compliant student - the kind that teachers' expected to achieve success....I did not ever come close to earning 3 college degrees in 7 years - yet my kids did!
Perhaps - a working definition of success might more accurately be: achieving something you worked hard to do!
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