"The Theory of Grit as a Predictor of Success"

Dr. Duckworth
Dr. Duckworth's presentation contains many significant insights, the most
important of which cuts across the diversity of schools today. Anyone who teaches can
identify a student who really does not want to be there. Dr. Duckworth's presentation, on
the other hand, highlights the one factor driving so many students: grit. I notice this trait
driving students of complex diversity. Many students, regardless of socioeconomic status
and other diversity factors view education as the key to their future.
I strongly agree with her points on several fronts. First, scientific data cannot
measure the "passion and perseverence" with which many students pursue education.
Also, these students possess the "growth mindset" that Dr. Duckworth describes. They
believe, with every fibre of their being, that studying hard will yield results of a better
life. Finally, these students accept failure as a possibility. They enroll in college courses
as early as their sophomore years in high school. Many experience failure, but most who
pursue this course graduate high school with an Associates Degree. The theory of grit
drives them.
I observed this grit personally in my work with students at The Park Lane
Apartments in East Arlington and even more profoundly with an intern I met in my last
year at Jones Day. Her name is Maria Cruz. Maria's family invited me into their lives,
into their home on holidays. Their floor was bare concrete; there was no carpet or tile.
Yet the walls of Maria Cruz's room, as well as those of her brothers, were covered in
academic awards. This personal connection to Dr. Duckworth's message reminded me of
the Cruz family.
As a future teacher, I will reach out at every opportunity and encourage students
to pursue their goals with grit. I can testify to the sense of accomplishment we felt as
Maria accepted scholarships totalling $36,000 before she stepped on campus in Austin. I
work as a substitute teacher in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD. There is no neighborhood
in the HEB ISD that compares to the poverty of West Dallas where the Cruz family lives.
I hope to model for students and inspire them to pursue education with the grit that
cannot be measured scientifically.
Dr. Duckworth's presentation only reminded me of the inspiration I received from
the Cruz family. The presentation also reminded me why I left the legal profession to
pursue my M.Ed., which is also a lofty and long-term goal. Dr. Duckworth reminds me
to empathize with my students. Dr. Duckworth inspires me to be honest and let students
know that anything worth pursuing contains pitfalls. In Dr. Duckworth's words,
"perseverance," "stamina," "sticking with the future," and "living life like a marathon,"
serve as the basis of pursuing education with grit.

"How to Escape Education's Death Valley"

Dr. Robinson
Dr. Robinson's ideas resonated with me on several levels. He initially discusses
the need to reach out to students who he describes as "disengaged." The other course I
am currently taking focuses on emerging technologies and their applications in teaching
and learning. My initial thought when watching Dr. Robinson related to bridging the
digital divide. Other students who, in my opinion, can become disengaged are gifted and
talented, students with a learning disorder or emotional disorder, and students who feel
pressure by virtue of their sexual orientation. We are not all alike, and our educational
objectives must recognize and stretch to reach the disengaged. Some may argue that this
makes teaching more difficult. I counter that we have so many tools as teachers, many as
a result of emerging technologies, that we can reach everyone if we try. We read in
Lemov that "[g]reat teaching is an art." (Lemov, p. 1) We need to use those tools, as
Lemov describes so perfectly, like a sculptor uses the chisel and mallet.
I agree with Robinson's premises on which human life flourishes, and which are
contradicted by the current culture of education. His first point ties itself to the
disengaged students discussed above; yet it is even more general. Humans are incredibly
diverse. Not only are we different; we wonder why everyone else is not like us. These
self-centered emotions and biases through which we view the world can lead to
disillusinment. Trying to teach students as if they are the same likely accounts for the
dropout rate in American schools. We tend to emphasize hard science in curriculum. I
would argue that the artists and musicians possess an equal level of intelligence compared
with the pre-engineering students.
I connected with Dr. Robinson's description of the alternative education programs
on a highly-personal level. For two weeks last year, I accepted an assignment at an
alternative program. Students were required to wear jeans and a white collared shirt with
no status logo, like an alligator or a polo player. If students did not wear the required
"uniform," they wore cover alls identical to those worn in jails. One reason I am called to
education is that I possess patience. In dealing with disruptive behavior, I can smile as I
correct. I never raise my voice, and I certainly never lose my composure. As a final
warning, I ask them to accompany me to the threshold of the classroom, where I assure
them that if we have to return to this point again, I will return to class, and they will visit
the Assistant Principal (the "AP"). I had to do this with several students during the two
weeks, but I did not have to send any to the AP.
Robinson's presentation inspired me continue to learn more ways that I can
connect with students to make their education personal for them. If they are in orchestra,

I will go to their competitions and allow them to play their instruments in class on special
occassions. (I did this last year, allowing students to play Christmas music on the last
day before the break.) If they are athletes, I will relate, and of course, attend their games.
The point of Robinson is that we have to seek out ways to engage students for who they
are and want to be. I think if we move to them, they will work harder for us.

Christopher Emdin
"Teach Teachers How to Creat Magic"
Christopher Emdin's presentation "Teach Teachers How to Teach Magic,"
("Magic") captures many concepts that are central to education in all schools, but
especially those in the African-American community. We enjoy the privilege of pursuing
advanced degrees in education at this world-class university, but Magic informs us that
there is much more to earning our education. Emdin uses the example of the AfricanAmerican barber shop, but any local barber shop in the community in which one teaches
will work. We discuss issues at school and in the community. We discuss the football
team, the band, the teachers. Emdin mentions the teacher pouring over lesson plans who
was trained to "not smile until November." That is sad. I cannot help but smile at my
students as they enter the room. They are so awkward, cool, bored, confident, eager, and
bitter. Emdin's Magic entails appreciating them all and speaking to each one.
I agree with many of Emdin's points. First, Magic can be taught. Again, the
simple act of greeting each student every day lets them know that we care. These
greetings do not have to be formal. A simple "good morning," "hello," or "what's up?"
work just as effectively, depending upon how awkward, cool, bored, confident, eager, or
bitter they feel that particular day. Next, Magic happens when we connect the learning
with their lives. I feel for the student who Emdin describes as faking illness to get out of
going to school. If we, who are getting this advanced training at this world-class
institution, can be one reason why a student wants to go to school, we have become the
artists, the magicians, and the teachers that we are trained to be.
Some of the most powerful speakers I have known do not have college degrees, or
advanced degrees. I walked into a low-income apartment community Church one day
and heard the pastor ask, "What are your favorite smells?" The question ellicited
responses, mostly from the children, who liked the smells of bacon, popcorn, barbeque,
and grandmama's soup. This pastor then walked to the side of the Church and opened the
door. Something had died above the roof in the closet. He opened and shut the door a
few times, and the odor was obvious. Then, the pastor asked, "When God smells us,
what does he smell?" This embodies the essence of Emdin's presentation in the magic of
education. People relate to what they can see, feel, touch, and smell. Relating to students

is the magic that Magic is all about.

I will show Magic to my students. I will ask them for their responses. I will ask
them if they would like me to attend their Churches. (I have already interviewed four
missionaries at a local Mormon Church. I may not agree with their theology, but I do
love their sense of service to the community.) I will ask them where they get their
haircuts and visit the barber shop. I have already learned some rap songs, so that, at the
very least, I can relate to this art form that is so influential in the lives of students. I write
acoustic guitar chords to Eminem and other rap artists. I will also take my guitar, as I
have done in the past, to gatherings of Tongan musicians at local parks.
Suki Kim
"This is What It's Like to Teach in North Korea"
This presentation by Suki Kim ("Kim") will be required viewing in any literature,
history, or government course I teach for many reasons. First, she captures the essence of
a closed society as she discusses the isolation she and her students experience. Kim also
places herself in the seemingly-conflicted position of Christian missionary who cannot
speak of her faith under penalty of death. Kim's tone and description of this isolation also
goes to an intellectual isolation, as well as a literal. There is one topic: the "great leader."
I have to ask what to me is an obvious question: if you are actually such a great leader, do
you have to force people to refer to you as "the great leader?"
I agree with Kim on the difficulties of teaching in this "archipeligo disguised as a
country." Imagine teaching science without the internet. For that matter, it is now
difficult to imagine taking any course without access to TED Talks. Kim ironically plays
the game "truth or lie" with children whose concept of the world is based upon lies. As
Kim describes, the result is that the difference between truth and lies becomes hazy. I
shudder to think how my personality would be dealt with in such a society. I even cringe
a little when I hear my favorite radio personalities describe "a player that," instead of "a
player who."
I can connect with the ideas that Kim expresses on several fronts. First, she
discusses the ways in which she begins to tap into her students' minds. Frustrated by
their lack of critical thinking on a level needed to write essays, Kim assigned students to
write personal letters. I also write letters, and I have written a book that began as a letter.
It is in the form of the personal, written word that some of us actually become ourselves.
In Kim's students' personal letters, she finally sees their feelings: they we fed up and
worried about their futures.
I will take Kim's presentation into class with me every day, and I will be reminded
of it each time we say the pledge of allegiance to the United States and Texas flags. I
admit that I usually spend this time making sure that students are being respectful, if not

actually saying the pledges. I tend to think of the pledges as somewhat forced. Kim's
message causes me to acknowledge and appreciate more the great freedoms we enjoy in
the United States and elsewhere. Kim also causes me to question how the North Korean
regime actually functions as an isolationist state. As that subject relates to class, I would
enjoy brainstorming about ways that the rest of the world can assert pressure on this
dictatorship and bring about real change.