Many many years ago, back in the 1970’s when computers were so big that they could take up a whole room, the president of a large company came to see a computer specialist called Peter.
„So how can I help you,“ said Peter.
„Well I’m a bit confused. I have all this complicated computer equipment sitting in my company.“
„I see,“ said Peter, „and what are you using it for?“
„Well, that’s the problem. We’re not actually using it for anything useful at all. It’s just sitting there taking up space. It doesn’t seem to do anything useful.“
„OK, so you’ve got this amazing machine. When did you get it?“
„Oh we got it years ago. You see, I was out with the president of another company and he was telling me about his computer. His computer can do all kinds of amazing things to help him increase productivity. So I got one of these computers, but it just sits there doing nothing all the time. It seems like a waste, doesn’t it?“
Peter thought to himself, „yes, I’ve heard this kind of story before. People get all kinds of amazing equipment and never really learn how to use it.“ But he just asked the president a simple question: „What kind of software are you using?“
„Software? What is software?“
„Well, your computer is the hardware – and it’s amazingly powerful. You can do all kinds of things with it. And the software is what actually makes it useful. The software are the programs that you run every day that help you to get things done.“
„Hmm, programs … I see. I guess we never thought of installing useful software.“
Autor: The Storyteller
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on incentives; self-made certificates can be more effective than anything else.
Twenty years ago, I when I was an aide at the school I work at now, I used to manage the Writing To Read Computer Lab. I was just 18-years-old and could not afford expensive and fancy incentives for the 130 students that came to my lab, therefore I made certificates on the computer. Every Friday I would give 5 certificates to those students who showed some growth or finished a specific journal. There was a special girl who came from a poor immigrant family who lived across from the school. She was in 1st grade when she came to my lab. Of course, she was one of the certificate receiver (they all were, sooner or later).
Seventeen years later, I was invited to her wedding ceremony, held at her small house. As I walked in the door, I was in awe to see her hall of fame. Between her high school and university degrees, in the biggest frame, was the faded, old Writing To Read certificate! I could not believe my eyes, seventeen years later and she still had the certificate I had given her. (Well, I shouldn’t be shocked, I am currently 38 years old and still have my elementary school certificates.)
Her mother later told me that she treasured that certificate more than any other because that was the one that gave her the confidence and strength to continue with her studies.
At that time, I realized that candy, stickers, and other fancy incentives work well for the moment, but nothing like something written on paper to make a lifetime impact. Plus, let’s face it, on a teacher’s salary, I still can’t afford the expensive, fancy incentives. Nonetheless, nothing could be more rewarding than knowing that you made a difference in at least one student’s life. That is the best pay one could receive.
Keep empowering students!
A young couple moves into a new neighborhood.
The next morning, while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the laundry outside and says „Her laundry is not very clean; she doesn’t know how to wash correctly, perhaps she needs better laundry soap.“
Her husband looks on, remaining silent. Every time her neighbor hangs her laundry to dry, the young woman makes the same comments.
A month later, the woman is surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and says to her husband: „Look, she’s finally learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this?“ The husband replied, „I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.“
And so it is with life. What we see when looking at others depends on the state of the window through which we look.
Once a farmer found an abandoned eagle’s nest and in it was an egg still warm.
He took the egg back to his farm and laid it in the nest of one of his hens. The egg hatched and the baby eagle grew up along with the other chickens. It pecked about the farmyard, scrabbling for grain. It spent its life within the yard and rarely looked up.
When it was very old, one day it lifted up its head and saw above it a wonderful sight – an eagle soaring high above in the sky. Looking at it, the old creature sighed and said to itself, „If only I’d been born an eagle“.
God and the devil are walking down a street when God suddenly bends down to pick something up.
„What’s that?“ asks the devil. „It’s The Truth“ replies God.
„Let me have it,“ says the devil „I’ll organise it for you“
A man is captured by enemies and thrown into prison. That night he is unable to sleep because he fears that the next day he will be interrogated, tortured, and executed. Then the words of his teacher come to him, „Tomorrow is not real. It is an illusion. The only reality is now.“ Heeding these words he becomes peaceful and falls asleep.
The Ant and the Grasshopper
from Æsop’s Fables
One day an ass, upon hearing some grasshoppers chirping, was enchanted by their song and desired to possess the ability to sing as they did. He went to them and asked what sort of food they lived on that gave them such beautiful voices. The grasshoppers replied, „We live on the dew.“ The ass resolved that from that moment forward he would live only upon dew, and soon died of hunger.
(Be careful whom you pick to model)
Once there was a tree and she loved a little boy.
And every day the boy would come, and he would gather her leaves and make them into crowns and play king of the forest.
He would climb up her trunk and swing from her branches and eat apples. And they would play hide-and-go-seek.
And when he was tired, he would sleep in her shade.
And the boy loved the tree… very much.
But time went by and the boy grew older. And the tree was often alone. Then one day the boy came back to the tree and the tree said, „Come, Boy, come and climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and eat my apples and play in my shade and be happy.“
„I am too big to climb and play,“ said the boy.
„I want to buy things and have fun. I want some money. Can you give me some money?“
„I’m sorry,“ said the tree, „but I have no money. I have only leaves and apples. Take my apples, Boy, and sell them in the city. Then you will have money and you will be happy.“
And so the boy climbed up the tree and gathered her apples and carried them away. And the tree was happy.
But the boy stayed away for a long time . . . and the tree was sad.
And then one day the boy came back and the tree shook with joy and she said, „Come, Boy, climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and be happy.“
„I am too busy to climb trees,“ said the boy.
„I want a house to keep me warm,“ he said.
„I want a wife and I want children, and so I need a house.
Can you give me a house?“
„I have no house,“ said the tree.
„The forest is my house, but you may cut off my branches and build a house. Then you will be happy.“
And so the boy cut off her branches and carried them away to build his house. And the tree was happy.
But the boy stayed away for a long time.
And when he came back, the tree was so happy she could hardly speak. „Come, Boy,“ she whispered, „come and play.“
„I am too old and sad to play,“ said the boy.
„I want a boat that will take me far away from here.
Can you give me a boat?“
„Cut down my trunk and make a boat,“ said the tree.
„Then you can sail away . . . and be happy.“ And so the boy cut down her trunk and made a boat and sailed away.
And the tree was happy… but not really.
And after a long time the boy came back again.
„I am sorry, Boy,“ said the tree, „but I have nothing left to give you –My apples are gone.”
“My teeth are too weak for apples,“ said the boy.
„My branches are gone,“ said the tree.
„You cannot swing on them“
„I am too old to swing on branches,“ said the boy.
„My trunk is gone,“ said the tree.
„You cannot climb“
„I am too tired to climb,“ said the boy.
„I am sorry,“ signed the tree. „I wish that I could give you something… but I have nothing left. I am just an old stump. I am sorry…“
I don’t need very much now,“ said the boy, „just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired.“
„Well,“ said the tree, straightening herself up as much as she could, „an old stump is good for sitting and resting.
Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest.“
And the boy did.
And the tree was happy.
A traveller comes across a swollen river that he needs to cross but the current is too strong for swimming. He builds a raft that carries him safely over. On arrival at the far bank he picks up the raft and carries it on his back for the rest of his life in case he has to cross another swollen river.
Leider ist der Eintrag nur auf English verfügbar.