Caden Webb: Coyle Ch.5-7

 Ch. 5: This chapter was really interesting, as it continues to enforce the idea that talent is not something that is bestowed, but earned. To fully explain my feelings on the chapter, I'm going to use my own experience as an example. When I started piano at six years old, I did it because my siblings played and I wanted to be like them. However, this didn't cause the ignition to really practice and hone my musical skills. That moment, for me, was when I saw Rigoletto at the San Francisco Opera House when I was 14. I remember thinking, "Someday, that's gonna be me on that stage." This thought not only ignited my passion for singing but also my passion for piano. In my last piano lesson with my childhood teacher, she told me, "You know, it's amazing how much you blossomed as an artist once you started voice lessons." So Coyle is absolutely right that passion comes from a significant outside event. He is also right about how that spark, or ignition works in tandem with serious/effective practice.


Ch. 6: Cultivating a healthy learning environment as a teacher is a vital necessity for success. I love that this chapter hammers on the point that recognized effort is what matters most. In my experience, kids my age who were told they were naturally smart didn't make it very far. Most of the smart kids in my High School who got into good schools dropped out and haven't done much with their lives, settling for mediocre, average careers. Which honestly, is a huge waste. It was like watching a star slowly burn out. One day, it's the brightest in the sky. The next day, it's just as bright as all the others, nothing significant about it. The reason for it, as Dweck's experiment shows, is that they were never encouraged by their effort and were merely praised for their "talents" or "gifts". When comparing this to music, it's the same way. If we just tell our students that they are incredibly talented, they won't want to work as hard. But if we encourage their effort and hard work, they will sore above all else. As a teacher, I hope that I can inspire that kind of hard, dedicated work in someone. 


Ch. 7: Going off of my analysis of Chapter 6, Chapter 7 is just a bigger reinforcement of how a good, constructive learning environment can be. When reading about the KIPP academy, I found myself thinking, "Wow these would be seriously pretentious kids." But the more I think about it, the more I realize that the behaviors they're learning there are going to make them extremely respectful, productive, and successful adults. Creating an environment that teaches genuine kindness and productivity does wonders for one's character and mental health too. It creates a sense of purpose and drive to keep going. I honestly wish I had an environment like that when I was younger. It definitely would've helped with my confidence as a kid. Speaking of confidence, I feel that KIPP's environment would be a breeding ground for well-founded self-confidence. With kids, that is a vital necessity. It really resonated with me that they would stop the whole school if someone was disrespectful in class. It's teaching that you aren't just wasting everyone else's time, but your own as well. 

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