My grandfather always said that determination is better than brains. With determination, one can overcome all the odds to achieve his/her goal. One with brains, lacking determination, will just waste his/her resources instead of using them. Having both is wonderful, but usually, it is better to have determination than to have brains.
In the Marzano book, it talks about a study done on students and learning and shows that belief in effort is the greatest factor in gaining success. Those who put forth the effort gain the rewards. I can see this in the STL lessons we were taught today. The student teachers, obviously, put a lot of effort into their lesson plans. There were activities, good lectures, double teaching, and good use of videos. Not only did they put effort into their plans, they put a lot of effort into executing their plans. It is my opinion that execution of the plan is just as important as the plan itself. If you don't execute it well, your plan will fail. This is shown by the fact that the student teachers kept our attention, interacted with us, and made us a part of the lesson instead of 'empty vessels.'
What my grandfather said, and what the book said line up with each other: determination is better than brains, and effort is the most significant factor in achievement.
So, what am I going to do? I'm determined to put effort into everything I do, including teaching! I believe that this will dramatically change my success in class, and in my learning. For example, in TEE 125, I'm planning something epic for my Flash Animation, I'm going to put all the effort I can into it all week long. I believe that if I put in enough effort, it will be epic enough. My belief in effort is much stronger after reading that small section of the Marzano book. No more sloppy learning, no more sloppy teaching. Expect something new.
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