During one of their conversations the students of Confucius asked him a question."
"Why don't the master go and talk to the emperor as no one can speak so eloquently?”
Confucius smiled and said that the emperor himself makes lively and wonderful speeches.
The students not accepting the answer said, “Then both of you will have so much to talk about.”
Confucius took a moment and answered, “Wonderful speeches are nothing more than polish of techniques, they do not themselves contain any virtues.”
“What is the secret of virtue then master?”
“The knowledge on how to use mind, heart, discipline and emotion.”
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Virtue of Patience
Like me, you might have many moments when in hindsight realised that a little patience would have been a better solution on your part.
So what is patience?
We all know what we do when we lose our patience-we are annoyed, irritated and frustrated.
Patience is the ability to find the beauty of the moment.
The great thing about patience is that it can be acquired by deliberate practice.
Can you think of places where you can practice patience?
The more you use it deliberately, the more you can harness it.
So what is patience?
We all know what we do when we lose our patience-we are annoyed, irritated and frustrated.
Patience is the ability to find the beauty of the moment.
The great thing about patience is that it can be acquired by deliberate practice.
Can you think of places where you can practice patience?
The more you use it deliberately, the more you can harness it.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
How to be the REAL you?
1. Have solitude time. Spend time alone by yourself, e.g. taking a long walk, browsing books in the library, or even just having coffee by yourself.
2. Decide things for yourself. You must be aware of your choices and deliberately choose what you like to wear.
3. Be connected to your community. Participate in activities with your school and community centre. By working with others around your area, you will be able to define yourself.
4. Make a list of board games and sports that you enjoy and express yourself.
5. Read novels. It is the best way to figure out what it feels like to be someone else. Imaging so many characters is how your head will help define and distinguish the real you.
2. Decide things for yourself. You must be aware of your choices and deliberately choose what you like to wear.
3. Be connected to your community. Participate in activities with your school and community centre. By working with others around your area, you will be able to define yourself.
4. Make a list of board games and sports that you enjoy and express yourself.
5. Read novels. It is the best way to figure out what it feels like to be someone else. Imaging so many characters is how your head will help define and distinguish the real you.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Are you NICE to yourself?
1. Can you face the mirror and say wonderful things about yourself for five minutes?
2. Can you go through the whole day without any negative self-talk/ self-criticism?
3. Can you say positive things about yourself to your friends?
4. Can you play a board game or computer game without caring whether you win or lose?
5. Can you stop being a "yes-please"(someone who says yes to everything and everyone)?
2. Can you go through the whole day without any negative self-talk/ self-criticism?
3. Can you say positive things about yourself to your friends?
4. Can you play a board game or computer game without caring whether you win or lose?
5. Can you stop being a "yes-please"(someone who says yes to everything and everyone)?
Thursday, January 15, 2009
How do you want your brain to be wired?
Teenage years are the pruning down of cells and connections. Those connections that are being used will survive.
So if you as a teen, play sports, and work hard at school learning new stuff or play a musical instrument then all the cells and connections will be hard-wired for your adult hood. But if you are lazy, on the sofa always watching television or playing a video game repeatedly then those are the connections that are going to survive.
So how are you going to optimize your teenage brain?
So if you as a teen, play sports, and work hard at school learning new stuff or play a musical instrument then all the cells and connections will be hard-wired for your adult hood. But if you are lazy, on the sofa always watching television or playing a video game repeatedly then those are the connections that are going to survive.
So how are you going to optimize your teenage brain?
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Teenage Brain
Teenage Brain undergoes a radical re-development seen in the rest of the human body.
With the advent of brain scans (magnetic resonance imaging technology), the neuroscientist is able to study the living brain in the real time of an adolescent.
2 main changes
1. Growth of fatty insulation around the electrically charged neurons (the message-transmitting cells). This extra insulation increases the speed of transmission a hundred fold.
2. "Synaptic Pruning"- means in the early years of growth, the pruning back of critical connections or synapses that link neurons to one another.
Dr. Sarah Jayne Blakemore, a cognitive neuroscientist at university college London, says that teenagers are more self-reflective than prepubescent children.
With the advent of brain scans (magnetic resonance imaging technology), the neuroscientist is able to study the living brain in the real time of an adolescent.
2 main changes
1. Growth of fatty insulation around the electrically charged neurons (the message-transmitting cells). This extra insulation increases the speed of transmission a hundred fold.
2. "Synaptic Pruning"- means in the early years of growth, the pruning back of critical connections or synapses that link neurons to one another.
Dr. Sarah Jayne Blakemore, a cognitive neuroscientist at university college London, says that teenagers are more self-reflective than prepubescent children.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Teenage Brain and Sleep
In a adult human brain, the body clock is on for about 16 hours a day. The body switches off for around 8 hours and we fall asleep.
With younger children the pattern varies by age. Babies sleep for nearly 12 hours but by 9 and 10 years they reach adult pattern of sleep.
Research shows that teenagers, till they reach 20 years old need 9 1/2 hours of sleep a night. (Dr. Mary A. Carskandon, of Brown University and EP. Bradley Hospital Providence, Rhode Island)
When your body clock switches off, the brain produces a hormone called melatonin that makes you sleepy.
If a teenager goes to bed late then they are having a short fall in their sleep requirement due to late homework and early school hours.
Is it really beneficial to sleep early as a teenager?
3000 Rhode Island teenagers were tested on their sleep habits. Those with most sleep got As and Bs and the rest got Cs and Ds.
With younger children the pattern varies by age. Babies sleep for nearly 12 hours but by 9 and 10 years they reach adult pattern of sleep.
Research shows that teenagers, till they reach 20 years old need 9 1/2 hours of sleep a night. (Dr. Mary A. Carskandon, of Brown University and EP. Bradley Hospital Providence, Rhode Island)
When your body clock switches off, the brain produces a hormone called melatonin that makes you sleepy.
If a teenager goes to bed late then they are having a short fall in their sleep requirement due to late homework and early school hours.
Is it really beneficial to sleep early as a teenager?
3000 Rhode Island teenagers were tested on their sleep habits. Those with most sleep got As and Bs and the rest got Cs and Ds.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Strength based Self Motivation
You must find out what is your strength.
Many people are trying to figure it out even as adults in their working life.
Use your education as a way to find your strength.
How can you define strength?
Perfect performance in a chosen activity.
People always say learn from your mistakes. That is the long way around. What you learn from mistakes are only the characteristic of the mistakes.
If you want to succeed, learn about your success- Study your success.
Many people are trying to figure it out even as adults in their working life.
Use your education as a way to find your strength.
How can you define strength?
Perfect performance in a chosen activity.
People always say learn from your mistakes. That is the long way around. What you learn from mistakes are only the characteristic of the mistakes.
If you want to succeed, learn about your success- Study your success.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Starting Fresh in the New Year
This is the time of the year when so many new things happen to you and you’re all excited. The question is, will that sense of curiosity and the will to do better this year be there day after day till the end of the year? Here are a few tips you can start doing so it becomes a habit, a second nature to you.
1. Look for details in all things that you do.
e.g.: a. Waiting for a bus to go to school - look at all the other students and see what school they are going to.
b. While in the bus, look at the route the bus driver is taking and ask yourself if there is a shorter route to school.
2. Don’t let fear stop you from trying something new. Try a new sport. Learn a new game. When you are curious about something new, it acts as a positive counter-weight to anxiety and fear.
3. Find you innate strength – how do you find out what you are really good at and how to discover and develop it because once you can do that, you will become passionate about things and you cant be but successful. This, I’ll share with you at a later date.
1. Look for details in all things that you do.
e.g.: a. Waiting for a bus to go to school - look at all the other students and see what school they are going to.
b. While in the bus, look at the route the bus driver is taking and ask yourself if there is a shorter route to school.
2. Don’t let fear stop you from trying something new. Try a new sport. Learn a new game. When you are curious about something new, it acts as a positive counter-weight to anxiety and fear.
3. Find you innate strength – how do you find out what you are really good at and how to discover and develop it because once you can do that, you will become passionate about things and you cant be but successful. This, I’ll share with you at a later date.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Tools of MEDALS
TOOL 1: CHARACTER PIZZA- SELF SCIENCE
100 questions – a self science project.
Character Development through School Values- Winning Strategies of TOP students.
TOOL 2 : FOCUS SURF
Students will learn the latest techniques on how to maintain their Peak Performance State during class and throughout the year.
TOOL 3: VOCAB NINJA
Students will learn more than 500 words in thirty minutes and will be able to use it in context of the subject matter.
TOOL 4: HUMPTY DUMPTY
Learning is Learnable. Students will learn the value of resilience and also the manner in which they themselves learn things.
TOOL 5: PERSONAL TIME LINE
Personal Time Chart - The Ups and downs of students’ life for the past six months.
The students’ realise their mental models and aim high for themselves in the future.
TOOL 6: DISTRACTION GAME
Students will learn basic classroom decorum and etiquette and how to overcome distraction to study both in class and at home.
TOOL 7: ORANGE Memory Technique
Students will learn how to remember everything they read after only reading once.
They will practice the technique and apply it during the course.
TOOL 8: Time Management+ Goals = Task Management
What to do when time management fails?
Individual work plan for the year.
How to set goals and succeed?
TOOL 9: MOTIVATIONAL TALKS
What do you do when you do not want to study?
Buffet for the Brain.
TOOL 10: Educational Chanbara – Focus Stick Programme
Chanbara is endorsed by Singapore Sports Councils for Primary, Secondary and JC. It utilizes lightweight, high-impact padded focus stick which is adapted from the Sports Chanbara PE programme used in the Japan Education system.
100 questions – a self science project.
Character Development through School Values- Winning Strategies of TOP students.
TOOL 2 : FOCUS SURF
Students will learn the latest techniques on how to maintain their Peak Performance State during class and throughout the year.
TOOL 3: VOCAB NINJA
Students will learn more than 500 words in thirty minutes and will be able to use it in context of the subject matter.
TOOL 4: HUMPTY DUMPTY
Learning is Learnable. Students will learn the value of resilience and also the manner in which they themselves learn things.
TOOL 5: PERSONAL TIME LINE
Personal Time Chart - The Ups and downs of students’ life for the past six months.
The students’ realise their mental models and aim high for themselves in the future.
TOOL 6: DISTRACTION GAME
Students will learn basic classroom decorum and etiquette and how to overcome distraction to study both in class and at home.
TOOL 7: ORANGE Memory Technique
Students will learn how to remember everything they read after only reading once.
They will practice the technique and apply it during the course.
TOOL 8: Time Management+ Goals = Task Management
What to do when time management fails?
Individual work plan for the year.
How to set goals and succeed?
TOOL 9: MOTIVATIONAL TALKS
What do you do when you do not want to study?
Buffet for the Brain.
TOOL 10: Educational Chanbara – Focus Stick Programme
Chanbara is endorsed by Singapore Sports Councils for Primary, Secondary and JC. It utilizes lightweight, high-impact padded focus stick which is adapted from the Sports Chanbara PE programme used in the Japan Education system.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)