Teacher and Optimal Thinking

Fr. Damianus Abun, SVD, Ph.D.

Abstract

Mediocre is the enemy of innovation and change. The mediocre will be satisfied with small changes and development. They will go for minimal result. Minimalist is happy with any result as long as they achieve something no matter whether the result is great or small. Thus minimalist is not a right person to make things happen but the organization needs optimal thinker. Optimal thinker goes for the best solution, the optimal result of a problem or change. They go for excellence. Thus improving quality education needs optimal thinker, not minimal thinker. Such attitude should be the attitude of every teacher. Optimal thinker teacher is always looking for the best way to deliver the instructions and solutions to any problem. They do not dwell on negative aspect of the situation but on the positive aspect.

 

 

Introduction

Teaching is to transfer the best knowledge to the students. Since it is to transfer the best knowledge to the students, thus, teacher must possess the best knowledge first. However, the best knowledge will not be transferred if she/he can not deliver it in the best way she can. Therefore, teacher should always think that they are the best and think what best way to deliver knowledge to students is. Teaching can be a source of inspiration and satisfaction if teachers know how to tap the best resources they have and find the best way to deliver the knowledge to the students. Thus, teacher must be an optimal tinker all the time.

Nowadays, there are many ways that can be done to find solution and to make job exciting. Instead of focusing at problems, people learn to see problems as opportunities. In other words, look at problems positively as a means to find best solution. Just be positive as Norman Vincent Peale(1978) suggested. In this case, teachers learn to view things in a positive way including how they look at themselves in a positive way. It means that they believe in themselves that they can do their job, they can solve problems, they can handle students, they can manage classroom. They should not get stuck to the problem but have in mind that all problems can be solved, just tell yourself that you can do it using the best idea you have with you.  You have all the best idea to solve any problem that you face. Cooperider (1999, 2000) in his  Appreciative Inquiry argues that people individually and collectively have unique gifts, skills and contributions to bring to life, that the images we hold of the future are socially created and, once articulated, serve to guide individual and collective actions, and that through human communication (inquiry and dialogue) people can shift their attention and action away from problem analysis to lift up worthy ideals and productive possibilities for the future(www.positivechange.org/about-us/​appreciative-inquiry)

Glirkman is proposing one step away beyond positive thinking and that is optimal thinking. A person should think what best can be done in a problematic situation; do not just point the finger to the problem instead of looking for the best solution. Such optimal thinking must be applied to all life situations including in the teaching job and that will make teaching job exciting.

Optimal Thinking

One of the problems as teacher is inferiority complex. Everywhere, we encounter teacher/s who is/are inwardly afraid, who suffer from a deep sense of inadequacy and insecurity, who doubt their own powers. Deep within themselves they mistrust their ability to meet responsibilities and grasp opportunities. They do not believe that they have it in them to be what they want to be and they make themselves content with something less than that of which they are capable.(Peale, 1978) Such feeling can affect their capability or behaviour in handling classroom management and deliver knowledge the best they can to the students. To avoid such feeling, a teacher must know the cause of such feelings and heal the cause and change the way she/he perceives himself/herself. He/she should be aware that he/she is the one who can change the course of direction and determines his/her destiny and get out of such feeling. Do not dwell on the negativity and be an optimal thinker as recommended by Glickman (2002)..

Optimal thinking is the language of your best self. It empowers you to be your best and stops you from settling for second best (Glickman, 2002). This definition tells us that we should always think what is best that we can do in all situations, when dealing with problems. We should not surrender to the situation where we are in and get stuck. We do not deserve to be a loser; we have all the best capabilities that should be tapped. We should not dwell on the negative side of our mind that brings us down but focus on the most constructive thought at all times and be a winner. Focus on the best option that we choose to solve a certain issue, and do not settle with good, better, great, higher, smart, smarter, important, profitable, effective but it should be the best, greatest, highest, smartest, most important, most profitable and most effective. By possessing such philosophy we can create what we want in life Mediocrity has no place in the mind of optimal thinker.

            Optimal thinker teacher will always look for the best way that she/she can deliver her/his lesson to the student for the student to get the best from her/his best presentation in the class. She would not settle with the idea of good or better presentation but best presentation. She would look for the best questions and best answers from the students and she/he is not satisfied with mediocre students.

 

Minimal Thinking

To understand what minimal thinker is, let us remember a group of minimal art in America. Consider how they work. The majority of the minimalist artists work with simple geometric figures. Squares or cubes are often used as they are considered ideal because of their identical side lengths. The objects are related to the room in a natural way, situated parallel to the walls and the grain. The material itself is hardly processed by the artist as it is mostly automatically prefabricated and standardized. So, it already meets the minimum requirement for a sculpture, namely spatiality, mass and material and only in a few cases the artist exceeds this minimum (Zand, 2008). Recently, the name of minimal artist is criticized because the label does not have positive impact on the mind of people. Such label determines who the artist is and defines him. That is what most of the artist avoid.         

Thus, the opposite view of optimal thinking is minimal thinking. If optimal thinker is looking for the best solution to a certain problem, making the best they can, the minimal thinker would be looking for good solution or at least a good solution they can get. They are after the minimal standard of doing things. As long as the minimum requirement is already met, they are already satisfied; they do not force their best ability to find the best solution or ways to do things to achieve the greatest results.

A teacher, who is preparing leaders for tomorrow, must not be minimalists who are complying with the minimum requirement of teaching. Minimal teachers will produce minimal generation for tomorrow. Teachers should exceed beyond the minimum requirement and give the best they can to their students to produce the best generation we expect.

 

Optimal Thinker Avoid Negative Thinking

            An optimal thinker will not dwell on negative aspect of a situation or a person but they look for the best solution they can produce to a problematic situation and look for the best aspect or characteristic of a person when they talk about a person. They are not focused on what is wrong and limitations of a certain person or destructive view points when they discuss issues or problems but focus on the best solution, the best view points.

            Optimal thinking is not to deny negative thinking or feelings. It is very human to experience such. Negative thinking reminds us of existing danger of a certain problem and cautions us to find ways on how to settle the problem. Thus, negative thinking has its valuable points. However, negative thinking can be very destructive. Negative thinkers often waste valuable ideas and opportunities for success by dwelling on why things ca not be done. They anticipate failures in their endeavours and use their losses to validate their pessimistic view. They see life as series of problem, and what they do not have (Glickman, 2002).  Gallozzi (2010) calls negativity insidious disease. He argues that It is as pervasive as the common cold but far more damaging, It mutilates, cripples and corrodes the human spirit. Those who are affected by it are broken men and women. The dark cloud brooding over them obscure their vision and cause them to be confrontational, apathetic and cynical.  

            Teachers must have optimistic perspective on themselves, students and their work as teachers. Possessing optimistic perception about the work, self and students is a pre-requisite for success in teaching. In other words, teachers should not look at teaching profession as the lowest kind of job, should not look at themselves and students negatively. They should look at teaching as noble profession and they are the instrument to human transformation and society. Optimistic view certainly motivates teachers to teach and never give up.

Optimal Thinker is not Just a Positive Thinker.

Optimal thinking is not just positive thinking; it is one step ahead beyond positive thinking. Positive thinking is the opposite of the negative thinking. If optimal thinking focuses on the best solution that can be done, positive thinking will dwell on the idea of positive outcome of every problematic situation, it is not necessarily the best outcome. Instead of dwelling on the negative ideas, positive thinker dwells on the positive side of every situation and himself. The main concept of positive thinking is that a person should believe in himself/herself that he/she can do it. She/he looks at himself as competent, good, productive and worthy of life’s favourable offerings. They concentrate on the value in themselves and others and in the situation (Glickman, 2002). Such positive thinking will generate power, energy, happiness, relaxation (Peale, 1978). Possessing such attitude will eliminate fuming and fretting, inferiority, hopeless thoughts, but it make you believe that everything is possible, nothing is impossible. A person can conquer whatever situation he/she faces.

A teacher who is facing different kind of students, rich and poor, intelligence an average, should have a positive perception about themselves that they are capable and competent to do the job. Such positive view is necessary to avoid feeling of inferiority and can connect herself/himself to students and further, she/he can look at the students in a positive view, that all students are good and capable. Possessing this kind of view is the foundation of establishing good relationship with the students and a respect can be earned for teacher and students themselves.

 

 

Conclusion

Based on what we discussed, we can say that there are several philosophies that underlie the optimal thinking and these are the will to win, the desire to excel, the commitment to excellence and expecting the best.(McGinnis, 2005) These are the few powerful philosophies that stimulate a person to be optimal thinker. At the same time, these are the tools that are energizing people to be optimal thinkers.  Optimal thinkers are not just wishing to be positive but to be the best they can. Mediocre, negative thinking have no place in the mind of the optimal thinker.

 

 

References:

Cooperrider, David, L. & Whitney, Diana. 1999. Appreciative Inquiry. Champaign, Illinois: Stipes    (www.positivechange.org/about-us/appreciative-inquiry)

Gallozzi, Chuck. 2010. Negative Thinking. http://www.personal-development.com/chuck.

Glickman, Rosalene. 2002. Optimal Thinking: The Next Step Beyond Positive Thinking. California: John Wiley & Sons.

Peale, Norman Vicent. 1978. The Power of Positive Thinking: A Practical Guide to Mastering the Problems of Everyday Living. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

 

McGinnis, Alan Loy. 2005. Bringing out the Best in People. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House.

Zand, Maziar. 2008. The Definition of Minimalism. http://mzand.wordpress.com/2008/09/27/definition-of-minimalism/