Five Minds for the Future

The Disciplined mind in the Five Minds for the Future was very identifiable for me. My father owns his own plumbing buisness. He has been in buisness for over 30 years. He is very successful. I can think of how he and my mother spoke of how they struggled in the beginning. In the book, the author makes reference to research that shows that it takes up to 10 years to master a discipline. I think my father has that disciplined mind. It took him a while to master his craft and once he worked and figured it out, he became very successful. He has worked steadliy over time and he has improved his craft. I think of myself and my craft. I have been teaching for 11 years now. I don't feel as though I have mastered my craft. In the book it spoke of how as educators we don't always want to change how we do things. I know for my dad, he would change things about his buisness and craft when presented with a newer better way. We don't seem to do that in education. We are like the lady from China, we have done it the same way for so long we know it's right. I can see a need for changing the way we do things especially in math. This new generation does not respond well to the drill and kill practice of teaching. As effective as it was for my generation, it does not seem to be working. What is so frustrating is not knowing how to change my craft. Over the last two years I have really had to examine how I felt about my content and the teaching of it. Some things I have always done, but does that necessarily make it the best way? I think that in order to be successful one must have a disciplined mind. I wonder sometimes though if we in education are willing too have that type of mind frame.