What happened to our motivation

What happened to having something big to strive for?! Recently I have discovered that the 1st Team tracksuit has been taken away. I don’t know if it was a decision made by the Headmaster, the schools governing board, or the sports department but I have no doubt that it certainly didn’t come from the students here at College as it was a big part of our motivation. No one College boy can honestly say that they having pictured themselves in a 1st Team tracksuit, standing out from the rest of College. There was a debate on Talk Radio 702 last year in which St Stithian’s Girls were complaining that unlike their brother school there did not award colours to braided onto their blazers. Is that what St Alban’s College is turning into, a school in which no honour or recognition is given to those that achieve. Is someone who achieves greatly in the class room going to be left with an ordinary zebra tie and a just ordinary plain blue blazer which new boys also wear.
Pride. That’s what it all comes to. The pride of achieving something great. The pride of walking around in a tracksuit, not the same as others, but one that stands out and says “I’m here, standing in my motivation.” Standing in something I said in Form 1 looking up to a Matric, who’s got a 1st Team tie, tracksuit and colours, and saying “That is going to be me.” Some people and strived hard and waited 4 years to earn a great achievement, and to have that ripped away from them is just sad. How can an Albanian be proud to present himself in his plain blue and grey tracksuit when he knows deep down he actually earned a 1st Team tracksuit. There goes our motivation, their goes our pride, and personally I wouldn’t be surprised if motivation didn’t come easily. I know I’ve lost it.

Thinking Back...

About three years ago I stood at the steps of MacRobert house, anxious to begin the year, but worried that I would somehow fail miserably and everyone would hate me. Now, three years later, things are exactly the same, except my voice is lower, I'm slightly taller and a few things have grown a bit bigger. These are not the only things that have changed, though: As we head into the New Year at St Alban's I can't help thinking how things have changed for better and worse since I was in Form 1. For example, in 2006 I was pretty scared about entering the school library, as if it were a concentration camp, or Mr Botha's accounting class. This was possibly because of the Librarian at the time, Mrs Alexander. She wasn't a bad person, not by a long shot, but she was, all in all, a Librarian. "Her library" was the sort of place you go to die: it was unnervingly quiet and sombre, and anyone who uttered the slightest sound, even the creaking of joints, would be kicked out immediately. These days, however, the new Librarian has totally reformed the place. Although noise is discouraged, it is not illegal. The library is now a friendly place, not a dreary room where you go when there is absolutely no alternative, like it used to be. I blame this on the new librarian who is not actually a librarian but just a fun guy who happens to work in a library. This is but one of the things that has changed around the college, and I am writing this to remind everybody of how "them good ol' days" used to be...

For instance, do you remember the days when you would get up and absolutely dread what was going to be for breakfast? And how that dread was then mixed with a mild curiosity as you got to breakfast and attempted to guess what was on your plate?. And then how the mild curiosity turned into complete horror as you figured it out... Breakfast back then tasted like some sort of nuclear experiment that went horribly wrong. I think that was the reason they started giving us plastic cutlery - the metal was reacting badly with the food. However, gone are the days when depleted uranium tank shells substituted for a light nutritious snack. Gone are the days when you could use the fried eggs in the morning as bullet-resistant armour. And gone are the days when the bacon contained more oil than George Bush could fight for (I feel safe saying this because old Georgey is no longer in presidency and therefore America won't declare war on me... or blame me for hiding nuclear weapons). Nowadays, K.K.S is actually doing an okay job of things. No longer do the breakfasts remind me of what my dog did in the back yard. Nor do the lunches remind me of the breakfasts. And I like the fact that there is usually enough cutlery. The problem comes in when you mix this refinement with St Alban's College. Come on, guys, lets be honest; we like complaining. The more to complain about and blame the school for, the better. So it's quite a shock to us all when suddenly we are listened to, things are changed and then we are left with nothing to complain about. By listening to us the school is destroying all that we know and love, and that is just not right. Someone should complain...

Also, has anyone noticed how the College has turned into a sort of soft-core boot camp? When in Form 1, there was a balance between the school discipline, the house discipline and the amount of fun one was allowed to have. For example, if you talked a bit in class while the teacher wasn't teaching it was okay, but stuff around too much and it was a straight detention, and then when you got back to the house you could expect a light-hearted beating from the Matrics and then go on to an evening of flipping and general boyish enjoyment. It created a sort of harmony, and you didn't mind the beatings because you knew that you would want to do it when you reached Matric. But now the balance has been disrupted, and all energy is focused on school discipline. There are no more beatings, no more flipping, no more general boyish enjoyment. It seems like all the vibe, atmosphere and fun has been taken out of boarding and indeed College life and focused into school punishment. Put one toe out of line and there will be immediate punishment. And what happened to detentions? If you mess around in class a bit you can't look forward to an hour on Friday afternoon relaxing and reading in a quiet environment. No, now the teachers seem to enjoy inventing interesting and creative ways for you to serve your sentence. Sanding desks, break detentions and tons of extra homework are just some of the things that you can expect for indulging in criminal activities such as asking a friend for an eraser during class. There is no escaping it; if your shoelace is undone, for example, you shall be damned to an eternity in hell, and if your hair isn't perfectly aligned you'll probably be shot and quartered. Soon the only way to escape this discipline onslaught will be to actually behave well and do your work. But as this is College we're talking about, this is less likely to happen than Robert Mugabe proclaiming that he is indeed a stingy power-hungry b*****d and that he's sorry for what he's done, and then giving each Zimbabwean 200 billion Zim dollars (about 2 RSA cents)

I wanted to end this passage off in a fancy manner, but I couldn't think of how, so instead here's something for you to think about:
Exactly 34 minutes after Princess Diana died in a car crash, there was a small mayfly that hit a wall somewhere in northern Puket. Coincidence? I think not.

James Hosken

Five bucks for a piece of your mind

Remember to get people to sponsor your brilliance! On this rainy day, how amazing would it be to wrap your hands around a cup of coffee...

Oops - I had to edit the last blog post...

Hey guys

I've taken off a poem that one of you wrote and posted on the blog, because it was somewhat of an over-share... If it's alright with you, let's not post poetry that has to do with really personal sexual fantasies, ok?

Thanks guys.

Ma'am R

Functional writing assessment (LO3)

Read the following article from http://givingupcontrol.wordpress.com/2007/09/03/a-leadership-lesson-from-king-henry-v/. With reference to the concept of shared purpose as it is expressed in the article, write a letter to Mr Hamilton expressing your views regarding College leadership and shared purpose. Due: Wednesday 28 January (submit hard copy or email to reyburnd@stalbanscollege.com)

Shakespeare’s Henry V provides a profound lesson in leadership. The story takes place at a terrible time in medieval England. It is 1415, near the close of the Hundred Year War with France—a war which was fought over complex, territorial claims. The centerpiece of the play is the Battle of Agincourt.

England has invaded France, yet they are hopelessly outnumbered. The English soldiers are hungry, exhausted—having marched 260 miles in two and a half weeks—and ill with dysentery.
Just before the battle begins, in his famous St. Crispin’s Day speech, King Henry responds to those who are understandably lamenting the situation and wishing for more men:

What’s he that wishes so?My cousin Westmoreland?
No, my fair cousin;If we are mark’d to die, we are enough
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God’s will! I pray thee, wish not one man more

When faced with tough circumstances, many believe the solution is found in obtaining more assets. While assets are important, there are intangibles such as the belief in common purpose that is even more important. Dee Hock, the founding CEO of Visa Corporation, explains:

To the direct degree that clarity of shared purpose and principles and strength of belief in them exist, constructive harmonious behavior may be induced. To the direct degree they do not exist, behavior is inevitably compelled…The alternative to shared belief in propose and principles is tyranny.

Henry V understands the power of shared purpose. One of the ways that Henry establishes common purpose is that he is himself an integral part of, and not separate from, the fighting force he leads. He cares about his men, seeks their counsel, and has real bonds with them. In his St. Crispin’s speech, Henry promises that however humble a soldier’s birth, participating in this exalted purpose will grant them nobility.

But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;

With his army united by common purpose, there is no need for Henry to compel behavior. Indeed in his St. Crispin’s Day speech, Henry offers to release any soldier who does not want to participate in the coming battle; he even promises to fund their trip back to England. Henry recognizes that fighting with fewer men who are united in purpose is better than fighting with more men who have no shared purpose:

We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.

One of the main reasons that Henry’s army was able to overcome overwhelming odds is that Henry was open to innovation. The English used trained longbowmen while the French relied on the slower and less accurate crossbow.

One of the reasons that the French disastrously resisted new battle tactics was that they looked down on longbowmen as upstarts. Henry’s English army, united by purpose, had no such prejudice.

Henry’s St. Crispin’s day speech may be the most powerful in all of literature on the power of shared purpose. The purpose is so exalted that Henry promises that when the soldiers are older and have forgotten everything else, they will remember this battle:

Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day.

It is difficult not to reflect on contemporary problems. Organizations where employees share no common purpose frequently flounder. Their leadership cries for more assets and neglects the real issue.

In Iraq, much of the population is not united in the common purpose of creating a society guided by the rule of law; instead many feel a stronger allegiance to ancient tribal identities. Until they change their collective societal view, there is no possibility of peace.

Barack vs Henry

Guys, here’s the text of Obama’s inaugural address. (Talk about awesome public speaking skills… Take note and emulate!).

How does his style of rhetoric compare to that of Henry V?

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America -- they will be met.On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West -- know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.This is the price and the promise of citizenship.This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: "Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet ."America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Are you in or out the box?

The Co-operative Learning class is going to require 'out-of-the-box' thinking, no question. Consider what Ed Bernacki says:

‘… in-the-box thinkers are skillful at killing ideas. They are masters of the creativity killer attitude such as "that'll never work" or "it's too risky." The best in-the-box thinkers are unaware that they drain the enthusiasm and passion of innovative thinkers while they kill their innovative ideas. They also believe that every problem needs only one solution; therefore, finding more than one possible solution is a waste of time. They often say, "There is no time for creative solutions. We just need THE solution."

Even great creative people can become in-the-box thinkers when they stop trying. Apathy and indifference can turn an innovator into an in-the-box thinker.

Thinking outside the box requires different attributes that include:
- Willingness to take new perspectives to day-to-day work.
- Openness to do different things and to do things differently.
- Focusing on the value of finding new ideas and acting on them.
- Striving to create value in new ways.
- Listening to others.
- Supporting and respecting others when they come up with new ideas.

Out-of-the box thinking requires an openness to new ways of seeing the world and a willingness
to explore. Out-of-the box thinkers know that new ideas need nurturing and support. They also know that having an idea is good but acting on it is more important. Results are what count.’

We're about to launch into an out-of-the-box study of Shakespeare's Henry V... :)