A Local Sporting Hero who Embodies Good Habits of Mind

We had the honour and privilege of meeting a local sporting hero--Singapore's national record-holder for the 100m Mens sprint event--Mr. U. K. Shyam! During his keynote address, Mr. U. K. shared with us his personal journey to success and the various habits of mind he exercised to achieve his dreams and goals. He said that he learnt from each and every fall he encountered, every setback and obstacle he had to overcome. He also emphasized the importance of knowing that when one door closes, another will open, and that we should remain open to continuous learning, be flexible and open to new chances for us to develop our lives.

Responding with Wonderment and Awe and Remaining Open to Continuous Learning

Many students forget that learning should be fun! Even if classes are boring, even if school is dreary, learning should be looked upon with zest and inquistive happiness! If we responded to each new learning task with wonderment and awe, an open-minded desire to learn and find out more, we would enjoy the learning process far more thoroughly! Let this be a reminder that the proverbial "Why?" and "Wow! How interesting!" are useful tools in helping us learn more!

Teachers, here are a few slides that you might find useful in getting to know the reasons why your kids aren't responding to learning situations with openess, wonderment and awe.

Living Life and Loving Life! The Story of Nick Vujicic

We learn a lot about good habits of mind from real people, real stories. This is the story of Nick who overcame the odds and who displayed great tenacity and persistence! We used his story during our 2 day camp as a springboard to learn about persistence and many other good habits of mind! Have a look at this video and read and complete the worksheets that follow! Think also about the other good habits of mind that Nick embodies!

Video of Nick Vujicic, Attitude is Altitude

"Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful individuals with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent."
-- Calvin Coolidge


"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
-- Martin Luther King Jr.


"The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we don't know what to do."
-- John Holt

Remaining Open to Continuous Learning