Patrick Hait
Book Review

Zander, R. S., & Zander, B.  (2002).  The art of possibility.  New York:  Penguin Group, Inc.

            I had the opportunity to see Mr. Benjamin Zander speak at the Balanced Mind conference in Uniondale, NY in 2005.  The meaning and content of his presentation have truly been an inspiration in my teaching.  I felt that as he continued to explain his philosophy of teaching and life, that my teaching could benefit.  At the conclusion of his presentation, I bought the book that he wrote with his wife – The Art of Possibility – and have read it three times.  Over the course of the book, the Zanders present twelve practices that challenge ones thoughts and presumptions of how to perceive the outside world.

            “It’s All Invented,” the authors proclaim in the opening section of the book.  The frameworks on which we base the problems of our daily lives are but boxes in which we confine ourselves.  The authors pose the classic ‘nine-dot box’ problem in which one is asked to connect the nine dots with four straight lines without lifting the pen from the paper.  The person whose task this is subconsciously adds the assumption ‘working within the confines of the box’ to the instructions thus precluding the puzzle from being solved. 

As a teacher, there are problems that arise each day that seem to be almost insurmountable.  How is this student going to be able to play in the concert?  How am I supposed to teach this concept to this group of students?  Zander challenges the reader to take the time to completely assess the situation and ask himself “What assumptions am I making – that I’m not aware I’m making – that gives me what I see?”  The dawn of this style of thinking has been influential on my development as an educator.  Is it necessary that every single nine-year-old play with the proficiency of a professional?  Is it absolutely imperative that every first-year student can play a low-F on a clarinet with 100% accuracy?  As I shift my framework from that of measuring student success (and failure) to one of possibility, I open the door to success in my students.

In the standards based testing environment that we know so much about, students are constantly being pushed to their academic and emotional limits.  Their success is measured by a number that is invented to create a dichotomy between those who can and those who cannot.  In the world of measurement, the half-empty glass represents the downward spiral thinking that can cause students to give up on themselves.  Why not instead focus on the water that half-fills up the glass and live in the world of possibility?  Within this book, the Zanders offer many philosophical tools and anecdotal advice that one can use to alter the framework of a problem or an obstacle.  The authors suggest that a person open their mind to the possibility that there is another solution.

The book continues by suggesting that you “Give Everyone an A.”  Mr. Zander tells a story about a musical interpretation class that he teaches at the New England Conservatory.  He explains that each semester, the students have such a high level of anxiety over each performance – for the fear of poor grades – that they rarely take risks in their music in an attempt to bring it to the next level.  This was the everlasting problem until one year, he told his students on the first day of class that they would all be receiving an A in this course.  Within the first two weeks of the semester the students would have to write a letter dated the following May saying “Dear Mr. Z, I received an A in your course because I …”  By removing this course from the world of grades and measurement, the ‘A’ students took risks in their performances as they began to learn how to fully communicate and interpret the works of the masters.  The notion of giving everyone an A extends outside of the collegiate classroom.  If you feel some level of contempt for a coworker, a teacher or a student, you can ‘give them an A’ in your head.  It is not until you raise that person up to someone worthy of your attention, that you can honestly communicate with or teach them.

There is a section in the book entitled “Leading from any chair” that I feel has a very important message.  As Mr. Zander rehearsed his orchestras, it dawned upon him that although he was the conductor, it was the musicians that were actually making the music.  They do follow his every instruction, but Mr. Zander wanted to find a way to ensure that they are all completely engaged, thus leading to a more dynamic performance.  In a move contrary to the dominating role of the conductor, Mr. Zander began placing white sheets of paper on each stand in the orchestra.  The performers were asked to write down any comment or suggestion that would help Mr. Zander to empower the musicians to play the music more beautifully. 

I feel that this action of reaching out to the members of the orchestra is a very important element within the overall tone of this book.  It shows that the director, or teacher, is open to comments and critiques from his peers and subordinates.  It shows that one can be open to change in an effort to further the development of a student.  I feel that actively seeking advice and criticism from those around you is a positive attribute of an educator.

Mr. and Mrs. Zander continue explaining a number of transformational philosophies, anecdotes and catch phrases.  They refer to the act of “Lighting a Spark.”  Instead of using surreptitious means such as guilt, bribes, tricking or cajoling one to do something, it would be better for everybody if you could enroll the person in the task.  By this, the authors mean that you should ignite the passion of possibility in your students.  This will have a more lasting and encouraging effect than simply bribing a student to work or practice.

This book has caused me to take a different stance to life’s problems.  It applies to both my personal and professional lives on a daily basis.  As an educator, I have found that when I put the ideas in this book into practice that my students respond better to my instruction and they experience a higher level of success.  I feel that this is a necessary book for every educator’s library.

 

This book review can be opened or saved as a Microsoft Word document by clicking or right-clicking on this link.

This link tells you a bit about Mr. Zander.

QCP 1,5 KSD NYSSTEP ix INTASC 9

Go to Portfolio Homepage