Hard work is fun! The Universal Law of the "Fun" Cycle!

"Hard work is fun!"-Jim Luce
WARNING: some may find this cheesy or simplistic--remember I teach middle school--and I am sure someone can write a more sophisticated version of this concept. Regardless, I believe that this is an important message to instill in my students, and one I feel compelled to share. 
The Universal Law of the Fun Cycle 
goes like this: 

  • learn something new 
  • then you work hard at truly learning this skill, 
  • you start to have fun, so you work harder, then 
  • you have even more fun, and 
  • the cycle repeats even faster.
  • However, when you stop working, you stop having fun. 




Have you ever found yourself starting something and then wanting to quit shortly thereafter? 
from moenormangolf.com
Have you ever picked up a book, with a deep meaning, and you found yourself not finishing the book? 
www.petersons.com
Have you ever started a hobby, only to later stop?
guitarlessons.josephbrenna.com

 "I want it NOW!"

 It is undeniable, we live in a world of instant gratification and the world is operating at faster and faster speeds. There are short-cuts for everything, and every night when insomnia strikes, there are countless infomercials for quick weight-loss, get rich quick, painless face-lifts, short-cuts to happiness, talk-to-text to avoid typing and numerous other short-cuts to success. Unfortunately, life does not truly offer short-cuts, quick fixes or any other form of avoiding "work." With my students, this is an important idea I find myself deprogramming from Day-1. Now, working hard at something does not guarantee success, but failing to work does guarantee failure. It is also undeniable that there are other paths to happiness that are void of the pursuit of success, which would be the topic of a completely different blog post.

 On to my point...

 When I was a young a teacher, a good friend of mine, Jim Luce, would come and work with my students. He would always start with a speech/story about how "Hard work is fun!" This message always resonated with my students and was a powerful motivator for us all. Jim and I do not get to teach together much anymore because of distance, but his message still is just as powerful. As time has past, I have modified the speech into what I call the: "Universal Law of the Fun Cycle: Obey the law and you will thrive; ignore it and you will falter." My older students know the "Jim Luce" version and my current students are extremely familiar with this newer version. 
"The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it."

-- Pearl S. Buck 
"No, there are no cheat codes for your instrument."

 Well, in my job, I start students on an important--potentially life-changing--journey of learning to play a musical instrument; a job I take seriously. As with all things worthwhile, the pursuit of learning to play a musical instrument has no short-cuts and no "cheat code" videos found on YouTube. From the first day as a teacher, I have known that motivating students is an important part of my job description. I strive to leave no child behind. While simplistic in concept, I preach this idea to my students to help them to understand the undeniable connection between work, success and personal fulfillment. This is a concept I first learned marching drum corps, and it is one I continually try to pay forward with my students. When students continually grow and achieve, their passion to work harder seems tireless. When students stop accepting new challenges and working hard, their passion for music-making (or anything else for that matter) usually dwindles proportionately. When you look at successful music programs, retention of students in those programs is often centered around this concept. 

I'm not having any fun.

 On a occasion, I have, unfortunately, heard a student say, "I am not having any fun in band." I will, first, acknowledge that this is unfortunate situation and then ask, "How much have you been practicing lately to actually improve?" The response, "       ." When this is the case, the student broke the ultimate rule of the Fun Cycle--he stopped working. Until they accept this as a universal truth, they are destined to not have much "Fun" at anything they attempt. Sometimes this discussion works for the student; sometimes it doesn't. Regardless, the Law does not yield for anyone.
"If you are not having fun, then you are doing something wrong."               Groucho Marx. 
As a teacher, there are many days filled with self-doubt and frustration (the hard work part of the Fun Cycle), but that struggle is part of the price for the ultimate fulfillment in what we do. When things are going crazy in school, I often say to colleagues, "If it was easy, it wouldn't be any fun."  When faced with these challenges, the only option is to doggedly work toward a solution. Success is not the absence of struggle; nothing great was ever achieved without it. A steadfast determination is required to keep the wheels of the Fun Cycle moving in these situations. The greater the challenge, the greater the effort is required to meet that challenge; everyone peddles faster when riding uphill, if you stop peddling, well...

At the bottom of the mountain, 

 As we begin a new school year, I find myself reflecting on this concept a great deal. Every year feels like a hiker looking up the mountain before a big climb, and the challenge excites me. I truly look forward to the hard work needed this year. My students will benefit from these efforts and, ultimately, will have more fun. Embrace the universality of this Law and you will never run short on energy or motivation, regardless, of your field of endeavor. Some of the most successful people I know seem to have boundless energy and, I believe, it is because they are having a blast.

 A Challenge for You

 I am looking forward to another year of the Fun Cycle spreading the gospel of music. I hope you are also looking forward to the year ahead of you. I challenge you to embrace this concept, even if you find the delivery of the message hokey. 

 This will be year number, "I am still having fun, and trying to get better at what I do, so who cares what the number is." of teaching music. Good luck! Work hard! Have Fun! Hard work is fun!

 PS: here is  a piece the South Forsyth Middle School Symphonic Band will be working on and performing at the University of Georgia Middle School Honor Band in December. The piece is dedicated to my father, William B. Poor. Enjoy! 

Location: Suwanee, GA, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Battle for another day...Successive Approximations and the Middle School Band

Image
"Battle for another day!" Thoughts on the Middle School Music Rehearsal When I was an undergrad, I was first introduced to Bruner's Spiral Learning Theory . At the time, the concept was presented as an abstract ideal with little to no direct application. The idea of learning concepts and continually revisiting those concepts and layering new learning onto the previous concepts which eventually led to mastery seemed to be common sense. Yet, when faced with the cold reality of developing my own curriculum and teaching in a room filled with young energetic minds the theory was quickly forgotten. I was chasing the next concert or administering playing tests. The educational equivalent of walking barefoot in a dark room filled with lego pieces and sharp furniture. A lot of painful mistakes. I wanted it perfect now and I expected my students to get it "Right now!" and this was my way of setting high standards. The reality was this approach led to terrible i
Read more

This one time in drum corps... a reflection on teaching the Spirit of Atlanta in 2017 (Part 1)

Image
A reflection on teaching the Spirit of Atlanta in 2017 2017 Spirit Brass Staff at DCI World Championships 1. I really do not like doing drum corps in Louisiana, but we found a way to get better anyway I think one of the things drum corps teaches us is how to push through barriers or walls. During the summer, you are constantly challenged to push yourself mentally and physically harder than most people have pushed themselves in their regular lives. Lousiana presents many challenges that test the strength of your will, including, extreme heat, high humidity, terrible facilities, and fields which resemble mud pits or fire ant city. These were some of the toughest days of the summer, but the drum corps got better and was an important turning point for the corps during the summer. The Nacy SEALs have 40% rule: you are only at your 40% physical capacity when your mind wants to give up. You have more strength and capacity then you realize and drum corps help remind us of t
Read more

Jump Start Part 2: Helping your beginning students succeed in the first few weeks (Brass Edition)

Image
Introduction Here is an overview of some concepts I have found to be helpful when starting beginning brass players. During the first year of study, I start students on all five primary brass instruments--trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, and tuba--and we start on these instruments from the beginning of the year. Currently, our classes at South Forsyth Middle School are in homogeneous groups by instrument family; brass in one class, woodwinds in the other and percussion evenly divided between the two classes. NOTE:  I have used these same techniques in heterogeneously grouped classes, but the instructional pace is much slower in this grouping.  Helping the Students Select the Correct Instrument Helping your students select an instrument that matches both their interests and aptitudes is an essential prerequisite to their future success in music. This process may be even more important for students selecting an instrument from the brass family of instruments.  The
Read more