“It’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than to think your way into a new way of acting.” – Millard Fuller
This was a quote I heard on a recent podcast of the Tim Ferris Show with A.J. Jacobs (someone I haven’t heard of before) and it struck me the first time it was said in the show and at the end when it was repeated.
The last time I heard it I was shovelling the snow off the driveway and it had me wondering how does the quote relate to education. Is it a way to challenge one’s paradigms and reflect on practice? For example, if someone doesn’t use formative assessment in their classroom because they believe their current way is much better – can they be challenged to act like they are doing formative assessment to see what happens? Would their beliefs about formative assessment change? Maybe this example is a bad one, or too broad, perhaps a simpler task – act like you want to get to know your students better by greeting them at the door to be more welcoming. Does this make a difference for your relationships with kids and kids learning in your class? Would they change?
Is act your way into a new way of thinking the same as fake it to you make it? Not sure; however, the quote hit and stuck with me for some reason.
