Commitment: a Promise, Agreement, Or Understanding You Make To/With Someone Or Something

COMMITMENT March

7th Grade

Commitment: A promise, agreement, or understanding you make to/with someone or something.

Purpose: To teach students the importance of working hard and not giving up

Materials: 7 copies of Michael Jordan’s From: “I Can’t Accept Not Trying” Slips of paper with directions for Lesson 3

Procedure:

Lesson 1 – Untangle Game:

1. Divide into groups of 4 (must be an even number). Stand facing one another in a circle. Instruct each student to grab the right hand of a student across from (not next to) him or her. Next, join left hands with a different person. Then, try to untangle (end with a circle without any hands crossed) without anyone letting go. After a time limit, have teams join to have 8 people and repeat the process. Then, have students go back to their desks to discuss the following questions.

2. Discussion:

 Was this an easy task, or did it involve effort? Explain.  How can “trying your hardest” pay off in real life?  Can you give some examples of times when you’ve given it your all? (a sport, learning an instrument, etc..)  What keeps us from giving our best at times?  How can we overcome these barriers and focus instead on giving our best?

Lesson 2 – story by Michael Jordan “from I Can’t Accept Not Trying”: (Extra copies of story are available for students who want to volunteer to read).

1. Mentor will read the Michael Jordan story. After reading the story, discuss the following points that relate to commitment:

 What obstacles did Michael Jordan have to face?  Why do you think Michael Jordan kept trying to improve his game?  What personality traits did he have to have in order to stay focused on his game?  What advice does he give to people who are trying to real a goal?  Is Jordan’s advice realistic? Why or why not? Lesson 3 – Group Activity:

1. Have students get into groups of 4 or 5. Each group should come up with a situation in which a person is trying to reach a goal. The group should discuss the following and then share with the class:

 Describe a situation where a person is trying to reach a goal. Be sure to describe the specific goal that is trying to be reached.  What will the person have to do in order to reach the goal?  What obstacles might this person face?  What advice would you give this person to help him or her stay committed?

Back up: Close the lesson by discussing the following quote:

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

 What does this quotation mean?  How does it relate to the situations that were discussed today?  How can you apply these words to your own life?

The teacher will complete the evaluation and return upon completion of the activities From: I Can't Accept Not Trying "Commitment" by Michael Jordan Coming out of high school, if I had been any less committed or had any less desire to achieve, I would have taken the easy path and gone to another school. But I went to North Carolina because I realized that a lot of Dean Smith's players got drafted by NBA teams. People were telling me I should go around the difficult route, but I wasn't about to do that. I had locked in, committed to my goals. I wanted to find out. I wanted to know where I stood. I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don't do things halfheartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect halfhearted results. That's why I approached practices the same way I approached games. You can't turn it on and off like a faucet. I couldn't dog it during practice and then, when I needed that extra push late in the game, expect it to be there. But that's how a lot of people approach things. And that's why a lot of people fail. They sound like they're committed to being the best they can be. They say all the right things, make all the proper appearances. But when it comes right down to it, they're looking for reasons instead of answers. You see it all the time in professional sports. You can even see it in your friends or business associates. There are a million excuses for not paying the right price. "If I was only given a particular opportunity" or "if only the coach, teacher or boss liked me better, I could have accomplished this or that." Nothing but excuses. Part of this commitment is taking responsibility. That's not to say there aren't obstacles or distractions. If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. I got a very good lesson about distractions my junior year at North Carolina. My sophomore season turned out to be my best in college. Because of that, there were all kinds of expectations during my junior year. What I tried to do was come out and live up to those expectations. I was trying to live up to everyone else's expectations for me instead of following my own road. I found myself standing around looking for the spectacular dunk, cheating out on the defensive end to get that breakaway situation. Coach Smith called me in one day and showed me two films, one film from the beginning of my sophomore season, the other from the beginning of my junior year. They were totally the opposite. I was looking for shortcuts and that wasn't how I got there. I still had the desire, but I had lost my focus. You have to stick to your plan. A lot of people try to pull you down to their level because they can't achieve certain things. But very few people get anywhere by taking shortcuts. Very few people win the lottery to gain their wealth. It happens, but the odds certainly aren't with them. More people get it the honest way, by setting goals and committing themselves to achieving those goals. That's the only way I'd want it anyway. Lesson Plan Evaluation

Character Word______Grade Level______

Objective Yes Somewhat No Was the lesson easy to read and understand by the teachers? Was the sequence of the lesson correct? Were the activities easy to understand? Were the students engaged throughout the lesson? Did the students enjoy the activities? Were the materials easy to use? Were the visuals appropriate for the learners? Were there adequate activities planned? Was the lesson relevant to the learners?

Comments:

Please return form to Mr. Richardson or Dr. Carsillo