Getting Your Class "Gung Ho!" About Education

Our next selection captures the essence of creating Raving Fans in the classroom. Gung Ho! By Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles seeks to take the enthusiasm of Raving Fans and turn your group into a Gung Ho! Group. Unlike the previous two stories, this story is based on a real life drama. It focuses on Peggy Sinclair and her struggle to keep alive a textile plant called Walton Works #2. This story details how she failed at first, but with the help of an Indian guide named Andy Longclaw, she managed to overcome adversity and turn the plant into what President Reagan called, "One of the most efficient work places in the United States." The three basic concepts Andy Longclaw imparted on Peggy apply to not only business, but also the many reaches of education. This story is in fact about Peggy's education about how to turn a group into a Gung Ho! Group.

The Spirit of the Squirrel

The Spirit of the Squirrel is about creating in your group the belief that the work you are pursuing is worthwhile work. Andy illustrates this point by observing squirrels harvesting nuts for the winter. He illustrates that while the squirrels work their tails off to gather as many nuts as they can, they inherently know that the work they are doing now is worthwhile because they are building their supply for the winter when there will be no nuts. In education, teachers often fail to illustrate effectively to their students why the work they are doing is worthwhile. Many teachers simply use the phrase, "So you can go on to the next grade."

Many teachers fail to illustrate that a subject like English is important to fill out a job application or that chemistry can help you understand not to mix oil and water so you do not blow up your kitchen and set your house on fire. Illustrating worthwhile work is the first step in getting students enthusiastic about learning.

The Way of the Beaver