Order Number |
32REWT6542 |
Type of Project |
ESSAY |
Writer Level |
PHD VERIFIED |
Format |
APA |
Academic Sources |
10 |
Page Count |
3-12 PAGES |
Finding your Passion/Calling/Purpose
Parable of the bricklayers:
Three bricklayers are asked: “What are you doing?” The first says, “I am laying bricks.” The second says, “I am building a church.” And the third says, “I am building the house of God. ”
The first bricklayer has a job. The second has a career or profession. The third has a calling. In the parable of the bricklayers, everyone has the same occupation, but their subjective experience – how they view their work – couldn’t be more different. It’s not that some kinds of occupations are necessarily jobs and other are careers and still others are callings. Instead, what matters is whether the person doing the work believes that laying down the next brick is just something that needs to be done, or instead is something that will lead to future success or connects the individual to something far greater than self. Your work can go from a job to a career to a calling without changing the occupation. Amy Wrzeniewski says “A lot of people assume that what they need to do is find their calling. I think a lot of anxiety comes from the assumption that your calling is like a magical entity that exists in the world, waiting to be discovered. A calling is not some fully formed thing that you find, it’s much more dynamic. Whatever you do – whether you’re a janitor or the CEO – you can continually look at what you do and ask how it connects to other people, how it connects to the bigger picture, how it can be an expression of your deepest values.”
This assignment has several parts, make sure you clearly indicate what part you are responding to.
1.) Read the material from the book Grit by September 24th on finding your passion/purpose. How does Angela Duckworth, the author of Grit define purpose? What is the author’s top-level goal?
2.) Create your own version of the parable of the bricklayer by selecting a job relevant to you and create a listing of characteristics, thoughts, and actions of the person who has a job, a career, or a calling.
3.) Write a two-page paper that reflects upon finding your calling. Use some of the questions below as prompts for what you might include in the paper.
Where have you seen people in the same occupation viewing their work differently in your life?
How does what you’re currently doing connect to other people?
How does what you’re currently doing connect to the bigger picture of society?
How does what you’re currently doing express your deepest values?
What can you do to express your values in your work?
What are five things you commit to never doing at work or as a person?
What are five things you will always strive to do at work or as a person?
How do you know when you have developed a calling?
Does it matter if you ever find or view your work as your calling in life? Why or why not?
The author of Grit says callings must benefit others, do you agree or disagree with this statement? Provide an example or two to support your view.
Why do you think most people don’t view their work as a calling?
Do you know anything about what your calling in life is supposed to be?
How will I leave this world a little bit better because I was here?
What do I want to be remembered for after living a long life?
Have you ever been so immersed in what you were doing that you lost track of time? If so, what activity were you doing? This is called Flow and can be one of the first indications of a calling.
What would you do if you had no fear of failure?
What would you do if you didn’t need to work for money?
What is something you think you would regret not doing?
Uses your unique strengths and talents.
How would knowledge of your purpose guide you in your decisions?
Imagine yourself fifteen years from now. What do you think will be most important to you then?
Can you think of someone whose life inspires you to be a better person? Who? Why?
Upload the paper and the other two parts of the assignment to BlackBoard no later than Monday, September 30th. The assignment is worth 100 points.
Grading Rubric:
Paper organization: Up to 20 points
Creativity: Up to 20 points
Thoughtfully answering several of the reflection questions: Up to 20 points
Correctly identifying the answer to question 1: Up to 10 points
Creating your own version of the bricklayer parable: Up to 20 points
Use of proper grammar, spelling, etc.: Up to 10 points
Example of a parable of a teacher
Job Focused
Does the minimum required.
Reads PowerPoint slides from the screen.
Lectures only.
Tests come from a test bank and are machine graded.
Doesn’t care if students do well or not.
Just teaches what is in the book.
More likely to be an easy grader and pass everyone, because they don’t want to make any waves.
Career Focused
Has standards that they want the student to meet.
Not likely to pass a student who doesn’t understand the material.
Has a mixture of lectures and classroom activities.
Gives some service to the school or profession.
Stays current in their field through continued education.
Attends professional conferences.
Calling Focused
Wants every student to succeed, takes it personally when a student fails a test. Asks what could I have done better to help this student learn and master the material.
Knows the student’s names
Creates an environment of trust
Creates activities that help the students’ understand why what they are learning is important and how to apply it in their lives.
Is more likely to get an award for their teaching efforts.
Is more likely to have students visit them during office hours.
Constantly thinks about how to improve.
Knows how to motivate students to do the best work.
Passionate about what they teach.
Use real world examples
Customize PowerPoints and test questions.
Sets high expectations, but helps students reach those expectations.
Is someone you don’t want to disappoint by doing less than your best work for.
Gives honest and meaningful feedback.
Changes the lives of their students for the better.
Works even when not getting paid for it.
Responds quickly to emails at all hours and on weekends.
Takes students to professional conferences
Introduces them to their networks
Helps students find jobs.
Willing to spend their own money for supplies or activities for the students