Alice: This is impossible.
Mad Hatter: Only if you believe it is.
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is a wonderful story of imagination and the making of the impossible, possible. It is a story that is sometimes (seemingly) a bit obscure and also hints at the (what appears to be baffling) War of the Roses with European royalty. But I digress…my post is really about belief. Alice struggled with belief throughout Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass:
Alice laughed. “There’s no use trying,” she said. “One can’t believe impossible things.”
“I daresay you haven’t had much practice,” said the Queen. “When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” -Lewis Carroll
Believing is so powerful for us as people, especially for teachers and students. It is beneficial to take the advice of the Red Queen and practice for “half-an-hour” each day. Reciting “I believe in you” to yourself and to your students, can lead to more confidence and greater academic success.
