This is a presentation given to AVID students in 7-12th grades to inspire them to identify and confront the fears that hold back many students from achieving their best in school. Best viewed in Powerpoint after downloading, as there are several effects that cannot be seen with the Slideshare viewer.

1. What’s Your First Job?

8. Your Job: Go to School and Study!

10. AVID is the only class you’ll ever get On How to Do Your Job

11. What is the Purpose of Your Job?

12. To Gain Knowledge

13. “ All men, by nature, desire to know.” Aristotle

14. Ignorance is bliss.

15. Knowledge Ignorance Who’s Right?

17. Not Knowing Knowing It’s scary to take this step

18. Not Knowing Knowing It’s scary to take this step … and it’s scary to take this step

19. Not Knowing Knowing The Bad News: You will go through this cycle over and over for as long as you live.

20. Go On to More Knowledge “ Can’t I Just Stay Here?” Life

21. Knowledge & FEAR

24. Q: What is your biggest obstacle to learning anything? Teachers? Parents? Language? Equipment? Facilities? School Administrators? Homework? Other Students? Textbooks?

25. A: You Are.

27. Dead Skin Cells

28. Skin and Bone Dead Skin Cells

29. Skin and Bone Dead Skin Cells Brain

30. Your Brain

31. Automatic Functions

32. Automatic Functions Unconscious Mind

33. Conscious Mind Automatic Functions Unconscious Mind

34. Conscious Mind

35. Unconscious Mind Conscious Mind

36. Automatic Functions Unconscious Mind Conscious Mind

37. Do homework. Play Xbox. The Conscious Mind

38. Unconscious Mind Conscious MindD Do homework. Play Xbox. Fight! Get Meat! The Unconscious Mind

39. Automatic Functions Unconscious Mind Do homework. Play Xbox. Fight! Get Meat! Conscious MindD Run!

40. Food, Water, Shelter Security and Safety Belonging and Love Esteem Self- Actualization

41. Food, Water, Shelter Security and Safety Belonging and Love Esteem Self- Actualization Do homework. Play Xbox.

42. Food, Water, Shelter Security and Safety Belonging and Love Esteem Self- Actualization Do homework. Play Xbox. Run!

43. Food, Water, Shelter Security and Safety Belonging and Love Esteem Self- Actualization Do homework. Play Xbox. Run! Fear

44. I need to ask a question.

45. I need to ask a question. But I’m going to look dumb!

46. I need to ask a question. I’m going to look dumb! My friends will make fun of me.

47. I need to ask a question. I’m going to look dumb! My friends will make fun of me. Then I won’t have any friends.

48. I need to ask a question. I’m going to look dumb! My friends will make fun of me. Then I won’t have any friends. Then my family won’t want me.

49. I need to ask a question. I’m going to look dumb! My friends will make fun of me. Then I won’t have any friends. Then my family won’t want me. Then they’ll kick me out of the house.

50. I need to ask a question. I’m going to look dumb! My friends will make fun of me. Then I won’t have any friends. Then my family won’t want me. Then they’ll kick me out of the house. Then I’ll be a bum on the street.

51. I need to ask a question. I’m going to look dumb! My friends will make fun of me. Then I won’t have any friends. Then my family won’t want me. Then they’ll kick me out of the house. Then I’ll be a bum on the street. Then I’ll get cold, dirty, and hungry.

52. I need to ask a question. I’m going to look dumb! My friends will make fun of me. Then I won’t have any friends. Then my family won’t want me. Then they’ll kick me out of the house. Then I’ll be a bum on the street. Then I’ll get cold, dirty, and hungry. Then I’ll get sick and weak.

53. I need to ask a question. I’m going to look dumb! My friends will make fun of me. Then I won’t have any friends. Then my family won’t want me. Then they’ll kick me out of the house. Then I’ll be a bum on the street. Then I’ll get cold, dirty, and hungry. Then I’ll get sick and weak. Then I’ll collapse in some dark alley.

54. I need to ask a question. I’m going to look dumb! My friends will make fun of me. Then I won’t have any friends. Then my family won’t want me. Then they’ll kick me out of the house. Then I’ll be a bum on the street. Then I’ll get cold, dirty, and hungry. Then I’ll get sick and weak. Then I’ll collapse in some dark alley. Then I’ll die a horrible, lonely death.

55. I need to ask a question. I’m going to look dumb! My friends will make fun of me. Then I won’t have any friends. Then my family won’t want me. Then they’ll kick me out of the house. Then I’ll be a bum on the street. Then I’ll get cold, dirty, and hungry. Then I’ll get sick and weak. Then I’ll collapse in some dark alley. Then I’ll die a horrible, lonely death. And Then …?

56. I need to ask a question. I’m going to DIE!

57. What I Know What I Don’t Know

58. What I Don’t Know What I Know

60. “ The idea of death, the fear of it, haunts the human animal like nothing else: it is a mainspring of human activity….”

61. What Does This Have to Do with Going to School and Studying?

62. Any time you are feeling You are experiencing some form of the fear of death. Anxious Uncertain Fearful Scared Intimidated 1

63. I need to ask a question. I’m going to DIE!

64. 2 When you recognize that whatever is making you … … probably won’t kill you, you begin to take control. Anxious Uncertain Fearful Scared Intimidated

65. “ Heroism is the first and foremost reflex of the terror of death …”

66. Food, Water, Shelter Security and Safety Belonging and Love Esteem Self- Actualization Fear Denial of Death

67. I need to ask a question…

68. I need to ask a question… and it’s not going to kill me!

70. Dumb questions are some of your best tools!

73. I keep six honest serving men (They taught me all I knew); Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who. Rudyard Kipling

75. Not Knowing Knowing The Bad News: You will go through this cycle over and over for as long as you live.

76. Knowing Not Knowing Knowing Not Knowing Knowing The Good News: It’s a journey, not a closed loop. Not Knowing Not Knowing Knowing

77. Look out the window.

78. The complexity of the universe is beyond expression in any possible notation. Michael Frayn

79. The complexity of the universe is beyond expression in any possible notation. Not even what you see before you can ever be fully expressed. Michael Frayn

80. Now close your eyes.

81. Now close your eyes. Not even what you see now. Michael Frayn

82. Knowing Not Knowing Knowing Not Knowing Knowing Not Knowing Not Knowing Knowing The Good News: You can start that journey anywhere and at any time.

84. “ Our central calling, our main task on this planet, is the heroic.”

85. So How Do You Gain Knowledge?

86. Answer: Be a Super Hero. Ask Dumb Questions!

87. Now Jump!