KONDISI KELAS YANG KONDUSIF

Oleh: Drs. RUSTANA ADHI

JIKA di lingkungan masyarakat, keluarga merupakan komunitas terkecil maka di lingkungan sekolah, kelas merupakan kesatuan sosial sekolah terkecil. Kelas merupakan kumpulan siswa dalam jumlah tertentu di bawah bimbingan ibu atau bapak guru wali kelas. Jumlah siswa setiap kelas, berkisar antara 20 s/d 40 orang. Para siswa akan menetap di kelasnya (berinteraksi dengan teman-teman sekelasnya) paling tidak satu tahun.

Kelas sebagai komunitas sekolah terkecil dapat memengaruhi suasana kelasnya dalam berinteraksi dan kegiatan pembelajaran yang pada gilirannya dapat berpengaruh terhadap suasana dan prestasi belajarnya.

Suasana kelas yang kondusif akan mampu mengantarkan pada prestasi akademik dan non-akademik siswa, maupun kelasnya secara keseluruhan. Kelas yang kondusif di antaranya memiliki ciri-ciri; tenang, dinamis, tertib, suasana saling menghargai, saling mendorong, kreativitas tinggi, persaudaraan yang kuat, saling berinteraksi dengan baik, dan bersaing sehat untuk kemajuan.

Untuk membangun kondisi kelas yang kondusif dan mantap sebenarnya mudah, kalau guru wali kelas dapat mengkondisikannya dengan baik. Sebaliknya akan sulit, jika guru wali kelasnya kurang peduli dengan kondisi kelasnya. Oleh karena itu, terciptanya kondisi kelas yang mantap dan kondusif bagi pembelajaran yang efektif merupakan langkah awal bagi peningkatan prestasi belajar.

Kelas memiliki 3 fungsi atau dimensi, yaitu sebagai keluarga, komunitas ,dan team work. Sebagai sebuah keluarga, kelas merupakan orang-orang yang satu dengan lainnya sebagai saudara di bawah asuhan guru wali kelasnya. Ciri yang ada pada sebuah keluarga yaitu rasa saling menyayangi, menghormati, menghargai, dan melindungi, bisa terbentuk maka suasana kelas akan sangat menyenangkan dan menjadi betah.

Kelas sebagai sebuah komunitas yaitu di dalamnya tempat berkumpul orang-orang (para siswa) yang relatif berinteraksi cukup lama (permanen) 1 tahun. Sebagai sebuah komunitas, ciri yang menonjol adalah adanya model interaksi yang sehat dan norma-norma yang disepakati bersama. Oleh karena itu, para siswa di kelas harus sadar akan adanya norma-norma sosial kelas, baik yang tertulis maupun yang tidak tertulis. Jika hal itu terbentuk maka kondisi kelas akan terkendali, saling toleransi, dan sinergi satu dengan yang lainnya. Ini akan berdampak pada perbaikan suasana dan prestasi belajar.

Sebagai sebuah tim kerja (team work), kelas terdiri dari orang-orang yang masing-masing bergerak dan bekerja untuk menuju visi atau cita-cita . Yang dimaksud dengan visi pribadi adalah cita-cita masa depan, perolehan prestasi akademik, pengembangan diri, dll. Sementara visi kelas adalah kondisi kelas yang kondusif dan mantap, misal kelas yang tertib, indah, disiplin, kompak, saling menghargai, saling men-dukung dll.

Ciri yang menonjol pada kelas sebagai sebuah tim kerja adalah kesadaran akan perlunya ketegaran visi pribadi maupun visi kelasnya. Sebagai contoh, kalau sebuah kelas memiliki visi yang terumuskan dalam motto ”We are the best”, maka setiap indi-vidu yang berada di dalamnya akan mengidentifikasikan dirinya menjadi ”the best”.

Ketiga fungsi dimensi dari suatu kelas tersebut dapat secara bersamaan dibentuk dan dikondisikan sehingga menghasilkan keadaan kelas yang well educated dan well achievement.

Langkah teknis

Selama ini peran dan fungsi kelas belum dioptimalkan, pengelolaan kelas apa adanya. Padahal, kalau siswa sudah tumbuh kesadaran dirinya (self awareness), maka motivasi intristik sebagai energi belajar siswa yang sangat dahsyat akan tum-buh dan befungsi efektif. Kalau siswa belajar dengan dasar motivasi internal yang kuat maka prestasi akan dengan mudah diraih.

Hal yang tidak kalah penting dikondisikan di kelas sebagai sebuah keluarga, komunitas, dan tim kerja adalah prinsip-prinsip belajar yang selama ini dicanangkan oleh UNESCO yaitu bagaimana agar para siswa mampu mengespresikan semangat, bela-jar untuk belajar (learning how to learn), belajar untuk menjadi diri sendiri (learning ho to be), belajar untuk melakukan (learing how to do), dan belajar untuk hidup ber-sama (learning how to life together).

Jika prinsip-prinsip tersebut secara bertahap dan simultan dilaksanakan dengan melalui pendekatan tertentu maka kondisi kelas akan semakin efektif dan kondusif.

Peningkatan mutu pendidikan atau pembelajaran berbasis kelas, berupaya untuk lebih memberdayakan (empowerment) siswa-siswa tidak hanya dipandang sebagai objek dalam pembelajaran tetapi sebagai subjek yang memiliki kesadaran, harapan, keinginan, visi masa depan.

Berikut ini merupakan hasil pengalaman dan pengamatan di lapangan berkenaan dengan langkah-langkah teknis pengkondisian kelas.

Tahap pertama merupakan persiapan, yaitu guru wali kelas menyiapkan konsepnya, prosedur,dll. Tahap kedua, pelaksanaan dari mulai penawaran, pembuatan kesepakatan sesama teman di kelas, terhadap mata pelajaran, pada guru wali kelas, kesiapan diri, motto kelas, dan lain-lain. Tahap ketiga, monitoring program, pembi-naan, dan evaluasi. Melalui tahap-tahap tersebut siswa diajak dalam setiap pengam-bilan keputusan di kelas. Jika siswa merasa terlibat maka akan tumbuh rasa memilikinya (sense of beloging), dengan demikian siswa dengan suka rela mentaati kesepakatan.

Berdasarkan pengamatan di lapangan bahwa 90% keberhasilan pembelajaran adalah disebabkan oleh adanya suasana psikologis yang menyenangkan. Suasana psikologis tersebut dapat diciptakan, dibentuk, dan dikondisikan. Berdasarkan penelitian para ahli bahwa otak kita dapat dengan optimal daya serapnya jika secara psikologis dalam keadaan senang sehingga klep yang ada di otak terbuka. Dalam kondisi tersebut otak dapat bekerja dengan sangat baik.

Sumber: www.purwalodra.com

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KOMPETENSI MENGAJAR

Oleh: Asep Sapaat, S.Pd.

Isu kontroversial tentang standardisasi nilai UAN telah menjadi santapan hangat publik dalam sepekan ini. Semua pihak mempunyai pandangan sendiri berkaitan dengan masalah ini.

Tak terkecuali penulis yang menilai masalah ini sebagai sebuah benturan kebijakan dalam tataran praktis pendidikan, tepatnya kebijakan Kurikulum Berbasis Kompetensi (KBK) yang berorientasi kepada pengembangan kompetensi dan penilaian prestasi siswa secara komprehensif, yang berbenturan dengan SK. Mendiknas yang terkesan hanya menyoroti proses evaluasi terhadap potensi kognitif siswa saja.

Tulisan di atas sengaja penulis sampaikan sebagai sebuah wacana dan dalam kesempatan ini penulis tidak begitu tertarik untuk membahas kontroversi dibalik kebi-jakan Mendiknas, tetapi penulis berusaha mengurai makna penting mengenai ke-mantapan-diri dan kompetensi mengajar yang harus dimiliki guru.

Selama ini guru selalu dikebiri dengan kebijakan-kebijakan yang terkesan spontan, dramatis, dan perlu penyesuaian diri yang sangat cepat. Di sisi lain guru menang-gung beban yang sangat berat dengan banyak agenda untuk menciptakan kualitas lulusan yang kritis, cerdas, terbuka, produktif dan berakhlak mulia seperti yang dia-manatkan oleh berbagai tuntutan, baik dari pemerintah maupun stakeholders pen-didikan lainnya. Yang lebih parah lagi, pengembangan diri dan komnpetensi dalam konteks pelaksanaan tugas profesinya sangat terbatas.

Sebuah asumsi yang didukung oleh suatu penelitian telah menyatakan adanya korelasi yang signifikan antara tingkah laku dosen dengan persepsi mahasiswa terhadap prestasinya (Kozma, Belle, dan Williams, 1978, dalam Jacob, 2002, h.2).

Jadi, pada dasarnya prestasi subjek didik sangat dipengaruhi oleh kompetensi pengajarnya. Dalam konteks ini perlu dipahami dua definisi penting mengenai sebuah kompetensi yang harus dimiliki guru, yaitu:

1. kompetensi guru adalah himpunan pengetahuan, kemampuan, dan keyakinan yang dimiliki seorang guru dan ditampilkan untuk situasi mengajar (Anderson, 1989, dalam Jacob, 2002, h.2);
2. kompetensi mengajar adalah tingkah laku pengajar yang dapat diamati (Cruickshank, 1985, dalam Jacob, 2002, h.2).

Sebuah kenyataan yang tidak dapat dipungkiri lagi bahwa profil kompetensi guru sangat berpengaruh besar terhadap prestasi siswa. Guru yang tidak menguasai bahan ajar, tidak menguasai landasan-landasan kependidikan, tidak menguasai psikologi belajar siswa, dan kompetensi lainnya sudah tidak dapat diandalkan lagi dalam konteks pelaksanaan tugas dan tanggung jawabnya sebagai seorang yang profesional.

Masalah masih terus berlanjut ketika guru harus menterjemahkan setiap kebijakan yang muncul di luar dugaan. Konsep KBK menuntut guru mesti bersifat fleksibel dan mengubah paradigma pembelajaran yang selama ini sudah mengakar. Selanjutnya disusul oleh kebijakan Mendiknas tentang standardisasi nilai UAN yang mesti mengu-ras pikiran guru dalam membuat strategi pembelajaran baru untuk menyelamatkan siswanya dari bencana ketidaklulusan. Seberapa siapkah guru menghadapi ken-yataan ini?

Sungguh berat memang apa yang menimpa guru kita untuk saat ini. Keluh kesah apalagi sikap apatis terhadap setiap perubahan kebijakan tidak akan memberikan pengaruh yang positif dalam menunaikan tugas mulianya. Kemantapan diri, dua kata yang sengaja penulis undang untuk hadir dalam tulisan ini. Bandura (1986) telah memberikan batasan definisi untuk kemantapan-diri, yaitu suatu keputusan dari salah satu kemampuan untuk melakukan suatu tugas dalam suatu domain khusus.

Studi yang dilakukan oleh Poole, Okeafor, dan Sloan (1989) dan Smylie (1988) (dalam Jacob, 2002, h.3) telah menemukan bahwa guru dengan kemantapan-diri tinggi lebih memungkinkan untuk menggunakan materi kurikulum baru dan untuk mengubah strategi pembelajaran dibandingkan dengan guru berkemantapan-diri rendah. Jelasnya, dunia pendidikan kita sangat merindukan hadirnya guru berke-mantapan-diri tinggi yang selalu terpacu dalam mengembangkan kompetensi men-gajarnya untuk kepentingan pengembangan kompetensi siswa yang diharapkan dapat berkontribusi terhadap pembangunan bangsa.

Saat ini guru sudah tidak memiliki waktu lagi untuk sekedar berdiam diri dalam menyikapi setiap perubahan cepat yang terjadi di dunia pendidikan. Dengan segala keterbatasan yang ada, penulis melihat ada 4 hal penting yang dapat diusahakan oleh guru untuk membangun kemantapan-diri sekaligus mengembangkan kompetensi diri dan kompetensi mengajarnya, di antaranya:

1. membangun kemantapan-diri daripada mereduksi ekspektasi dengan terus melakukan regulasi diri yang relevan dengan pengembangan profesinya;
2. mengikuti kegiatan-kegiatan ilmiah (seminar, lokakarya, diskusi ilmiah, dsb) secara berkesinambungan dalam merespon secara aktif setiap isu-isu terbaru yang berkembang di dunia pendidikan;
3. mempelajari hasil-hasil penelitian dari berbagai literatur tentang kompetensi mengajarnya yang berhubungan dengan prestasi subjek didik;
4. sebagai hasil dari analisis tugas mengajar pada tingkat dan kurikulum yang berbeda.

Sungguh guru tidak memiliki banyak pilihan lagi untuk bersikap dalam situasi sekarang ini, kecuali terus berpacu meningkatkan kualitas personalnya. Pastikan karya terbaik Anda dapat mengubah pendidikan Indonesia menjadi lebih baik. Namun, bagaimana kalau pembuat kebijakan dan stakeholders pendidikan lainnya bersikap acuh tak acuh? Sudah dapat dipastikan badai pendidikan Indonesia takkan pasti berlalu.

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MENGAJAR APA ATAU SIAPA ?

Oleh: Anita Lie
Dosen FKIP Widya Mandala, Surabaya; Anggota Komunitas Indonesia untuk Demokrasi

Saat ini guru-guru yang beruntung sedang berlomba-lomba mengumpulkan portofolio. Hal itu dilakukan untuk memperoleh sertifikasi demi perolehan tunjangan profesi dan fungsional.

Berbagai ekses—keikutsertaan dalam program pelatihan hanya demi sertifikat, manipulasi berkas, dan kolusi antara pemilik portofolio dan penilai amat menodai profesi guru, bahkan melemparkan guru pada titik nadir dalam perjalanan profesinya.

Dalam refleksi menyambut Hari Guru, profil Ny Liem Khing Nio (89) dan Dibyohadiatmodjo (88), guru pada zaman Belanda, zaman Jepang, dan zaman Kemerdekaan yang ditulis dalam Pendidikan Manusia Indonesia, Tonny D Widiastono (editor) memberi contoh sosok guru yang pantang menyerah, tulus, ikhlas, terus berkarya dan berprestasi hebat.

Kedua sosok guru ini mengajar dan mendidik, sebagai bagian perjalanan dan panggilan hidup. Mereka memaknai tiap tindakan dan ucapan sebagai bagian perjalanan panjang untuk melayani anak manusia dalam sejarah peradaban. Para guru ini senantiasa bersinar di tengah gambaran suram dunia guru saat ini.

Perjalanan spiritual

Dalam bukunya, The Courage to Teach, Parker Palmer (2003) mengatakan, menjadi guru bukan sekadar melakukan pekerjaan biasa, tetapi juga memenuhi panggilan hati dan melakukan perjalanan spiritual. Palmer juga berpendapat, dalam perjalanan profesinya, seorang guru terus mengaitkan tiga hal, yakni diri sendiri dengan anak didik dan bidang pengetahuan/keterampilan yang diampunya.

Yang pertama, proses penemuan diri seorang guru dalam perjalanan panggilannya adalah proses penemuan dan pengukuhan identitas serta integritas. Setiap guru seharusnya menggali diri sendiri, menemukan identitasnya sendiri, dan mengembangkan gaya serta metode dan teknik mengajar yang sesuai dengan diri sendiri untuk menyinarkan aura terbaiknya yang bisa menerangi peserta didik.

Penemuan dan kesadaran diri ini akan menjadi modal bagi guru untuk mempertahankan integritasnya dan menjadi dirinya sendiri secara utuh, sesuai harkat kemanusiaannya.

Sayang, dalam realitas perjalanan profesi guru, ada banyak hambatan termasuk dari budaya, birokrasi, dan sistem pendidikan itu sendiri yang menghalangi panggilan guru untuk mempertahankan identitas dan integritasnya. Seharusnya berperan sebagai aktor dalam proses pembudayaan, transformasi nilai-nilai, dan rekonstruksi masyarakat, sebagian guru malah melakukan pelanggaran etika sebagai pendidik dengan memberi les privat bagi peserta didik, bahkan membocorkan soal-soal ulangannya sendiri, memfasilitasi kecurangan dalam pelaksanaan ujian nasional, ikut menjual buku-buku ajar dari penerbit yang memberi komisi memuaskan, atau ikut terlibat sebagai saksi yang menutup mulut atas beberapa tindakan manipulasi dan korupsi oleh birokrasi pendidikan atau pengelola sekolah.

Dua hal berikut yang terkait perjalanan seorang guru adalah anak didik dan mata pelajaran yang diampu. Satu pertanyaan yang bisa diajukan kepada para guru adalah, "Apakah Anda mengajar Bahasa Inggris/Matematika/IPS/IPA atau apakah Anda mengajar anak?"

Jawaban langsung (tanpa refleksi) kebanyakan guru adalah "Saya mengajar keduanya." Jawaban ini tampak sederhana dan benar. Namun, refleksi lebih dalam atas praksis pengajaran menunjukkan, mengajar keduanya tidak selalu (bisa) dilakukan. Dalam tingkat kebijakan dan praksis pendidikan formal, ada konsensus, semakin tinggi jenjang pendidikan, semakin besar kecenderungan mengajar bidang disiplin dari peserta didik.

Guru taman kanak-kanak dan sekolah dasar dianggap lebih generalis dan lebih memahami psikologi anak dibandingkan dengan guru-guru sekolah menengah dan perguruan tinggi yang lebih spesialis.

Identitas dan integritas guru

Dalam praksis pendidikan formal, biasanya guru pada jenjang lebih tinggi mendapat penghargaan, baik materi maupun prestise, lebih tinggi daripada guru TK dan SD. Banyak pengelola sekolah memberi gaji lebih besar kepada guru SMP dan SMA dari-pada kepada guru TK dan SD. Sikap ini dilandasi asumsi, apa yang diajarkan lebih penting daripada siapa yang diajar. Padahal, pendidikan dasar memberi landasan bukan hanya bagi pembentukan karakter, tetapi juga pengembangan kapasitas in-telektual dan keterampilan seorang anak.

Pemilihan mata pelajaran yang diampu, bisa dilakukan sebelum atau dalam masa jabatan, seharusnya dilakukan dalam kesadaran dan keterkaitan dengan identitas dan integritas setiap guru.

Dalam menjalankan profesinya, ada proses penyatuan diri dengan bidang yang diampu. The messenger is the message. Salah satu indikator proses penyatuan diri dengan bidang ini adalah kecintaan terhadap apa yang diajarkan, termasuk kaidah-kaidah dalam disiplin ilmu. Juga keyakinan, apa yang diajarkan akan membawa perubahan dan kebaikan dalam kehidupan peserta didik sebagaimana pengetahuan, keterampilan, dan nilai yang terkandung dalam bidang yang diampu membawa ke-baikan bagi sang guru.

Selanjutnya, untuk mengajar keduanya, mata pelajaran dan peserta didik, seorang guru tidak berhenti hanya pada peran sebagai the messenger who delivers the message. Identitas dan integritas seorang guru memungkinkan untuk menyapa tiap pribadi peserta didik, menyentuh hati, dan membebaskan untuk menemukan guru dari dalam diri sendiri.

Parker Palmer menyebut the teacher within. Implikasi pemahaman ini adalah seorang guru sejati dipanggil untuk membebaskan peserta didik bukan hanya dari ketidaktahuan, tetapi juga membebaskan peserta didik dari ketergantungan kepada guru. Seorang guru dipanggil untuk membebaskan peserta didik dari ketidaksadaran bahwa sebenarnya peserta didik mempunyai guru sendiri, yakni yang ada di dalam diri sendiri, yang terus membimbing dan memimpin sepanjang hayat.

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BRAIN BASED LEARNING

Oleh: Asep Sapaat - Trainer Makmal Pendidikan

”Duduk diam di tempat terbatas adalah salah satu hukuman yang paling berat yang dapat dijatuhkan kepada manusia. Namun inilah yang sering kita lakukan kepada siswa kita di kelas” (Edward T. Hall)

Keistimewaaan terhebat manusia jika dibandingkan dengan makhluk lainnya terletak pada kemampuan berpikirnya sebagai manusia berbudaya. Namun alangkah ma-langnya ketika potensi otak kita sebagai modalitas utama untuk berpikir tidak diber-dayakan secara optimal. Bahkan sekolah yang idealnya diharapkan berperan sebagai komunitas untuk memberdayakan kemampuan berpikir siswa pun kadang kurang memperhatikan fakta pentingnya penggunaan otak dalam proses pembelajaran.

Pada tahun 1970, Paul McClean mulai memperkenalkan konsep Triune Theory yang mengacu pada proses evolusi tiga bagian otak manusia. Dalam hipotesisnya, McClean menyatakan bahwa otak manusia terdiri dari tiga bagian penting— otak be-sar (neokorteks), otak tengah (sistem limbik), dan otak kecil (otak reptil)—dengan fungsi masing-masing yang khas dan unik.

Otak besar (neokorteks) memiliki fungsi utama untuk berbahasa, berpikir, belajar, memecahkan masalah, merencanakan, dan mencipta. Kemudian, otak tengah (sis-tem limbik) berfungsi untuk interaksi sosial, emosional, dan ingatan jangka panjang. Otak kecil (otak reptil) sendiri menjalani fungsi untuk bereaksi, naluriah, mengulang, mempertahankan diri, dan ritualis.

Triune Theory merupakan sebuah temuan penting yang harus direspons secara posi-tif oleh dunia pendidikan, terutama dalam kaitannya untuk mengembangkan sebuah strategi pembelajaran yang berbasis otak dan memberdayakan seluruh potensi diri siswa. Kecenderungan umum yang hadir di ruang kelas sekolah kita adalah terjad-inya pembelajaran tradisional yang relatif hanya memfungsikan otak kecil semata, di mana proses pembelajaran yang terjadi bersifat teacher centered dengan menjadi-kan siswa sebagai objek pembelajaran dengan aktivitas utamanya untuk menghafal materi pelajaran, mengerjakan tugas dari guru, menerima hukuman jika melakukan kesalahan, dan kurang mendapatkan penghargaan terhadap hasil kerjanya.

Situasi pembelajaran seperti ini jika terus dipertahankan akan membawa dampak yang buruk bagi siswa, di mana kondisi ini akan memunculkan sikap kegagalan dan mempertahankan diri. Siswa akan merasa apa yang mereka kerjakan bukan meru-pakan apa yang mereka inginkan. Jika terjadi sesuatu di luar keinginan siswa, maka dia akan berusaha untuk berbohong atau menutupi apa yang mereka rasakan dan alami dalam kegiatan pembelajaran. Kondisi ini jelas merupakan sebuah hal yang kontraproduktif terhadap terciptanya kegiatan pembelajaran yang bermakna bagi siswa.

Brain based learning menawarkan sebuah konsep untuk menciptakan pembelajaran dengan berorientasi pada upaya pemberdayaan potensi otak siswa. Tiga strategi utama yang dapat dikembangkan dalam implementasi brain based learning.

Pertama, menciptakan lingkungan belajar yang menantang kemampuan berpikir siswa. Dalam setiap kegiatan pembelajaran, sering-seringlah guru memberikan soal-soal materi pelajaran yang memfasilitasi kemampuan berpikir siswa dari mulai tahap pengetahuan (knowledge) sampai tahap evaluasi menurut tahapan berpikir ber-dasarkan Taxonomy Bloom. Soal-soal pelajaran dikemas seatraktif dan semenarik mungkin—misal, melalui teka-teki, simulasi games, dsb—agar siswa dapat terbiasa untuk mengembangkan kemampuan berpikirnya dalam konteks pemberdayaan po-tensi otak siswa.

Kedua, menciptakan lingkungan pembelajaran yang menyenangkan. Hindarilah situasi pembelajaran yang membuat siswa merasa tidak nyaman dan tidak senang terlibat di dalamnya. Lakukan pembelajaran di luar kelas pada saat-saat tertentu, iringi kegiatan pembelajaran dengan musik yang didesain secara tepat sesuai kebu-tuhan di kelas, lakukan kegiatan pembelajaran dengan diskusi kelompok yang disel-ingi dengan permainan-permainan menarik, dan upaya-upaya lainnya yang mengeliminasi rasa tidak nyaman pada diri siswa. Howard Gardner—dalam Buku Quantum Learning karya De Porter, Bobbi, & Mike Hernacki—menyatakan bahwa se-seorang akan belajar dengan segenap kemampuan apabila dia menyukai apa yang dia pelajari dan dia akan merasa senang terlibat di dalamnya.

Ketiga, menciptakan situasi pembelajaran yang aktif dan bermakna bagi siswa (ac-tive learning). Siswa sebagai pembelajar dirangsang melalui kegiatan pembelajaran untuk dapat membangun pengetahuan mereka melalui proses belajar aktif yang mereka lakukan sendiri. Bangun situasi pembelajaran yang memungkinkan seluruh anggota badan siswa beraktivitas secara optimal, misal mata siswa digunakan untuk membaca dan mengamati, tangan siswa bergerak untuk menulis, kaki siswa ber-gerak untuk mengikuti permainan dalam pembelajaran, mulut siswa aktif bertanya dan berdiskusi, dan aktivitas produktif anggota badan lainnya. Merujuk pada konsep konstruktivisme pendidikan, keberhasilan belajar siswa ditentukan oleh seberapa mampu mereka membangun pengetahuan dan pemahaman tentang suatu materi pelajaran berdasarkan pengalaman belajar yang mereka alami sendiri.

Pembelajaran merupakan proses sederhana yang harus mereka lakukan dan alami sendiri untuk membangun pengetahuan dan kebermaknaan belajar yang kelak akan mereka dapatkan. Apakah mungkin brain based learning dapat dipraktikkan dan dikembangkan di ruang kelas sekolah kita? Kemauan dan kemampuan guru untuk mereformasi pengembangan-pengembangan baru dunia pendidikan di tataran prak-tis adalah kunci sukses meningkatnya kualitas pembelajaran melalui brain based learning. Tanpa itu semua, mimpi kali yee…

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WORK, FOR WHAT AND WHO FOR?

BEKERJA UNTUK APA DAN UNTUK SIAPA ?

Oleh. Purwalodra

Hari ini saya tidak masuk kerja seperti biasanya, seperti kemaren-kemaren, ber-angkat pagi-pagi dan pulang menjelang Maghrib. Selesai mengantar anak-anak ke sekolah, beres-beres rumah, kemudian saya dengan kepuasan tidak terba-yangkan mengencani laptop sendirian. Sementara istri saya, mengantar dan menunggui anak bontotku di Taman kanak-kanak.

Sering sekali, saya merindukan saat-saat seperti ini, hanya sekedar untuk melampiaskan ketidakpuasan saya di kantor, tempat saya bekerja. Saat-saat sepi, saat-saat dimana saya mampu bercengkerama dengan jiwa dan diri saya sendiri. Meskipun dengan seribu satu alasan untuk meninggalkan kantor yang penuh tekanan dan intrik office politic. Saya yakin, bukan saya saja yang men-galami hal seperti ini. Terlihat dari perilaku teman-teman sekantor yang merasa tenang dan nyaman berada di kantin ketika jam-jam istirahat.

Dalam hati kecil saya selalu bertanya, apakah ini kharater dunia kerja ?. Kondis-inya selalu diliputi dengan banyak tekanan, ketidakpuasan dan keluh-kesah lain-nya ?. Atasan tidak puas dengan pekerjaan bawahan, dan bawahan tidak puas dengan sikap atasannya. Semua saling menyalahkan, semua sama-sama men-cari kambing-hitam alias mencari siapa yang dipersalahkan. Yang menjadi ata-san, bersikap angkuh, tidak menghargai bawahannya. Sementara, yang menjadi bawahan, bersikap keras kepala, tidak menghormati teman sejawat dan setiap hari ada saja yang menjadi korban dari ucapan manisnya dengan tujuan menjilat atasannya.

Sering pula saya berfikir, saya ini bekerja untuk apa ?. Kalau saja saya bekerja hanya hanya untuk nafkah keluarga, betapa menderitanya saya. Uang yang saya peroleh untuk keluarga dari menenggelamkan diri dalam kubangan ketidakpua-san sama saja dengan merusak fikiran dan mengotori jiwa. Sehingga apa yang saya lakukan tidak memiliki nilai ke-ikhlasan. Lalu saya bekerja untuk siapa ?. Ya, kalau saja saya bekerja untuk atasan saya yang cerewet itu, yang mere-mehkan pekerjaan bawahannya itu, apakah saya bekerja untuknya ?. Oh, mungkin saya bekerja untuk perusahaan ?. Tetapi, kalaupun saya bekerja untuk perusahaan, mengapa juga visi, misi dan etika perusahaan sengaja tidak di-jalankan oleh pimpinan perusahaan ?.

Ketika fikiran saya mentog mencari legitimasi, untuk apa dan siapa saya bekerja, maka saya tidak lagi mau berfikir keluar dari diri saya sendiri. Saya berketetapan hati bahwa saya bekerja untuk diri saya sendiri, dan saya bekerja untuk pertumbuhan potensi yang saya miliki, apapun kondisi dan situasi yang ada diluar diri saya. Dengan demikian, saya mampu mengekspresikan dengan sepenuh fikiran dan jiwa saya, untuk menyelesaikan tugas-tugas sesuai job de-scription yang ada. Saya tidak lagi membutuhkan pujian, perhatian dari orang lain, termasuk atasan saya. Saya hanya bekerja untuk diri saya sendiri dan po-tensi yang saya miliki, titik.

Dengan berfikir demikian, kok carut marut dunia kerja seketika menghilang. Saya menjadi lebih tenang bekerja, tidak ada perasaan kuatir, takut, apalagi ketidakpuasan. Apapun yang orang lain katakan tentang hasil kerja saya, ‘EGP’ aja gitu lhoo. Kalau saja saya boleh berteori, mungkin bisa saya deskripsikan begini, bahwa motivasi merupakan suatu kekuatan yang mendorong seseorang untuk melakukan suatu pekerjaan. Sedangkan motif bersifat potensial, yang ak-tualisasinya dinamakan motivasi. Motivasi pada umumnya diwujudkan dalam bentuk perbuatan nyata secara fisik. Jelas, bahwa orang yang memiliki motivasi tinggi bisa mempengaruhi prestasi seseorang dalam melakukan suatu pekerjaan tertentu. Seseorang yang memiliki motivasi kerja yang tinggi, mereka akan ter-dorong dan berusaha untuk meningkatkan kemampuannya dalam merencana-kan, melaksanakan, dan mengevaluasi pekerjaannya. Beberapa faktor yang da-pat menimbulkan motivasi bekerja seseorang di lingkungan kerjanya, antara lain :

a. Kebutuhannya

Seseorang dalam melaksanakan pekerjaan, didorong oleh keinginan-keinginan yang ada pada dirinya. Keinginan-keinginan tersebut merupakan penjelmaan dari kebutuhan manusia dalam rangka melangsungkan hidupnya. Maslow dalam Nasution mengemukakan lima kebutuhan manusia dalam suatu hirarki, yaitu ke-butuhan psiologis, kebutuhan keamanan, kebutuhan cinta kasih, dan kebutuhan aktualisasi diri. Sementara, Mc Clelland menyebutkan ada tiga kebutuhan yang mempengaruhi manusia untuk bekerja, yaitu kebutuhan kekuasaan, kebutuhan afiliasi, dan kebutuhan berprestasi. Jadi, dari definisi ini, kebutuhanlah yang mendorong seseorang melakukan aktivitas. Sehingga tidak salah jika seseorang bekerja karena uang, karena perusahaan ataupun karena atasannya. Lagi-lagi, kalau ketiga hal tersebut menjadi tujuan dan menjadi harapannya, maka ber-siap-siaplah untuk kecewa.

b. Tanggung Jawabnya

Tanggungjawab terhadap tugas yang tertuang dalam job description, adalah salah satu dari penggerak seseorang untuk bekerja. Biasanya tanggungjawab ini disertai dengan wewenang, namun banyak juga sih, perusahaan yang melim-pahkan tanggungjawab tanpa diiringi dengan pelimpahan wewenang. perusa-haan seperti ini biasanya menganut sistem otoriter atau pimpinannya takut kehi-langan wewenang, sehingga melimpahkan tanggungjawab kepada karyawannya tanpa memberikan wewenang sedikitpun.

Sebagai konsekuensi atas tanggungjawab yang diemban oleh seorang karyawan, maka seorang akan mempunyai sejumlah tugas yang mau tidak mau, suka tidak suka, harus dilakukan sesuai posisinya. Beban tugas ini berkaitan dengan kuan-titas dan kualitas tugas yang diberikannya. Dengan demikian, berat ringannya beban tugas yang ada pada seseorang karyawan akan mempengaruhi usaha-usahanya dalam bekerja sesuai kemampuannya.

Dengan tanggung jawab ini, karyawan akan memiliki kebebasan untuk memu-tuskan sendiri bagaimana menyelesaikan pekerjaannya, yang diberikan kepadanya. Pemberian tanggung jawab secara individual kepada karyawan ini memungkinkan kesempatan kepada karyawan untuk mengoptimalkan segenap potensi yang dimilikinya dalam bekerja. Tanggung jawab ini dapat diartikan se-bagai suatu tuntutan yang ada dalam diri seseorang untuk melaksanakan tugas yang menjadi kewajibannya. Perlu diwaspadai, bahwa ketika tanggungjawab ini tidak diiringi dengan reward (imbalan) yang mampu memberikan seseorang kepuasan, maka tanggungjawab ini akan mudah ditinggalkan alias tidak dilak-sanakan sesuai job description yang ditetapkan.

c. Minat Terhadap Sesuatu yang Dikerjakan.

Faktor berikutnya yang dapat menimbulkan motivasi bekerja seseorang di ling-kungan kerjanya, yaitu minat terhadap apa yang dilakukannya. Minat (interest) adalah dorongan seseorang untuk melakukan pekerjaan dengan memilih sesuatu yang disukai, atau tidak memilih yang tidak disukai. Objek minat ini dapat berupa materi dan benda lainnya, kegiatan, jabatan, atasan, perusahaan atau pekerjaan. Sedangkan minat ini diekspresikan dengan perasaan suka atau tidak suka terhadap objek tersebut.

Menurut Sukartini, untuk mengetahui minat seseorang terhadap sesuatu objek, dapat diketahui dengan memperhatikan apa yang ia tanyakan, apa yang ia bicarakan pada waktu-waktu tertentu, apa yang ia baca, dan apa yang ia gambar atau lukis secara spontan. Oleh karena itu, minat seorang karyawan terhadap tugasnya dapat dilihat dari kerajinan dalam bekerja, mendalami tugas yang diberikan, dan menerima tugas-tugas dengan perasaan senang.

Dengan kata lain, orang yang memiliki minat ini biasanya melakukan sesuatu yang dia sukai saja, kemudian menyukai apa yang dia lakukannya. Minat ini muncul karena pengaruh dari dalam diri atau dan luar diri seseorang. Seseorang yang memiliki minat yang tinggi, akan melakukan pekerjaannya sepenuh fikiran dan jiwanya, sehingga hasil kerjanya akan menuai prestasi yang diharapkan.

d. Penghargaan Terhadap Pekerjaan

Penghargaan terhadap pekerjaan ini menjadi faktor berikutnya, yang dapat men-imbulkan motivasi bekerja seseorang di lingkungan kerjanya. Penghargaan atas suatu posisi tugas atau keberhasilan seseorang dalam menyelesaikan pekerjaan merupakan salah satu motivator yang mendorong seseorang bekerja lebih baik. Hadari Nawawi mengatakan bahwa penghargaan, penghormatan, pengakuan, serta perlakuan terhadap karyawan sebagai subyek atau manusia yang memiliki kehendak, pikiran, perasaan dan lain-lain sangat besar pengaruhnya temadap moral kerja mereka.

Adanya penghargaan terhadap tugas atau pekerjaan, dapat menyebabkan munculnya rasa cinta dan bangga terhadap tugas-tugas yang diberikan. Rasa cinta dan bangga yang dimilikinya itu, memungkinkan yang bersangkutan dapat melaksanakan tugasnya dengan penuh kesungguhan dan tanggung jawab. Seperti yang dikatakan oleh Wiranto Arismunandar dalam Mimbar Pendidikan "Suatu profesi yang tidak memiliki kebanggaan sukar berkembang. Orang harus menyenangi pekerjaannya. Buat apa seseorang bekerja atau melakukan kegiatan kalau dia sendiri tidak menyenangi pekerjaan atau kegiatan itu".

Kesimpulan

Secara teoritis, faktor-faktor yang menimbulkan motivasi kerja seseorang, baik karyawan maupun profesional lainnya, untuk mencapai apa yang diinginkan, dibutuhkan, dan dicita-citakan, antara lain orang tersebut harus memiliki tanggung jawab, memiliki minat yang tinggi terhadap pekerjaan tersebut, dan menghargai pekerjaannya. Jadi untuk apa dan untuk siapa seseorang bekerja atau melakukan kegiatan ?. Jawaban saya adalah, untuk diri saya sendiri dan pertumbuhan potensi yang saya miliki.

Bekasi, 28 April 2009.

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STREET AND ROAD MIND SOUL

JALAN FIKIRAN DAN JALAN JIWA
Oleh. Purwalodra

Pembuktian adanya jalan fikiran dan jalan jiwa memang tidak semudah menetapkan jalan lurus atau berbelok. Metode pembuktiannya memerlukan pengalaman, penge-tahuan dan bersinerginya lima indra yang kita miliki. Ketika kita menggunakan akal dari fikiran kita untuk memilih, maka fikiran kita selalu merujuk kepada pengalaman, pengetahuan dan semua indra kita. Namun, banyaknya pengalaman hidup kita mengharuskan kita bertindak dan melakukan seuatu tanpa pengalaman, tanpa pen-getahuan dan tanpa bekerjanya kelima indra kita, sehingga tindakan untuk men-gambil keputusan hanya mengandalkan keyakinan semata.

Sebagai contoh, sekarang ini banyak para caleg mengalami depresi mental yang be-rat, bahkan yang saya ketahui ada caleg yang sampai berani bunuh diri segala. Dari kasus para caleg inilah saya terusik untuk menjlentrehkan sedikit tentang apa itu jalan fikiran dan apa sih jalan jiwa, agar kita-kita yang belum sempat depresi ini bisa memilih mana jalan yang terbaik untuk kita lalui, dalam rangka menjalani hidup yang cuma sebentar ini.

Seperti yang telah saya katakan pada tulisan-tulisan saya sebelumnya, bahwa ke-yakinan tanpa dibumbui pengalaman, pengetahuan dan bersinerginya panca indra merupakan keyakinan yang lemah. Tetapi keyakinan yang berdasar kepada pen-galaman, pengetahuan dan panca indera merupakan keyakinan yang sempurna. Dengan demikian, keyakinan manusia yang baik adalah keyakinan yang berdasarkan kepada pengalamannya, pengetahuannya dan panca inderanya. Makanya wajar-wajar aja, kalau sekolah atau pendidikan adalah sarana untuk membangun pen-galaman, pengetahuan dan wadah untuk mengasah panca indera kita, demi lahirnya keyakinan yang kuat, ya paling tidak, keyakinan untuk mendapatkan pekerjaan yang baik sesuai keinginannya, dan pada akhirnya adalah keyakinan untuk menjadi manu-sia Indonesia seutuhnya.

Apabila pengalaman, pengetahuan dan indra-indra seseorang tidak mampu mem-bangun keyakinan, maka orang tersebut dikatakan sebagai orang yang tidak percaya diri. Orang-orang yang tidak percaya diri adalah orang yang paling lemah di dunia, karena apa yang diniatkan, diinginkan dan dicita-citakan akan sulit terwujud. Lain halnya, jika seseorang yang memiliki kepercayaan diri tinggi, ia akan mampu me-rubah sesuatu yang tidak mungkin menjadi mungkin, ia akan mampu menciptakan sesuatu yang belum ada menjadi ada, dan banyak lagi yang lainnya. Namun, tidak kecil tantangan yang dihadapi oleh orang-orang yang memiliki kepercayaan tinggi, tantangan yang paling berat adalah dirinya sendiri. Mampukah seseorang konsisten dengan keyakinannya tersebut ? sementara orang-orang yang tidak percaya diri menghalang-halanginya agar keyakinannya hancur.

Menurut pengalaman, seseorang yang memiliki keyakinan tinggi, jarang sekali mem-bicarakan keyakinannya terhadap keinginan, rencana, dan cita-citanya, kepada orang lain. Karena kepercayaan diri untuk menjalani hidup yang belum diketahui (baca diyakini) adalah misteri yang paling indah di dunia ini. Jika apa yang kita laku-kan sudah diketahui ending-nya, maka apa yang kita lakukan itu hanya bernilai ru-tinitas belaka. Makanya banyak orang-orang bijak melakukan pekerjaan tanpa ke-pentingan apapun, tanpa berharap hasil secara material (baca financial) apapun. Se-hingga apa yang dilakukannya akan bernilai ikhlas, dan apa yang dihasilkannya bernilai keberserahan kepada Allah Swt.

Dari uraian singkat diatas, saya bisa menarik benang merah terhadap judul yang te-lah saya tentapkan, bahwa ketika kita mempercayai sesuatu yang belum kita ketahui namun terus kita ikhtiarkan maka kita telah menempuh jalan jiwa. Dan ketika kita mempercayai dan melakukan sesuatu yang sudah kita ketahui (dalam fikiran), maka ini yang saya sebut sebagai jalan fikiran.

Jalan fikiran dan jalan jiwa, menurut saya adalah sama-sama baik, namun kekuatan jalan fikiran lebih rendah daripada jalan jiwa. Kemampuan untuk mewujudkan keinginan menjadi wujud yang fisik lebih kuat dengan jalan jiwa. Para ahli psikologi, kesadaran menggunakan jalan fikiran hanya memiliki kekuatan 12 % saja, semen-tara kekuatan untuk menggunakan jalan jiwa dalam merealisasikan keinginan, ke-kuatannya mencapai 88 %. Lalu bagaimana kita bisa mengatakan bahwa jalan yang kita lalui itu jalan fikiran dan bagaimana pula kita mengatakan bahwa jalan yang kita gunakan adalah jalan jiwa ?

Untuk mengetahui mana jalan fikiran dan mana jalan jiwa, sangatlah sederhana. Ketika kita melakukan pekerjaan atau menginginkan sesuatu untuk terwujud dalam hidup kita, adakah kepentingan dan harapan kepada pekerjaan dan keinginan kita, di sana ?, kalau masih ada maka jalan yang kita lalui adalah jalan fikiran. Kemudian, ketika kita melakukan pekerjaan atau menghendaki sesuatu hadir dalam hidup kita, tanpa kepentingan dan harapan apapun, kecuali keberserahan kepada Allah Swt, dan bisa tetap fokus dalam menyelesaikan pekerjaan yang kita lakukan, maka inilah yang saya sebut sebagai jalan jiwa.

Jadi kata kunci untuk mengetahui mana jalan jiwa dan mana jalan fikiran terletak kepada nilai-nilai keikhlasannya dan keberserahannya. Lalu, apa konsekwensi dari penggunaan kedua jalan tersebut ?. Mudah saja, konsekwensi ketika kita meng-gunakan jalan fikiran adalah depresi, pada saat kepentingan dan harapannya tidak kesampaian. Namun penggunaan jalan jiwa tidak memiliki konsekwensi apapun, se-lain terciptanya realitas hidup yang damai dan wujud keinginan secara fisik.

Nah, kalau sekarang ini kita menyaksikan banyak sekali caleg mengalami depresi, gara-gara perolehan suaranya tidak menenuhi target satu kursi, bisa kita pastikan bahwa mereka hanya menggunakan jalan fikiran saja, tidak menggunakan jalan jiwa. Tapi buat para caleg yang depresi pun tidak perlu kuatir kok, karena sebentar lagi KPU mau membentuk Lembaga Trauma Nasional (LTN) untuk menampung dan memberikan konsultasi cuma-cuma kepada para caleg yang mengalami depresi mental tersebut.

Bekasi, 23 April 2009.

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A HEALING VISION...The Spiritual Stress Management Model for Mind Body SOUL-SPIRIT

MIND BODY SOUL SPIRIT
The New Stress Management
Model: Your 360° Spiritual Blueprint
What does "doing a 360°" mean? (three-sixty)

A HEALING VISION...The Spiritual Stress Management Model for Mind Body SOUL-SPIRIT

It means turning your life around--completely! It means going full-circle, creating conscious choices and living a deliberate life. With powerful Divine Intervention I coined the circular, contemporary phrase in 2006. You see, I "did a 360°" and com-pletely changed my life to follow Soul-Spirit's purpose or blueprint (which is helping, guiding and advising good people like you with a unique spiritual growth develop-ment process).

...and if I can do it...you can, too! It means getting your act together--totally!
Every journey begins with one step...

Essentially "doing a 360°" is a healing vision: waking up to see life from an enlight-ened all-encompassing view in the present moment. Can you imagine standing on top of the highest mountain...and seeing everything from three hundred and sixty degrees? 360° is spherical, not linear. That means we see everything "as it is." Noth-ing is left out: MIND BODY SOUL-SPIRIT. We are awakened to our pure, intrinsic true nature. We see the entire divine matrix (mandala) of all existence, realizing our creative participatory role in and of it.

THE BUZZ IS OUT!

The metaphorical message of "Doing a 360°" is hip...and spreading quickly. Thank God...it's got to! If each one of us turns our life around, then collectively we raise consciousness to uplift humanity, building a quality life for future generations on this lovely planet. That's the new spiritual stress management model for the 21st cen-tury.

If you are in a rut, feeling stuck, bored, frustrated, sick and tired of being sick and tired, rich or poor...it doesn't matter. You must go full-circle. Doing a 360° is a rite of passage. It is the hero's journey. YOU are the hero...you just may not know it yet.

With heartfelt intention to raise our vibration, to be happier, loving and more joyful, we enter the sacred circle of transformation on our path to wholeness. Learn medita-tion methods, the new 360° yoga and so much more.

Every journey begins with one step...

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MIND, SELF, SOUL-SPIRIT AND HAPPINESS FROM AN ISLAMIC PERSPEC-TIVE

By Hassan Ali El-Najjar *

The concepts of mind, self, SOUL, SPIRIT, and happiness are closely related in the Holy Qur’an. This article attempts to increase people’s understanding of these con-cepts, their interconnectedness, and their relevance to Islamic teachings in general.

Importance of the Topic

Scientists of our time have been able to clone animals. This has made it easier on people to believe that the Creator (Praise to Him), the All-Knowledgeable, is capable of resurrecting the human body in the Day of Judgment

The current information revolution has demonstrated that information can be cap-tured in diskettes and disks and transferred through space (from Earth to satellites orbiting our planet, then back to Earth). However, humans have neither been capa-ble of transferring information from the human brain nor to it.

This is God’s sphere so far. He is the Creator of scientists and internet innovators. He is capable of transferring information from our brains at the moment of death to a super “disk” somewhere in His universe until the Day of Judgment. He has not told us how He does that but assured us that we will know a little about it.

These facts also mean that God is capable of cloning the same individual and of transferring the information back to his/her brain, thus resurrecting humans in body and SOUL, at the Day of Judgment.

Happiness, Good, and Evil

Ultimately, believers in God's ability of resurrection would behave in a good way dur-ing their life time on Planet Earth. As a result, they will be rewarded in the this life by living in happiness, and in the hereafter by entering God's Paradise and enjoying life there forever.

Conversely, those who don't want to believe in the Day of Reckoning, don't also be-lieve in accountability. So, they may act in an evil or a bad way during their life time on Planet Earth. As a result, they will be punished by not living in peace and happi-ness in this life and by entering Hell in the hereafter.

An important point in the discussion about the Day of Judgment is that capturing human voice and picture, recording them, and broadcasting them through radio and TV waves have demonstrated that it is possible to record every movement, action, or word a human being does or says while living on Earth.

If humans could do that, then it should be a given that their Creator is more capable of doing it than they are. This constitutes further evidence about the accountability humans are held to by God, who will judge them according to what has been re-corded about them.

The two concepts of good and evil are not left to people to define. Otherwise, they may never agree on what constitutes each one of them.

God's teachings revealed in His messages to guide humanity, as summarized in the Holy Qur'an, include specific definitions and examples of what constitutes good and evil.

These messages were delivered by God’s messengers throughout human history. Some of these messengers were mentioned in the Holy Books, others were not men-tioned.

Among the mentioned prominent messengers of God, we are told about Adam, Nooh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Loot’ (Lot), Is'haq (Isaac), Ya'aqoub (Jacob), Yousuf (Joseph), Moussa (Moses), Hood, Saleh, Elias (Elijah), Elyasa'a, Younus (Jonah), Ay-oub (Jobe), Dawood (David), Sulaiman (Solomon), Zakariyah, Yahya (John), Al-Messieh Issa Bin Mariam (the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary), and Muhammed (Peace and blessings of God be upon all of them).

The message of God to humanity, taught by his messengers, includes commands and recommendations.

While good is what God has wanted humans to do, evil is what He warned them against, telling them to avoid or not to do.

It follows that obedience to God, through doing what He wants people to do, consti-tutes what's good, and leads to happiness. However, disobedience to Him leads to committing evil acts, which causes suffering to offenders and to their victims. [iii]
More direct association between obedience to God and happiness as well as disobe-dience to Him and unhappiness or wretchedness can be found in verses throughout the Holy Qur’an.

The Mind

The mind is the body of knowledge housed in the brain. It includes two main parts. The first is a software which develops inherently with the brain in the womb. It is re-sponsible for the functionality of the body, readiness for learning, and disposition for knowing good and evil, as explained in the self below.

The second part of the mind is accumulated from birth until death, as a result of the interaction with the world. So, the mind actually houses everything a person learns throughout his/her life. However, not all the information accumulated in the mind may be used by a person.

The word mind (aql, عقل) does not appear in the Holy Qur’an as a noun in the singu-lar form. Rather, a derivative of which is used as a verb (aqala عَقَلَ ), meaning to tie, tighten, control, or restrict.

Thus, minding or reasoning means subjecting one’s thinking to known restrictions, rules, laws, and controls in order for one’s behavior to become as educated, safe, wise, and intelligent as possible, as mentioned in many verses of the Holy Qur’an.

The word al-albab ) ألألباب), however, is used in the Holy Qur’an to refer to the “mind” but in the plural form. It has been used in 15 verses, all addressing believers who are intelligent enough to use their “minds.”

Self and Soul

In Surat Al-Ana’am (Chapter 6), Verse 60 of the Holy Qur’an, we are told that Allah (God, praise to Him) knows what we do in the daytime, then we go back to Him in the Day of Judgment, so He tells us what we have done in this life.

In Chapter 6, also, Verse 61, God tells us that when the moment of death comes, God sends angels who are curators or record keepers to end a person’s life on Earth. Nothing will be left out of his/her record. The record will be completed. Thus, death means “wafah” or “completion” of a person’s record during his/her time life on Earth.

Verse 67 of Chapter 6 assures us that every bit of news has a destination where it can be saved or recorded, and prophetically tells us that we will know that this can and will happen.

Part of this prophecy has been fulfilled in our time, as we have been capable of cap-turing the sound and pictures of humans and their environment and of broadcasting them through radio and TV waves throughout terrestrial and extraterrestrial space.

The main idea here is that if humans have been capable of accomplishing that, then it should be a given that Allah Almighty is more capable of doing it and more.
But what exactly are we going to be held accountable for?

The Holy Qur’an tells us that we will be held accountable for all what we say or do with our own free will and choice. This is because God has given humans the free-dom to choose.

The Holy Qur’an is very specific about the contrast between the two choices. In Verses 7 and 8 of Chapter 91, God Almighty says that when He has perfected the creation of humans (by blowing His spirit in them), he has also equipped the human self with the ability to choose to be pious or deviant, following the straight path or going astray from it.

Translators of the Holy Qur’an, including Yusuf Ali, generally use the word “soul” as a translation for the Arabic word nafs (نَفۡسٌ۬). Sociologists use another term, “self,” to refer to the body of knowledge, which is selected from the mind in a developmental process to form a unique identity for a living person.

The word “soul” is more used by religious scholars to refer to a person’s unique iden-tity after death, than during his/her life on earth. Thus, the “soul” is the “self ” after death, which will be held accountable for its performance during life on Earth. It will be resurrected through being transferred back to its cloned body in the Day of Judg-ment, in order to be able to communicate with its Creator, then to be rewarded or punished on the basis of its Earthen performance.

There are hundreds of verses in the Holy Qur’an, which mention the self (“nafs” in Arabic). Some of them refer to the self during its life on Earth and others refer to it in the hereafter.

Spirit

While psychologists, sociologists, and other scientists have been studying the mind and the self (which becomes soul after death), we know very little about the spirit, as the Holy Qur'an tells us.

The word “spirit” is a translation of the Arabic word rooh (روح ), which is mentioned in about 20 verses in the Holy Qur’an.

Humans receive part of God’s spirit when they are still in the womb. An angel comes and blows it in the fetus brain. It is responsible for the functionality of the body or-gans, readiness for learning, and disposition for knowing good and evil, as men-tioned in footnote # 5.

From these 20 verses of the Holy Qur’an, we know that the spirit is a quality of God that He sends to the humans He has created in order to support, strengthen, and give life to them. Thus, humans have some of God’s spirit. The verses also refer to the angel Jibril (Gabriel) as God’s spirit.

Summary and Conclusion

The concepts of mind, self, soul, Spirit, and happiness are closely related in the Holy Qur’an. They are interconnected, in the sense that understanding them individually cannot be complete without understanding how they are related to each other.

As human beings, we are elated over a lot of God’s creations because of our ability to collect, process, and use data in a good way, by choice.

The human body is just an instrument that incubates and sustains the brain, which houses the human mind, from which the self develops and evolves throughout a per-son's lifetime on Earth.

God Almighty starts the process by installing an essential software from His spirit in the human brain. This allows and enables the human self to start a life-long process of data collection, processing, and decision making while having the ability to differ-entiate between good and evil.

When the body is no longer capable of sustaining the self, whether by old age, sick-ness, or accidental injury, then records of the human self are completed by angels.

In the hereafter, the self is going to be judged on the basis of its performance on Earth. If it is obedient to God in its behavior, it will be living in happiness in this life and in the hereafter. But, if the human self is disobedient to God, it suffers in its Earthen life and in the hereafter.

To sum up, goodness is obedience to God and evil is disobedience to Him. It follows that bad things never happen to good people. Whatever happens to human beings in their life is good, as long as they are obedient to God, even if they become poor, get sick, or killed unjustly. It’s good because their ultimate destination is an eternal happy life in Paradise. They have to work as hard as they can in their pursuit of hap-piness but they have to observe God in everything they say or do.

You may get the results you want to achieve here in this life (wealth, offspring, power, prestige, reproductive activities, etc.) but there's a possibility that you may not get what you are pursuing because of circumstances beyond your control.

Success or failure, in the Islamic sense, is in how you conduct yourself during the process.

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MOTIVASIONAL MIND BODY SOUL-SPIRIT INFORMATION THAT WILL CHALLENGE THE WAY YOU VIEW LIFE !

Regardless of personal viewpoint about spirituality, many have wondered what would have happened if Saddam Hussein hadn't been stopped when he first invaded Kuwait back in the early nineties?
Well, this motivational story explores that scenario to its surprising conclusion and then reinvents the scene time and again in a sequence similar to 'Groundhog Day' but in a mind, body, SPIRIT theme. The result is a story that has led many readers to question their concept of so-called reality!

I initially believed I was writing a fictional story about angel ET benefactors influencing our world. But when I completed the first book, The Blue Star Millennium, many readers were convinced that the depicted world events had actually happened, even though recorded history shows a different outcome. That's when the concept of an alternative reality suddenly gelled into the possibility that world events could change depending on the will of the masses.

As far as I was concerned, I was simply writing an inspirational story about angel extraterrestrial intervention, but I didn't know where the story was going until it unfolded before me ... and I have to admit, I was surprised at some of the content.

The story largely centered on the Gulf War and the changing of events under the influence of a benevolent, angelic race of Beings in the form of extraterrestrial benefactors. The central character in these books is an angel who integrates with human society under the watchful influence of his mentor, the White Star.

Many who have read these esoteric books on http://www.1-inspirational-quote-book.com have queried whether the White Star is real ... and if so, did he help change world events in keeping with the will of the masses - the ones currently inhabiting our world ... You and me? From that angle, did he also influence my writing in a more spiritual slant?

To be honest, I don't know!

If he did, I am grateful that he shared this mind, body, spirit knowledge, but a little confused why he would choose me. I'm just an ordinary guy who grew up on the rougher side of town with few privileges, and new age spirituality was not part of my upbringing. I've had my share of knocks that life tends to deal out to all those who walk this earth. However, I've also had my share of unusual (for want of a better term) experiences ... but I'm getting off the track here.

If we take this concept of ET extraterrestrial angels to its logical conclusion, are we not all such Beings? After-all, we are simply visiting this planet for a short while to experience our individual lessons and then we depart – so how can we say that we are of this planet? We simply inhabit a body here temporarily so that we can function in this world.

So, whether these metaphysics philosophy books are influenced by extraterrestrial angels, or resulted from my own tapping into the higher consciousness that is the source of us all ... what is the difference? The result is equally fascinating and the concepts that these self improvement stories present will challenge your view of life as you know it.

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BODY MIND AND SPIRIT : SOUL PURPOSE AND CO-CREATION

By Sayahda

It is now time for men and women to surrender their pain and open their hearts to a higher octave of expression. This higher octave is the transformation of density into light.

As humanity moves forward in understanding and acceptance of the next level of soul development, it would be wise to remember that we are not here to suffer, rather we are here to transcend suffering and become the stars that we truly are.

In the beginning, you were spirit manifesting into form, and SPIRIT manifesting into a physical world was an experiment. It had never been done anywhere before. All SPIRITS choosing to engage in a physical reality were given free will. Your intention was to create in the likeness and image of the divine source.

Entry into the earth realm was an opportunity for you to spread the vibration of unconditional love across the land. Your intention was honorable, although there were many adjustments that you had to go through. You now had a physical body, which at times made you feel uncomfortable. You now lived in a world that was governed by physicality. You had never experienced physicality while living in the heavens, and eventually this physicality created the energy of distraction. Adjusting to the physical vehicle required more and more of your time and energy.

On one hand, you had the ability to create, on the other hand, there were many distractions that distorted your creative process. As time passed and your bodies became denser, that density began to consume you. Density was a new experience for you, and as with all new experiences, your curiosity was strong. Curiosity eventually led you down a path of chaos, and you began to feel as if you had lost your way.

This prompted you to start refocusing your energies on becoming co-creators of unconditional love. Unfortunately, frustration became your motivating force, and this in turn limited your abilities. You then got caught in the power that had been bestowed on you to create, and lost the vision of your heart: unconditional love.

Time passed and egos were acquired. Competitive creativity became your ruler, and the true intention of the creative process was diffused. All of you wanted to honor your original intention, and in your haste and frustration, you started competing with one another in the creative process. One of you created something and then a different person added to it. Before you knew what had happened, you were no longer stewards of creation; that which you created possessed you.

As you continued to engage in competitive creativity, negativity surfaced and emotional, not physical, polarity was born. This birth manifested every negative emotion you have today: insecurity, anger, resentment, superiority and so forth. As a result of this manifestation, the laws of reincarnation were established, allowing you the opportunity to make amends for the misuse of your God-given powers. Reincarnation was not meant to be a punishment, but rather an opportunity to restore peace within your hearts.

So many souls today are seeking realignment with the God force. This is what some of you call ascension. You have placed a great deal of judgment and condemnation upon yourselves. Please understand that in the beginning, life on earth was an experiment. Everyone had a free will with no set outcome of what would be created. Outcome could not be established as long as each soul had the freedom to choose that which he or she engaged in.

Presently, you are being given the opportunity to transcend your pain and to honor your original soul purpose. To do this, I suggest that you begin to move your consciousness into the neutral zone, in between the good and bad. Focus on the neutrality and not on the polarity that has restricted you.

SPIRIT, dear ones, is not emotional as man is. To be one with SPIRIT, you must willingly detach from your emotional bondage. Spirit lives in between the worlds, for it is here that pure energy can flow. If one's consciousness is locked within the confines of polarity, flow is not possible. One becomes like a ball bouncing back and forth between right and wrong, good and bad.

To release polarity's hold on you, begin to see the light in all things. This does not mean to think a person is good and then have a thought that counters that goodness. It means to focus on the light, and only the light until the darkness is illuminated. Light is the substance from which you were created.

Now is the time for all of you to honor your original intention and walk with integrity. Embrace yourselves, your past, and your new future with joy. Make peace with polarity and choose to move ever so gently out of it. Reunion with spirit is at hand. Everyone is welcome. There are no superior or inferior beings in the eyes of spirit. Have fun and welcome home.

Sayahda is the founder of The Orhai Method of Total Healing. Read more at http://www.sayahda.com.

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YOU HAVE TO WANT IT BAD

by Susan Taylor Brown

There are two kinds of writers: those who want to write and those who want to have written. Let’s talk about the second group first.

People who want to “have written” tend to hang around with writers and talk about the big plans they have after their book hits the bestseller list. They join critique groups but don’t share their work, or if they do, they don’t take any constructive criticism to heart. They plan to write “someday” when they retire or their kids are raised or they win the lottery and build that big office on the hill facing the ocean.

What they don’t do is write.

The first group of writers wants to write and publish so bad they can taste it. They eat, drink, and sleep words. They hear voices — the voices of characters demanding the chance to tell their stories. They watch life play out in front of them and wonder how they can use it in a book. They take classes, join critique groups, get up early and write before work or stay up late to write long after everyone else in the house has gone to bed. They write, rewrite, and then write some more.

Which group are you in?

With writing, as with most things in life, you have to put yourself into it before you get something out of it. That means giving up some of that time you used to spend watching television, playing games, sleeping late, or even hanging out with friends and family. Because get one thing straight right now: Writing is work. It means real-izing that the first or second or third or maybe even the tenth version of a story still might not be ready for publication, and it means submitting rejected manuscripts again and again until they find a home.

Perseverance wins.

Think about your most well-written manuscript at the moment. Have you sent it out yet? How many rejection slips have you collected on it? Two? Three? Ten?

Not enough.

Robert M. Pirsig's bestselling book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was rejected more than 120 times before being published. To Think That I Saw It on Mul-berry Street, by Dr. Seuss, collected 29 rejection slips before it found a home.

Stephen King received 84 rejections for a short story that eventually sold to Cavalier magazine.

How many rejection slips are in your bottom drawer right now? Why aren’t those manuscripts back in the mail already?

Thinking about writing isn’t writing.

Talking about writing isn’t writing.
Dreaming about writing isn’t writing.
Only writing is writing.

Millions of people dream of publishing a book someday but that’s all they do about it —dream.

You might not have any control over whether or not an editor buys your work, but
you do have control over finishing your manuscript and getting it into the editor’s hands.

Writers love to procrastinate. We can find 101 other things to do instead of write, even when we have an idea nagging at us, begging to be put down on paper. If you want to write you have to sit down and write. If you want to be published, you have to send your words out into the world and take your chances with the rest of us. It’s as simple, and as difficult, as that. The more you write, the better you get and the better your chances of actually being published.

Exercise your writing muscles.

Put in the time to learn your craft and realize that yes, you will have to pay some dues along the way. Little girls practice for years before they become lead ballerinas. A football team practices for hours every day before the big game. Musicians expect to play a lot of scales. Yet many new writers balk at the thought of putting in the same amount of dedication and determination to become better writers. Just be-cause you learned how to write sentences in the first grade doesn’t mean you al-ready know how to write. Do your homework, practice, and read, read, read.

If you want to write a mystery, read mysteries. Lots of them. Are short stories for the Christian market your thing? Send for sample copies of the magazines you want to write for and read the stories. Want to try your hand at a self-help article in the women’s market? You know what to do — read.

Writing takes work. Hard work.

It takes perseverance. It takes believing in yourself and in your right to write, even when no one else seems to care.

"Take chances. You will succeed if you are fearless of failure," says author Natalie Goldberg in her inspirational book Writing Down The Bones.

So you want to be a writer? Great! But remember, you get out of your writing and your career what you put into it. There's no shortcut.

You have to want it bad. Bad enough to do the work, and then work some more.

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GET YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR AND YOUR FICTION INTO PRINT

by Susan Taylor Brow

Many writers throw themselves at the door of the big glossy high-paying magazines hoping for a prestigious short story sale that will launch their career. There’s nothing wrong with that but the odds are enormous and the frustration increases with every rejection slip. Faced with rejections, writers often give up before their careers ever get a chance to get off the ground.

One thing you can do to reduce your chances for rejection is to start off with some of the lesser- known or lower paying magazines and then build upon your successes. Standard, Glimmer Train, Fantastic and The Sun all publish fiction and encourage emerging fiction writers. They also agree that it is often a writer’s passion for a story that unlocks the door to publication. But beyond that, each magazine has a defined focus as unique as each writer’s set of fingerprints. Read on for some tips from the editors of these four magazines.

If the main character in your story looks to God for direction and strength, Standard Magazine might be a good possibility. Editor Dr. Everett Leadingham has a clearly defined focus. “Three things are important: Believable characters and story line, not too-predictable ending and to be within the framework of Standard's mission --showing Christianity in action.” He also warns that, “Writers often give everything away with their titles and first paragraphs.”

At Glimmer Train the emphasis is on literary short fiction; no blood and gore, no graphic violence, and no science fiction. “We look for work that is extremely well written and that is also emotionally affecting,” explains editor Linda Swanson-Davies. “The pieces we print influence how we look at ourselves, other people, the world at large. We want to be somehow enlarged by a story and the perspective it offers.”

If your main characters are more likely to be quirky creatures from another planet, they might be more at home somewhere else, say a galaxy such as Fantastic Stories of the Imagination. Editor Ed McFadden looks for fantasy and science fiction in all their forms.
“Usually the story must have something new or different about it—cutting edge. While I do publish traditional fantasy, space opera, etc., these stories must be ex-ceptional. For a new writer, a new idea or concept would provide a greater chance of publication. And it must entertain the reader. That’s what this is all about.”

What if your story seems to defy categorization? Perhaps you need a magazine that defies categorization as well. The Sun Magazine is open to just about anything. “We like personal writing that's deep and genuine,” explains editor Sy Safransky. “No cynical or fashionable or trendy writing. Our writers don't shy away from strong emotions, whether joyous or sad.” His vision for The Sun Magazine is crystal clear. “I want The Sun to be a magazine that tells the truth; a magazine that sees the world as it is, without flinching; a magazine that celebrates the power of love without ig-noring the destructive forces around us. I think that most of the writing we print is top-notch. But sometimes I’m willing to publish something that isn’t so skillfully writ-ten if it gets me closer to the heartache and the glory of being human. To some other editors, upholding certain literary standards may be more important. Each ap-proach, I believe, has value.

Choose the Right Market for your Story

Increase your chances for a sale by making sure that your story is a good match for the publication you have chosen. Study the markets well before you send out your work. Start by reading the magazine and the writer’s guidelines. It should be obvious but often basic editorial needs are overlooked. Don’t send a 5,000 word story when the limit is 1,500 words. If the guidelines say they don’t publish fiction, don’t expect your short story to be the first to make them break with tradition. Most magazines now have a website and you can get the guidelines there. When you go to a writer’s conference, pay attention to what the editors say they are looking for and what to avoid.. Editors want to say yes to your story. It makes their job easier if the first story they pick up out of the slush pile is a winner. Make it easy for them to say yes.

“Follow my guidelines and write a good story,” says McFadden.

Leadingham agrees that writers need to “show evidence that they have researched enough to know what Standard is--a denominational, take-home Sunday School pa-per. Show me some good writing skills (grammar, spelling, elements of fiction-writing) about a subject that fits our mission--showing Christianity in action.”

Ease the way for acceptances by paying attention to a magazine’s submission guide-lines. For example Glimmer Train prefers submissions via their website and Standard likes to have the stories emailed to them. On the other hand, Fantastic Stories and The Sun don’t accept email submissions at all.

Swanson-Davies explains, “It's very wise to be familiar with a pub before submitting work for publication. It's silly to send a romance novel to a literary short story pub-lisher, for instance. Read the pub's guidelines before making submissions. Read your story aloud before deciding to submit it: you'll catch errors, hear its strong points, feel--or not feel--the story's strength. Do you use lots of adjectives, adverbs? If so, you may not be choosing the RIGHT nouns and verbs. Every word counts--choose each with care.”

“Write honestly and movingly about something that's important to you,” says Sa-fransky. “You have to be familiar with the publication. Blind submissions only waste everyone's time.”

Do editors read every story from start to finish? Some do and some don’t. “It de-pends,” says McFadden. “There are many manuscripts that can be ruled out after a few pages. You would be surprised at how good I am at telling you all about a story, including how it will end, after only reading a few pages.”

“I want to see how the author ends the story,” adds Leadingham. “Sometimes good beginnings fizzle away into nothing endings. At other times poor beginnings turn around by the end. In a few cases, I don't read past the first page.”

Strive to hook your reader from the very first line. Strong writing and an evocative story will keep Swanson-Davis turning pages. “Usually a few paragraphs will tell us how strong the author's writing skills are. If they are top notch and the story holds our interests, we will read on.”

An Ever-changing Market

It’s important to be aware of current trends in the fiction market but be careful. Knowing which topics to avoid is as important as knowing which trends to follow. Sometimes, by the time you write toward the trend, it’s already finished.

“Certain subjects seem to come in clumps,” says Leadingham, “like the writers had a meeting somewhere that I wasn't invited to attend and decided to submit the same kinds of articles in the same month.”

If you hear an editor speak about a need for cozy mysteries featuring nurses with insomnia and you just happen to have a story like that in your bottom drawer, go for it. But be aware that a lot of other writers heard that same editor speak about the same thing and very likely raced home to write just such a story.

On Taking Chances

Writers need to be brave; brave enough to submit and brave enough to face rejec-tion. Don’t listen to unsupportive friends or spouses who spout statistics about the odds against you. Do your market research, write your story, make it as good as you can, and then, send it out into the world. Sometimes you’ll make a match and some-times you won’t. But it’s a cinch that you can’t sell what you don’t submit.

Leadingham encourages new writers to persevere in spite of the odds. “Statistics are against the writer. I have space to publish less than 10 percent of the manuscripts I receive. However, new writers should keep two things in mind: (1) Don't take the rejection personally. I don't know you. I am simply making the decision that this par-ticular piece does not fit what I need right now. (2) Some other editor may be look-ing for such a piece. Don't stop with one rejection. Send it to other editors with simi-lar magazines. Keep trying.”

McFadden agrees that persistence is the key. “Rejection is part of any career. I tell new writers that achieving publication requires persistence. Keep sending out your work and try not to get discouraged by rejection. Most magazines and book compa-nies get far more manuscripts than they can publish. Many times rejection has noth-ing to do with the quality of the story, but the economics of the business. To increase your chances of publication two major themes will always help. A) Know where and who you are sending you story to. Read the magazine; read interviews with the edi-tor and the editors guidelines. Example: Sending me a story about cats is a waste of time regardless of how good the tale is—I hate cats and have said this on many oc-casions. B) Be professional and present yourself as a professional—follow the guide-lines!”

“Rejection is absolutely unavoidable,” adds Swanson-Davies. “It is NOT personal. (We have sometimes hated one story an author has submitted, but LOVED another.) We have a great deal of respect for writers and appreciate the work even of writers who have not yet developed the skills that will make their work publishable, as long as it's cleared that they've invested themselves in their stories. There are not enough publications that are able to stay alive to publish all the good work that is written. Authors should submit their work to publications that publish work the author ad-mires and enjoys. (If you share the editors' tastes, you've got a big advantage--you're probably already striving to produce work that would interest them.”

Final Thoughts

No matter how many tips the editors share, or how many submission guidelines you read, the final step is up to you.

Safransky reminds writers, “The only way to have any odds of getting published is to submit work. Don't be afraid of failure. You'll only regret that you never tried.”

Swanson-Davies loves to discover new talent. “Writers should know how much fun it is for an editor to call an unpublished writer and ask to publish their work,. Being unpublished is not a disadvantage. And one more thing: READ! So often people are driven by their need to write and don't spend time or money on other people's writ-ing, but it's going to be VERY tough to adequately sharpen one's skills without know-ing what great writing looks like. The writers who read and love great writing have, by far, the best chance of achieving it themselves.”

Remember that editors want you to succeed; they want to buy good stories for their magazines. Without a steady influx of new manuscripts, the magazines would soon go out of business. But think before you act, cautions McFadden. “Don’t just send your stories out willy-nilly. Understand the market you are trying to break into and craft your fiction toward that market. Another approach is to just write what you want, then try and find a market for it. The former is how most professionals do it, while the latter is how most newbies do it. Neither is wrong. Try and find you own voice. I get so many manuscripts that are just imitations of Tolkien, or Dick, and these stories fail. Have something to say without being preachy. The best stories I have read or have published have a meaning beneath their entertainment.”

“Make a game out of the rejection slips rather than taking each one as a rejection of you as a person,” suggests Leadingham. “It is just part of the business. I have sev-eral writers who must send me more than 50 manuscripts a year, yet I might publish them only four or five times in a year. They just keep plugging away.”

Knowledge really is power. Get to know the magazines you want to write for, and get to know the editors behind the magazine. There’s a lot they can teach you.

"The best advice I have for writers," Safransky concludes, "is not to listen to any-one's advice. Beyond that, I agree with Woody Allen’s observation that eighty per-cent of life is just showing up. If you want to be a writer, write. Write every day if you can. Don’t worry if someone else - - particularly an editor you’ve never met - - doesn’t think your work is any good. Remember, too, that talking about writing is only that: talk. Talking about writing is as different from writing as talking about breathing is from taking your next breath.”

For information about reprinting this article, please email : reprints@susantaylorbrown.com

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WHAT MAKES A REAL WRITER?

by Susan Taylor Brown

• A real writer knows she has chosen a way of life and not just a job.
• A real writer knows she may not necessarily get published (though many real writers are).
• A real writer loves playing with words.
• A real writer is patient and understands that the writing process, as well as the publication process, is a waiting game.
• A real writer is self-motivating and doesn't wait for the muse to tell her what or when to write.
• A real writer is able to see things from many points of view.
• A real writer wants to learn about new things.
• A real writer is willing to practice the craft of writing.
• A real writer is a thinker, constantly obsessed with ideas.
• A real writer wants to probe feelings and emotions and ask "why."
• A real writer enjoys sharing her knowledge with others.
• A real writer has healthy amounts of stamina and perseverance to jump over writer's block and other hurdles.
• A real writer has a constant awareness of the world around her.
• A real writer understands that writing is hard work.
• A real writer is able to bounce back from rejection.
• A real writer is curious and willing to exploit that curiosity.
• A real writer is willing to revise and understands that no words are written in stone.
• A real writer is able to take constructive criticism.
• A real writer acts like a professional long before they are she is called a pro-fessional.
• A real writer is able to work alone.
• A real writer can balance on the freelancer's financial teeter-totter.
• A real writer knows she has to make a commitment to writing and the part it plays in her life as well as taking responsibility for her own personal writing growth.
• A real writer believes in herself and her work even when no one else does.
• A real writer sets goals to help them make her dreams come true.

Take charge of your writing life. Be a real writer.

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FIRST LINES IN FICTION

by Susan Taylor Brown

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, we're told when we're young. When writing fiction for children of any age this is good advice to remember. With the lure of the Internet, fast-action video games, and reality-based televi¬sion, it's often tough to get kids to sit down and read a book. As writers, it's our job to craft an opening to our book or story that will grab the reader's attention and not let go. And your very first reader is the editor you hope will buy your work.

So what do editors look for in openings?
"A fresh concept," says Stephanie Lurie, President and Publisher of Pen¬guin Putnam. "An authentic voice. Humor or drama. A definite point of view. Intrigue—a reason to keep on reading. The old adage `begin your story as close to the climax as possi¬ble' remains true."

"I look for either a stimulating scene that raises a lot of questions to which I'm inter-ested in finding the answers, or for a compelling voice that invites me in instantly," says Emma Dryden, Executive Director at Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster.

Just what will capture an editor's attention is often hard to characterize. "I hope for a con-cept that grabs me. I want to be immediately immersed in the story. And that is some-thing that is difficult to define. Usually, it's something personal and powerful. Something that gives me a glimpse into character or story," says Lissa Halls Johnson, Book Producer for Focus on the Family.

Nicole Geiger, Publisher of Tricycle Press, searches for, "Something that grabs me for myr-iad reasons, such as wonderful phrasing or unusual sub¬ject or because now I'm curious. This is highly subjective, of course, as is all writing."

An Investment

Writers and editors agree that the idea behind a strong opening is to con¬vince the reader that the rest of the story is worth the investment of time that a reader will have to make.

"I want the reader to go on read¬ing," says Nancy Werlin, author of Black Mirror (Dial) and the Edgar award-winning novel The Killer's Cousin (Delacorte). "I want to throw out a mysterious hint or two of the depths and mysteries lurking ahead. I want to intrigue. Mostly I do this by immediately getting the reader to ask questions, and by evoking some strong emotion as fast as I can." Wer¬lin does just that with this opening from Black Mirror:
Have you ever been in a state of pain so intense, it was like a living creature wound tightly around your rib cage and shoul¬ders and neck?

The reader is compelled to turn the page and find out what could possibly cause such pain and how the main character will resolve the situation.

Cynthia Leitich Smith, who writes from a Native American point of view, says that she of-ten strives to shift ex¬pectations with her openings. "The vast majority of Native American chil¬dren's books are historicals or retellings. Those few set today gener¬ally take place on reservations. This is so much true that publishing anything else generates commentary. My books have contemporary Native themes, and are all set in small towns, suburbs, or big cities. So, I sometimes use a first line or paragraph to shift ex¬pectations and establish context."

A good example is found in the opening of Smith's book Rain Is Not My Indian Name (Harper): “That night, Galen and I jogged under the ice-trimmed branches of oaks and sugar maples, never guessing that somebody was watching us through ruffled country curtains and hooded miniblinds. We should've known. Small town people make the best spies."

Linda Sue Park, the Newbery award-winning author of A Single Shard (Clarion), believes that the "first line should engage and/or intrigue and the first paragraph should begin to establish character." She continues, "Three of my four novels begin with a line of dialogue. I find this to be a useful trick. It helps avoid the pitfall of beginning a novel with back-story. Instead, writer and (eventually) reader are right in the middle of something. It also starts that process of establish¬ing character. With Shard, early drafts began with a scene of Tree-ear scav¬enging chicken bones and sucking out the marrow. I wanted his poverty ev¬ident right from the start. I liked the scene, but it was missing a crucial el¬ement: the relationship with Crane-man, which for me is the backbone of the entire story. So I re-worked the scene to include both Crane-man and hunger. The chicken bones were saved for another meal."

Disappointing Starts

Often writers will spend considerable time on their openings only to find that when they get to the end of the book, the book has changed in such a way that the opening no longer works. Writers shouldn't be afraid to use an opening as a jump start to their story but they should be equally un¬afraid to toss away those first few openings in search of the perfect opening.

"The once upon a time approach is too old-fashioned and cliche these days to be wholly successful; writers should try to be as imaginative as pos¬sible and need not feel all de-scriptions of time, place, and character need to be addressed in the first sentences of a story," says Dryden.

"Many writers start their hooks way before their story actually begins," says Dian Curtis Regan, author of the popular Monster of the Month Club books.

According to Lurie, a common mis¬take writers make with their openings is to "begin with a downer, e.g.: 'Emily was bored. A long summer stretched ahead of her, and there was nothing to do.' The reader will be as bored as Emily. Why should we keep on read¬ing? I would much rather read a novel that began: 'Emily sat in the middle of the steaming sidewalk with five dog leashes wrapped around her legs. Her ears rang as four dogs barked furiously at the Dalmatian that was running off. "Why did I go into this business?" she asked herself and wondered what she was going to tell Marguerite's owner tonight."' Lurie continues: "Or they try to say everything in the first sentence, e.g., 'Thirteen-year-old Carol McCully's brown eyes flashed as she threw down the pen her stepmother had given her on the day her father remarried."'

Equally disappointing, says Johnson, is that authors often "start in a place of inactivity—the character waking in the morning, or something equally as slow. The only time this works is when the action is going to toss the character out of bed. Then, you have the conflict of peace versus chaos shown quite quickly. The peace¬ful lying in bed is actually an intrin¬sic part of the story."

Picture Books versus Novels

Dryden speaks of the differences be¬tween openings in picture books and novels. "An au-thor has more time to work out story, character, and plot in a novel, so a novel can afford to open more slowly than a picture book. A picture book doesn't have time to waste—and a picture book audience is impatient—so the first line of a pic¬ture book must instantly grab a reader of any age and it must instantly set up something critical about the story and/or the main character."

"In a picture book," adds Lurie, "every line is key because there are (or should be) so few words. The first page of a picture book should introduce the character and perhaps start to set up the situation. In a novel, the author has a little bit more time to intrigue the reader, set the mood, describe the scenery, etc., but if the character and situation aren't interest-ing on the first page, chances are good that the reader won't continue."

"Every line, every word, is incredi¬bly important in a picture book," says Geiger. "There are only a few hundred words, after all, or perhaps fewer. But there are also pictures to help carry the show, and the first line might be a single word (picture hooks as prose poem, for instance). A first line is pos¬sibly more important in a novel because that's the only tool the author has to draw in the reader." She adds, "with picture books, if we have to change the first line significantly, why are we buying this book?"

Evolution

Writers and their editors don't always agree on the perfect way to open a story.

"In my first novel," says Werlin, "my editor wanted to excise my first chapter and start with chapter two. This was a novel with three alternat¬ing viewpoint characters, and essen¬tially she was asking to pare it down to two. She won, because after a while I decided she was right. But she did¬n't ask to change the way I had written chapter two's opening, and on all other books, she has never once ques¬tioned my choice of an opening scene, para-graph, sentence."
But Park stresses the importance of clear communication between the writer and the edi-tor. "For The Kite Fighters, my editor thought the open¬ing did not establish setting quickly enough and she asked me to fix this. We discussed this over lunch, where I was not tak-ing notes, which may have been what led to a complete misun¬derstanding. I took a month to radi¬cally overhaul the first chapter, taking the brothers off the hillside where they were flying kites and putting them in a session with their tutor. She wrote back with (carefully controlled) dismay, saying that she much pre¬ferred the original opening and what she had meant was to put a single line at the start: 'Korea, fifteenth century.' So that is what we ended up doing. I did the same for Shard. For historicals, it is the easiest way to establish setting immediately."

Many writers go through an evo¬lutionary process with their openings, often finding their true opening buried within the existing story.

Werlin's The Killer's Cousin, opens:
My name, David Bernard Yaffe, will sound familiar, but you won't remember why—at least not at first. Most people, I've found, do not. I'm grateful for that. It gives me some space, however brief. However certain eventually to disintegrate.

"I didn't find the opening until the third draft of the book," Werlin says. "The key was un-derstanding that David wasn't just observing the action (as I'd thought earlier) but was hiding some secret of his own as well. I didn't know what that secret was, exactly, as I wrote the new opening—which came to me like a miracle at that point—but the knowledge of it lurk¬ing beneath the surface of the story acted as a guide to me as that draft leaped much closer to the book's final form. I literally pinned the two pages of the new prologue to the wall above my desk as an emotional guide as I wrote that draft; I knew I finally had the tone and mood I needed."

Werlin continues, "For Black Mir¬ror, I found the opening paragraph—which sits alone, without a chapter number or header of any kind at the beginning of the book—in the very middle of my first draft. I plucked it out and stuck it up front, where it had no context. Pure instinct; I didn't know at first why I wanted it up front but I did. I had to write my way into this ruling emotion before I could find it, but then I realized it was the over¬whelming mood of the book. This opening asks a question directly of the reader, involving him or her, and I think it also makes the reader wonder why it is that the speaker is in so much pain. The subliminal descrip¬tion, too, is of a snake, an invisible boa constrictor, and I wanted that to be horrifying but contained (because invisible)."

Werlin cites some basics for win¬ning openings: "a secret the reader needs to discover, concrete details, a strong voice, and emotion, which for me is almost always some variant on emotional pain, fear, or anxiety."

Some lucky writers find openings the easiest part of the writing process.
"My openings are the best part. They often come as pure inspiration, a total gift," says author Susan Hey¬boer O'Keefe, who penned this open¬ing to the novel My Life and Death by Alexandra Canarsie (Peachtree):

None of this would have hap¬pened, I suppose, if 1 had a nor¬mal hobby like skateboarding or hanging out at malls. But I don't do things like that. I go to the fu¬nerals of strangers.
"The hard part," O'Keefe says, "is fig¬uring out what to do for the rest of the book.”

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