NO LESS THAN GENIUS

A debut guide for teachers and students imparts an uplifting message.

Mozia, a professional educator/coach, wrote this book to help teachers, coaches, parents, and young learners find inspiration in the notion that success in life is largely self-determined. The manual is divided into three parts—Discovery, Empowerment, and Transformation—each of which has a brief introduction and contains chapters that combine motivational counsel with numerous anecdotes. At the start of each chapter are four bulleted sections clearly intended for educators: “Objectives,” “Enduring Understandings,” “Essential Questions,” and “College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards.” This last section includes references to specific standards that presumably are understood by teachers. But the content of each chapter seems at times to be written for educators and at other times, just for students. For example, in Chapter 3, the author writes, “The purpose for writing this book is to offer strategies that readers can apply to help youth discover their pull to become and to keep them engaged with purposeful learning,” a statement obviously directed at teachers, coaches, and parents. In Chapter 4, though, the text appears to be targeting students: “So far, you have spent time exploring your identity, your pull to become, and your purpose for learning. You have made a decision as to what you would like to be and do.” Educators and learners are separate and distinct audiences, yet the book attempts to meld the two, which could create some confusion. Nevertheless, if each group can parse the appropriate content, there is certainly intrinsic value to the author’s rich motivational message. Mozia writes, for example, “Most of the fears occupying the gap between you and the desires of your heart are not real.” She offers helpful strategies, such as acquiring a support team and organizing one’s assets into “Personal, Academic, and Identity.” She writes eloquently about resilience, drawing on numerous examples of famous figures who overcame adversity to succeed. The author also includes detailed activities and assessments at the end of the guide.

An excellent educational manual for life learning despite the muddling of audiences.