COMPOSURE 101

I showed my 8th graders a 9 minute clip of the man known as the ICEMAN. Wim Hof, of Finland, set a world record after running a half marathon, barefoot in -40-degree farenheit temperatures. The feat nearly cost ma man Hof his toes but he travailed and finished. He said his gold medal was the rising sun which had just risen as he crossed the finish line.

It was corny probably and lame but the students were riveted. They may be tired of hackneyed attempts to motivate them for standardized tests but they know incredible when they see it. And if you’ve ever been cold you know that triumphing the discomfort of the elements is ridiculously hard. Overcoming anything uncomfortable is not only difficult but it’s counter-cultural.

I went with the extreme example of a man running barefoot in snow for two hours because I think kids aren’t very tough. Wait a minute. I don’t know if I’m very tough myself. People in general aren’t very tough which is a dangerous trait that leads to us not being very disciplined. I noticed in my students that so much of their performance was governed by affinity and pleasure fulfillment. I watched my students explain away the need to try on state-generated tests simply because the tests don’t feel good. I said to myself, “Self. You gotta do something. These kids lack spinach, power pellets, wonder-twin powers…” It’s weird how something like “mettle” can be both severely lacking and in a state of atrophy. Nevertheless, it is and the problem is not intellect but rather willingness to demonstrate resolve when opportunities arise. Wim Hof is simply so rugged, so poised, so composed that he literally can will his body to stay warm under adverse conditions. How come I can’t do that? Why can’t kids leave their cell phones in their backpacks long enough to avoid detention? Foregoing comfort is the new version of man vs. wild minus Bear Grylls. I’m hard on students because I’m not sure they’ll ever read a Guiness book let alone attempt to break one of its records. Thank God for Wim Hof and YouTube.