DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET 26  Chapter 2 It makes me see why people find it so hard to see another person’s point of view. The quote implies we have to let go of not only our ideas but also our identity and who we are. I think people probably find that really scary. Wow! It means to me that we have a lot of work to do to understand each other and ourselves. —Dee, preschool teacher Art of Awareness Activity Practice Exploring the Influences on Your Perceptions Before you can observe children with a new set of eyes, you have to recognize your own filters. What influences the way you see things? This is the first step in developing the utmost sensitivity in your perception. The following activity will help you explore examples of these differences in perception. It requires that you work with at least one other person to compare your responses. A group of people will offer you a livelier discussion and more differences to reflect on. 1 Find an interesting photo in a book, magazine, or online that shows a group of people involved in an activity or interaction together. Make enough copies for each person doing this activity. 2 If you are working with a partner, each person should look over the photo for a few minutes. Without talking or writing, make some mental notes about what you see. Notice your emotional reactions to the photo as well as the details of what you see. Next, put the photo away and take turns describing to each other what you saw in the photograph. Each person should describe what you saw without comments or discussion from the other person. 3 If you are working with a group, ask two or three people to volunteer to leave the room. (Volunteers should not be concerned that there will be tricks or judging of people.) Then ask the volunteers to come back into the room one at a time. Give each volunteer a copy of the photo to look over for a minute or two. Ask the volunteer to mentally note the details as well as emotional reactions to the photo. Take the picture away and ask for a verbal description of what the volunteer observed. 4 After everyone has shared what they remember, discuss the differences between their recollections. Use the following questions to guide the discussion. • What were the differences in what each person noticed about the photo? COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL