There was a young boy by the name of Micheal and he was in the third grade. Mike (short for Michael) wanted to defeat his classmates in the class room game "Around The World". For those of you unfamiliar with the game: "Around The World" is when one student challenges another student competitively answering a triva question. The student that answers the question correctly FIRST will advance to the next student in line and so on until you defeat every other student. The first student to defeat every other student will have gone around the world.. Now, multiplication tables was the theme for this specific week. Unfortunately, Mike wasn't always the best mathematician. But, Mike waited anxiously in his seat for his turn to play. The current student "traveling" around the classroom approached Mike's desk and it was his time to shine. Mike stood up side by side with the other student and the multiplication problem was given. Mike stood there....frozen! He didn't know the answer. He had a face of defeat and the other student raised his hand and answered the question correctly. Mike had to sit down and watch as the other student advanced. Mike became confused because he didn't think it would be hard to compete in this game. So, he brushed it off and said "i'll win tomorrow."
Tuesday came and it was.day #2 of "Around The World". Once again Mike waited anxiously in his chair for his turn. The traveling student approached his desk and there he was again....side by side with the competition. The question was given and boom! Mike became frozen like an ice cube with defeat on his face again! He watched as the other student raised his hand, answered the question and moved on. Mike was emotionally hurt this time around. "WHY CANT I MOVE ON! he's cheating! he's cheating" complaining to the teacher. The teacher Mr.V stood there listening to Mike complain and make excuses as to why he couldn't get past his own seat! Mr. V said "Mike you need to prepare by studying your times tables". Now, young Micheal was a bit of a hard head. He didn't like to listen, but he didn't like to lose more. So, that night he went home and asked his older brother for help. The brother proceeded to help him and together they made multiplication flash cards. Mike only wanted to move on from his seat so he made cards for the multiplication factors for 2s and 3s only. Seeing how in the past two days his only two multiplication problems have been of the 2s or 3s factors he felt like that's all he needed to practice. Hoping those would be the mathematical problem for the next day.
Now, Wednesday Day #3 of "Around The World" came and it was time for Micheal to progress from his seat. Mike stood side by side with his competition and before the teacher finished asking the multiplication problem Mike raised his hand. "Yes mike what is the answer" the teacher asked. Mike's face lit up like a light bulb and he began to smile slowly. He can feel his feet moving forward from his seat and then silence came about the room.."Mike you raised your hand...what's 9x7"? Once again, defeat came over him again! The other student raised his hand and answered the problem and advanced on. "Take a seat mike" the teacher said. After hearing that Mike became very frustrated. Anger began to build all throughout his body, anger became tears and he yelled at the top of his lungs "I give up, I give up! I hate this game!" The teacher asked Mike to stand outside the classroom.
The teacher stepped out of the classroom and asked Mike "What's a matter, did you study like I told you too? Mike responded saying "Yeah!". The teacher followed up with "Then what happened?". Young Mike began to cry sobbing to the teacher "You didn't ask for the 2s and 3s, those were the ones I studied." Mr. V responded saying "Mike...the multiplications are not only 2s and 3s, buddy you need to study all numbers. Listen if you're going to do anything in life you have to put in 100% effort! If you only put in 30% you will fall short just like what happened inside. Hey, pick your head up and come back stronger ok buddy! Mr.V gave him a pound and young Mike walked back into the class and to his seat. As he sat down he could hear his peers giggling and laughing. One called him a cry baby. And, THAT was the last straw for young Mike!
That evening Mike went home and studied the 0-9 multiplication tables. He decided not to play with his ipad once getting home, but he did watch his favorite afternoon cartoons. After dinner he stayed at the table a little longer than usual because he was tired of studying so much.
The following day Thursday came aka Day #4....same class, same seat, and the same game. Mike's turn came about and he was side by side with the competition once again. The student that's been winning the past few days smirked as he glanced at Mike. He whispered to Mike "take a seat I got this" but this time it was different. Mr.V began asking multiplication questions "students what's 8x7"? Mikes hand rose up and he yelled out "56!!!" The teacher replied "Yes, Mike you are correct!" Finally, Mike advanced from his seat. Mike felt like he just won some ice cream! He smiled so much his cheekbones began to hurt. He screamed out "I did it! I did it!" But it wasn't over. He moved on to the next student who was just as hungry as Mike. The teachers asks: "what's 10x12?" Mike couldn't believe it. His smile vanished. His stomach turned because he didn't know the answer. The student he was competing with answered and advanced from his seat. Mike had to sit down where the former student was. Mike became sad as if his soul died and the teacher Mr. V could see it in his eyes. After the game Mr.V spoke to Mike and said "it's good you got past your seat" and Mike replied saying "yeah, but I didn't go around the world and I studied 0-9!" Mr.V responded by saying "want to know why?" Mike nodded up and down. "It's because other students studied the 0-12 multiplication tables. Mike there is always another person working twice as hard as you. So, Mike there's one day left of the game (takes a pause)...what are you gonna do?" Mike left the classroom without answering and went home.
That night at home Mike studied the #0-12 multiplication tables all night. No video games were played, no cartoons were watched, and Mike even missed dinner that night to study.
Friday aka Day #5 came and it was Mikes last chance. The game began and he was the third student in line. The winning student approached Mike's desk. Mr.V asked the mathematical problem and Mike answered it correctly, he advanced. Mike stood beside the next student and Mr.V once again asked the mathematical problem and Mike answered it correctly and advanced on.. Then the next student, and the next student and so forth.
DO YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED WITH MIKE?!? He failed so many times that it began to hurt him internally. Even when he began to advance in the game he still had to deal with losing! When we fail we tend to give up. Many of us get strike one and throw the bat away. (baseball reference) Mike didn't only leave from his seat, but he failed and decided to grind even harder. We all have a Mike within us. We all become angered and frustrated when things don't go our way. But, the question is what are you going to do about it? Are you going to cry like Mike did? Are you going to put in half the effort to get half the results? Or will you give up? Only you can answer those questions!
So, what happened to young Mike at the end of that week? Let's just say he's still going around the world.....
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