AHarrington

In the final portion of Fish Sticks, tragedy strikes Rhonda when she loses her daughter in a car accident. Her coworkers decide that they must be the ones to carry out the plans to make their floor a remarkable place to work. Ishy teaches the nurses, that in order to sustain the enthusiam of the vision, they must, "Find IT, Live IT, and Coach IT." The "Find IT" component is achieved when each person finds his/her role within the vision. The "Live IT" is achieved when we make the most of our vision moments. The "Coach IT" component occurs when everyone helps his/her fellow workers by giving  advice and encouragement regardless of the person's seniority or experience. Ishy refers to the philosopher Joseph Campbell who teaches that your path is determined by "the moment of action" (100). Each organization arrives at its own version of the vision by finding it on its own--not by following a formula or pattern set by someone else. The book ends with the staff at Good Samaritan experiencing great success at keeping their vision alive.

As teachers,  we can apply the basic ideas put forth in Fish Sticks to our own profession. We must first find the vision. Then, we must find vision moments each day in order to "Live IT." Finally, we must coach others and be coachable. As teachers, we have great opportunities to coach one another: from the veteran teacher with "tried and true" ideas to the beginning teacher who is fresh and innovative.

In the second section of Fish Sticks by Stephen C. Lundin, Ishy expounds more on her ideas of vision moments and finding the IT in these moments. Ishy defines IT as "your personal piece of the vision" (39). Ishy instructs Rhonda that the best way to find IT is by talking to others about what they are creating. Rhonda approaches several of her coworkers on an individual basis either in the breakroom or at lunch and askes them very probing questions about commitment, success, and support. 

Rhonda begins to see a real change in the energy of her staff which is immediately challenged by the arrival of a new hospital supervisor who does not share in the vision. However, the staff does not let the supervisor's cold demeanor and reluctance to their way of operating dampen their spirits. Instead, the nurses, forming a task force, visit Takara Too to gain further insight into creating the vision they want.

Many aspects of this book will affect my teaching and my attitude toward our profession. I was struck by Tako's remark: "We think about who we are being  while we do the work that we are doing (71). At this stage in my career as an educator, I find Ishy's questions useful to ask myself: "To what I am I really committed? What does success look like for my students? How can I support my students and the teachers who instruct them?" Ishy's ideas are particularly impressive in that she is giving advice about running a successful business while she is actually running one. She is current and knows what is effective because she has a record of success and continues to be successful.

Fish Sticks by Stephen C. Lundin presents the dilemma of a nurse named Rhonda who is promoted to fill the position of her well-respected and successful mentor.  Facing many feelings of inadequacy, Rhonda begins to believe that the ward does not deliver the same quality of care for its patients, nor does it offer the same warm environment on the ward as a whole. Rhonda's friend Margo attempts to brighten her spirits by taking her to an incredible sushi restaurant. Here, she will meet Ishy who will give Rhonda wonderful advice on superior customer service and maintaining a successful business. Much of this advice is applicable to a variety of fields, not just the restaurant business.

The part of Ishy's advice that really struck me was the part about vision moments and creating an incredible experience in her restaurant. When Rhonda questions Ishy about the success of her restaurant, Ishy tells her this advice: ". . . there are many restaurants that have great sushi. It is the quality of the experience that keeps the line. . ."(34). Many of these restaurants had more stylish decor, but they did not have the superior care for their customers. This part of the book really challenged me because it paralleled education so closely. There are many schools that have great programs, decor, technology, ect. However, the finest schools, despite these other variables,  are the ones that go above and beyond to address the needs of the students on a very personal level and create these "experiences" with "vision moments" that Ishy described.