Pictured: Michael Lerman completed a poster with quotes from the Dr. James Doty book that he finds inspirational.
Photos courtesy of the Massapequa School District
“Into the Magic Shop” is one of four books that serves as inspiration for students in Massapequa High School’s Mindfulness Matters course, but it perhaps has the most visual impact. Every year, students create posters featuring quotes from the book, which are used to decorate the classroom.
On Feb. 6 and 7, the 115 students taking Mindfulness Matters presented their posters, which will be a fixture on the classroom walls for the 12 months. Teacher Lisa Davi said that students were asked to include seven to 10 quotes from the book on their posters, along with a personalized motif.
Massapequa High School English teacher Lisa Davi had help from her Mindfulness Matters students to put up posters about “Into the Magic Shop.”
During the presentations, each student selected one quote and explained why it was meaningful. The book, by Dr. James Doty, is a true story about the author, who grew up poor but went on to become a successful neurosurgeon. The turning point of his life was when he went into a magic shop and met a woman who taught him how to manifest his greatest desires.
“It’s a real story about a real kid who came from nothing and achieved so much,” Ms. Davi said. “The book is inspiring to students on how to be in control of their own lives.”
Olivia Mazzola’s posters, along with more than 100 others, will adorn the walls of the Mindfulness Matters classroom for the next year.
“Into the Magic Shop” builds on the mindfulness tools that students acquire from the first book of the year, “The Four Agreements.” It gives students greater knowledge on how to set intentions and work to achieve their goals.
Ms. Davi said that she met the author two years ago during a trip of California, and shared with him the poster project. As students read the book, they take notes in a journal and identify quotes that ultimately become part of their posters.
Nicholas Margiotta shared his poster and why he selected certain quotes from “Into the Magic Shop.”
“The posters should be an expression of themselves and what they love,” she said. “You can see the work that goes into them. They’re really impressive and thought-provoking, and I like how the quotes relate to their own lives.”
Mindfulness Matters is an English elective course open to students in grades 10-12. The class meets every other day for the entire year and continues to be one of the most popular elective classes in the school. Ms. Davi said she regularly receives feedback from graduates on how the skills learned in class have helped them after high school.
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