character education

Never Forget that You Matter

by Lisa Dabbs on November 8, 2012

I have a friend who has a passion. Her passion is to share a message with the world. The message she is sharing with the world is the idea that You Matter.

My friend’s name is Angela Maiers and you can read all about her You Matter Manifesto here.

Angela believes very strongly in those two words, You Matter, and says, “These two words can change your mood, change your mind, and have the power to change lives and the world if we understand and leverage them in the right way.”

In her You Matter manifesto she shares these eight points:

  1. YOU ARE ENOUGH
  2. YOU HAVE INFLUENCE
  3. YOU ARE A GENIUS
  4. YOU HAVE A CONTRIBUTION TO MAKE
  5.  YOU HAVE A GIFT THAT OTHERS NEED
  6. YOU ARE THE CHANGE
  7.  YOUR ACTIONS DEFINE YOU IMPACT
  8. YOU MATTER!

Pretty powerful thoughts indeed! Mind boggling for some to fully accept, and yet important to begin to acknowledge.

Angela ends her manifesto by stating the following: “To matter means to be of consequence, of importance (but not self-importance;) significant, relevant, worthy of note and of crucial value. To feel appreciated and valued, marginalized, abandoned or ignored.  The world may not always affirm this. Your employer may not always tell you that you – and the work you do – are valued. You friends and family without knowing it may not communicate the importance of your presence in their lives.”

How different might the lives of your students be if they truly believed they mattered?

How different might your life be if you believed it too?

Take a few minutes to watch this great video by SuperConnoisseurs:

 

 

What resources do you think you could begin to use in your classroom to teach students that they…Matter?

Lisa Dabbs is an Educational Consultant. You can find her blogging at Teachingwithsoul.com and on Twitter @teachingwthsoul.

 

 

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Room 712

by Kendal Privette on February 27, 2012

Immaculée Ilibagiza

Immaculee Ilibagiza

A first. One of my students sat in her desk on the front row literally dancing in her seat and said, “I couldn’t wait to get back from Christmas break so I could find out what happens in our story.” Wait. What? I’ve heard kids say they wanted to get back to see their friends, but for curriculum? But it happened. Right here in room 712.

I keep a running list of the books I read in my personal life, and I noticed, after recommending a few for a friend, that I love cross-cultural stories. A lot, apparently. A direct result of my reading habits is a decent knowledge of several cultures and/or events in history.  Although most of the books I read are intended for adults, I decided to try adding literature to my social studies curriculum. This is nothing for an elementary school teacher, I know, but in the upper grades, not so much, in my experience. So, during our study of Africa, I began reading Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza aloud to my classes. Left to Tell is an autobiographical account of a woman who survived the 1994 Rwandan genocide by hiding in a small bathroom for 91 days. I read from my Kindle everyday for the first fifteen minutes of class. Because I alone had the text, I could skip paragraphs and pages that either didn’t pertain to our unit or were too graphic for twelve-year-olds. The kids were hooked early on, begging for more each day. So many teachable moments arose from our reading. My students learned far more about Africa’s geography, European imperialism, civil war, genocide, ethnic differences, religion, economy and forgiveness than they ever could have from a social studies book, news articles,  web pages or character education lessons. The story allowed them to build a schema connecting their world to one vastly different.

My favorite teachable moment came when I asked students what question they would ask Immaculee Ilibagiza if they could talk with her. Invariably, they said, “How could she forgive the men who killed her family?” I posed questions back to them, “What if she had not forgiven them? What are the implications for Rwanda as a country had she chosen hatred?” The class discussion about the cycle of violence many African nations face would not have happened had I just explained the genocide. Or if they had merely viewed a news report and then moved on.

Another benefit I found in this approach is the support I can offer the language arts teacher on my team. With Left to Tell I was able to reinforce their knowledge of the elements of plot and strengthen writing skills. Furthermore, piquing the students’ interest in Africa, genocide and Rwanda led them to seek related books for their individual reading.

Does reading a two-hundred-page book take time out of the “regular” curriculum? Yes. Was it worth the time spent? Absolutely. Will I do it again? Already am.  We are reading Iqbal by Francesco D’Adamo – a novel based on true-life Iqbal Masih, a child slave from Pakistan. Maybe I am late at discovering the value of a literature-based social studies classroom. Perhaps I should have read an article like this eighteen years ago.  Whatever the case, I am enjoying this journey here in room 712.

 

Kendal Privette blogs at a spacious place

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Encourage Your Students to Show Love

by Amy Sullivan on February 13, 2012

Flickr, Creative Commons

Folded up letters of love, heart-shaped candy with stamped on messages, and foil balloons floating in the air all flood my mind when I think of Valentine’s Day. This Valentine’s Day, consider using class time to teach your students easy ways to look beyond the commercialism and show love. Check out these quick, others-centered activities you can use in your classroom today.

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Teach students to show love by writing letters of appreciation through The Note Project. Also, assist The Note Project in reaching their goal of sending one million hand-written letters. Lesson plans included.

Teach students to show love by sharing sincere compliments.

Teach students to show love by reading about fair trade chocolates and flowers. What is fair trade, and why we should pay attention to where the items come from?

Teach students to show love by allowing them to peek at other kids making a difference. Kids inspire kids. Find some do gooders and share about their service efforts.

Teach students to show love by giving students imaginary $500.00 to shop with at The Goods. Then, discuss the why and how behind the purchases they make.

Teach students to show love by watching videos of someone who feels underloved.

How do you encourage your students to show love on Valentine’s Day? Do you have any easy-to-implement Valentine activities?

Amy Sullivan teaches Special Education and blogs at Amy L. Sullivan. 

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The Gift of Sincere Compliments

by Amy Sullivan on December 12, 2011

Image by Jonah McClure

In eighth grade, I begged my mom to put me in another school.

I was a country girl plopped down in a city school.

I wore sweatshirts, and they wore Guess. I laced-up scuffed Reeboks, and they sported sparkling Keds. I played Madonna again and again, and they jammed out to the Beastie Boys. I knew about secret crushes, and they understood full-blown sex.

And somewhere in between my lack of multiple Swatches and relentless comments from the pom squad, I decided I was done. 

My mom saw my misery, and enrolled me in the local Catholic school. Plaid uniforms, no pom squads, no dangly earrings, no cursing, and no Guess.

It was during my time as a member of this tiny Catholic class that I learned about community, and I learned about the gift of words. I participated in an activity that impacted me greatly, and I’ve done the same activity each year before Christmas as a way of showing my students how to give each other something valuable.

Now, I know you want to hear what kind of activity made the quiet girl with big hair and too much black, eye make-up feel loved, don’t you? Read on.

  1. On the board, create a list of positive character traits and words students could use to describe a friend.
  2. Count how many students are in class.
  3. Have students cut a piece of paper (or several sheets) into strips so each person in class will receive a strip.
  4. Ask students to write each of their peer’s names on a slip.
  5. Have students write one positive thing on each slip of paper.
  6. When students finish, tape each slip to a full piece of paper.
  7. Read over comments (just in case a not-so-positive one makes its way in).
  8. Add your own thoughts to each sheet.
  9. The next day, give each student a sealed envelope with their sheet of compliments.

A simple, free, and powerful gift kids can give each other. How do I know it works?

Amy, You are funny. I love it when you make me laugh, especially in mass when you make up words to the hymns you don’t know.

Amy, I think you are really smart. I don’t even have to pretend your spelling words are spelled right on your test.

Amy, Thanks for listening.

I remember. It’s been over twenty years, but I still remember.

Before Christmas break, have your students give each other something they will remember too, positive words.

Questions for you: What is the last sincere compliment you remember receiving? Do remember specific compliments your peers gave you as a child or teen?

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On Seventh Graders and their Capacity for Compassion

November 23, 2011

During a study of North Africa, my seventh-grade students and I viewed the award-winning documentary Facing Sudan in which we met Salva Dut, a former “Lost Boy” of Sudan. We learned that Salva, after relocating to the United States and nineteen years of separation, heard that his father was languishing in a United Nations clinic in Sudan. He [...]

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A Classroom Gratitude Journal

November 14, 2011
Gratitude journal

I discovered the gratitude journal idea last November, and I’ve found it an awesome way to prepare for the season. Some people have a personal gratitude journal, some a family one. Have you ever thought of a classroom gratitude journal? A gratitude journal is simply a place to record what you’re thankful for—and what better [...]

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Kindness and the Water Bucket

September 27, 2011

Wondering how to make your students just be nicer to each other? Perhaps the following character education idea and adapted story from the NY-Times Bestselling book entitled How Full is Your Bucket? {by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer} will help. Though it’s a children’s book, it would be a fantastic tool to read to students [...]

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