Top Three Issues Impacting Students

Quick, what are the top three issues most impacting young people today. 

I had the privilege of being part of an Interview Team and that question was posed to the candidates.

I would have loved to engage in a conversation with the candidates regarding their choices, but being an interview and all, there was no time for that.  (Perhaps we need to change the way we go about interviewing. I am thinking it should be more conversational, instead of buzz words and sound bites).

This question has stuck with me and I would be interested in your perspective and feedback. I wish I could have had a meaningful conversation with the candidates and then asked them to express their ideas on how to promote positive change to these issues.

Here are my top three--

Stress. Or maybe you call it Worry or Anxiety.  More and more I think it is a chronic state of being for young people.  To be sure, chronic stress does a lot of damage to one's mental state and physical well-being. Here is a recent study on Stress by the American Psychological Association. While this focus is on young adults, I find it to be true for children.
 

Social Connectedness. I think there is a lack of it for some of our young people.  Inherently we have a need for a sense of belonging and, yet, that is something that is missing from so many lives. How many students do not feel a connection with their teacher?  How many families have a sit-down meal together?  How many kids do not know how to engage in play?  How many are being intentionally/unintentionally excluded socially? In general, is there a genuine connection being made that is lasting and meaningful?

Thinking. By that, I mean knowing what to do when you do not know what to do. I am a big believer that we all need Alone Time/Quiet Time. I have found that time without constraints can provide ample space for reflection, helps you regulate your behavior, and reaps the benefit of problem solving and figuring out what to do when you do not know what to do.

I imagine your top three issues will vary depending on your student demographics and school culture/climate.  That's why I want to hear from you.  Please leave a Comment.  Or write your own post about it, but be sure to leave a link here in the comment section.

Come to think of it, maybe I'll ask students what their Top Three Issues are which impact them...

To Where It Is Headed

I love this quote (and artwork by Hugh MacLeod).  It is such a challenge, though.  It is a challenge, to me, because  the puck--Education--is always changing, adapting, evolving, moving.  Or at least it should be and needs to be.  Now more than ever we need to be forward moving with laser vision and not grounded in the past.  Another challenge this presents is that it requires caring, thoughtful leadership to inspire/motivate everyone to be headed in that direction and it beckons collaboration and teamwork from everyone.  (Here is a very good post by Lyn Hilt called The Care Effect).

Can we honestly say we are adapting and evolving with focused purpose and passion?  Can we say we are moving in a direction that is driven by what is best for young people and based on good pedagogy?  Are we changing with the times and using all the best of what's available?

We can see where the puck is heading, but often can only make a hypothesis as to the trajectory and pace. Think about it—we are preparing kids for a future which we have no idea what it will be like.  Usually we prepare them for our past. We need to stop teaching and living and leading like that.

Let’s make an effort to go where the puck is headed, and not where it is now.  What are your thoughts?

Carve

Last year I came across the One Word Challenge-- a word that encapsulates how you want to live and who you want to be.   For 2012 my word was Filter.

I am having a bit of a time pinpointing a word for 2013.  There are a lot of words percolating within me:  Gratitude. Easy. Time. Mindful. Breathe.Willingness. Capacity. Transition. Remember.

All good words, all words that would do me good as a point of focus.  All words I will be mindful of as I navigate 2013.  However, the word for me this year is Carve.

Carve time for family.  For friends.  For my profession/right livelihood.  For me. 

I recently took a wood carving class.  It was a fun thing for me to do, as well as an important creative outlet.

It was difficult, though, as it removed me from my comfort zone.  I am a big advocate of Malcom Gladwell and his referencing of the 10,000 Hour Rule.  School counseling is like the back of my hand.  Wood carving, on the other hand, is something where I am a true rookie.  I have logged about 40 hours.  10,000 is a long way away.  So, I hope to continue to practice the art of carving.  I believe it will be a valuable tool for me to be nurturing and understanding to those I encounter on their own journey toward Mastery.

I need to be mindful to Carve out time for my kids.  They are seven and have entered the stage of their lives where they are involved with lots of activities:  soccer, ballet, art, swimming, and on and on.  It can be a hectic schedule.  It seems as if my kids were just born and here they are becoming their own people.  I am so very proud, but I still need to Carve a space for just me and them where there are no outside distractions.

And my wife!  So much of our time is devoted to being Parents and Educators. It can be exhausting.  I definitely need to Carve out more Date Nights with her. 

Professionally, there are times when I am assigned a not so desirable task. I will strive to use this less then ideal situation and Carve it into something workable and to which I can take ownership.

I need to Carve time for myself, too.  I am not much good to others in my life, professionally or personally, if I lose sight of this.  So, it will be important to Carve a niche just for me.

I like the word Carve because it reminds me to be an active participant in life.  Sometimes, a mindset develops that stuff happens to you.  I suppose stuff does happen to you, however, it is how I respond to the stuff that matters.  Mostly, it will mean making space for that which matters most to me and whittling away that which is an impediment. I hope to do a lot of Carving this year to positive, healthy results.

If you have not picked a word for 2013 I encourage you to give it a try. Here are a few folks from my PLN who did--  Jeff Delp, Lyn Hilt, Ann Ottmar, and Celina Brennan. Click on their names to see their word. Perhaps, by reading about their Word for 2013 they can serve to jump start and inspire you.  Add your Word to the comments below.

I wish you well for 2013.

School Counseling Linky Party

 

I am a bit late to this, but here I am nonetheless.  Marissa Rex has an ever resourceful counseling blog, Elementary School Counseling.  Only go there when you have plenty of time as there is alot of stuff you'll want to use in your own work with young people.

She is hosting a Linky Party, where anyone gets to reflect on their own blog from the past year. It is a fun way to reflect on 2012 and gear up for 2013.


 





My best feature is Set Your Intentions.  Simply stated, it is quotes which inspire me.  I put them out there to share with you with hopes that they provide motivation for you. Here is my very first one- Watering Your Dreams.




For me, this post encapsulates so much of what I value-- a growth mindset, the process of change, and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable-- Learning is a Leap of Faith.  The girl in this video is awesome!


 

Most of what I write evolves over a lengthy period of time.  This post, however, was written in a matter of minutes-- Advocate.  Erin Mason from SCOPE tweeted a question and it turned into this post.


 

You want a kid lit book to work on just about anything? This is the place to find it-- Books That Heal Kids
               


She is connected to the things that matter most-- The Principal's Posts



I wish I wrote like him-- Mountains Out of Molehills

If you are stuck in a rut and need your thinking stretched, this is a place to go--Blogging Through the Fourth Dimension.

If Education is your passion and you think there is such a thing as compassionate leadership then make a habit of checking this blog regularly-- Life of an Educator.

 

Fail Harder

Are you prepared for things to not work?

Fail Harder.

Are you willing to put yourself out there?

Take the chance to Fail Harder.

Wieden + Kennedy is an advertising agency that used 100,000 push-pin tacks to create an art installation in their offices. Check out this short video of it being made:  Fail Harder.

Pablo Picasso knew something about failing harder when he stated, I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.


Carol Dweck knows it, too, and said,
Failure is important to understand because success involves repeated setbacks. If you don't know how to welcome failure, grapple with it and ultimately overcome it, you're not going to develop your potential to the fullest.

Students need to integrate a mistake or setback as not failure. Rather, just a step closer to realizing the attainment of a task, goal, or dream.  We all need to look through a different lens so as to not perceive a setback or mistake as a failure.

Set Your Intentions #7

Promise me you'll always remember:  You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.  ~ A. A. Milne

 

Creativity is a Habit-Forming Autonomous Verb

I think that the mind in its purest functioning pursuit is creative. This is something we all possess and have free access to, but is not always encouraged and held up to the light.  Hard to believe, but true.

This slide created by Bill Ferriter gets to the very heart of it:

Why is it, do you think, that creativity is related to as a bad habit?  Is it due to not providing enough time to allow it to breathe and find its rhythm?  Is it the by-the-book curriculum? Is it the structure of a school day? Is it the people within the school?  Justin Tarte tweeted, We want students to be autonomous learners who are taking control of their learning. To me, this is most apt to happen when students have ample opportunity for exploration and ownership of creating.  This takes a substantial amount of time and time seems to be a commodity that is being whittled away. Still, in some places there are educators who are devoted to making it come to life and I'd like to hear from them.  Please share with all of us your role in how it is being cultivated.

Krissy Venosdale wrote this about how, at times, our good intentions are less then mindful in the way we relate to students:

You need to read this. I said to. Do this first. Follow this pattern. This is the way to do it. Here is the right way. Sit still. Complete the front side. Number your paper. Do as I say. Raise your hand before speaking. Put your name at the top. I give this a 95%. Follow the classroom rules. Be engaged. Keep your eyes on your page. Choose A, B, or C. I talk, you learn. You’re following my lesson plan. My classroom.

Little words. Tiny phrases. Together? They create fences that keep our kids in one safe spot where learning and exploring become all about what we say to do. Fences that keep kids from learning. (Here is her entire post, Learning Because The Gates Are Wide Open).

Krissy puts forth a timely example of how we can be a wet blanket to creativity and autonomous learning. What are your daily practices that do not fence in students?  Let us call it Free Range Learning. Again, I'd be grateful to hear from you.

Milton Glaser says this about his creative philosophy:

There's no such thing as a creative type.  As if creative people can just show up and make stuff.  As if it were just that easy. I think people need to be reminded that creativity is a verb, a very time consuming verb. It's about taking an idea in your head, and transforming that idea into something real. And that's going to be a long and difficult process. If you're doing it right, it's going to feel like work.

Consider a time when you had a moment from which sprang a perfect idea-- an a-ha moment. It came seemingly and suddenly out of nowhere. An epiphany. Chances are, you were probably taking a nap, driving your car, waiting at the airport, or in the shower. Some place like that. Milton Glaser had one such moment in a taxi and this is what he sketched on an envelope. That sketch led to this iconic design. Those magical moments of insight only take place after lots of tireless effort and concerted thought.  It just does not happen in a single moment.  Persistence and perseverance always precede it. 

To me, his philosophy speaks to the path along which
one journeys and not the end product itself.  In school, how can we set the stage for students so these bursts of insight can happen organically? How can we shift the perception so that creativity is viewed as an admirable, expected habit?  Please comment.  I'd like to hear from you.