Get Your Collaboreyes On!

This is simple.  This is brilliant.  I love this. 

Check out  Collaboreyes.

Collaboreyes is a global project to help students see the world through new lenses.

Just have/help the student(s) take a photo of self at their favorite place, write about it, and post it to the Collaboreyes site.  Nothing to it. (Of course, get your Collaboreyes Lenses first). 

So far, students from China, Oregon, Illinois, and California are a few who have participated in this global project. 

Do this with your son, daughter, grandchild, student, or anyone.  Get your Collaboreyes on and just do it. 

stumble upon

I stumbled upon the counseling profession gig.  It was a moment of epiphany, mind you.  Still, stumbling is stumbling.

Once upon a time, I was in an entirely different profession.  One day while having lunch with a colleague he shared with me that he was thinking of changing careers.  Either he was going to take an offer to be the Tennis Pro at a country club or go back to school to become a Counselor.  Aha!- the light bulb went off.  That is what I want to do.  BE a School Counselor.  Hence, the start of my path down This Counselor's Journey.

Education is what drives me and bestows me with a sense of purpose (Outside of my family, of course).  It provides me focus, a place to put my creative energy. It is one of the things I am here to do.  It is a calling that comes naturally.  I was lucky to have stumbled upon this profession.

What have you stumbled upon?

Three Easy Steps!

At a training I attended for Critical Incident Stress Management the presenter suggested to do these three things for most every situation and you will not go wrong:

             1.  Do not panic.


             2.  Assess the situation.


             3.  Do the obvious.

Since that time I always try to incorporate this into my daily life; both professionally and personally.  I think I have integrated the process into my being so that it just flows without even thinking about it.  It just happens.

What simple, yet effective strategies work for you in maintaining composure while helping others during highly stressful incidents?

More Books To Inspire

This next bundle of books in my Books to Inspire link are about Acceptance.

My personal pick is Acceptance:  Embracing Life's Experience by Wallace J. Kahn.  Acceptance is something I contiually try to better hone.  I think, for me at least, it is a life's work.  I've referenced Dr. Kahn in some of my blog posts.  Simply stated, if there was a Mount Rushmore for those who have left an imprint on me, he would be there.  Check out this book.

Willow is my KidLit pick.  It is written by Denise Brennan-Nelson and Rosemarie Brennan.  It's got a geat site for enrichment activities.  Click here to check it out.

My Professional selection for this bundle is Lost at School:  Why Our Kids with Behavioral Challenges Are Falling Through the Cracks and How We Can Help Them by Ross W. Greene.  Quite a few folks from my PLN have read this and have given it rave reviews.  I have only just started reading, but it is certainly leading me to a significant paradigm shift.

 Be sure to visit the Books To Inspire link over to the left to discover more about these selections.

Life is Simple

We visited my Dad yesterday.  After saying hellos and settling in, he asked me which way we came.  (We could have taken the Turnpike, the expressway, or the back roads).  Before I could respond, my daughter answered, "Through the front door, Grandpa".

Of course.  The front door.  What other way is there to come?  It is so obvious.

Here's my point.  Life is simple.  Sometimes we overthink a situation and complicate things more than need be.

With regards to education, what is your Front Door story?

Daniel Pink, School Culture, and Those People

I came across a blog post by Daniel Pink that is a source of inspiration to me.  Here it is:

There are two kinds of people in the world . . .
Those who make your life easier — and those who make it harder.
Those whose presence helps you perform better — and those whose presence makes you do worse.
Those concerned about doing the work — and those concerned about getting the credit.
Those who leave you feeling up — and those who leave you feeling down.
Those who simplify — and those who complicate.
Those who listen when others are talking — and those who wait when others are talking.
Those who give — and those who take.
Those who last — and those who fade.
Which are you?

How awesome is that!  Go back and read those again.  Go ahead, I’ll wait.

About Daniel Pink:  Some look up to Sports Figures.  Others admire Movies Stars.  As for me, I think Daniel Pink absolutely Rocks.  Here is the link to his website/blog:  http://www.danpink.com/

I think we can make our School Climate a comforting, accepting, and inviting one that can positively influence our Culture.  But here’s the deal–  it starts with you.  This is what you can do.  Print out this blog post.  Laminate it.  Now tape it by your computer.  Better still, frame it.  Make it your Mantra.  This is a keeper.

I have been pondering alot about School Climate and Culture.  I have found that it needs continual cultivation and nurturing.  I believe Daniel Pink’s post about two types of people speaks directly to School Culture/Climate.   Imagine what the climate throughout a school district would be if each one of us put forth a mindful effort to go through the day as he describes in his Two Types Of People post.  Isn’t that a place where you would want to go to each and every day?

Resolve to change. Be resolute. Be one of Those people!

What Is Your Guiding Theory?

I have written a lot about change.  Here, here, and here. 

Change is inevitable.  As the saying goes, don't be a tree that will not let go of its' leaves.  After all, there can be no Spring if we are stuck in Fall. 

Stuff happens, to put it mildly.  James Taylor penned, "The secret to life is enjoying the passage of time." Easy to recognize.  A bit harder to put into daily practice.  What helps you to cope gracefully?  Whether it be a minor inconvenience or a life altering circumstance.  What keeps you forward moving and eyes clear of the rear view mirror?

Since my grad school days, I have been partial to William Glasser and his Reality Theory.  Simply put, it helps me take effective responsibility of my life and maintain an internal locus of control.

It is a nice framework: State what you want. Take the necessary steps to go get it.  If it is not working make a better plan.  Commit to it.  No excuses.  Be fully present, rather than perseverate on the past.  No punishment.  Never give up.   As a Counselor, I find it to be a wonderfully effective process to put into practice with those I meet with for counseling sessions.

It is simple enough, right?  Figure out what you want.  Develop a plan.  Go to it.  Now it is your turn.  Please take a moment to share your guiding principles.