Category: Environment

Despite all the economic difficulties most of us don’t have to go to sleep wondering if we will eat tomorrow or where we will go to get clean water.  Unfortunately for millions of people living in the developing world that is the case.  Whatever our circumstances are by world standards we have all won the lottery of life.  We can hope to see a more prosperous tomorrow

Charitable giving is an American tradition.  Surveys show that 85% of American families make charitable donations each year.   Giving money to charity is part of living an ethical life.   Peter Singer author of “The Life You Can Save” believes that giving to the right charity could end world poverty.   The reason is it takes much less money to help provide clean water, food, agricultural supplies, and basic medical care in the poorest parts of the world.   In his book he cites some examples of how a little bit of money goes a long way.

One story is about a group of women among the lowest caste group in India who pick through the landfills looking for recyclable materials.  Their problem was finding a reliable market.  One of charities promoted through givemore.net gave them enough funds to organize and secure buyers.  Today this group no longer accepts charitable funds.  The good news about supporting the poorest of the poor is the impact is huge.  Workingwomen in India have fewer and healthier children and have the resources to rely on their own best efforts.  This same scenario is repeated in every dirty and forgotten corner of the globe.  When money gets into the right pipeline it changes things.

Teachers can make a sustaining impact on this endeavor by adopting a yearlong charitable cause for their classroom.  Doing this not only teaches your students about culture, geography, and history it also is the beginning for them to be part of a call to positive action.  It empowers your students to make a difference in the world. 

It takes only a little bit of imagination to make this possible.  Students should be encouraged to give.  Create opportunities to give small change.  Students can pay nickels and dimes for extra perks like watching a movie, or having a pizza party.  Throughout the year much can be collected.  Classrooms can aim for a specific dollar amount.  

Teachers can find information from Peter Singer’s book.  The web provides lots of resources like givewell.net. and kiva.org, both allows you to give small amounts of money to lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world. Your students will be able to read first hand accounts of helping a real person make strides towards improving their life.

Help your students learn the value of charitable giving and tap into the possibilities in life.

In the famous words of George Bernard Shaw.

“You see things and you say, why?  But I dream things that never were and I say why not?”

Yesterday President Obama called for sweeping changes to American education.  One of the more controversial parts of his plan is to implement performance pay for teachers.  Obama laid down a challenge for teachers and public school systems demanding more accountability. 

The President wants to reward excellence.  It’s been a long time since the word excellence and public education have been spoken in the same sentence.  As predicted Union leaders reacted cautiously to the plan, while they welcome the vision they fear its implementation.  The question is: how will we know that our children are learning more?

Almost every school district in American has a mission statement posted somewhere.  Typically it will say to provide the right environment in which children can learn.  Few schools are bold enough to promise excellence.  Now think about any product seeking your consumer dollars.  All promise and some guarantee the greatest satisfaction and the best results when you buy theirs.  Education needs this type of challenge, the challenge of excellence.  

Einstein said we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking that created them.   The system under which education operates needs a new foundation.  It took a long time for the current system to develop its institutional practices and they are naturally resistant to let it go.  But schools must not cave into the resistors who see failure and difficulty with the new proposals. The resistors fear that if one thing is wrong how many others might also be wrong.  How much of this institutional establishment are we going to pick apart? 

Intellectual honesty must be a part on this discourse on change.  If schools are ever going to make real progress they must admit that some of their current practices are wrong.  Changing our thinking is the only hope for the future. 

It’s easy in our culture to feel not quite good enough.  For some of us it takes a lifetime to come to terms with the flawed notion of perfection and accepting and loving ourselves.  In the book, “Surviving Marcia Brady.” Maureen Mccormick reveals how the character of Marcia Brady became her alter ego and how far down she fell struggling to accept herself. 

Her story is a modern fable that shows that all the glitters is not gold, despite how much it sparkles.  I was past the age of influence when the Brady Bunch was popular on TV but I remember how much my younger sisters wanted to be just like Marcia.  Popular culture in the early 70’s had not yet wormed its way into the youthful psyche the way it has today so I have to wonder who are the modern day Marcia Brady’s and how much dysfunction are they creating now?

For many children the only template they have for a purposeful life is the one marketed to them through the medium of entertainment. Often promoting a life where popularity and being envied are the standards of success. 

Schools are tapped out right now and to ask them to pick up the slack and restore value where it’s lacking is a heavy proposition.  Despite the difficulties I know schools can influence positive change.   And the steps are simple and free. 

Providing character education and guidance is nothing more than practicing it yourself first.  It doesn’t’ even have to be an institutional practice but it would be more effective if the entire teaching staff embraced it.   

One resource I discovered several years ago was “The Four Agreements” by Dan Miguel Ruiz.  This little book is a gem of practical wisdom that can transform anyone willing to be better.  The four agreements are simple rules to help you honor and respect your own life and everyone you encounter.

The first agreement is to be impeccable with your word.  Speak with integrity say only what you mean.  Avoid using your word to speak against yourself or against someone else.  Never gossip.  Instead use the power of your word in the direction of love and truth.

The second agreement is don’t take anything personally.  Recognize that nothing others do is because of you.  What they do and say is a projection of their own reality, and of their own shortcomings.   When you choose not to be offended you become immune to the opinions and actions of other people.  You cannot become the victim of needless suffering.

The third agreement is don’t make assumptions.  Communicate as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama.  With this one agreement you can transform your life because you practice communicating clearly frees you from emotional poison.

And the most important agreement is to always do your best.  When you allow yourself to be human you recognize that everyday is different.  Different mind, different body, different moment and under all these changing circumstances you simply do your best.  This attitude helps you avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

I find the last to be the agreement of forgiveness.  Forgiving yourself is the most critical step to accepting your imperfect yet beautiful self.   Embracing the four agreements is breaking with all your old emotional binds and contracts.  It’s liberating because this practice allows you to be better, to become noble in the truest definition of the word.

I have used the agreements as rules to live by and instructed students in their meaning.  Many students found the simplicity of this creed an easy way to practice respect and  helped them let go of unhealthy judgment and negativity.  

John Lennon sang, “Living is easy with your eyes closed misunderstanding all you see.”

These simple agreements help you live with your eyes open.

How much time everyday do children spend outside? How many minutes a day do children engage in real physical activity?  

Our children do not move enough or play enough.  Read the evidence

• A study published this month in the journal of Pediatrics studied the links between recess and classroom behavior among 11,000 children.  Children who had more than 15 minutes of recess a day had more positive behaviors.
• A Harvard study of middle school students reported in the Journal of School Health that the more physical fitness children have the better they do on academic tests.
• Dr. Stuart Brown author of “Play: How It Shapes the Brain” claims play is a major health issue.  During play children develop skills to solve social problems.  It is a fundamental biological process that creates resiliency and social life skills.
• Neuroscientists at Oxford University believe that repeated exposure to computer games, chat rooms, and social networks sites could leave a generation of children with poor attention spans.  In addition the lack of play and interaction interferes with developing critical communication skills.
• The Journal of Attention Disorders found that for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder improved on test scores by simply taking walks outside.
•  A study by the Broadcaster Audience Research board found teenagers now spend seven and a half hours a day in front of some kind of screen. 

This research shows the intimate connection between the body and the mind.  And that connection can be compromised when children lead out of balance lives.  Too much time devoted to the wrong things.   This information is critical yet in order for it to have any impact those in education must first start to believe it and then to make adjustments.

Scientists know the brain uses two forms of attention.  Directed attention that allows us to concentrate on work and involuntary attention that takes over when we are distracted.  Directed attention is a limited resource.  Long hours sitting whether it be in a classroom or in front of a computer screen create mental fatigue.   But spending time in a natural setting, outside appears to activate involuntary attention giving the brain time to rest.  

Unfortunately this information comes at a time when schools are making cuts to recess and physical education.  Thirty percent of public schools offer no recess at all to children and forty percent of schools surveyed are offering only one daily recess period.  And even more injurious are those teachers who punish students by taking away recess privileges.  You don’t punish children by taking away a math class.  It’s illogical to limit or take away the one activity that promotes greater brain activity and learning potential.

Physical activity is essential to education.  Teachers must work to guarantee that their students have access to being outside and being active even if they must  integrate it into their daily lesson plans themselves.

As we search for cost efficient ways to improve our schools lets not forget these simple rules. 

Have you ever been so rushed to get someplace that you didn’t have enough time to stop and get gas?   It’s ironic that the most necessary thing could be the very thing you neglected. 

Many of us rush through the day neglecting ourselves the same way we neglect our gas tanks.  When you consider the consequences that come from little things it’s easy to see there are no little things. 

As teachers you are caregivers and nurturers but who nurtures you? 

The answer is you.  You have to make a dedicated plan to take care of yourself first.  Just like the emergency instructions on every air flight to fit the oxygen mask over your own face first in life you must also make sure your breathe first. 

There are four dimensions of renewal that should become part of your day.  The first is the physical.  Caring effectively for your physical body you need to eat well, get sufficient rest, and regular exercise.  Making excuses about building wellness only ensures that at a critical time you will run out of gas. 

The second dimension is the mental.  When you become a life long learner you enhance and enrich your own teaching abilities.  Stimulating the mind by learning new things will make you more alert and responsive.  By challenging the mind you will discover that you are able to solve problems with less stress.

The third dimension is the spiritual.  The spiritual invites meaning and purpose into your life.  It also reinforces your commitment to your own mission and values.  Paying attention to the spiritual means connecting to what inspires you, nature, music, art, literature, all help you cultivate a richer life.

The fourth dimension is the social and emotional renewal.  It means keeping and improving your relationships.  Honoring your relationships means you keep them in constant repair.  You attend to the courtesies, listen for understanding, keep commitments and sincerely apologize when you make a mistake. 

Renewal is a lifetime journey with a million little steps.  When you practice this you maintain and improve the things that will help you accomplish your work and other desires.   Your mind, body and spirit will help you realize your goals.  A happy and healthy life is the result of taking care of you first. 

When Ryne Sandberg was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 2005 he said, “ I was in awe every time I walked onto the field.  That’s respect. A lot of people say this honor validated my career, but I didn’t work hard for validation.   I didn’t play the game right because I saw a reward at the end of the tunnel.  I played it right because that’s what you’re supposed to do, play it right and play it with respect.  If this validates anything, it’s that the guys who taught me did what they were supposed to do.”

Playing by the rules is an institutional practice.  And these practices are passed down and evolve.   “There is a deep reverence for those who came before and built up the rules,” writes political scientist Hugh Heclo in his book “On Thinking Institutionally.” 

Heclo believes we are defined by what life asks of us.  As we go through life we travel through institutions, family, school, and then institutions that become part of our profession.

Your students need a model to learn how and why to play by the rules because right now it seems everyone has broken all the rules.   As educators you have not just an opportunity every day but an obligation to pass on the importance of respect in every aspect of your students life. 

So how can you do this? 

There is nobility and integrity in honoring what is right and especially doing this when challenged.  Classroom teachers are challenged everyday by the disruptions and demands of their students.  It is impossible to plan without planning for the unexpected.  The unexpected is the student who is testing your good humor and your patience.  It is the love and the discipline of the one student that communicates the love for the others. 

Stephen Covey author of “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” said, “It’s how you treat the one that reveals how you regard the ninety-nine, because ultimately everyone is the one.” 

If students can learn this lesson of the importance of the one they can practice playing by the rules for life.  They can learn to become persons of the highest integrity, calling a penalty on themselves when need be. 

As teachers you don’t need a plan or a special time of day to weave this lesson into the curriculum you can do this simply by practicing and honoring your craft.  You have a relationship to teaching that could almost be described as a covenant.  Your job is to do it right, to play by the rules yourself so your students can follow in your footsteps.

Creative World Connection Series 1 is a collection of daily messages that help you reinforce this lesson with your students.  As a small company CWC is able to adapt our material to the needs of your student population.  Contact us today for more information on how we can help your students learn the importance of playing by the rules. 

Every pediatrician has this conversation over and over with parents about setting limits and consistently praising good behavior.  What these conversations really are about is manners.   Dr. Perry Klass said, “When you are in an exam room with a child who seems to have none, you begin to wonder what is going on at home, at school and questions of family dysfunction problems begin to cross your mind.”

Practicing good manners has a huge impact on people’s lives despite the fact that some people think manners are out of date. Are they?

Having good manners is akin to showing respect.  Respecting yourself as well as others is one ingredient to becoming a successful human being.   Schools are the epicenter of the manners debate.  Students without manners are seen as rude and this contributes to behavior problems. But few schools have the time or resources to teach manners in addition to their academic benchmarks.  So what’s the answer?

Continuity of practice, practice makes perfect and when anything is repeated enough it eventually becomes part of a new habit.   Schools can teach students good manners first by practicing good manners.  Manners are our public behavior and the first lesson is that there are other people whose feelings must be considered.  Learning this affects a child’s most basic moral development.

Schools can teach manners 101 every day by:

• Address a manners issue every morning as part of their daily messages
• Simple examples are reminders to students to use polite language, practice right of way when walking (road rules for your hallways), and examples of kindness

• Classroom teachers should display manners rules in the classroom and begin the day with reminders to practice. Teachers also demonstrate good manners when they maintain composure under pressure.

• Reward and recognize students who practice good manners. 

• Help students learn good table manners by periodically eating lunch with your students.  Give helpful reminders to students about how to eat properly.

Students who are loud, demanding and insistent show that no one has taken the time to teach them manners; their basic needs are not being met.  Remember children by definition are selfish.  It’s a parent’s job to teach them there are other people in the world and other people have feelings.  Unfortunately when parents fail schools are left to pick up the slack and civilize the behavior of children. 

Creative World Connection is dedicated to helping schools provide comprehensive character education for their students.  Any school that is seeking a dedicated program that is consistent, timely and successful can contact us to purchase material tailored to their school’s needs.   The advantage of being a CWC subscriber is that we are flexible in content and pricing.  Contact us today and mention this blog entry for special pricing on Series 1 and also on custom programs. 

Failure to thrive is a medical term used to describe children who have stunted development.  It’s unclear why but doctors know this affliction is not a result of malnutrition, infections or any other single physical process that science can identify.  What they do know is the condition is reversed when children are in a loving and nurturing environment. 

Children can be stunted physically if they are not given sufficient love and attention now imagine the effect a lack of this has on the learning process.   Our current education system is being stressed by enormous social and economic factors, some of which seem overwhelming.  The suggestion that a failure to thrive is now the responsibility of a school is not meant to criticize but to empower. 

Creating a sufficient loving environment should not be a challenge for a school but a requirement.  Every school should ask: what conditions are necessary for a student to learn?

The most important condition is every student must feel and know that their classroom is safe.  They are treated with respect and trust what their teacher will ask them to do.  At some level the student must believe that their teacher has their best interest at heart.  It is in this environment that students will want to do some work to please their teacher.  They are engaged and attending to the work.  This is a great first step in the process to change from schooling to learning.  

The second step is students will begin to realize that what they are learning is important, it’s relevant to their life and is useful.  They will begin to bring the community of learners into their quality world.  They trust those around them and work together for a common goal.  The momentum is contagious and learning can become fun.

The last step is students learn how to self evaluate their own work.  They decide to make it better.  At this phase students are learning for the sake of knowledge. 

All of this sounds slightly utopian and out of reach.  But remember it’s derived from the basic premise that children thrive in a loving environment.  Any environment that tells a child you matter, you are important, and you can master this is a place where a child can excel.

Schools need to move away from mediocre standards and models.   They can solve their own problems but only by changing their thinking. 

Einstein said, “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking which created them.”

Our best thinking got us here, we can change. 

Researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours.  According to Malcolm Gladwell the author of “Outliners,” the emerging picture is that ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert in anything. In study after study this number comes up again and again.

The experts claim there are no naturals that float effortlessly to the top. Once a person achieves a certain ability the one thing that truly distinguishes them is how hard they work.  The interesting thing about ten thousand hours is that it’s an enormous amount of time and it’s impossible to reach that number all by yourself.   You have to have encouragement and support and in most cases an extraordinary opportunity to give you a chance to put in those hours. 

KIPP schools are giving their students this extraordinary kind of support and opportunity.  In  KIPP schools students spend 50 to 60 percent more time learning than in traditional public schools.  Everyday students have ninety minutes of English and Math and one hour of science.  Every student in the school plays in the orchestra.  Nationally more than 90 percent of their middle school students go to college preparatory high schools and later to college. 

It sounds like these numbers could be exaggerated especially when you factor into this equation that almost all their students are low-income and African American or Latino.  But on closer examination you see what’s going on here.  Every student signs a contract to put learning first.  Most students begin their school day by getting up at 5:30.  In return for this effort students are rewarded with work that is meaningful.  The three qualities that make work satisfying autonomy, complexity and a connection between effort and reward are part of the KIPP program. 

The KIPP philosophy closes the achievement gap.  It has been an accepted belief for too long by too many that disadvantaged children are not as smart as their more privileged counterparts.   And that educators are not doing a good enough job of teaching them.  When what really is responsible is having gaps in their learning. 

The real problem for students who aren’t achieving is there isn’t enough time for school.  Whatever gains are made during the school year are lost during the summer.  This cycle continues year after year.   Expanding the amount of time spend in school closes this gap.

What KIPP is doing is consistent with the number for excellence; it’s the practice and the time devoted to it that makes a difference.

Instead of talking about reducing class size, rewriting curricula, buying every student a new laptop and increasing funding  schools need to look at the amount of time students spend learning.  Summer vacation is considered a permanent  feature of school life.  The causes of Asian math superiority are obvious.  Students in those schools don’t have summer vacations. In the US the school year is on average 180 days, in South Korea it’s 220 days and in Japan 243 days.  Longer days and a shorter summer will help American students will catch up to our most successful competitors 

“One man cannot do right in one department of life while he is occupied doing wrong in any other department.  Life is one indivisible whole.”

Mahatma Gandhi 

The best way to know where you are going and what you are about is to write a personal mission statement.  A personal mission statement is a philosophy or creed that focuses on what you want to be and do.  It clarifies your values and principles.  It is unique, because it is you. 

Every classroom teacher should have a personal mission statement.  This powerful document expresses your personal sense of purpose and meaning in life.  It acts as a governing constitution by which you evaluate your decisions and choose behaviors. 

The importance of this cannot be understated because the challenges of teaching are so great.  Your mission statement can be your compass in times when it’s easy to lose your way.  Stress, troubled students, pressures from administration and your own personal life will tax your energy and resolve.   The process of writing a mission statement allows you to reevaluate your old scripts and create new ones based on principles. 

Creating a mission statement involves as much discovery as it does creation.  It gives you a chance to explore the future using the four endowments of self-awareness, imagination, conscience and independent will.

The benefits of a personal mission statement are:

·       It encourages you to think deeply about your life

·       It helps you examine your innermost thoughts and feelings

·       It clarifies what’s really important

·       It expands your perspective

·       It imprints self-determined values and purposes firmly in your mind

·       It enables you to make daily progress toward long term goals

Take the time this holiday break to begin the process of writing a mission statement. Just begin by listing things you want to have in your life that are important.  Identify the five most important things.  Ask yourself what you daydream about, what you see yourself doing if you had unlimited time and resources.  What activities do you consider to be of your greatest worth? 

This is the start of enhancing your own quality of life and expanding your personal leadership.  Your leadership as a classroom teacher and in your personal life will make you a person of influence.

“What lies behind us is nothing compared to what lies within us and ahead of us.”

Anonymous

More to come on mission statements and leading your students to discover their right paths.