A Challenge that Sparked a Revolution

We don’t remember days, we remember moments in our lives.  –Unknown

I remember the moment that Ronald Reagan was shot…I was in my high school English class. I remember the Challenger falling out of the sky….I was eating lunch in the GAG at Wayne State College. I remember the Columbine High School killings…I was in my classroom at West Point Jr-Sr High School. I remember the moment I knew that a high school assembly made a difference that could reshape lives.

Rachel’s Challenge (www.rachelschallenge.org) is an assembly that challenges people to live lives based on kindness and compassion. Never once did the message say, “Don’t bully” or “Don’t stand by and let others become victims.” Rather, this unique approach teaches students to be kind and caring. This isn’t the first time that students have heard that message, but it is the first time that this message was “real” for students.

Bullying is wrong……always wrong. Schools have created and implemented many programs to stop bullying. Simply bringing in programs, however,  that tell students what not to do hasn’t been the answer. Rachel’s Challenge takes the unique approach of telling the students what to do…..live a life based on character, integrity, and compassion; and the school community will become a safer and kinder place to learn and to grow.

Rachel’s Challenge issued 5 Challenges to the students.

Dream Big.

Look for the best in others.

Choose Positive Influences.

Speak with Kindness.

Start a Chain Reaction.

Not only did this program issue 5 Challenges to the students and the community, it provided a curriculum and examples of how to best sustain the Rachel Challenge movement. Best of all, the students accepted the challenges, and they have vowed to change the culture of their school. They believed. They spent 60 minutes in an auditorium listening to the legacy that Rachel Joy Scott has given to millions around the world, and they decided to change their lives as a result. They decided to start a revolution of kindness.

The students won’t remember that Rachel’s Challenge visited their school on October 17^th, but they will remember the moment that Rachel Scott’s message touched their lives.

In the Blink of an Eye

I blinked. As I walked across the busy University of Nebraska-Omaha’s campus, I reached for my daughter’s hand to guide her safely to our new adventure. I blinked…instead of the bouncing and giggly toddler, I laughed with Katie, my English teacher daughter, as we got ready to present a breakout session on technology at the Nebraska School Counseling Association’s annual conference. Time has moved at warp speed the last two decades, and all of the toddler adventures that Katie and I shared have now moved onto professional opportunities for both of us.

In over twenty five years of education, we have moved from the ditto machine to ipads. Truthfully, technology has moved faster than a blink of an eye. It is vital that educators stay in pace with the advances of technology. Katie and I presented on twenty-three different technology programs and apps that can enhance a school’s comprehensive school counseling program. Whether it is a website to help with productivity or an app to help children with storytelling, it is important that school counselors learn the best ways to reach students, their families, and communities. New and ever-changing methods of technology are ways to do just that.

 

Katie and I showed the power of professional development that comes from Twitter and Pinterest. Haiku Deck and Prezi offer new ways of presenting information and telling stories. Evernote and LiveBinders collect information for school counselors in efficient and time-saving ways. Stichit and Bitly show us new ways to share websites and their url addresses with an audience. The power of new technology empowers all school counselors!

Attached is the google document that will enhance educational programs! Start small and try one new idea! Before you blink, you will be communicating and working in more productive ways!

http://bit.ly/QiO2dj