Many educators whether they are teachers or administrators at this time of the year are just glad for summer! They entered the new year with a new zeal and new vision to assist the 2006-2007 class of students in ways that help them to have the best school year that they had ever had in their educational career! Then as frustration, misbehavior and other things piled one on top of the other the goal was just to make it to the "finish line" of the last day of school!
While that discouragement conquers the souls of many educators during the school year it keeps them from giving the student the all important things that are not included in the Course of Study which are encouragement and motivation.
Lebron James , sometimes known as King James is going to be leading his Cleveland Caveliers against the San Antonio Spurs tonight in the first game of the NBA Finals. At the beginning of the year in the Cleveland Locker room by his locker area he kept a large picture of him going to the basket and "jamming on Tim Duncan". He said that he did this because he wanted to help remind the team every day that a championship was possible. Cleveland as a city has been the brunt of late night jokes on Leno and Letterman for years. Cleveland as a team has not known victory and did not have the inner belief that they could accomplish it. The King James way if we were to implement it to assist youth would be to provide ways that would give them the encouragement and motivation to participate in the opportunities all around them and to take the needed steps to make the most of their life ! Many students are just like the Caveliers Team with an attitude of defeat and that nothing good will ever happen to them!
What can you do to help youth to believe that they can have success? Lebron uses a picture of him "jamming" on Tim Duncan as his method...what could you use with your class, your school, your church youth group, the youngster next door or someone that needs your encouragement and motivation? One Principal in Pennsylvania was on network news today kissing a cow in front of his entire school and community. Why? Because his King James way of motivation was to tell the students if each student in the entire school would read 25 books this school year that he would kiss a cow.
Remember this blog does not work without your help!
What things have you used to motivate and encourage your students? What things are you going to try new this next school year?
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul
than the way in which it treats its children."
Nelson Mandela
