Can you wait for something better?- Video

http://www.youtube.com/user/Prudential?v=sT7fbayfNBU

The video shows children waiting to receive the greater reward.  How did they handle waiting?
What did they do to make waiting easier?
What kinds of things do you have a hard time waiting for?
Why do we want things "NOW"? 
What is your goal?  Do you have the patience to hold out for a greater reward?  Do you get rewarded for your grades right away?  What is the long term reward for good grades?

Identifying Your Passions

Have your class complete the following sentances:

My heart pounds with excitement when___________________________________.
I feel especially good about myself when__________________________________.
I get a lump in my throat when_________________________________________.
I lose track of time whenever I am______________________________________.
If I could be any person in history, I would be_____________________________.
When I dream about my future, I see myself______________________________.
If I could change one thing about the world, it would be______________________.

By thinking through these things, students can begin to identify what their dreams are for the future.

Why do students drop out?

Watch these teachers talk about why they think students drop out?

http://www.americangraduate.org/component/content/article/602-teacher-voices-why-do-students-drop-out.html

Do you agree with what the teachers said?
Was there a reason they mentioned that you have seen in your life?
Have you had experience with an adult who dropped out of school?  What did they say about dropping out?
Why do YOU want to stay in school?
What would you say to someone who wants to drop out?

Finish the Race

"It's not only how we reach the line, but who crosses it with us."

In the following video a High School cross country team works together to clench a championship for their terminally ill coach.  Have a box of tissues close by...
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6370304

The New York Giants football team watched this video of Holland Reynolds crawling across the finish line as their inspiration to finish the season strong.  They wanted to do whatever it took to be the best.  They wanted to complete the season no matter what. 

Process with the class:
-What was the coaches attitude when he found out about his illness?
-What was the reason the team was determined to win?
-What drives you to be successful?
-When you set your goal, what are you willing to do to get it?
-Who is cheering you on, as you strive to meet your goals?
-How does the word "sacrifice" play into this story?


Finish strong.

Dreamer

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer.  Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars and change the world."

-Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Harriet Ross; Feb.-Mar. 1822 – March 10, 1913) was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made more than thirteen missions to rescue more than 70 slaves^[1] using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. She later helped John Brown recruit men for his raid on Harpers Ferry, and in the post-war era struggled for women's suffrage.
As a child in Dorchester County, Maryland, Tubman was beaten by masters to whom she was hired out. Early in her life, she suffered a head wound when hit by a heavy metal weight. The injury caused disabling seizures, narcoleptic attacks, headaches, and powerful visionary and dream activity, which occurred throughout her life. A devout Christian, Tubman ascribed the visions and vivid dreams to revelations from God.
In 1849, Tubman escaped to Philadelphia, then immediately returned to Maryland to rescue her family. Slowly, one group at a time, she brought relatives out of the state, and eventually guided dozens of other slaves to freedom. Traveling by night, Tubman (or "Moses", as she was called) "never lost a passenger".^[2] Large rewards were offered for the return of many of the fugitive slaves, but no one then knew that Tubman was the one helping them. When the Southern-dominated Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, requiring law officials in free states to aid efforts to recapture slaves, she helped guide fugitives farther north into Canada, where slavery was prohibited.
When the American Civil War began, Tubman worked for the Union Army, first as a cook and nurse, and then as an armed scout and spy. The first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war, she guided the Combahee River Raid, which liberated more than 700 slaves in South Carolina. After the war, she retired to the family home in Auburn, New York, where she cared for her aging parents. She became active in the women's suffrage movement in New York until illness overtook her. Near the end of her life, she lived in a home for elderly African Americans that she had helped found years earlier.
wikipedia.org

Success

Good habits make great people.

Dream

Follow your dreams.

How does this quote make you feel?  Think of 5 reasons why you deserve the life you want.

Courage

Your perspective of the situation is everything.  Life is not about only survival, it is about growth and joy.

Believe in Yourself

Set goals that you think may be acheived only by "special" people.  You are special.

Goal Setting

What is standing in the way of you reaching your goals?
Are you willing to sacrifice to get to your goal?
What do you have the power to change?
What don't you have control over in your life?
What resources do you have to reach your goals?

Goal Setting

Don't waste today, it is THE present.

Goal Setting

Happiness, above all else, is the goal of life.

Dream

loveit.comFind out what your dream is and make it a reality.  You have the power to do that.

Finding Your Path

The Calf Path

By: Sam Walter Foss

Long ago, through the woods

A calf walked home as good calves should;

It made a trail all bent and skewed,

A crooked trail as all calves do.

Since them, two hundred years have fled,

and now, I guess the calf is dead.

But left behind his rambling trail,

Which leads us to this little tale.

The trail was taken up next day

By a lone dog that passed that way.

And soon an old bellwether sheep

Led his flock, most half asleep;

Following the steps of that first calf

Through those old woods they made a path,

And then the town folks found the route

And walked it, winking in and out.

They always muttered words of wrath,

Like, "curse this crazy, crooked path!"

But still they followed--do not laugh--

The trail left by that early calf;

A winding, crooked path they stalked,

Because the ccalf wobbled when he walked.

This forest path became a lane

That bent and turned and turned again;

This crooked lane became a road

Where many a poor horse, with this load,

Toiled beneath the burning sun

And walked three miles just to travel one.

The years flew by and in a beat

The road became a village street.

Then, before they were aware,

A city's crowded thoroughfare.

Where millions take their daily ride

On super highways six lanes wide!

They zig and zag, where the little calf did

and brake and serve and slip and skid.

and on they go, but not content,

The traffic of the continent.

And thought they still could cut in half

The path once taken by that calf.

They choose instead, to follow-not find--

Holding to the calf path of the mind.

today folks still trudge through the snow

Just like that horse from long ago.

and like that horse they wear their blinders,

For they are followers not finders.

Now you may say they're quite insane

For sticking to that wandering lane.

But ask yourself, if you will dare,

Do I ever challenge what's already there?

Do I go forth and seek to change,

To chart a new course or rearrange?

DO I lead or an I led

By one calf now two centuries dead?

But from them we must learn to do

The things we can to change our view.

For we can gain from their mistake--

And choose with care the road we take.

Life Inventory

Classroom/ Group Activity
In this activity have the student generate as many answers to each questions as possible.  Tell them not to think about any of the questions too deeply.

1. When do I feel fully alive? (events, activities, things, etc.  that really make you feel that it is great to be alive and be you)
2. What do I do well? (what special gifts, attributes, talents, skills do I have to contribute to the lives of others? what skills have I mastered?)
3. What wishes should I be turning into plans?  Any dreams I have discarded that I should start dreaming again?
4. What should I start learning or doing now?
5. What should I stop doing now?

If the class is comfortable doing so have them share some of their responses.   
 Discussion:
What question was the easiest for them to answer? Why?
Was their an area of your life that you hadn't thought about for a long time that a question made you remember? 
What resources do they have to move forward in these areas?
Have them write a short term goal regarding their answer to questions four and five.

Eulogy

Thinking about what is meaningful...
Class discussion/ activity

 Definition of a eulogy: a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently dead (wikipedia.org). 

Start by explaining to the class that when you are looking toward the future, there IS going to be an end. It is how we have influenced others and our legacy that is left that is remembered in our eulogy.

You may need to read them an example of an obituary to give them some ideas (www.eulogyspeeches.net).

Have the class take a few minutes and write their own eulogy.  This is the eulogy that is given at the END of a full life (ex. 85 years old).  Who will give the eulogy?  What words will they use to describe you?  What did you accomplish?  Who did you leave behind?

If you have a class that is comfortable with each other, or you are running a group counseling session, have them share their eulogy.

Who Am I?

Thinking About Your Roles in Life

Classroom Activity:  Before you set goals, some self-exploration may be neccessary.  Start by having the students list 15 roles and responsibilities they have in life.  These may be the many "hats" that they wear (sometimes having the hats in class to represent some examples helps them see all of the purposeful spots they fill in life).  These may be beliefs you hold, characterstics or traits that you have, talents, habits.  Things that would be sorely missed (in your identity and meaning of life) if they were not in your life. For example:  brother, student, son, grandson, friend, neighbor, church member, dogs best friend, etc. 
1.  Consider each of these Who Am- I's seperately.  How would you feel if that role or characteristic was gone?  What would you do?  What would your life be like?
2.  After reviewing each item this way, place the items in rank order by putting a number by each of the items.  Place a 1 by the item that is most essential to your sense of self, whose loss would require the greatest struggle and adjustment.  Put a 15 by the item which is least essential to your identity.  Remind the students that this is personal and their list will not look like anyone elses.
3.  Invite members of the group to share or compare their list.  Invite comments and questions.

Organization for Students

Organization at Home
Now, let's be honest, teens are not the cleanest creatures on the planet.  Their room signifies what's happening in their brain- a lot of construction!  So, if you want to help your teen be organized start by simplifying.  Many of us hang on to things that we don't need.  If something is special to the teen and you think it is junk, challenge them to display it somewhere on a shelf in their room where it has value. 
Take pictures:  if something is hard to let go of and necessary to do so, take a picture of it to help them remember it and retire it to the garbage or goodwill. 
 "The teacher said I need to keep all my assignments!!!"
Many teachers do ask that a student keeps the things they turn in.  However, when the grade is in and the term is over, it is high time to get rid of it.  If the student is worried that it will carry over to the next term, put the work in a box and leave it in a closet.

Studying Space:
This area should be free of clutter and distraction.  The room should be free of radios, televisions, ipods, computer games, phones, etc. 
Soft music is permitted and sometimes even helpful if the student is prone to an audio style of learning.
A comfortable chair and clean desk or workspace.
A space with bright lights.
Supplies are within reach.
It smells pleasant enough to concentrate.

Process the thought: Where do you currently study?  does it meet the above criteria?  what would be a better place to study?  is there a public library or other options for having some quiet study time?  Can you stay after school with an adult in their classroom?

What are students thinking about?
Do we really want to know half the time?  Not really, what we need to teach them is how to stay focused on the task at hand.  Write the assignments down in a planner, a notebook, a tracking sheet, or on a white board in their locker (I used to write it on my hand.  It made my mom nuts, but it worked for me!). 
The locker:
Has the school locker turned into a cosmic phenomenom?  Do items disappear never to be seen again?
Get a locker shelf- if you have a full-height locker get an additional shelf for the bottom that will help keep it more organized.
Use baskets- the dollar stores often carry containers that can be used in a locker for extra pens, pencils and other supplies.
Take time to clean the locker out.  It will be worth the five minutes.

The backpack:
Often, students carry more than they need to in their backpack.  This creates confusion, stress, and unwanted time when trying to be organized.  Be sure that you clean out old assignments.  You can keep a basket at home where older assignments can be stored in case they are needed again. 

The Binders:
Middle School and Junior High students often have more than 6 or seven classes.  THEY NEED MORE THAN ONE BINDER!!!  These supplies can often be found at any supermarket or office supply store.  Use dividers and a pencil pouch to help the student be prepared.  Some classes may be able to share a binder.  BE SURE TO READ THE TEACHER'S DISCLOSURE!!! 

Auction Block Activity

Classroom Activity
Topic Areas: Goal Setting, Values

We work toward the goals that we think are important.  Part of the goal setting process is determining what is important and why.  It is in this formulation of goals that our values play an important role.  We are willing to put time, effort and money into the areas that we feel are important to us.  These areas can change over time as our values change.  The pre-teen and teen years are certainly times of transition when different sets of values are experimented with.  These changing values can be a significant factor in the goals that we keep and the ones we discard or reevaluate.

Time frame: 20 minutes plus discussion time

Materials needed: One auction list handout and pencil per person

Activity: Give each participant an auction list handout.  Explain to them that they have $2,000 to bid on the items from the list.  The items will be auctioned off one at a time.  All bids must be increments of $100.  The item will go to the highest bidder.  Run it just like a regular auction.  Give the individuals time to look down their list and see which items they wish to bid on and how much they think they might offer.  This amount should be written in the column marked "Proposed Bid'.  They are not held to that amount but it gets them thinking about the items and their worth to them.  During the auction have everyone keep track of how much the item was actually sold for and who the winning bidder was.  After you have auctioned off all of the items, there will be some students with money left.

Tell the students before you begin that anyone who has $500 or more left at the end of the auction can spend their entire remaining amount on one of three secret boxes after the auction is complete.  These three boxes can be sold to as many people as have the money and wish to buy them.  This part is not a bidding process.  Do not tell them what is contained in each of the three boxes.  The three boxes contain the following: Box One- you bought a lottery ticket and won a million dollars; Box Two- You dropped out of high school and took a job at below minimum wage with no chance of advancement; Box Three- You graduated from high school, went to college and took a job that pays a reasonable salary, but you dislike what you do.

This activity is played to show where our values and goals lie.  What you were willing to spend your money on gives you an idea of what you think is important.  Those with money left over at the end have no real strong goals as of yet, or at least none that were on the list.  The secret boxes at the end of the auction are used to show that if you don't know where you are headed them you will just end up with whatever life hands you.  The reason you had money at the end of the auction could be because you didn't feel strong enough about anything on the list to bid all you had.  Goal setting helps give direction to your life.  As you mature and find your values or lifestyle changing, your goals can be adjusted accordingly.

Worksheet/ Auction List

Discussion ideas:
What items sold for the highest amount?
What items sold for the lowest amounts?
In what category would you put the higher selling items?
In what category would you put the lower selling items?
Why did some items sell for more than others?
Why were some people willing to bid a higher amount for some items than they were willing to bid on other items?
What does this tell us about the value people place on different things in life?
Why didn't everyone wan the same items?
Were any items not bid upon or had low bids?  Why?
Did anyone purposefully save their money for the secret boxes?  Why?
how can we apply this activity to real life?

Taken from Activities that Teach by Tom Jackson