Week 18: Know Yourself and Accept Others

Sadly, this was my last week with the students at Oyler Elementary.  I saved the most important lesson for last, the importance of knowing yourself, while being accepting of others.  I wanted the students to remember that they should always be themselves, as no two people are exactly the same.  We all have different backgrounds, beliefs, physical features, and opinions.  It's important for these students to learn that they need to know them self so they can be their best self.  They should never aspire to be anyone else.


In order to help the students discover their true self, we colored bookmarks according to certain traits associated with the colors and shapes.  On my own bookmark, I colored red for love, grey for traditional, purple for elegance, green for reliability, and various shapes that represent order, independence, and wholeness. The students had a great time participating in this exercise, and learned about themselves at the same time.


Winners love and accept themselves and others!  

Week 17: Make Friends, But Choose Them Wisely

Make new friends, but keep the old.  Some are silver and the others gold" - we all sang this brief song at some point during our childhood, yet the message of the song still remains clear even now, as we grow older.  I have many new college friends, but I still remain in contact with my high school friends.  Even though I rarely see them, we can talk to each other about anything and anyone.  I want to have as many friends as I can because these people truly know who I am and appreciate me for my personality, no matter how sarcastic I may be.


To talk about having good friends with my students, we discussed what types of qualities make a good friend.  Good friends should support each other, be dependable, respect each other, listen to each other, and genuinely care about each other.  We also dicussed the importance of forgiving our friends for making silly mistakes, as forgiveness is a huge topic in the school.

To have good friends, you have to be a good friend.

Week 16: Be Good to the Environment - Go Green!

When I was in high school, we always had a theme for the school year.  One year, the theme was "We were green before green was cool."  So I course, I had to talk to my students about being green and eco-friendly. 

This lesson fell right around Earth Day, which was great because the students had already been talking about going green with their science teachers.  I encouraged them to take some time cleaning up their local neighborhoods and making sure they recycle bottles and cans.  There are also places that will take recycled clothes, which was very surprising to some.

Another thing that's really important is cutting up the pop can plastic rings.  As a yearly visitor to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, my family and I have seen horrible pictures of fish and dolphins dying after being trapped in the plastic rings.  As these cannot always be recyled, I told students to be sure to cut them so they could ensure that animals wouldnt get caught. 

Week 15: Develop Good Habits

This week, we had a short session that piggybacked off of many previous sessions.  Since we had limited time, I was to get this lesson in, as it is very similar to "It's Cool to Take Care of Yourself."  


We discussed the importance of getting into habits, well the good ones.  We made a list of good habits, including brushing your teeth in the morning and at night, eating healthy foods, exercising, having good friends, etc.  We also put a list on the board of bad habits that we should never do, such as smoking, watching tv instead of finishing homework, etc.  The kids really got a lot out of this exercise, and they did a great job determining which habits were good and bad.  

Week 14: Good Words Make a Good Impression

We all used to dread those grammar lessons during our elementary school years.  Learning the proper use of your, you're, there, their, and they're, and the difference between adjectives, adverbs, and nouns was not fun for any of us.  BUT, it's quite important that we know these small grammatical differences, especially as we grow older and have careers.


I wanted to stress not only the importance of proper grammar, but also the need for proper communication.  We practiced a variety of proper sentences on the board, excluding the words "ain't", "naw", etc.  It's important they always use proper grammar, especially when they are being polite and using their manners.


I have heard many of the students use vulgar language in the classroom, and for kindergarten through second graders, it's not appropriate.  Some of the kids are very vulgar, manly the older boys in the group.  If anything goes wrong, the curse words start flying.  I explained there are other, less violent ways of expressing negative emotions.


I've also realized the importance of proper communication, a valuable skill that will be important in the business world.  When there is not clear communication, people can get confused and events can go not as planned.  Even being a part of Winners Walk Tall was often times frustrating.  Sometimes, I'd show up at Oyler to find that the after school program was cancelled for the day.  As a volunteer and a college student, my time is precious, so I was annoyed when I wasn't properly communicated to.

Week 13: Be Honest

This week we discussed the importance of being honest with ourselves and others, and how we shouldn't steal, lie, or cheat.  My parents used to tell us the story of the little boy who cried wolf, so I figured I should share it with the students.  While some of them had already heard it, it was good to reiterate the importance of being honest.  


I also presented the students with some situations to test their integrity and these situations would provide good examples for discussion. What would you do if you found a purse in the bathroom at the mall?  What would you do if the answers fell off the teacher's desk during the test?  The kids answered with very interesting decisions, but it provided good conversation and helped the students understand what is right and wrong.

Week 12: Save for Tomorrow

My parents are both in the business field, and have always encouraged us to save our money.  I used to dread getting money for my birthday because my dad would take it straight to the bank.  Now, as a college student, I don't have to worry about being the "poor college kid" because my parents taught me the importance of saving much more than I spend.  My friends and I always joke about how I spend no money when we go shopping, while they blow through their paychecks, but I know that as I grow older, I will be happy I have saved.

When I signed up to be a character coach, I was told that these kids really need to have this lesson taught because they spend money as fast as they earn it.  I decided I would give each student a penny.  The next week, if they still have their penny, they would be given a nickel.  The following week, a dime, and then finally a quarter.  I was shocked when most of the students didn't even have their penny during the second week. No one made it to the quarter week, and I just couldn't believe they had found a way to spend such a small amount of money.  

We discussed the importance of saving money for college, weddings, buying a car, owning a house, and having money set aside for any emergencies that may come up.  I hope that some of these students took my advice to save money.  

Week 11: An Attitude of Gratitude

When I came upon this lesson, I wish I would have gone through it with the students during Thanksgiving week, but I believe anytime is a good time to reinforce the importance of gratitude.


As a child, my parents always stressed the importance of saying please and thank you.  It was expected of my sister and I that we used our manners, and I think it has paid off.  We were always required to write thank you notes to relatives and friends who gave us birthday presents, which made for great practice when I needed to write thank you notes to potential employers after interviews.


With his lesson, I wanted to be sure the students knew the importance of writing thank you notes, so I did a demonstration with them.  I gave each student a fun, decorated piece of paper and we did a mock thank you note addressed to their teacher.  It's important for them to be appreciative of their teachers, as they are working extremely hard to help their students.  


We also discussed things they are thankful for and each student took a turn writing their thoughts on the chalkboard.  

Week 10: It's Better to Compliment than Criticize

Many times, we say hurtful things without thinking.  For this lesson, I had a volunteer come to the front of the room to squeeze toothpaste from the tube onto a plate for a few seconds.  Then I told the student that he had to get the toothpaste all back into the tube.  As this is quite hard to do, I asked the students if they had ever said something and then immediately wished they could take it back.  


I have frequently observed the students being very critical towards each other, instead of being well-mannered.  I had each student give a quick compliment to every other student, as I feel that positive reinforcement and receiving unexpected compliments can lead to a happier life.  I also suggested that if they held any grudges against people in the class that they learn to forgive them, and instead of getting angry next time, they try to work it out.  

Week 9: Read for Fun, Read to Achieve, Read to Succeed

One of the most difficult things for me to see in my students at Oyler was their inability to read books appropriate for their age level.  I felt disheartened because reading was always stressed with such high importance in my house when I was growing up.  Nowadays, I yearn for relaxing weeks spent on the beach reading books.


I wasn't exactly sure how to handle the students' low reading levels, so I kept encouraging them to read as much as they could, whether it was at school or at home.  Many read to their younger siblings, so I praised them and used that as a fun and easy example of a way to do reading.


I encouraged the students to read whenever possible, even if they are reading street signs, posters, labels at the grocery, etc.  I want them to be successful in life, but it would be very difficult to achieve success without the ability to read.


They each filled out a sheet about three books they have read, and three books they want to read in the future.  I think it is always important to have goals, so I felt this would encourage the kids to keep reading. 

Responsibility in the Business World

"Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility . . . . In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have is the ability to take on responsibility." - Michael Korda

I recently read "Being the Boss" by Linda Hill and Kent Lineback, a book that details the imperatives for becoming a great leader.  The book has many paradoxes of the business world.  One of these is "You are Responsible for What Others Do."  As a manager of a project or a team, one must be able to answer to a vice president or an upper-level manager about flaws in projects, initiatives that may be failing, etc.  It's hard to know what everyone else is thinking, so being a leaders requires remaining calm, but knowing what the team is doing to try to make the project more successful.  

As I grow and develop in the business world, and someday am promoted to manager, it's always important to remain humble.  Many managers focus on their rights and status, instead of being responsible and accountable for their team, projects, and actions, all duties that come with the title.

Week 8: Take Responsibility for your Actions and Words

Taking responsibility for our actions is very important in today's world, yet many times, it is easier to push the blame on others or outside circumstances.  Unfortunately, this is what younger generations see and accept it as a "normal" behavior.  Luckily, I was able to talk to the students at Oyler about taking more responsibility for their actions and encouraging their friends to do the same.


As always, we started off discussing the definition of responsibility, and the kids had the general gist of the word's meaning.  I gave the students certain scenarios in which they were encouraged to take full irresponsibility for their actions.  We discussed the scenarios as a group to be sure everyone fully understood what taking responsibly meant.  To add a bit more fun, some students were asked not to take responsibility for their actions and the other students found them to be more rude and mean - which reinforced the importance of taking responsibility.  


Recently, I took on an executive position in a transitional organization on campus.  As the newsletter editor-in-chief, it is my job to work with all of the cabinet members to get the word out about events on campus.  I also have to work with the University's PR office to be sure we are following proper code for press releases.  I was given direction by a cabinet member to get further directions on a press release that needed to be sent out.  I contacted UC, but then found out later that day that I wasn't given the correct information from the cabinet.  I was confronted by the president of the organization, apologized for taking action without double checking with him, and made sure to reiterate that it would never happen again.  I admitted I was wrong, and took full responsibility for my actions.

Week 7: Manners Matter

As a young child, I was taught the importance of MANNERS.  It is so important to say please and thank you, to hold the doors open for others, and to follow the rules.  Doing these simple tasks can produce a good halo effect, which is great for networking and creating a positive character.  


This week, I wanted to teach manners to the kids.  With a short amount of time and less kids than normal, this lesson went quite smoothly.  We discussed basic manners, but also did a fun activity.  I set the classroom up like a bus, and we practiced good manners while on the bus, since the majority of Oyler kids ride a bus to school.  


While sitting on the bus, the kids were to act poorly.  They screamed, kicked the seat in front of them, and stuck their hands out the "windows".  Then I asked them to be on their best behavior, greeting the bus driver, speaking quietly, sitting in their own chair, and saying thank you.


As you can see from the pictures, it was a fun, but important lesson!

It's Cool to Take Care of Yourself Brochure

Since I will be using the Winners Walk Tall Character Coaching program as an honors experience, I am required to create two pieces that will incorporate my major into the learning process.  As a marketing major, I will use my blog to share it with the Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati so they can use it to sell the character coaching program to other college students.  I have also created a brochure for the kids to "sell" the idea of the importance of taking care of  themselves.  Maybe you can learn something, too!  

Week 6: It's Cool to take Care of Yourself

It was great getting back to Oyler after such a long break!  I think the kids were generally excited to see me- they were more excited about picking the paper out of the hat!  


Many of us have New Year's resolutions to eat more nutritious meals or exercise more frequently.  I felt that the lesson on hygiene and nutrition would be very appropriate for this time.  


In general, I was very glad to see that many of the kids were eating well, going for regular visits to the doctor, and brushed their teeth.  Of course they all had funny answers when I asked how often they should take a shower.  Here are a few example answers:  "Twice a day", "All of the time", "Never", and of course we finally discovered that once a day or every other day would be sufficient.  


We also discussed the importance of brushing and flossing teeth.  It is also important to visit the dentist for a check-up, although it can be scary.  


I feel that the first week back went very well!  The kids thought IT'S COOL TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, and they know that WINNERS do too!




"Hygiene is two thirds of health." - Lebanese Proverb