The
14th Annual T.E.A.M. Conference will be on February 21 and 22, 2003: Click
here for details
In
this issue:
Departments:
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Reflections
from Our Students; Seeing Beyond the Surface
by
Lisa Kosmicki-Buckley
Eight grade can be
an awkward time. Physical changes and peer concerns can rattle self esteme
and self confidence. One by-product of this can be put-downs--degrading,
insulting comments to one another, directed at picking out the weaknesses
in others. Put downs ensure one's self worth at the expense of others.
Each year, the staff
at Lincoln integrates the annual field trip with the
curriculum. This
year the eighth grade staff worked to find an
experience/program
that would not only be memorable, but also meaningful.
The idea of a fun,
activity filled morning of adventure education
incorporated the
team’s goals of instilling a sense of cooperation,
teamwork, selflessness,
and understanding, in a non-traditional way.
At Northeastern Illinois
University, 120 eighth grade students fell silent
as they listened
to Dan Creely explain the focus of the day - working
together.
As the students moved
into their small groups with their leaders, an amazing
transformation took
place. Smiles dominated the faces of the children. With
activities that
allowed them to not only enjoy and appreciate each other’s
company, but also
to collectively problem solve, an aura of positive
attitude grew. No
student was left out; each member felt needed, part of a
team. Via games,
the laughter and cooperation between students allowed for
learning about self
and others in a different way. It opened up a chance to
see others for their
strengths, assets - what they could contribute instead
of how they could
bring the group down. The concepts of goal-setting,
creative thinking,
and cooperating reinforced, in a non-traditional way, the
potential present
in each of us.
Returning to school,
the students shared stories of their experiences. “Fun,
“challenging.” “teamwork”
was heard throughout the bus. A transformation
had begun. The students
engaged positively with one another. Staff saw
positives, too.
Ideas flurried among faculty about how to promote these
positive feelings
throughout the year - how to make a day of problem solving
and apply it to
the daily problems junior high kids face.
With minimal training,
we made plans to transform the way we lead groups in
our special education
classes, incorporating ideas from the Adventure
Education Workshop.
The reaction was
overwhelmingly positive. No put downs. All were included.
Smiles everywhere.
A chance to bend the rules. Working together. A sense of
community is developing
in these rooms. Via creative thinking and (laughter,
an appreciation
of similarities and differences and most importantly trust)
is developing, which
makes talking about topics more natural and effective.
A field trip day
can be a “day-off from learning” in the eyes of a student.
Through Adventure
Education, Lincoln Junior High students learned despite
themselves; lessons
of cooperation, pride, sharing, thinking, and learning
lessons to carry
through life.
Lisa Kosmick-Buckleyi,
MSW, LSW
School Social Worker
Lincoln Junior High
Shokie, IL
E-Mail: koz73@earthlink.net
The
Spring 2003 edition of The Ripple Effect will be published and available
only on this Wesite.
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