There are so many teachers that need to be thanked for all the amazing things they have done.
The video below is one example of the many who have made a difference.
Category: teaching
People Not Programs Change Children
We all know that relationships matter, but sometimes we still need reminders. We keep searching for the perfect programs to help kids. In my opinion , time would be better spent being the person who makes a difference in a child’s life and helping increase the quality and number of people who can make a positive impact.
There are so many children who need our help for a multitude of reasons. Find ways to support, nurture, interact, listen to, respect, give hope to, and connect kids with people and resources that can help them.
Be that adult who attends to the emotional health of the children as well as your own. Model your humanity and compassion daily. Provide a safe haven where you and those you work with enjoy going to school each day, no matter the stresses of the world. Be present each day to the best of your ability and forgive yourself and others if things don’t go as planned. It’s more than OK to not feel at your best each day considering the circumstances, just do the best you can for the kids and reach out for support if and when you need it.
It is especially challenging being an educator right now like no other time I have experienced in my past forty years in education. I know what you do matters and I want to thank you for all that you do. Click here for a little gift. I hope in some small way this brightens your day.
People not programs change children. You have an abnormally large heart , I am sure that’s why you became an educator in the first place, so continue to be one of those people who makes a difference in the life of a child while taking good care of yourself.
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A Little Appreciation
There are a lot of people at work in schools right now doing some pretty amazing things. They are tired, overworked, feeling a multitude of emotions and often underappreciated for what they do. If you are a principal, supervisor, superintendent or someone who has a team working with you, take time to appreciate them. My challenge to you is to carve out 5 minutes to ask them how they are and tell them how much you appreciate them and what they are doing during this time. It matters. A little appreciation goes a long way.
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YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN GOLD
This year I was so lucky to be at Ascension Elementary and Junior High School as a part-time counsellor for #pinkshirtday. In discussion with students we decided on the theme YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN GOLD . You can get an idea of how our celebration went below .
A couple of weeks before the celebration ALL students at Ascension got to make 5 ART CARDS where they were to celebrate their champions, those people who are worth more than gold in their lives. We displayed the beautiful cards on a couple of bulletin boards. You can see our singers from Notre Dame and Diefenbaker standing in front of some of them .
Students made 5 cards each and are going to eventually give those cards to their champions. You can see a few of the great cards below.
Processed with MOLDIV
THE CELEBRATION
- We started the celebration off with a slide show shared by one of our grade 6 students. You can find it here called One Kind Word.
- A student from Notre Dame sang a beautiful rendition of Brave.
- 3 grade 7 students sang Don’t You Worry by Star.
- A grade 8 student did slam poetry on anti bullying.
- The Bishop Carroll High School Sassy Jazz singers sang two great songs that students clapped along to.
- Then we showed this version of your worth more than gold that the students loved …
- 5 of our most important people in the school received YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN GOLD trophies., Our caretaker, our librarian and our three of front office superstars.
- Students from ECS to grade 6 all stood up front flipping the letters to YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN GOLD spreading the message to all their classmates.
- To end we had a student from John D Diefenbaker sing a beautiful rendition of Perfect which was a perfect way to end our celebration.
As students left for the morning they all got a gold piece of chocolate and a positive affirmation . We also had dogs around all day to be with our students.
I love working with elementary and junior high students. They helped bring awareness to an always important topic anti-bullying and hopefully our new generation of young
people will grow up more aware than ever that it is always cool to be kind and will understand the message that they are worthwhile.
YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN GOLD will never get old.
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Raise Up Your Voice Canada … It’s School Counselling Week
As soon as I entered the field of School Counselling I knew I had to be an advocate. I thought as a teacher I knew what School Counsellors did. Was I wrong!!!
Since then my colleagues and I have advocated at a district level to bring more awareness to what we do. Has it made a difference? YES! YES! YES! Our district is one of the best in the country when it comes to supporting , understanding and recognizing the work that School Counsellors do.
I have also advocated at a provincial level by being one of the voices and president of the then Alberta Guidance Council. Today my friend Erin Luong has taken up that advocacy role in the ATA Council Of School Counsellors and they are lucky to have her.
At a national level in 1999 , I was part of the first delegation of Counsellors to go to China along with my leader and friend Maria de Cicco as part of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association . My administrator and district supported me as a School Counsellor advocate on this journey. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I will treasure and never forget.
Strong leaders are needed to be the voice along with School Counsellors . We need someone in Canada who has the same powerful, inspiring voice as Michelle Obama does here:
WATCH LIVE: Former First Lady Michelle Obama addresses educators; celebrates top school counselors https://t.co/JgzzpjNc4s pic.twitter.com/7kNoIjOcXA
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 2, 2018
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Today although I am semi retired I still want to advocate. I believe School Counselling is one of the most important positions that every school still needs , maybe now more than ever.
So I say Canadian School Counsellors raise up your voices, if you want change , make it happen … be the change!!!!! We need your voice! Being silent won’t produce the changes needed across the country. You are valuable. You do matter . You are needed and you do make a difference. YOUR VOICE MATTERS!
Want to know how to be a great advocate just follow the #SCCHAT feed on twitter to see how it’s done. Let’s join in Canadians with our world counterparts who are advocating and being the voice for School Counsellors worldwide.
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Lessons from Leo
One of my all time favourite educators and authors is Leo F Buscaglia. I started Hug Days in my school district because of Leo in the days when it was ok to hug students. I still believe it is ok to hug students , recognizing boundaries and always being respectful of students and their boundaries.
What did I learn from Leo that I still think applies to students and myself today? Here are some of the lessons i learned from the amazing Leo Buscaglia:
- Be passionate
- Love learning , love life, love yourself, love …
“Perhaps love is the process of leading you gently back to yourself” Saint -Exupery
- Make yourself into the best person you can be, because you are all you have
- Schools should be the most joyful places in the world
- Be spontaneous
- Live fully alive
“Oh God , to have reached the point of death,only to have found that you have never lived at all ” Don Quixote
- Leo wanted us to live fully to enjoy every single moment of life
from another Leo more wisdom comes …
“I think the purpose of life is to be useful,
to be responsible, to be honorable, to be compassionate.
It is, after all, to matter: to count, to stand for something,
to have made some difference that you lived at all.”
Leo Rosten
- Accentuate what is right instead of focusing on what is wrong
- Feel free to make mistakes and learn from them
- Believe in change
- Every time we learn something new we become something new
- You control your destiny
- Stop looking for or striving for perfection
- Life isn’t always easy, but rise to the challenge to face life head on
“Everyone needs at least one person to love them no matter what ” Leo Buscgalia
- Be that someone for someone
- You need a path with a heart
- Be real , be you
- There is so much more to know, to be, to do
A favorite question Leo liked to ask was … If you only had five days to live, how would you spend them? With whom?
We need to always reflect on this and live … fully live.
- Death teaches us what love is
- Ask yourself “What are YOU giving to life?’
If you have never read Leo Buscaglia’s books do it now.The lessons are timeless. These lessons are from Living, Loving and Learning by Leo Buscaglia. Stay tuned for more lessons from Leo.
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Words Can Change The Way We Perceive Others and Ourselves
Words really do matter. I am in the process of developing an online presentation for adults on mental health and wellness so that they may assist students in their post – secondary programs. As I think about what I will say I recognize that my words matter. What I say could potentially influence educators. What they say to their students could potentially transform what happens for the students and their families. Mental health literacy matters, stigma matters , words matter.
Sometimes I hear people use words way too loosely when describing someone with a mental illness or someone who has special needs or challenges. They may say so and so is an ADHD kid or so and so is bipolar, an alcoholic etc. It matters to me when I hear words used inappropriately as I believe strongly that we are people first ( the labels used like ADHD are only a very small way of telling us something about someone). We are so much more. Who we truly are cannot or should not be described in a few words.
So the next time you find yourself using the label first STOP and THINK about the power of your words. Jack or Jill may have a million attributes that are positive and when you use one word to define them you are missing such huge pieces of who they truly are. So eliminate so and so is a developmentally delayed child etc. and say their name and the many wonderful things about them. When you do this you start to perceive them differently. You also begin to treat each human being , each child in your care with so much more dignity and respect.
Words really do matter
Words can bring about acceptance
Words can hurt or heal
Words can hold back or help
Words can break hearts or touch hearts
Words can build others up or tear them down
Words allow people to tell their stories
Words give people their voices
Words can challenge us to be resilient
Words can give us the strength to carry on … to give us HOPE
Words can ruin someone’s day or make someone’s day
Words have the power to change others and change ourselves
What words will you use when speaking about and to your students today?
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School Counsellors Do Indeed Have a Hashtag ( this is for George and all my fellow Canadians)
Attribution for picture and a Haiku Deck on School Counsellors matter here
I am inspired yet again thanks to fellow Canadian and educator extraordinaire George Couros @gcouros to write a blog post about the fact that School Counsellors do indeed have hashtags and use them on a regular basis.
American School Counsellors are on the web in droves as you can see if you follow the #scchat hashtag. I am fortunate to connect with other School Counsellors who are from all over the world especially through #SCCrowd and you can join us . I am proud to call myself a School Counsellor because it is so much more than what a Guidance Counsellor used to be. Read more here. School Counsellor Chat #scchat was the leader of the way and we can join in as caring Canadians who are passionate about School Counselling and want to make a difference.
I am a School Counsellor
I was a School Counsellor the moment I realized students needed help and I could make a difference
Throughout the day I can be called upon to assist, encourage, intervene, give support, make serious decisions and more
I am privileged to see the potential in each and every student
Honoured that students and their families allow me to help them
Thankful that I have chosen a profession I can be proud of and one that allows me to leave a legacy
You, the parents allow me to enter your world and help the most precious gift you have been given in life your child
Students matter to me and I will counsel your children from my heart, always maintaining a professional response
I am a School Counsellor and I will never take that responsibility lightly
I will have the courage , strength and hope to do what is necessary
I will provide a place and a space where you can trust what I do
Knowing that you have allowed me to spend my precious days with the future
I am a School Counsellor and for that I am filled with gratitude each and every day
Susan Spellman Cann
It isn’t as easy to connect with other School Counsellors from across Canada. There are a few of us that connect on a regular basis often using the hashtags #SCCrowd and #scchat :
@ehordyskiluong
@CharlieOsenton
@TrentLangdonNL
I know there are so many more of you like @Michelle0102197 @BriseboisJoanne @brie_jen @JodieHeywood1 @helenMacKinnon2 @JenMTrigger @mikesmacneil @BoskertheSC @kimtremblay13 @MacISSuey @MzMoynihan that can and want to connect on a regular basis, but you may just need to be aware of the basics of how twitter and a PLN can change how you practice. For some of you, you may even need to know that there is a hashtag and how to use it. We are here to help you anytime. Just ask and we will support you in any way we can. Join in by adding your name to this doc. You can find it by clicking School Counsellors Collaborating here.
There are so many more School Counsellors that I have added to my PLN since I wrote this blog post.” There are so many amazing School Counsellors doing so many fabulous things”, in July of 2013. We really are trying to get more Canadian School Counsellors Connected on twitter so if you do know of any please send them our way and we will definitely start using the #CSCchat Canadian School Counsellor chat that Erin and I created long ago hoping more would come on board.
I am so grateful to be a School Counsellor in a time when we can connect and learn and grow from and with each other due to the internet. So please join us as we make a difference and learn together. Check out SCOPE one of the best resources for School Counsellors you will find on the net.
Our next International School Counsellor chat is on Tuesday , October 28th at 6:30 MDT . Join @rawolfon and I . It is our one year #SCCrowd anniversary. We look forward to meeting, connecting and collaborating with you.
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I Am A School Counsellor
I am a School Counsellor
I was a School Counsellor the moment I realized students needed help and I could make a difference
Throughout the day I can be called upon to assist, encourage, intervene, give support, make serious decisions and more
I am privileged to see the potential in each and every student
Honoured that students and their families allow me to help them
Thankful that I have chosen a profession I can be proud of and one that allows me to leave a legacy
You, the parents allow me to enter your world and help the most precious gift you have been given in life your child
Students matter to me and I will counsel your children from my heart, always maintaining a professional response
I am a School Counsellor and I will never take that responsibility lightly
I will have the courage , strength and hope to do what is necessary
I will provide a place and a space where you can trust what I do
Knowing that you have allowed me to spend my precious days with the future
I am a School Counsellor and for that I am filled with gratitude each and every day
Susan Spellman Cann
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Hope : A Message We All Need to Hear
The following post was written by Vince Fowler a Business Coach, Speaker and Veteran in Calgary . He allowed me to share it with you. I think it is one of the best posts I have read, thus I am sharing it with you. You can follow Vince on twitter @VinceFowler
It would appear that the lives of most people who actively post on Facebook are somehow living the perfect life – a life filled with laughter, with joy, money, friends, love, appreciation, amazing holidays, best job ever, best opportunities ever, etc … etc.
At times, it just might seem to you that everyone around you is having more fun than you, that their life is somehow better, more fulfilling and more rewarding than yours.
That’s just not reality.
Everyone has challenges. Everyone has fears. Everyone has pain … and I truly believe that we all have our own demons & skeletons kept secretly in our closets … under the proverbial lock and key.
“Help” is something that way too many people have a hard time asking for … and when issues go un-addressed, people begin to lose hope. And when all hope appears lost, the only available decision left in the room seems to be the exit-life door … and then they’re gone… just as Robin Williams is gone.
Sad. So very sad.
Please – do not feel that my life or anyone else’s – celebrities included – are better than yours. Everyone is a little messed up in their own way … I know I am.
Just because I post my joys, doesn’t mean I don’t experience sadness. Just because I post my excitement, doesn’t mean I don’t experience boredom. Just because I post my successes and aspirations, doesn’t mean I don’t experience pain and failure.
I wish Robin Williams were still alive. He was funny beyond belief. He shared his talents with so many for no other purpose than to make them laugh. Sure, he was rich and famous … not because he discovered a way to monetize his talents, but because people actually valued his art and his craft.
That said, Robin Williams clearly had issues – which means Robin was a human being … which means he was just like you and me. Sadly, he wasn’t able to deal with those issues. Because he was loved and appreciated by millions, millions are now mourning his loss.
I once heard many, many, years ago … a man can live 40 days without food. He can live 4 days without water, but he cannot live 4 seconds without hope.
I don’t judge Robin Williams … I will miss Robin Williams.
Thanks Vince for saying what so many of us feel. Teens are particularly vulnerable at this time and we want to make sure they are safe. Your message is a message for all!
If a person believes there is no hope in winning a game,you can visibly see their efforts drop
If a person believes there is no hope in a relationship improving, they sometimes immediately break up
I challenge you to look around and observe on your own
As long as there is HOPE , even a glimmer of HOPE, people keep trying
By Vince Fowler 2014
I want a future where we treat all human beings with dignity, respect with understanding and compassion. I want a world where we have better treatments for mental health disorders and a world where there will be no future losses due to these illnesses. I want a world where all people are not ashamed or afraid to reach out for help. It is more than OK to reach out for help there are many places and people where you can. There is hope and I have hope that we can help .
Susan Spellman Cann
Resource for teens in Calgary : Hearing Youth Helping Youth 403-264-8336
Adults can also call the Distress Centre : 403-266-4357 403.266-HELP
Resources to assist with hope:
Click here: Livebinder on depression
Click here: Mental Health resources for teens
Click here: Suicide prevention resources
Click here: Depression Resources : High School Counselling
Click here: Haiku Deck on hope
Counsellor Talk : Creative Collaborative Connections 