Ask Every Student and Staff Member:
"What is your dream?"
by MK Mueller
I will never forget the 8th grader named Mike who was placed in my classroom. I was subbing for a pregnant teacher for a month and he had just moved to town. He had already gotten himself in lots of trouble, so he came with an 'attitude.' Fortunately, I knew just how to add a "gr" to that word...
"So tell me, Mike, what's one of your dreams?" He looked at me for a moment and then walked out of class.
It's my favorite question and I beg you to give it a try. It will tell you more about your students, children, spouse and siblings than you can fathom.
Last month I met Seth, a sophomore, who replied to that question, "Oh, a cop or a doc or something..." I was able to gently rephrase my question, "I'm not asking what you want to be when you grow up, but rather, if you could do, be, or have anything or go anywhere..."
"Oh," he blurted out as his eyes lit up, "I'd go to Spain!"
"Ah," I said to the en-light-ened Seth, "now that's a Great Dream!"
Back to Mike, the next day he walked into class and said, "I love astronomy. Is that a dream?" I assured him that pursuing astronomy would lead him to one of his dreams and we became fast friends.
Two weeks later I couldn't wait to get to class because I had found an after school astronomy group at a nearby high school and wanted to give Mike the contact's name. When I arrived I heard the news. "The family left town," the principal told me. "That's all we know."
Dear Teachers and Administrators, we can't always know the good that we do or the seeds that we plant in young people. Please trust, as I did with Mike and Seth, that just awakening an awareness of the sacred dreams within them is one of the greatest gifts we can ever give.
A Counselor Awakens a Dream
by Jen Christensen, ph.D, counselor at Grand Island Sr. High, NE
I have been working with a student for three years now and he
should have graduated two years ago, but due to severe mental health issues he has been in and out of school. In his mind, he never thought graduation was a possibility.
After I went through 8 to Great the first time, I thought about how I could use the high-ways to help this kiddo see the good in life and be more positive about what he does have and what he can do. So, I started every morning to seek him out in the hallways and greet him with a huge smile and ask how his week was going. .
As I got to know him, I found out he loved history, so last year I approached our AP US History teacher and asked if he could be in the class. Now, remember that he is a special education kid with some issues, so this would not be a usual thing. Some people thought I was nuts, but she agreed and welcomed him into her room.
This year he is in AP US History and is flourishing! He makes eye contact with his classmates, teachers, and even seeks me out to greet me in the mornings. But, the best is yet to come: I did his credit analysis and he will graduate from high school in December, albeit late, but he will graduate. When I told his parents this, they wept with joy. When he heard the news, he smiled the biggest smile I've ever seen. His confidence level still gets shaken at times, but he has hope for the future and he now dreams very BIG.
Thanks to 8 to Great for helping me reach this kiddo and help him turn his
life from HOPELESS to HOPEFUL!
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