I have been an educator since 1980 and a School Counsellor since 1999, but never have I been so passionate about School Counsellors across the world having a collective voice for the students we serve as well as being a support for each other. As I get ready for retirement I am no less passionate about what I do and what we do in this profession.
Advocate
I am so hoping during Canadian School Counselling Week and National School Counselling Week #NSCW17 that others across the world will step up and let us hear their voice. Be an advocate for this profession. A special thank you to my American colleagues who often step up to be heard and have made transformative changes in attitudes and practice for School Counselors.
There are so many ways to do this .
Speak up in your district
Take on leadership roles at the district, local , provincial, state, and national levels
Get someone like Michelle Obama to be an advocate for you “School Counselors You Are Heroes”
Post ideas on twitter, facebook, instagram
Blog, vlog, and/ or podcasts
Share your BIG ideas on advocacy
Share, share, share (we are better together)
Believe
You can make a difference
You do make a difference
You can make change
You can stand up for students and your profession
Collaborate
I am a better person because I collaborate with other School Counsellors. Collaborate with others in your own school, others on-line and others who are and are not educators who all want the same thing a better life for our students.
Let your voice be heard. There are so many counsellors who are focused, determined and willing to give hope to School Counsellors and their students. I would love to see more School Counsellors from across the world STAND UP, SPEAK OUT, and SHARE your wonderful knowledge to others across the world who care as much as you do.
You can if we collaborate with others and one of the best ways to do that is to join us each month as we chat on-line using the hashtag #SCCHAT
Celebrate:
Celebrate what you do with students. Celebrate other School Counsellors and educators every chance you can.
Most importantly be grateful for all those who work together to make this a better profession. The unheard heroes who work tirelessly everyday to be the best School Counsellors they can be.
Those who:
help the most vulnerable of our populations
that go the extra mile in the caring department
assist students across the finish line of graduation
do small things that matter , but they never find out until years later
save lives, but are silent
spread HOPE daily
Remember you are that leader. Don’t wait to be asked , take action TODAY! Yes you, no matter where you are a School Counsellor in the world ,YOU have a voice. Don’t just listen … be that voice so that together we can make not only the positive changes in our own communities that we want , but maybe we can make a change and a difference for some child somewhere in another part of the world that we never imagined we would.
Join Dr. Gysbers, father of comprehensive school counseling programs download #NSCW sign from ASCA, tweet it out Monday #scchat @NTMVirginia pic.twitter.com/H8aHuUqyf2
One of the most stressful things School Counsellors ever have to do is assist a student who is contemplating suicide. We never want a child to feel so hopeless that they feel that there is no reason left to live.
So I recognize how much courage it takes for a person that it is not in this profession to help when something so serious happens. A gigantic thanks to two very courageous Maritimers who stepped up to help . Thanks Robbie for letting me share your story.
Robbie’s Story …
As most of you know, I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time on March 1, 2012. That was the day I was able to help a young man from taking his own life.
It was just after 1 o’clock on a clear, but very cold day. I was pulling into my parking spot situated on the top level of the parkade. I noticed a young person sitting on the wrong side of the railing. To be honest, my first reaction was to grab my phone and take a picture of the young man who I would later know as (Stephen). I just thought he was a thrill seeker. He was texting on his phone,dressed in a warm coat with a hoodie underneath, and the hood pulled up over his head. I could not see his face as his back was towards me. As a matter of fact, I only got to see his face three times over the course of the next 25 minutes.
Just as I was about to take his picture (I’m still thinking he is young and cocky for sitting on the wrong side of the railing) he starts to turn his body slowly around. I start to panic and lower my phone so he wouldn’t see me taking his photo. His head moved very slowly back around, facing away from me. I never saw his face.
I was in a rush to get back to my office, so jumped out of my truck and headed to the stairs in the corner of the parkade. To this day I don’t know why I stopped short but things just weren’t adding up. I could tell he lived on the street. His clothes were very dirty and the speed his head was moving was very slow. It was freezing at -15, so I stopped and turned around.I walked slowly up to him and asked, “Are you ok?” No response. I asked him again. No response. I am about 15 feet away from him on his left side. I ask once more and he responds in a slurred voice, “Nobody cares”. My first thought when he said that was … oh my god, we’ve got a jumper! It went through my head just like the movie Old School.
Surprisingly I stayed very calm, plus he couldn’t see my face when I first realized he was going to take his own life. It wasn’t hard to tell drugs were at play as well. Not sure what to do after he responded, I moved closer to him. This is when my heart dropped. He shuffled across a four inch concrete ledge away from me. You or I couldn’t do what he did sober, let alone high on drugs. The positive thing was he stopped by a column and could put his hand on it to support himself if needed. He was shaking very bad and would act like he was going to jump two or three times.
I just kept asking him questions.
“What is your name?”
“Where are you from?”
“Do you miss home?”
“Do you miss water?”
Every question I asked him and he wouldn’t answer, I would answer myself.
“What is your name?”
“My name is Robbie.”
“Do you miss water?”
“I miss water, I’m from the east coast.”
For every 10 questions I asked, I would get about 1 answer in return, but we were starting to make a small connection. Finally he turned his head to see who was asking him all the questions and why. Then he turned away, but started answering a few of the question.
“What’s your name?’
“Stephen.”
“Where are you from?”
“The coast.” He slurred.
“What coast?”
“B.C.”
“Do you miss the water?” He turned slowly once more to look at me. This was the first time I saw his face. When all this was going on, I tried to get the attention of three cars that went by to call 911 for help, but no one stopped until Marty, a great guy from the Maritimes. He quickly realized what was going on and parked. I kept waiving at him to call 911, which he does. He walks slowly up and joins me and we both try to convince Stephen it’s not worth it. More time goes by and Marty and I are frozen, and so is Stephen. I was so scared he would fall, let alone jump. The parkade security showed up, but their radios were freaking Stephen out and he would start to shake as he was going to jump. We waved them to stay back a long distance.
The police also showed up and also stayed back with security. It was just the three of us. Marty and I took turns talking to Stephen and finally as I was telling him how cold it was, he just slowly reached his arm straight back as if to say, Ok, I’m done.
In a split second Marty and I had a hold of him and pulled him back over. Weird but at no time did I think we would drop him. I had the tightest grip ever on him, and so did Marty. From that moment, the police took over and got him downstairs and outside to the ambulance. I noticed when we pulled Stephen over, his phone fell on the ground. I grabbed it and looked at his last text. It was from his mother asking “are you ok?????” My heart broke, but I got the police to call her right away. Turns out Stephen wouldn’t cooperate with the police unless I was there, so I sat with him until they got the information they needed. He left in an ambulance and I never saw him again.
I’m very grateful. for how this story ended … here is more of my story
For a better part of my life I have battled and struggled with anxiety and depression. Throw ADHD on that and you have a wound-up-top on a rollercoaster.Depression is something you hide easy. All you have to do it smile.
That day when Stephen and I were together, we made a connection. We both missed water, but I also made my own connection with him. The only difference between us was I was wearing a nice suit and he was wearing a dirty coat someone gave to him. I knew exactly what was going through his head.
Depression doesn’t know if you have a good job.
Depression doesn’t know where you live.
Depression doesn’t care if you are a good person or not.
I am very fortunate to have the best support people I could ever ask for. Two parents that are there for me for life and a wife that unconditionally loves and supports me. The one thing that’s harder to deal with than depression itself is to be married to someone that battles depression. So I am truly grateful for the support.
Don’t think that having depression slows me down. I have a saying “keep your feet moving” which I do very well. This doesn’t’ mean I don’t need help sometimes and it doesn’t mean I’m weak.
I think about many friends Mark and Colin, Felicity and family, Chad, Colette and family, Lori and her girls and their commonality is that they’ve all lost someone special. Someone that you never thought would take their own life. Someone that will never be replaced. Someone they loved very much.
They also gave me the courage to speak out and that it’s OK to talk about mental illness and depression. There probably will never be a cure for mental illness, but we always can be there for others. My father made a comment to me one time;
“Robbie, it doesn’t’ cost anything to care”.
Please understand that most people have some sort of struggle in life. Acknowledging and talking about it helps. Trust me, the best thing to do is to talk to someone who won’t judge you and who cares. They will never understand what you are truly going through, but can always offer love and support.
Robbie
Robbie thanks for being you and allowing me to share your story #bellletstalk . I am sure someone reading this will understand that there are caring people like you and Marty who are willing to reach out to another human being when needed . I truly hope Stephen is alive and gets to read this some day knowing that two Maritimers who both live in Calgary were willing to step up to help.
ACCESS Mental Health
Provides mental health information and service options
Mon-Fri: 7:30am – 7:00p.m.
Telephone: 943-1500 (voicemail after hours)
Email: mental.health@albertahealthservices.ca
Health Link Alberta
Access to nurse advice and health information
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Telephone: 943-LINK (5465) Calgary or 1-866-408-5465 (Toll Free)
Website: http://www.healthlinkalberta.ca
Inform Alberta
General info about community, health, social, and government services across the province
Telephone: 2-1-1
Website: http://www.informalberta.ca
Reaching out for help is a strength not a weakness
Bruce Perry a leading psychiatrist on child trauma has said that trauma is held in every cell of the body. It is no wonder children often have difficulties coping years later.
Thanks to Sheldon Kennedy for taking a stand when it comes to youth and trauma. His story will help millions. His courage will help young men and women to never feel like they are alone.
If you aren’t sure who Sheldon is then you must watch his movie and hopefully you will be inspired to help others understand they are not alone and that life can be very different once they receive the help they deserve.
Thanks so much for coming to my session today HOPE for the United Way’s All In For Youth and especially to Joan Gauthier for inviting me.
Hope is Everything.
Shane Lopez fron the University of Kansas @hopemonger in his book Making Hope Happen: Create the Future You Want For Yourself and Others discusses the 4 core beliefs that hopeful people share :
The future will be better than the present
I have the power to make it so
There are many paths to my goals
None of them is free of obstacles
I discuss this with my students and let them know they matter. I hope you do too! We need to help students find the many pathways to reaching their goals and having hope.
Help students :
Edit down their goals to 2-3 specific ones.
See that HOPE is hard work and they can and do have the power to be hopeful.
See that obstacles are challenges that they can overcome and help them recognize that it’s ok to seek support from others.
Find what they excited and passionate about and encourage them to do more of those things.
Identify things they are good at and assist them in capturing the enthusiasm to pursue those things.
Find other hopeful people. Encourage them to suround themselves with hopeful people.
Seek the courage to keep going and understand that just because they fail they are not a failure.
To not just survive , but thrive
Fee and strengthen their mind.
Develop positive self talk.
Seek images of HOPE.
Give students blue ribbons and have them pass it on to others.
Stay in the game.Find reasons to Never give up.
I also believe in the power of touch and as I said today I think we should bring back HUGS in schools. I recognize that some people don’t want to be touched and we need to set boundaries and respect that , but for the most part kids need HUGS. they are healing.
HAPPINESS is so important when it comes to HOPE. it is hard to be hopeful without being happy. To be truly happy according to researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky there are two components to happiness:
positive emotions
a sense that life is good
Scientists know that there is a genetic component to happiness, however students need to learn that happiness is also under their control . Helping students learn to be more grateful and show acts of kindness can lead to greater happiness. Happier people are better leaders, more creative and more productive so assisting students to learn how to be happier should be a priority.
Tom Bodett says a person needs three things to be truly happy in life. 1. Someone to love. 2. Something to do and 3. Something to HOPE for .
O pen
“Be passionate, fall madly in love with life. Be passionate about some part of the natural and/or human worlds and take risks on its behalf, no matter how vulnerable they make you.” … “Offer yourself to the world — your energies, your gifts, your visions, your heart — with open-hearted generosity.” – Parker Palmer
When we are open to new ideas to changing our mindset and shifting our thoughts to be more hopeful we can begin to recognize that we truly do matter in life . we do have a purpose.
P assion
As an educator it is essential that you live your passion and help students to find what theirs is.
E veryone has a story.
Find out what it is and celebrate them.
A MOOC I took on happiness that I really enjoyed was the The Science of Happiness You may wish to take it too.
I want you to know that YOU can and DO make a difference . Everything you say and do matters. All In For Youth. I am grateful you do what you do every day because YOU provide HOPE. Need some more tips check out my list of A-Z Coping Skills. You can find many more resources for you here.
I want YOU to go on a HOPE search . Look for HOPE everywhere and first and foremost BE RIDICULOUSLY HOPEFUL yourself.
So may great educators at ALL in for YOUTH today. Truly thanks for all you do and spreading hope wherever you go. Thanks also to the Palix Foundation for doing such amazing work.
YOU are a leader ! What you say and do does matter .Technology can assist you in being an amazing leader who reaches the whole school population.
Technology is also a very important part of students lives today and will be even more prevalent in the future. School Counsellors can find a way to incorporate exciting new practices into their School Counselling programs. These changes can inspire not only your students , but they can help and inspire YOU the School Counsellor as well.
I hope you enjoyed my presentation on LOVE LEADERSHIP and SCHOOL COUNSELLING for the ATA Council for School Counsellors Conference. This blog is written just for you so you can look back and enjoy the resources , but I know if you were an attendee this all makes much more sense to you and you got a few freebies besides. Thanks for being there. I appreciate you giving of your valuable time.
If I can learn to use technology as a seasoned School Counsellor, you can too. I love technology and think it is essential to present and future School Counsellors. Why? Because it allows us to connect with students in their space as well as allows us an opportunity to connect to the whole school population. Of course there will always be a place and a space for meeting and connecting with students individually, but it is also extremely important to reach as many students as possible and that can be done through the use of technology.
Technology also allows us to develop a PLN with people from all around the world. In my opinion this is one of the best ways to connect with not only School Counsellors who are passionate, but also with other educators who use technology to assist them in improving and reflecting on what it is they do for students. Dr. Erin Mason @ecmmason my friend is an amazing leader when it comes to School Counsellors utilizing and creating ideas with technology and you were lucky enough to connect with her at this conference. Check out her SCOPE page if you haven’t already.I am so happy she is at this conference.
So, conference participants enjoy. Meeting , connecting , sharing and helping you is what I hope to do to pay it forward for all that has been given to me. The rest of this blog will be about the resources I think you as School Counsellors can use to make a difference.
#1 is Twitter so I encourage you to get an account today. It will transform your life and the life of your future students if used properly. Twitter is where it all began for me and then ETMOOC changed the way I offered parts of my School Counselling program. A special thanks to Alec Couros @courosa Ed tech professor extraordinaire and social media expert at the University of Regina. You will want to follow him and his brother George @gcouros a leader and fabulous administrator on twitter.
Advantages of twitter:
It allows for opportunities to connect, collaborate, share and learn from and with people from all over the world.
I have used Twitter and Google docs to collaborate with other School Counsellors and educators who have wanted to contribute to Mental Health in High School as well as many other projects.
Using the hashtags #SCCrowd and #scchat as well as some other great chats allows us to connect with School Counselling professionals who are more than willing to help us as we continue to work with and make a difference for students.
School Counsellor chat schedule
The instant anytime access allows me to get information or resources that I can utilize in an open manner which not only helps me , but may help others.
It also allows us a voice for reaching out to others to let them know that what we do matters.
Check out this post by University of Regina President Vianne Timmons saying School Counsellors Change and Save Lives click here.
This post has had thousands of people who have seen it. Social media can reach people quickly.
Twitter allows you as a School Counsellor to share and help other School Counsellors, School Counselling students and educators.
If you want to learn more about School Counsellors observe their twitter accounts. Please follow them using the hashtags you saw above #scchat #sccrowd and #escchat . You’ll get a good sense of how you too can be a positive digital citizen and model this for your future students.
Ask for help. Other School Counsellors and educators are always willing to help you. If you have questions or concerns please do not hesitate to ask.
One of the best ways you can find the best tech tools to use as a School Counsellor is to check out SCOPE School Counselor Online Professional Exchange. Spend some time there. It will be worth your time and effort.
#2 Haiku Deck As a School Counsellor you will have to give presentations or you may wish to share ideas or messages with students that you think are important. Haiku Deck @haikudeck is my number one go to app. It has a creative commons license built within the app that allows a visual experience that is like none other.
The power of social media to touch others is absolutely amazing. This simple @haikudeck on Who Matters? has had over 80,000 views . One never knows the impact a simple gesture can have online and off.
#3 Livebinders I love to use livebinders to organize and share useful School Counselling information. At Bishop Carroll High School we use livebinders to share large amounts of important information with students in a single space.
Here are two of our livebinders co-created by our School Counselling team Erin Luong @ehordyskiluong , Peter Damen and I :
Post Secondary Planning here
This Personal Wellness livebinder here
#4 Smore
There are so many benefits for using smores. Check out my smore with resources on LEADERSHIP here.
#5 iMovie / YouTube I use iMovie more and more to present to students information that I think will be helpful to them. Dean Shareski , a Canadian educator said once and it has stayed with me video trumps text, so I try to use video as much as possible to create information students can relate to and then upload the iMovie to YouTube. I do this all on my iPhone which makes things very easy for me.
#6 Blogs
Blogs are a great tool to create, connect and learn from others. For me creating blogs still requires a great deal of effort as I am still learning, but today’s example is a great way of sharing information with others from far away. I started my blog in May of 2013. It has had over 15,000 views from over 105 countries.
SCOPE blog
Check out the blog roll of School Counselors.
#7 Google docs are an amazing way to collaborate. I collaborate with our students on our Wellness committee and our Who’s Frank? team.
#8 Pinterest is a fabulous way to collate information and gather information for future use. I love the visual aspect of pinterest.Pinterest does indeed inspire creativity . I have used it for many things including creating School Counselling bulletin boards as well as for ideas for presentations.
#9 Google hangouts
Again, yet another great way to connect with School Counsellors and educators from across the world.
You can see that I use multiple tools in multiple ways to help me do a variety of things that help not only School Counsellors , but students as well. Three years ago I did not know how to do any of this so … if I can you can too.
Why do I keep learning? I think this sums it up. “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.” “When the mind is allowed to relax, inspiration often follows… If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything.” Phil Jackson
The Innovator’s Mindset : Empowering Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity by George Couros is an excellent book for School Counsellors to begin the dialogue of Innovation. Do you have an innovator’s mindset?
“When you are networked great ideas find you not the other way around”
George Couros
This quote is so true . I have been so fortunate to have great ideas and great people find me. Thanks to all of you.
So many amazing School Counsellors that I have met on twitter definitely have an Innovator’s mindset. I believe an innovator’s mindset continues to thrive, learn, reflect and seek out ways to make a difference.
As a School Counsellor with an Innovator’s Mindset Do you?
Start from The Heart
Keep Students At The Centre
Make Sure You are Helpful
Model What You Hope For
Utilize the 5 C’s
Build Relationships
START FROM THE HEART
In order for a School Counsellor to have an innovator’s mindset we must always begin to speak and listen from our heart to the heart of a child.
We want the young people that we serve to have the skills to cope effectively with life. They will know pretty quickly if we are genuine and start from our heart.
Starting from the heart involves active listening, compassion, trusting , caring and so much more. Sometimes our students need help, other times they just need the encouragement or support to find new ways to look at the world. Starting from the heart will make a difference.
When you start from the heart you will ask yourself :
What are my students strengths?
What are my students passionate about?
What can I do to help my students ?
Do my students have any projects or ideas they might need help executing?
What can I do as a School Counsellor that will help students be more successful?
How can I assist students in graduating?
What can I do differently today, this week, this month, this year to help the students in our school ?
How can I collaborate with others so that it benefits students and assist me to learn and grow?
KEEP STUDENTS AT THE CENTER
Passionate School Counsellors who keep students at the center of all they do can have a huge impact in their school communities. As School Counsellors you know the reason you work with students is to be their advocate. Everything you say or do should always keep this in mind. Whatever you do on-line or off innovative School Counsellors should make sure they remain focused on what is best for their students.
Ask yourself:
How can I keep my students needs a priority?
What is it I need to do that will make a difference for this students at this moment?
How is what I am doing by being innovative going to help students or other School Counsellors ( helping other School Counsellors or educators is helping students)
BE HELPFUL
No matter what school counsellors do with and for students on-line and off they should always remember to be helpful. Being innovative means school counsellors will be able to not only help the students in their offices , but will find ways to assist all students in their buildings.
School Counsellors could also impact those beyond the walls of their own schools and potentially see the world as their community. Helping other school counsellors and educators from across the globe helps students worldwide! How exciting and innovative is that?
Ask yourself?
How can I be most helpful for this student today and in the future?
How can being innovative help the students and staff in my school?
How can I help other school counsellors and educators worldwide?
MODEL WHAT YOU HOPE FOR digital citizenship
If you want students to be good digital citizens then you too must become excellent role models. This is vital if school counselors are to really help students into the future. Being innovative means acting on this today. Everything you post should be helpful, ethical and model what it is you hope students will do.
Ask yourself:
How can I become a digital citizen?
What skills do I need to assist me on this journey?
How do I connect with other school counsellors and leaders who are already great digital citizens?
How can I pass on to students what I learn?
The 5 C’sConnectConfidentialityCollaborateCreateCelebrate
Connect
As school counsellors you know how important a working alliance is to making a difference. Connecting with students is essential to being and modelling an innovator’s mindset. Connecting with other school counsellors online and off can affect everything you do to develop your Comprehensive School Counselling Program Plan. Connecting allows you to reflect on the work of others as well as reflect on your own practices. There are so many ways to connect. One of the most innovative people I have connected online with is Erin Mason @ecmmason . Thank you for all you do and if you haven’t connected with her and SCOPE please do. Here are a few examples of other ways to connect :
supervising student counsellors ( a great way to give back )
Ask yourself? What are some innovative ways I can connect with other educators?
Confidentiality is essential for anyone with a school counsellor innovator’s mindset . If you are sharing on-line and want to learn with and from others you must remember to keep this at the forefront of everything you post.
Innovators know that with new technologies developing all the time it is vital to always get permission when sharing all the great things students do. It’s great to share what your prevention teams are doing , but always make sure students have signed their media consent forms. Always keep in mind when posting online that you should never breach confidentiality. When discussing cases (if you do so when connecting with other school counsellors on any social media space) never give out any identifying information in any way.
Collaborate To come up with some of the best ideas of what works for students collaboration is key. Together school counsellors are better. Students benefit when we put our minds together to help them. Often when schools work together to assist students they come up with better ways to help them. Thank you Erin Luong @ehordyskiluong for collaborating with me on this post! You are an amazing school counsellor with an innovator’s mindset.
Create School Counsellors now more than ever are finding ways to create to meet the needs of all the students in their schools. Collaboration assists school counsellors in the creative process. Whether you are creating a YouTube video to introduce yourself to share with your school community or creating something you can use in classroom lessons. You know school counsellors with an innovative mindset create something that matters.
Celebratenot only should school counsellors celebrate what is happening within their schools , but should recognize that sharing and celebrating what they do through social media can lead to new ways of practicing . There are many positive , helpful ways to share and celebrate what you do as a school counsellor that will assist others.
Ask yourself: How do I celebrate the work of my students, my colleagues and other school counsellors from across the world?
Build Relationships
Are you truly a relationship builder?
RELATIONSHIP Builders who unleash talent= School Counsellors With An Innovator’s Mindset
How do you unleash the talent of those around you?
How do you create and environment where risks are encouraged ?
How do you share the great work and strengths of others?
Twitter allows School Counsellors to share the great things that students and staff in your schools are doing. Twitter is truly an amazing tool to celebrate and highlight the wonderful works and lives of others. Participating in a MOOC can also have that impact.
Innovation … there is so much more to learn. Wish I had the eloquent words to thank you George Couros for your leadership and your amazing voice. I so appreciate you for writing and sharing The Innovator’s Mindset . It is truly a gift to so many educators from around the world including me. I don’t read many books twice, but yours was worth it to reflect and go deeper.
Thank you George and Katiefor creating such a powerful MOOC for not only school counsellors to enjoy , but for so many other inspirational people from across the world to learn from.
Thank you to all those in #IMMOOC you are amazing and so open to sharing and learning along with me. A special thanks to Emily Clare @eclare_ahs for connecting with me and leading the voxer group. For the fabulous Sheri Edwards who is always inspirational so many thank you’s . To all those who shared their vlogs or blogs or tweets. I am very grateful!
I could not say it any better than Sheila Vick . You should follow her on twitter @sheila_vick. read what she had to say below:
When I reflect on why it has been so great, or what has made it so great, I realize the following:
We have been given a voice in the group.
We have had a lot of choice throughout the mooc.
We have been given autonomy throughout the mooc.
We have networked far and wide and through a variety of platforms.
We have built trust within the group which has provided a sense of psychological safety and has encouraged us to share stories and our beliefs.
We have been encouraged and empowered.
We have taken risks and stepped outside of our comfort zones.
There has been dialogue and competitive collaboration.
There has been so much reflection.
The enthusiasm and energy of the group has been contagious.
We have been encouraged to start where we are at.
We have shared the experience with many learning leaders.
We have been able to feel successful and therefore build confidence and competence.
The group has been full of fountains (no drains).
There has been a sense of empathy within the group.
We have been problem-finders and problem-solvers together.
We have created, created, created!
… and last but not least, like George, we are a group of Educators AND learners by passion.
If we can provide the above for our school counsellors, teachers and students, they can people with an innovative mindset too!
Won’t you join me in becoming a School Counsellor, educator , leader with an Innovator’s Mindset? I look forward to us collaborating. I love having a beginners mind don’t you? Find out more about IMMOOC here.
*Although not ready for this week throughout this MOOC I have been inspired to create a podcast . I will create one …any #IMMOOC ers want to help me?
To end with I’d like to CELEBRATE a couple of people:
#1 the amazing Erin Mason a true School Counsellor Educator with an Innovator ‘s Mindset … Video #1 below.
#2 My Principal Neil O’Flaherty @neilof12 a true Innovator and the lead learner in the second Video below Bishop Carroll a Self Directed High School In Calgary Alberta. A leader who encourages and supports any and all innovation . I am so fortunate to work alongside you.
#3 Canadian School Counsellors with an Innovator’s Mindset ( too many to mention ). Although many of you are at the beginning stages of twitter I look forward to reading and celebrating all the amazing work you do every day!
#4 YOU thanks for reading along ( if you have read this far) I appreciate you joining me on this #IMMOOC journey.
My biggest lesson this week is what a simple thank you can do to turn your day and your mindset around. I rarely have one of those days and this week I did. I did let my administrator know (at least some of what was going on) and he did one of the best things a true leader can do . He simply thanked me for all the work I do with students . He let me know he was there for me and glad I was there for students and yes it made a difference.
I felt heard and valued. It turned my mindset around. It freed me from the negativity I was feeling and was such a great role model for me. As a leader I forget that my staff needs a simple thank you too. I really try to remember to do that often through a note or a comment, but sometimes I forget to make the time to do what is so important. So I sent each person I work with closely with a little personal note this weekend and next week I will try to finish by sending all those who help me by giving them a note.
I was extremely honored to recieve an award last week from the University of Calgary Counselling Psychology Program. Ph. D students I had previously supervised took the time and effort in their busy schedules to recommend me for an excellence in practicum supervision award . It was their BIG thank you and I am truly, truly grateful. They took the time to write such beautiful words and say thank you in a big way. Taking the time to thank people is truly a gift that you can give others. You have asked me to display it proudly and so I will.
However, this week that simple thank you helped to change my mindset and I believe will impact what I do next week and in the future with others.
Be on the look out for my thank you to IMMOOC.
Who will you send a simple thank you to … this week?
Having worked in schools for 36 years I absolutely recognize the importance of a great leader. I am grateful to have worked with so many.
Fortunately for me I get to work with an outstanding leader everyday. He is forward thinking, innovative, positive , intelligent , has great sense of humour , cares deeply about students and staff , is extremely supportive of School Counsellors and most importantly kind. He makes a difference. Thanks @neilof12.
On this Canadian thanksgiving day , I think it is very important to tell the people who you care about and are grateful for that you do. Too often people think it , but don’t say it. I try to say it as often as I can because I recognize life is precious.
I make a point of telling those that have impacted me that they have including my students.
As a leader myself , I make every effort to be the kind of leader I want others to be. I gave my principal The Innovator’s Mindsetwhen it came out knowing that he was already an innovator, but also knowing like me he too is a lifelong learner.
Today most importantly I am grateful for my husband and children who have had the biggest and most positive impact on my life. Because of them I can be the kind of educator, leader and person I want to be.
I am so… so… so grateful for the wonderful friendships that I have in my life. They have and still do enrich and transform my life.
I am grateful for #immooc and @gcouros for having the insights and passion to make a difference in students and educators lives including mine. Thanks to all those in #immooc who have connected and shared with me. I am grateful. I believe very strongly when we are excited about learning we pass that on to all those around us and can make a real difference in the life of a child. Isn’t that why we chose this profession? Yes, George relationships do matter … they are absolutely everything.
I love #IMMOOC and all the learning and connections in it, but keeping up isn’t easy in a MOOC and it is not supposed to be. The reality of everyday life kicks in. School gets busy, family responsibilities and life gets busy especially in the fall. We are all back to reality.
The nice thing about a MOOC is you can take what you like , do what you like , connect with people that you like ,when you like, how you like.
There are no failures!!!! Learning for the sake of learning is your option … without guilt.
I am grateful that I can particpate on voxer because it suits me to check in anytime from anywhere.
I also like that I can choose when to respond and where to respond and that I don’t have to do it all ( although I am tempted to want to ). So step into the reality and enjoy the learning along the way. If you learn 1 new thing or 100 new things it does not matter. Enjoy the process.
My goals:
Connect and share on voxer .
Read at least two blog posts and make comments.
Join in the live sessions as much as possible.
Blog once a week.
Put into practice somethings I have learned at work.
Follow the twitter and facebook feeds and learn from the posts.
Thanks to all for sharing . I especially love the live posting on twitter. Voxer peeps you rock , love all the learning. Amazing job Emily Clare @EClare_AHS for organizing and keeping the learning going.
Reality : No matter how much or how little you do in #IMMOOC … YOU MATTER … YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE . You are taking the time out of your life as an educator and person to learn and help others knowing in the end that you will help students … How great is that?
For any of you who are School Counsellors , I know that this week you may have saved a students life that is your reality … so thanks just in case no one has noticed .
oice. Don’t just listen … be that voice so that together we can make not only the positive changes in our own communities that we want , but maybe we can make a change and a difference for some child somewhere in another part of the world that we never imagined we would.
Everything you say or do should always keep this in mind. Whatever you do on-line or off innovative School Counsellors should make sure they remain focused on what is best for their students.
This is vital if school counselors are to really help students into the future. Being innovative means acting on this today. Everything you post should be helpful, ethical and model what it is you hope students will do. 
Counsellor Talk : Connecting with those who want to make a difference. 