Counselor's Notes

1.05.08

Value Word for January

ORDERLINESS: Arranging things to make your day easier.

Why do we need to teach children that orderliness is important as a value? What important lessons can be learned?

Orderliness helps us learn.

Math problems are done step-by-step. If they are completed out of order, a student will never get to the correct answer. Science is the same—tides, seasons and the movement of planets, all these things occur in an order. Patterns are also important to graphics and mathematics. In addition, learning to read music requires understanding of order.

Orderliness helps us to be effective.

When we use order to make better use of our time and energy by being organized, we accomplish goals that help us achieve success. There is a right sequence to almost everything, and our lives often demand that we structure them in some kind of order.

Orderliness must be modeled and taught.

When there is order, children feel comfortable because they understand how they fit in and where their boundaries are. Rules and order provide emotional and psychological boundaries in which learning can take place.

12.01.07

Value Word for December

PEACE: Proving you care more about each other than winning an argument.

Peace is a value not just because it helps us feel better, but because it helps us function better. And like many other values, peace is contagious. Help your child understand:

Peace begins with an inner choice.

The first step toward living peaceably is deciding that other people are worth more to us than our own sometimes selfish desires, and that there are times when the value of agreement is sometimes greater than the satisfaction of defeating an opponent.

Peace requires action.

Choosing to pursue peace is of little value without actions that back up that choice. Such actions include talking, helping, sharing and working. Each day brings opportunities to show that our desire for peace is important to us.

Peace sees ahead.

The attitude that leads us to peace is one which understands the future benefits of our current efforts. It is a delayed gratification process. An insight into a future payoff should be one of the forces pressing us on toward peace.

11.08.07

Value Word for November

UNIQUENESS: Learning more about others so you can know more about yourself.

What are the inward attitudes that make uniqueness important for children to learn as a value? Recognizing uniqueness helps us to begin and build positive life relationships, recognize our personal potential and see responsibilities as opportunities.

Appreciating our uniqueness causes more positive relationships.

When we learn that others are different from us, we can use it to huddle up in groups, or we can use it to widen our perspective of the world. Help your children to learn to appreciate the individuals around them this month. Setting the pattern of appreciating differences now will help them with respecting others for life.

Finding our own uniqueness unlocks personal potential.

If we highlight the differences in our kids now and lift these differences up as something to be praised, we set a standard for our children. We teach them to appreciate those who are different from us, and we broaden the range of things they are familiar with.

Seeing responsibilities as opportunities gives us a sense of purpose.

The various roles played in life require us to exercise many abilities. Each person’s unique set of skills, traits and talents mean that we are equipped in a particularly appropriate way to accomplish our obligations. Our particular set of characteristics gives us the opportunity to turn responsibilities into our own personal statement.

One of the universal experiences of growing up is the tension of wanting to fit in with a group. At home and at school, help children experience acceptance while also seeing the value of being unique.

09.17.07

Value Word of the September

Initiative - Seeing what needs to be done and doing it.

A new school year has begun and it’s time to get back into a routine. Students are excited and glad to see their friends again. Some new experiences, like starting a new grade in school, are exciting while others may be stressful. But as the year goes along, initiative can serve as the spark that keeps your child interested in school.

This month’s value is initiative — “Seeing what needs to be done and doing it.” Initiative combines aspects of insight, evaluation and follow through. How can you teach initiative to your child?

Initiative begins with insight.

The ability to see an opportunity, need or obligation is the starting point. Children can be encouraged to become more aware of the circumstances of others around them.

Initiative requires evaluation.

Looking at the situation and determining a proper action takes some practice. Assignments at school, instructions from adults and understanding potential results of their actions, or inaction (grades, discipline), help a child decide what should be done.

Initiative is complete when we follow through.

With encouragement, a child can begin to develop a willingness to apply their best personal effort. A milestone is reached when a child independently recognizes what needs to be done and then follows through and does it.

The best reward for taking initiative is the satisfaction of completing the task and feeling good about the accomplishment. An additional return on that investment is the appreciation of others.

This site was last updated 01/27/08