All Things Teen

I was on this coast just 10 days ago. The beautiful Adriatic in front and the mountains of Brela, Croatia in the background. I’m excited to say that Life On Point traveled to this part of the world!

The Brela Women’s Conference was held on this lovely coast over the first weekend of October. Missionaries from all over the Balkan region came together to be rejuvenated and encouraged. During my time here I was able to share some of the key components of the Curriculum with the women.

What an exciting thing! Life On Point, 5,000 miles from Chattanooga!

“The original quality in any man of imagination is imagery.” –G. K. Chesterton

“You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” —Mark Twain

Is imagination important to our youth? You can go online and find hundreds of quotes from painters, scientists, moralists, writers, and almost anyone else you can think of who all have high regard for the human imagination. Albert Einstein said, “Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions.”

Yes—imagination is immensely important. Just think of Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell—without their creative imaginations..no lights…no phone. We must encourage the imaginations of our youth! They are the future inventors, artists, politicians, and community advocates.

We have recently engaged the imaginations of our students through Service Learning Projects. Students have come up with creative ways to meet the needs of their community and their world. Projects include Easter Baskets for the Chambliss Children’s Home, a shoe drive for Nigerian children, and even beautification projects like planting flowers at a local school.

What are some ways you have engaged the imaginations and creative strengths of your students?

I know I come to you often with stories from East Lake Academy…but it’s a pretty cool place!

I work with a team of facilitators at East Lake Academy. This team is currently working with about 60 6th, 7th & 8th grade girls twice a week.

When we asked the girls what they would most like to discuss, their top 4 topics were college, career, life skills and goal setting—I was really pleasantly surprised. We have high schoolers who are not as visionary!

We have hosted women from around the city to speak to the girls about their careers. We have had several African American, Latina and Caucasian business women from various professions agree to share! Each lady has shared a bit about her work, as well as,  what steps she had to fulfill in order to achieve her goal. The students have even had the opportunity for Q &A.

Getting your community to surround your students is key! How have you made this work in your community?

Marshmallows are our favorite prop.

These versatile, jet-puffed mounds of sugar can be used for practically anything...and they have been by our team of Life On Point Facilitators!

The book, Great Group Games for Kids, by Susan Ragsdale and Ann Saylor, pairs the 40 Developmental Assets with fun, interactive, and often silly, games. By breaking the 40 Developmental Assets down into the eight broad categories*, students play their way into learning more about values, teamwork, serving others and self-esteem. Ragsdale and Saylor call it "Playing with Purpose."

So, we began "playing with purpose" in our groups. Using almost 30 bags of marshmallows, we have facilitated an indoor "snowball" fight, the Marshmallow Olympics, and even baked s'mores in our Camp-In. All of these games not only helped to build assets, but also assisted us in teaching the core constructs of the Life On Point Curriculum-- Self-Discovery, Life Vision/Skills, Healthy Life Choices, Positive Support and Leadership for Service.

Silliness, you might say. Well, research says, "most of the brain is activated during physical activity--much more so than when doing seatwork." In fact, according to Eric Jensen, author of numerous books on brain-based learning, sitting for more than 10 minutes at a stretch "reduces our awareness of physical and emotional sensations and increases fatigue." Jensen reports that this results in "reduced concentration and, most likely, discipline problems" (Pica, More Movement, Smarter Kids).

We are excited to say that by using these yummy props, we are activating brains and learning the assets at the same time!

"When children are given an opportunity to develop these core values and skills through play, they will be better equipped to succeed in academics, leadership, and communication" (Ragsdale, Saylor, 2010).

And we have seen the results of this! One of our groups this year had a rough start. At the beginning of the year, students in this group had a tendency to resort to fighting and arguing as their primary form of communication with each other. Facilitators in this group used the asset-rich games at every group meeting. At the end of this group session we are happy to report increased verbal communication skills, positive group interaction, better concentration in group discussion and a courtesy toward fellow group members and facilitators.

So, our facilitators say to all of you educators, facilitators and parents out there...Break out the marshmallows! Believe it or not, it is a great learning tool.

*Support, Empowerment, Boundaries & Expectations, Constructive Use of Time, Commitment to Learning, Positive Values, Social Competencies, and Positive Identity

Our Life On Point middle school curriculum has a lesson called Serving with Pancakes. In this lesson students are to work as a family-- planning a meal, cooking pancakes, and enjoying the meal together. Well, groups at East Lake kicked it up a notch!

We decided to host a "camp in." In the middle school's cafeteria, students pitched tents, built mock campfires, and baked s'mores in toaster ovens. Each student had a responsibility, and before too long they joined in to help others with their responsibilities.

When everyone had a s'more and all tents were assembeled, each team sat around their campsite and talked about what it was like to serve a role in the group.  One student responded, "I was having so much fun, I forgot I was serving someone!"

What do you think of the additions to this lesson? We would love your feedback!

On Tuesday, December 6th, 25 Middle School girls from East Lake Academy made Christmas cards for the residents at NHC Health Care Facility.

We had been focusing on topics of self discovery-who am I? What gifts do I possess? How do I share my spark and voice in my own community? As an educator, you always wonder if the students are going to get on board with whatever project you have come with.  Will they connect the dots with the project and what they've been learning?

The answer at East Lake...overwhelmingly, yes!

It was truly beautiful. Red and green construction paper, snowflake stickers, markers, glue sticks and scissors all manipulated by their inspired hands into some of the most kind-hearted, genuine cards I think I have ever seen. These girls didn't know who, specifically, they were creating these cards for; they just knew that these residents needed some cheering.

I think the most touching thing for me was going back to the school two days later to tell them thank you for making the cards. They eagerly asked if the residents liked them. They put such heart, creativity and thought into their gifts. I am humbled by this group.

Thanks girls, thanks for reminding me that it is not always the gift, but the heart of genuine joy and kindness that goes into the gift that matters the most!