Oct 8, 2013

October is Bullying Prevention Month






CLICK ON THE GRAPHIC TO MAKE IT LARGER.




This graphic includes three practical ways that you can get involved and help end bullying - whether you are a student, teacher or parent. Start where you are...right now....today....and be an agent of change in your world.

Feel free to grab this graphic and repost...you never know who you might be influencing when you do!

Oct 4, 2013

From Dave -

I love those Alaskans! Here's a message from a student in a recent assembly I did there.

2013-10-01 00:57:53 (MDT) Dear Mr. & Mrs. Scott (Rachel's parents),
I just had Rachel's Challenge Event take place at my school (school name redacted) in Alaska. I couldn't tell you enough how much your daughter has inspired me to live. I have been struggling with thoughts of suicide. I have never in my 17 years had someone touch my heart like your daughter has. I have never before experienced the feeling of wanting to go on with life and help those around me. Thank you for allowing Rachel to be with us and inspire us to live and love.
Rachel gave me the opportunity to want to live my life for a long time and I am determined to do the same for others.
I hope you have read this because you need to know how amazing your daughter IS. and always be. I WILL do Rachel's Challenge.
Yours Truly,
From Torski -

This email sent to Rachel's Challenge after my presentation. Bless you, girl!

2013-10-02 16:50:59 (MDT) Hi, my name is (redacted) and for months I have constantly thought that the world would be better off without me, that my life was meaningless to everyone around me. Today A girl who pronounced her name 'Toy' she met the family and had spoke at my school, she made us shut our eyes and think of 7 people we love the most. Unfortunately that's only my papa Megan mom my baby sister and Cody. I couldn't live without them and I started thinking more, they love me, they talk to me about anything. I mean something to them. I'm not just a stupid epeleptic girl. I'm important to people. So when everyone stood up to clap, I shot up and gave it my all. Tears pouring down my face. I want to thank you, her story, it saved my life (:

Integrated math might be key to student achievement

integrated-mathPosted By: eSchool News Staff On September 30, 2013

New research points to integrated model as one way to improve student gains
[1] As states implement the Common Core State Standards, many math educators and curriculum specialists are advocating a move to integrated math, which, although not a new concept, has received renewed attention in light of a study indicating that the model could boost student achievement.
Integrated math involves the blending of many math topics, such as algebra, geometry, and statistics, into a single course. U.S. math courses have traditionally been separated into year-long courses that focus on one area and follow a sequence, such as algebra I, geometry the next year, algebra II, and then a pre-calculus course.

States including Utah, North Carolina, and West Virginia are moving to integrated math models. Supporters note that integrated models help students make connections across different math disciplines and help them see real-world connections. Some critics say integrated math is not necessary.
James Tarr, a professor in the University of Missouri (MU) College of Education, and Doug Grouws, a professor emeritus from MU, studied more than 3,000 high school students around the country as they tried to determine if an integrated math model led to higher student achievement gains.
(Next page: What research reveals; plus, take a poll on integrated math)Their study [2]revealed that the integrated math approach did in fact result in higher student achievement when compared to students enrolled in traditional math courses. It identified high schools that offered both traditional and integrated math courses. His team conducted 326 classroom observations and collected and controlled for a variety of student data, including demographics and achievement data.
“What we found was, despite controlling for all these different variables, the curriculum organization was a significant predictor of student outcomes,” Tarr said.
The study was funded by a National Science Foundation grant, which Tarr called an investment in a search for answers about effective math curricula.
poll id=”39″
Support for a more integrated and coherent math curriculum has been around for decades, and lately many proponents have pointed to high-achieving countries that operate with a more integrated school mathematics curriculum and boast high math achievement.
The Common Core State Standards do not take a position on a traditional math sequence versus an integrated approach, but offer resources aligned to both options.
“For me, math needs to be taught in a way that lets you see the connections among different topics,” said Fred Dillon, a past National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [3] board member, former middle and high school math teacher, and a math consultant. “I try to do that anyway. While we’re looking at trigonometry we’re going to make a ramp for a skateboard, so we’ll tie that back to geometry.”
Dillon was part of an integrated math pilot in the 1990s and said that while some of his colleagues were not in favor of the integrated curriculum, others supported it. And teacher buy-in has much to do with how successful a program is.
“If a teacher isn’t sold on an approach, in any subject, it causes a disconnect,” he said.
Dillon required students in his integrated math courses to complete a final project, and said that in subsequent years, students approached him and recalled with clarity and excitement things they learned during the course and while working on their final projects. He noted, however, that their enthusiasm could have been a combination of the integrated approach and the project requirement.
Different integrated options exist, including the Mathematics Vision Project [4], Core+ [5], Pearson’s Integrated High School Mathematics [6], Carnegie Learning’s Integrated Math [7], and more.

What the critics say

“Because they’re such a break from tradition, they’re controversial,” Tarr said of integrated math courses. “You’re really changing things.”
Some reservations might stem from how the term “integrated” is used. Often, schools assign the term to lower-level math courses, which some say might contribute to hesitations over a move to an integrated math curriculum.
Others claim that integrated math has little support, and are worried about a loss of local control and the implications of statewide requirements to move to integrated math courses.
“The new Utah Mathematics Core adopted from the national Common Core, gives us a chance to improve math education in Utah. I favor common math standards, and I think it is possible to implement the Common Core standards in a responsible way. Any new program can be improved. I am offering my suggestions,” wrote David Wright, a math professor at Brigham Young University, in an op-ed in the Deseret News [8] that addresses Utah math standards and the Common Core.
Among his suggestions: “Do away with the integrated math program that has been rejected by over 90 percent of the states. Integrated math is uncommon. Implement algebra 1, geometry and algebra 2. There is no research evidence that integrated math is better. It keeps motivated students from taking geometry and algebra 2 concurrently. It keeps Utah from using nationally developed math materials.”
And some are pushing for a merging of the two—maintaining a traditional curriculum, but attempting to integrate other topics when logical in order to help students see real-world math connections and applications.



Copyright © 2011 eSchool Media. All rights reserved.

Oct 3, 2013

A Mama's Eyes

By Daryn



Yesterday at our school, a secretary, who had not been in the assembly,but had a daughter at the school who was in there with us- came up to us and said, "I don't know what you said in there, but my daughter just found me and gave me the first genuine hug I've gotten from her in 2 years. Whatever you said, thank you." Worth every layover, every hour in the car, every cancelled flight to see the tears of love in that mama's eyes.

A Dream Comes True

By Rachelle Marie



More than 13 years ago, the story of a 17 year old girl changed my life and I was never the same. I was one of the youth in her generation that vowed her death would not be in vain. She believed that you really could change the world with kindness, compassion, understanding... Love. She lived it everyday. Since that time, my dream has been to share her story with others. This photo of that girl, Rachel Joy Scott, has never left my bookshelf since 2000. Wednesday, I will speak for the first time as a presenter for Rachel's Challenge and share her message to kids from grades K-12 and their families. I believe in this message... It has stood the test of time in my heart and I know of no better way to use my voice than for this. Dreams certainly do come true.


Positive Bullying Solutions

By Darrell Scott, Founder of Rachel's Challenge

There are no bullies - - - but there are many people who demonstrate bullying behavior, and behavior can change.  For deep behavioral change with lasting results to take place concerning this issue, we must not resort to pop culture “anti-bullying” techniques that, too often, only increase the problem.

Our organization, Rachel’s Challenge, has reached more than 20 million people who have participated in live presentations and trainings over the last 14 years.  Most of these are students and educators.  We continually hear from parents, students and educators who tell us they see major lasting changes in the lives of both those who have bullied and those who have been bullied, after a Rachel’s Challenge program. And yet, we hardly mention the word “bullying” in our presentations and trainings at all.

Take for example this email from a 17 year old girl with the initials, K.C.  “When you came to my school I was a mean person, always bullying others, but I was very sad inside.  I was going to kill myself - - but Rachel’s story opened my eyes to new things.  I am committed now to helping others.”

Too often the approach to bullying is an “anti” mentality.  The approach at Rachel’s Challenge is a “pro” mentality.  We are not “anti-bullying,” we are “for kindness.”  Focusing on solutions leads to change.  Focusing on the problem only empowers the causes of the problem.  There are two basic approaches to any challenge in life.  One is to be a “darkness fighter” and the other is to be a “candle lighter.”  If we simply light a candle, or flip on a light switch, the darkness evaporates!  Cursing the darkness, bad mouthing it, being angry with it doesn’t eliminate it. We have seen dramatic behavior change when the following steps are implemented.

The first step in changing bullying behavior is to recognize the difference between the person who is bullying and his or her behavior.

The second step begins with an unconditional acceptance of that person who demonstrates bullying behavior.  Their behavior may be unacceptable, but you must separate that from who they are.  Acceptance cannot be faked, so you must make a conscious choice to genuinely accept and care about the person whose behavior you want to see changed or change will not occur.  They will feel your “vibes” and know if you are being disingenuous.

The third step is to recognize that which we ignore or resist, we strengthen.  Most approaches to remedying bullying are to either ignore or resist the person doing the bullying. Focusing on something good in the person doing the bullying as a reference point gives you the power to eliminate the bullying behavior.  Don’t fight the darkness, turn on the light.

The fourth step is to reach the heart of the person with bullying behavior and create the “want to.”  This is the most crucial step in seeing change occur.  The person with the bullying behavior must want to let go of it, or change will not occur. Too often anti-bullying programs approach the subject with a lot of “how to” but little ability to provide the “want to.”

There must be a willingness to encourage and uplift the person, while addressing the behavior of bullying.  It is crucially important to fully grasp the opening statement of this article: “There are no bullies - - but there are people who demonstrate bullying behavior”.  The minute we label a person as a bully, we have put them into a prison cell of wrong belief.  They will believe that they are a bully and will act accordingly.

“Charles, I really admire you as a person, but the way I saw you treating Jim is not who you really are.”  That is an example of separating the person from the behavior.  This approach is seldom used by people around the “so-called” bully.

Rachel’s Challenge is a program that shares my daughter’s story in a live, one hour presentation.  Rachel was the first student killed in the horrific Columbine shootings of 1999.  Her stories of kindness and compassion reach the hearts of the listeners and create a deep desire to become a better person.  The “want to” awakens within them.  Then we follow that up with training and the “how to.” You may not be able to share Rachel’s story with everyone who demonstrates bullying behavior, but you can find ways to touch their hearts through encouragement, praise for right behavior, and stories.  Sometimes sharing with them the story of the person that they have bullied will change their behavior.

The fifth step is to encourage the slightest behavior you see that is positive.  Getting rid of bullying behavior is not the goal.  Replacing it with kind and compassionate behavior is. 

The sixth step is to model the behavior that you want to see them copy.   We all are models of behavior to others. We cannot, not model.

The seventh step is to diminish the differences between the person bullying and the person being bullied by helping them see their similarities.  Most bullying occurs because of “differences.”  Racial, sexual orientation, economic, social, and ethnic differences are often the basis of bullying.  “They” are not like “us” and so we are going to put “them” down!  When we can help people appreciate the similarities instead of the differences, we can find a place of relatedness that leads to harmony.

A poem I wrote called, We Are Them, illustrates this principle.

Emerging from our common source
We started down this human course
Until illusion blocked our way
And ego taught us what to say

With words like “you” and “them” and “me”
We lost our true identity
And blinded by our selfish pride
We choked the peace we had inside

So separated from our source
We lived by cunning, wit, and force
Until we came to realize
The emptiness of our disguise

But through humility and grace
We traveled to that quiet place
Of peace, and love, and harmony
For all of us - - are one, you see

We ceased from treating others wrong
Our “uni – verse” became “one – song”
No longer seeing “her” or “him”
‘Cause “they” are “us” disguised as “them!”

Learn to be a peacemaker.  Our country desperately needs them.

Click here to start your social media campaign to help end bullying.

Oct 1, 2013

Light Up The Darkness


Light Up the Darkness - Live at the 2013 Rachel's Challenge Summit from Rachel's Challenge.

The interesting difference between light and darkness is that "any amount of light eliminates darkness - but the only way that darkness wins is to TOTALLY eliminate light."

Rachel's Challenge Presenters, Ali, Kristi and Neil at the 2013 Educators' Summit in Dallas, Texas joined with elementary students from McKinney, Texas to enthusiastically demonstrate the real meaning shining a light of kindness to eliminate bullying instead of fighting the darkness.

Sep 23, 2013

Signs Of Bullying: What To Look For In Your Kids

As parents, we would like to believe that OUR child would never be bullied - that OUR child would not be affected by the bad behavior of other students...but unless we are ostriches or live by that big old river "de-Nile" we can't let what we WANT to be true to keep us from dealing with what is probably our child's reality!
Our job as parents is complicated. We are trying to raise our kids to be self-sufficient, healthy and responsible adults...but the pathway to adulthood is littered with potential land mines. It helps if we know what to look for in our kids if we suspect they have been subjected to bullying. You may not yet have reason to believe that anything is amiss with your kiddos - but we think this was a great report by KCENTV.com to help you be on the alert!

A good place to start is having regular conversations - filled with lots of open ended questions. With those conversations as your baseline, you are much more likely to notice a change in their demeanor, willingness to share and/or outlook on life.

Rachel's Challenge has a video called The Problem dealing with this issue. Check it out here.