Blog Post #2
Drew Dudley, in his TED Talk “Everyday Leadership”, talks about his lollipop moment.
Tell us about a lollipop moment you’ve experienced.
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Drew Dudley, in his TED Talk “Everyday Leadership”, talks about his lollipop moment.
ReplyDeleteTell us about a lollipop moment you’ve experienced.
A lollipop moment that I have experienced was this year, in my third year of teaching. This year is my first year in first grade and I got to loop with my students from last year who I had in kindergarten. Last year, this student struggled to stay in the classroom and we were in the process of getting him tested for autism. He struggled to basic things in the classroom such as sitting at his table spot or complete a 3 minute activity. He has been the most difficult student that I have had throughout my three years of teaching, but also the most rewarding. Last year, I took the time to find resources that would support him, but also really put in the effort to build a relationship with him. It makes me sad that this is my last year with him, but I have been lucky to have had him for two years. Anyway, he has really blossomed this year, he isn't having much behaviors and he is staying in the classroom. He comes up to me at least twice a day asking for a hug and he just gets the biggest smile when he comes to ask. I believe with the resources that I have implemented into the classroom to support him, but also the relationship building impacted his learning in a positive way. He is a student that I will always have a special place in my heart for.
Ahhh the lollipop moment. I have one that comes to my mind. When I was at the beginning of my career I had student who had ADHD and some other issues. At that time I was teaching grades K-2. He sure could learn but the rest was hard. His parents were so worried about him so I tried different learning styles to help him. Some were successfull and some were not. He tested my patience, I remember. Well, we had him diagnosed and meds were given and things really changed for him. He grew up, went on to get a good job, got married and had 4 daughters. I hadn't seen him in years. I was getting groceries on a Friday night and came around the aisle and there he was with his family. He loudly said...."Mrs. Van Maanen, it is so good to see you, I tell my girls about you and now they get to meet you!" He gave me this huge hug and lifted me off the ground. Now, I am 6 feet tall so it was a bit scary! After it was all over and I paid for my groceries and on my way home, it brought me to tears to know that he still loved first grade even though life was so hard. Don't think I will ever forget that.....
ReplyDeleteI had a lollipop moment just this year. I had a Parent/Teacher Conference with the parents of a student new to our school. I was telling them what a sweet girl they have and that I love the drawings she brings me. They said that it's the first year she hasn't fought them on coming to school and that she really loves her teacher and our school. Lollipop moments definitely have a way of reminding me why I chose teaching as a profession.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of every quarter, I try to reach out and email the parent/guardians of 10 students who impressed me with their work ethic/responsibility/attitude and setting a good example for their classmates. For many of the emails I don't even get a reply, but occasionally I get a really surprising positive email or visit from the parent at conferences - expressing how much they appreciated the note about their student. I'm surprised when this happens because I assume these parents/guardians already hear these sorts of things all the time - but they don't and it's worth remembering that ALL parents/guardians like and need to hear good things about their student.
ReplyDeleteI have had a lot of lollipop moments with students throughout the years. One was with a girl in 6th grade who struggled with her reading. She was such a sweet girl and I could tell she was always trying her hardest. She never wanted things handed to her, she wanted to work for it. I encouraged her to keep working and complimented her on all of the awesome things she was doing. She kept pushing herself and made great strides. When she was a senior in High School she was the President of the Student Council and I took on the role of being the advisor. She would come to my classroom often and work together on projects. She asked me one day to write a letter of recommendation for her to apply for scholarships. When I gave her my letter she gave me the biggest hug and thanked me for always believing in her like no one else ever had. She and I had a very happy teary hug at graduation and I whispered how incredibly proud of her I was. Now, she is married and still gives me hugs and big smiles every time she sees me. She found out that I am moving back to that town and will be applying to teach at that school again and she told me that it would be the best thing to happen to that school in a long time.
ReplyDeleteOne of my most recent lollipop moment came last school year when one of my previous students (now in high school) came up to me and he gave me a hug and thanked me for pushing him. He was struggling in his 8th grade year, and he was a really good soccer player. I called him in for check-ins and told him that he had to have grades in order to play high school soccer. We talked about how important learning the study habits and notetaking, work completion, time management were all going to be crucial for him to finish his middle school years and take those skills into high school. We talked about its okay to ask for help, go in at lunch time to complete work, retake a quiz or test, and communicating with their teachers and counselors. He came running up at the football game and told me he had solid B's and C's, and high school is hard but he's using the tools we talked about and he is advocating for help as school comes hard to him. He has told me he wants to be his family's first college athlete and college graduate. I will continue to check-in on him, and continue to be his biggest cheer leader. Before he said goodbye at the game, he said thank you for believing in me and not giving up on me!
ReplyDeleteMy "lollipop moment" happened recently. I ran into a former student at a gas station and his eyes lit up when he saw me "MRS. H I REMEMBER YOU, YOU WERE MY HEALTH TEACHER". He told me how much appreciated my class and our talks. He went on to tell me how much he has learned from the stories I have told and the advice I had given. I couldn't believe how much he remembered from Middle School. This meant more to me than he knows!!
ReplyDeleteI had a meaningful "lollipop" moment last year. I got a thank you card/letter from a student at the end of the year. She told me of a time a few months prior where she had an outburst at a friend in the hallway. She dropped a few curse words she shouldn't have and stormed off. She said that I visited with her about it and said something like "_____, I can tell you're having a rough day. Are you alright?" She wrote to me that in that moment, I had changed her life, because she saw that adults could be caring and reasonable. She appreciated that I wasn't focused on the terrible curse word, but that I was only focused on her well-being. She said she couldn't believe it. She also wrote that that morning, she'd been cursed out and screamed at by her parents for doing the wrong thing, and that verbal abuse was a major problem in her family. She told me that in that moment, I had changed her outlook on life/adults. The kicker was...I had absolutely no recollection of that conversation a few months prior. It taught me that you never know when your words and actions can impact someone in a positive or negative way. It was a pretty cool letter.
ReplyDeleteI’ve had past students tell me how I’ve impacted them through encouraging them to do a sport, never giving up teaching them a skill, and believing in them that they can do anything if they put their mind to it. I hear people tell me or tell my daughters (24, 23) how my positive attitude, goofy nature, my patience, and kindness have stayed in their memories. The video reminded me of the butterfly effect, how small changes one does can impact everything. I believe the small things we do as teachers make a dramatic change in our student’s lives.
ReplyDeleteIm going to give a reverse Lollipop moment. I was the receiver of the lollipop (persay in this story). One time a ELL student and I were working in tutoring. The student had an ungodly amount of wordsearches, Im talking like to the point where he was no longer learning the words, just looking for them letter by letter to get them done. While I couldnt understand why these were the assignments that were supposed to be helping him learn the new words, I am not trained in ELL, So I just I sat next to him, for multiple days trying to help him do these word searches on his own. Finally I told him on the last one we were going to do it together, and we were in some what of a rush, so I pointed out one word, and then with in seconds I found another and then a third. And just as I was about to stop, because I was "doing his work" he looked at me and said in the sweetest acccented voice, "Wow Miss, You are Amazing!", I said for finding your words for you? He said "no, for sitting with me and just when Im about to stop or quit, for giving me a bit of energy to keep going, for making my spirit happy". I have to be honest. No one had called me amazing since I was probably like 8, and followed it with more appreciative words about me. I see this kiddo often still in the hall way. About a year later I told him how great I felt the day he told me I was amazing, and he replied with. Well you still are. And I Tell him every time I get down or sad, that I remember that if one person thinks Im amazing, than someone else probably does too, they just havent had the time or place to share that yet! He showed me that someone saying just one or two appreciative words can stick with someone for so long, and encourage them to keep trying to be "AMAZING".
ReplyDeleteI will never forget my lollipop moment. I remember being a young teacher thinking I knew everything. Oh, how foolish I was.
ReplyDeleteI had a principal I didn't care for. She chose favorites and was so unfair and it was so easy to see. I learned a few things from her. One is that a strong leader treats everyone fairly.
The next thing is my lollipop moment. She was leading a staff meeting and she told us "Stop, whining, stop feeling sorry for yourself, let yourself feel those feelings but don't you dare marinate in it like a steak.
I think it touched me so deeply because I was convicted. I was jaded and had a negative attitude when I was a young teacher.
I have always remembered what she told us about not marinating in your bad feelings and as silly as it sounds she has impacted my life in such a positive way. It has always stuck and I am so grateful for her.
Drew Dudley, in his TED Talk “Everyday Leadership”, talks about his lollipop moment.
ReplyDeleteTell us about a lollipop moment you’ve experienced.
I had a lollipop moment in high school. I was the receiver of the life changing moment. My high school volleyball coached seemed to always be "yelling" or "nagging" me. She never did that to the setter I was competing against for the varsity spot. I finally had enough and asked my coach if I could talk to her after practice one day. I expressed my frustration with the fact that I was the one she was always pointing out. At this point I was in tears because I was beyond frustrated because I was doing everything she asked of me and I was working as hard as I could to get better to become the varsity setter. After I was done blabbering, Coach looked at me with the most caring face I had ever seen her wear and said, "Jakki, I push you harder because I know you will rise to the challenge. I believe in you as a setter and I know I can get you to be the best setter for our team. No other setter is able to handle the pressure like you and I appreciate you for that. Your tenacity and determination are why you will be the varsity setter." This was a huge turning point for me because it meant that I was capable of greatness and I had at least one person who believed in me. I was the varsity setter for three years of my high school career. I am still very dear friends with my coach. I try to emulate that kind of faith and trust with my athletes as much as I can. I also make sure I communicate them throughout the season so they know exactly why things are shaping out the way they are.
I'd say a lollipop moment was my 4th or 5th year of teaching. I had a young 4th grade girl who struggled with reading quite a bit. However she was so dedicated to her work and always wanted to do and try her best. I went on my 1st maternity leave that year, and when I returned I was noticing again how much effort she put into school and was so positive. I emailed her parents thanking them for raising her with such strong work ethic and told them I appreciated her effots, even though school was challenging for her. Her mother replied thanking me for the kind words, and said I didn't know how much they appreciated them, and how much of a difference I was making in their daughter's attitude toward school. They told me she struggled more while I was out, but had come home saying I had explained it so much clearer and everyone got it now! I printed that email and pull it out when I have day at work where I'm not sure if I'm truly making a difference. She sticks with me and hopefully I stuck with her a bit too :)
ReplyDeleteMy lollipop moment was this last year. I had a student when she was a freshman and she struggled with her mental health. Being a freshman is not easy, but she worked as hard as she could when she was in school. Her attendance was not always the greatest and she would fall behind easy. The following year, she took an AP social studies class and again struggled. She had to go seek help for her mental health, so she was out of school for weeks and when she returned, had to still have appointments the same day every week. She was always an okay student. Her junior year, she moved to online school because she had missed so much school and felt like she had no friends here. In May of last year, her counselor reached out to me and asked if I would take her for the whole school year as a peer mentor. I said absolutely. Her counselor said that she knew my class was a safe space and felt comfortable being in my school. Looking forward, this student has been with me for half the school year and she has blossomed with everything that she has faced since I met her 4 years ago. She is doing well in school, mental health is doing so much better, and she is a great leader in the classroom. Her is essentially my aid in the class. She will sit with students, help them, and keep them on task. She rarely let me go talk to students who need help, because she takes the initiative to go interact with them and help.
ReplyDeleteThere are a few moments that come to mind, however my favorite and most profound one makes me smile typing this. I had her in my 5th grade classroom. She was a lower level reading student and absolutely hated reading. She told me she had never started and finished an entire book, ever. I did book clubs with my students and about 3/4 of the way through our year together, she came back to school one day after I had assigned her a book and she came running in my room and threw her book on my desk and just stood there crying. I asked her what was wrong and she ran up to me with tears in her eyes and said she finished her first book and she couldn't wait to do her book project on it (create a t-shirt about your book). She said she even brought a t-shirt that day to start working on it. I still have a picture on my phone of her in that t-shirt and I look forward to printing it off and putting it with her graduation card this year as she has already asked for my address so she can send me an invite. This still brings tears to my eyes to think of a student who hated reading, never completed a book to a student who was so excited about finishing a book, creating her project, and looking forward to the next book she could read!
ReplyDeleteI would say one of my lollipop moments would be during my 2nd grade Keyboarding class. I have a student who struggles with his behavior. When he gets to a lesson and cannot pass it on the first try, he tends to turn into a Negative Nelly. We even had tears a few times and pushing the computer away, putting our head down, and not doing anything for the remainder of keyboarding. When a classmate mentioned that Bob (not the student's real name) didn't do anything during keyboarding, I just mentioned to the student that Bob has had a rough week and that he just needed a break. (Now I could have been rude and told Bob to get busy and make a rude comment to the other student about Bob, but in all honest, we all have some bad days and we just need for someone else to understand and cheer us on). Well, the next day Bob completed the lesson and I had all the students clap and cheer for him. Bob certainly gave me a hug after that period.
ReplyDeleteMy lollipop moment that happened recently was at our Shooting Sports program archery night. We had gone through all the safety protocols and tests. The students are starting up to the line and an a older student was talking to a young student mentioning how to really be careful when drawing your bow back and to make sure you are on the target when you you squeeze the trigger on your release. He was doing such a great just of educating and helping the younger student. The younger student went through the steps and made the arrow his the target in a good spot. The older student took his turn and as he was drawing back he bow released early and his arrow went right into the wall. The younger student turned to the older student and goes we all have bad days. Good thing you were aiming down range like we are supposed to. Hey do you think that went through to the next room. The older student was so astonished by the younger kids very blunt response.
ReplyDeleteThe younger student was very remarkable in setting the tone with all the students at the practice. He made it so the older kid did not have any teasing or negativity from the kids because he changed the focus from it being embarrassing to a hey you just proved a point of all the safety lessons we learned and practice each time we meet. We as coaches were able to capitalize on the safety lesson and example for why and not place any focus on the student at all. We even were able to express what we needed to connect with the bow and also the wall. The student came up to us afterwards expressing his thanks for helping him go through his bow and was super excited when his next arrow it the bullseye. As he left that night he was proud of how he was able to change things around after that arrow, the fact that he was able to learn how to fix the hole in the wall, and how he had a closer bond to the younger student who kept him from embarrassment.
One lollipop moment that I remember happened 4 years ago. It was the end of the school year and one of my students came up to me with a card. She wrote a nice thank you to me how she had so much fun and was so happy she was in my class. However, her mom also wrote in the card. The mom thanked me tremendously and told me that because of me and my love for teaching and my students, her daughter wants to become a teacher. To this day when I talk to this student, she still says the same thing! This student was a very good student, she was bright, responsible and a sweet and a friend to all. I feel sometimes I expected her to do things I didn't of others, I knew I could count on her for any task I needed help with. I didn't think much of it, she loved helping and I appreciated the help. It meant so much to me that her mom wrote me such a nice message. All I was doing was showing up each day, welcoming her and all my students. Looking back, I was doing much more. I wasn't just teaching a wonderful girl, I was helping her set goals for her future!
ReplyDeleteOne day after school, Denise stopped by my room to tell me that something I had said in a meeting made her feel less alone and more confident in her decision making. I hardly remembered what I had said. It was such a huge impact on her and to me it was just ordinary conversation. It made me realize that leadership sometimes is invisible. I became more intentional about the words I use and how I interact with others.
ReplyDeleteOne lollypop moment happened my first year of teaching. I had 9 kids who I taught in an alternative setting. I had the same kids all day because they were the one's who "silently failed" in the classroom. I had a student who still wouldn't always turn in her math assignments and didn't do great but for the final that I gave, she got 100%. I changed her grade to an A because she learned and I was so proud of her. I had the same girl the next year and her aunt told me that when she got her report card with that A, the very first A she'd ever received, the whole reservation came to the city to celebrate her. Grades are very powerful and can make or break a student and I learned it didn't hurt me at all to give her the grade she earned and deserved and it meant the world to her and her family!
ReplyDeleteA lollipop moment I had came after my student teaching semester. I student taught in the fall and graduated in December. Throughout that next semester I subbed at various schools. In February I got a notice in my mailbox at home that I had a package to pick up at the local post office. I was slightly annoyed. Not annoyed at the postal worker but annoyed with the extra errand I had to run. Our local post office has very specific hours and I wouldn't be able to get the package until the following Monday. That was if I remembered and got there before they closed at noon. Monday came and for some reason I sent my husband to get the package for me. I vividly remember sitting in my recliner when I opened the package. It was full of valentines from all of my students that I student taught, as well as from other students in the same grade level, but different sections. I immediately started crying. This extra errand that I was annoyed with was very appreciated. Within the package was a letter from my cooperating teacher saying how the kids asked if they could give a valentine to me and they coordinated with the other classes to collect them. I spent such little time with some of these students that I couldn't believe some of the notes they had written. You never know when or how someone may remember you and your actions.
ReplyDeleteMy lollipop moment is when a former student came back and said she was sorry for being so naughty in Kindergarten but she couldn't help it. She has since been diagnosed with autism. She said she thought she was disappointing/upsetting me but I kept telling her it's okay, gave her a hug and made her feel better. She said a lot of teachers put her in timeout or didn't understand like I did. Melted my heart.
ReplyDeleteOne lollipop moment for me happened years ago and like Drew I forgot all about it and didn't think about the impact it had on that person. The secretary at our school was sick, I don't really remember all the details because to me it was no big deal, but somehow I learned what their favorite pizza place was and what their favorite pizza was and I delivered supper to their house that night. She told me that she will never forget it because it meant so much to her. When she told me this story I was so shocked because I really don't remember it all, but I am thankful she told me how much it meant to her. I need to be better about telling others when they make an impact in my life because everyone likes hearing when they have made someone's day!
ReplyDeleteDrew Dudley, in his TED Talk “Everyday Leadership”, talks about his lollipop moment.
ReplyDeleteTell us about a lollipop moment you’ve experienced.
I really love this idea - the "lollipop" effect. I think of cards and letters i've received from my students or athletes that i have coached - and a lot of those stand out as special moments & i think we all as educators are just hoping to have at least one "lollipop" moment with all of our students. But one that i remember was just a couple of years ago - a former student took the time to stop by my classroom to say "thank you" for always pushing me & telling me i could be a good runner (i coached him in ms track). i know i really never was that good in hs school - but because of what you said to me, i continued to run in college and i am now a personal trainer". I will admit i didn't really remember pushing this student any harder (necessarily) than i would have pushed any other students - so it was heartwarming to know - that my words to him stuck with him. He had a very good collegiate cross country track career & is indeed a personal trainer now
This was a delightful TED Talk! I adore this concept so much. I think it would be an amazing one to share with my colleagues. Through the years, I feel like I have experienced numerous Lollipop moments. One more recent one was a former student who reached out, recalling a humerous, impactful moment when they were in my classroom, and how they appreciated me as a teacher. Just a few weeks ago, one of my more difficult students said that I was the best teacher he had ever had and he really knew I cared about his schoolwork as well as how he was doing otherwise. -I think it is easy to get caught up in our own "rat race", but, it is so important to pause, and notice others and let them know what they did that helped me, even in the smallest way.
ReplyDeleteFor me it's hard to pin down Lollipop moments because usually when someone points something out to me or thanks me for something like the girl did to Drew in the TED Talk it seems like it's such a simple, ordinary, anybody would have done that kind of thing and I'm more surprised because I didn't realize the impact that that simple thing made or meant to someone.
ReplyDeleteOne Lollipop moment that sticks out to me is my mother-in-law & father-in-law thanking me for being a dependable and available hard worker during a time when severe weather had caused tremendous damage to their property. Initially a lot of people helped out but after the first day or two the number of people helping dwindled. Months after the storm they were still recovering. My mother-in-law knew that I sincerely wanted to help and would do anything that I could to be of assistance. I was so surprised when she approached me with her gratitude and shared how much that meant to her. I was even more surprised my father-in-law expressed his gratitude, because he's not one to do that. This surprised me so much because we're family and that's what family does. It didn't seem like a big deal to me but it meant the world to her and my father-in-law.
It is amazing that Drew Dudley's philosophy on lollipop moments do actually affect people in many different ways and sometimes even leading them to a career. I believe we have all experienced some kind of powerful lollipop moment earlier in life. When I was very young, at a football camp, I had a instructor coach at the camp shoot out a lollipop compliment. This complement encouraged me in learning the game of football and eventually led me to my career. In my teaching and coaching, I'm reminded of that moment and try to pass on the lollipop moments to kids both in the classroom and on the sports scene.
ReplyDeleteMy lollipop moment was with a former student (how in high school) who approached me at an event in the summer and said 5th grade was one of his best years, and said I made learning enjoyable. He recalled the games I would play on “review days” but also how fun the conversation would become. I am not currently teaching, but moments like this really make me miss being in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI teach something called " Read the Room" to my skills classes. It is basically a program that teaches students how to "read" situations, and how different situations call for different reactions. For example, we behave differently in a library than we do a bowling alley. We talk about how we enter the room and look around and see what others are doing and process that information to be more socially aware of our voice levels, body proximity, etc.. So the lollipop moment came at PT Conferences, and I was explaining the " Read the Room" to a parent and she started laughing, and said, "So that's why he is looking and pausing before coming into the room! He is not being loud and interrupting, but "reading the room" and trying to do and fit in with what the rest of the family is doing" and that is a struggle for him because of his autism.
ReplyDeleteI thought that was great!
I was lucky enough to teach the same group of kids in 3rd grade and 5th grade..at least I felt lucky but the kids might have said different! LOL! Anyway, I was pulled aside by a parent a few years after that first 5th grade year and they told me how I really helped their son enjoy reading and they were amazed at how much he had grown. It made me feel really good about myself but I also felt just really blessed to have had their son in my class. Did I know he didn't like reading? Not really. I could tell he wasn't quite to the level he was supposed to be but by the end of the year he was rockin' it!
ReplyDeleteDrew Dudley, in his TED Talk “Everyday Leadership”, talks about his lollipop moment.
ReplyDeleteTell us about a lollipop moment you’ve experienced.
I teach first grade. It is a big year for reading. It is also a year where we have to really dig in and know if a child needs more help with reading or maybe just more time. I had a student several years ago that struggled with reading. She knew she struggled and with that came her confidence. She had a supportive family at home helping her. She wasn't make the growth that she needed with what I did in the classroom and with title reading services. We did assessments and she ended up on and IEP for reading. I would keep tabs on her as she was in second grade and in third grade. One day she came in to tell me how many words per minute she had read during a state assessment. I was blown away. She was so confident and proud! She eventually grew so much that she did not need that IEP for reading. She is now a fifth grader and I love seeing her continue to grow as a reader and the confidence she now has!
One “lollipop moment” I experienced happened this year in the hallway of my Early Childhood building where I work as an Early Childhood Special Education teacher.
ReplyDeleteI typically only work with students for one year, though I sometimes see them in the building during the following years. This year, a grandmother of a general education student—a child who was not on my caseload—came to have lunch with her granddaughter. She saw me in the hallway and asked if I was Ms. Adrianna. When I said yes, she shared that her granddaughter had a very difficult life and struggled to open up and trust adults. She told me that ever since being in my classroom last year, her granddaughter goes home and tells her grandma whenever I greet her, eat snack or lunch with her, or go out of my way to wish her a happy birthday.
Last year, I was the ECSE teacher in her preschool classroom. I noticed that this child was very withdrawn, quiet, and seemed apprehensive. As someone who also experienced a traumatic childhood, I recognized those behaviors because I had once been that child. Because of that, I made it a point to include her in social-emotional groups, check in with her every morning, and give her a big hug before dismissal. I would tell her I’d be thinking about her over breaks and that I was excited to see her again when school resumed.
Now she is in kindergarten, and I still make time to check in with her in the mornings and occasionally eat lunch with her and her friends. Over time, I have watched her begin to form healthy relationships with both peers and adults, which has been incredibly meaningful to see.
When her grandmother stopped me in the hallway to thank me for making time for her granddaughter, I started to cry. It meant so much to know that the small moments—greeting her, sitting with her, showing her she mattered—had made such an impact. That moment reminded me that every child deserves love, time, and someone who truly sees them.
My lollipop moment came to me many years after having taught this student for three years in a multi grade level classroom. He had been treated badly by a previous teacher and was doing poorly in academics. Years later, I saw his mother at Walmart and greeted her. She proceeded to tell me I had "saved her Paulus" and he was married, had a family and was doing well because of the influence and guidance I had provide him. I think of this story at times in my career when I feel a struggle to feel my efforts don't matter. I hope their a many of my other students who think about the many reminders of how much I care about their well being and education.
ReplyDeleteDrew Dudley, in his TED Talk “Everyday Leadership”, talks about his lollipop moment.
ReplyDeleteTell us about a lollipop moment you’ve experienced.
I used to teach 5th grade before I became a PE teacher. I had a girl come up to me about 2 years ago when she was a senior in high school. I hadn't talked to her for about 5 years. I asked her what her future plans were and she said she wanted to be an elementary teacher. She said that she wanted to be a teacher because of me and how much fun she had when she was in 5th grade. I was so shocked by this, because I was in my early teaching days and I would do things so much differently now that I have more strategies and management tricks in my toolbox. Looking back on my early teaching days, I don't feel like I was an effective teacher, so it was so great to hear that she had a great experience and was wanting to join the education field because of me.
I had a student that was so shy she wouldn’t ask for help or anything. Anyway, as a junior she decides to take a dual credit course from our local college and she was so scared even to try it. I told her that she could take the class and she would do well. At first she didn’t believe me and I would check on her daily to see how the class was going and give her words of encouragement. To make a long story short, she will graduate next year with 45 college credits, already be accepted to college as a junior in their fast track program and has also received scholarship money to this school. She has just come out of her shell because she finally believed in herself and she will be a leader in our community so day.
ReplyDeleteDrew Dudley, in his TED Talk “Everyday Leadership”, talks about his lollipop moment.
ReplyDeleteTell us about a lollipop moment you’ve experienced.
I wouldn't say I have had just a lollipop "moment" , as in one singular situation. I think there have been many moments that have shaped who I have become as an educator. There are small moments everyday where I feel proud each and every one of my students. Right now it has been seeing a student struggle in school and have good days, following her plan for the day and seeing her smile. Another moment that sticks out to me was a senior a few years ago was struggling to figure out what he wanted to do after high school. School wasn't his strong suite, but really enjoyed helping on the farm. We went on a career visit and he talked to the John Deere implement which offered the AKRS program, they pay for students tuition while learning hands on experience with all John Deere equipment. It is a two year program and then they are guaranteed a job after they complete the program. At graduation he was accepted into the program and his dad came up to me and thanked me for all of the hard work I had put in to help his son figure out his future plans and that student sent me a very heart felt thank you which was unexpected.
My lollipop moment was when a student asked. me to go to his 8th grade basketball game. I showed up and the whole game he kept looking over at me to make sure I was watching. The next day at school he came right up to me to ask if I saw this play and when he did this and that..... Sometimes, all you need to do to reach a kid is to give them time of yours and show you care.
ReplyDeleteI am a middle school special education teacher, and I work with students who have emotional disabilities and behavioral challenges. My "lollipop" moment was when I had a student who wouldn’t talk to me or respond to me at all the first couple months they were on my caseload. For example, when they shut down, they would not acknowledge anyone and sit in a ball on the floor. I started noticing that she would love to doodle on everything. One day I got new markers and asked if she wanted to come to the room and draw. She was able to relax and we sat in the room 1-1 and started forming a relationship. Over the next couple of weeks I would ask her questions about her home life and just check in on her in general. She was invited back a few more times to just draw and not worry about the weight of school work. Eventually, if she shut down she would ask to come to my room instead of sitting on the floor not engaging. It shows exactly how powerful building a relationship with the students can be.
ReplyDeleteMy lollipop moments come when I attended an extracurricular activity of former students. It is always so fun to receive a warm welcome and to see the kids excited to see me again, because I feel the same way seeing them. I love when former students tell me that they wish they were back in my class or they share the memories that they have from our time together (most in which I don’t remember.) This helps remind me that even though, as middle schoolers, they may not express enjoyment in my class while they are with me, some will still look back and have positive memories of our time together.
ReplyDeleteI had a lollipop moment a few weeks ago from a parent whose 5 year old daughter has been in my Early Childhood Special Education Classroom for 2 years. The mom was letting me know that their family would be moving to a different state and she wanted to let me know that they appreciated all the care, support and education I had given their daughter. She also said that her and her husband would be coming to school to say good-bye to me as they were so grateful. Having parents come to give an in person good-bye meant so much, most of them just let you know when their child's last day will be.
ReplyDeleteDrew Dudley, in his TED Talk “Everyday Leadership”, talks about his lollipop moment. Tell us about a lollipop moment you’ve experienced.
ReplyDeleteA lollipop moment that I experienced involved a high school girl who was struggling with friendships and feeling like she did not belong. She was having difficult times socially and felt mistreated, believing that things would never get better. During one of our visits, I apparently shared with her that high school is only one chapter of her life that things would look different after graduation.
I have had many conversations like this with students, so don't specifically remember having this conversation with the student but later it became a lollipop moment for me. After graduating, she went on to Briar Cliff University to student education and play on the volleyball team. She found a wonderful group of friends who supported and encouraged her. She later wrote and sent me a thank-you note sharing how much that conversation meant to her during a difficult time in her life. It surprised me that a small encouraging conversation helped her look forward to life after high school girl drama. This experience reminded me that leadership can happen in everyday moments when we offer hope and support to others. I am so grateful that this student took the time to write and sending the letter. It helped me to see that all moments I have with students have the potential to be the hope and support they are needing.
One of the lollipop moments I remember happened when I was teaching lower elementary students with severe disabilities. One of the young people in my class had extreme behavior problems. The student often got upset and used very colorful language, generally directed at me. We ate many lunches together while colorful language and food flew around the room. I decided I had to try something different. I did everything I could to catch the student doing something appropriate and praised like crazy. After a bit, they told me they thought they were my "favorite". I told them yes they were. Of course, the behavior didn't clear up immediately or completely, but it was much better. That six year old is now 27 years old and when I see them they say, "I am still your favorite, right Mrs. Beck". With tears in my eyes, I hug them and say, "You sure are"!
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