One of my favorite challenges is to inspire IGNITE #loveinschools participants to reconnect with people who made a difference in their lives and thank them. Sometimes these people are no longer with us, so I encourage participants to reach out to family members and share the stories and impact with them as a way to honor their legacy. An added benefit to this exercise is that while dusting off these memories and reconnecting with the difference makers’ beliefs in ourselves and affirmations of us, we experience a refueling of our destiny, a renewed focus, and a few extra bounces in our steps emerge in powerful ways! Even though time marches on and people pass away, their love for and belief in us remains. We need to mine these memories from the depths of our spirit, feel them, and use them to propel us forward.
Recently, the Kentucky Department of Education invited me to shoot a video with Dr. Damien Sweeney, their Program Coordinator for Comprehensive School Counseling Office of Teaching and Learning, to help honor and equip school counselors during School Counselor Appreciation Week. Not only did I have the privilege to share what IGNITE #loveinschools professional learning experiences are like for schools and districts, but I also was able to reflect on the positive impact my late, great school counselor Mrs. Linda Matthews had on me when I was a student at Sheboygan North High School. The video is shared in this post.
In the video, we also shared the WOMMP or WOMMPYS strategy that awakens every part of your and your students’ brains and leaves you feeling relaxed and focused ready to take on the next challenges of your day. You can find the strategy at the 14:30 mark in the video. I would love to see pictures of you, colleagues and students WOMMPing in the comments below. Remember, you do not need to be an Instagram Icon or Pinterest Perfect! Just be you and have fun with it! Your colleagues and students are sure to follow suit.
