This is helping me see my students and coworkers in a different way. I know each of us is different and come from different backgrounds. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. 

I believe in using our strengths to help others and finding ways to partner with others to get through our weaknesses.

This term really helped me this week. A tutor and I took six middle school boys on a four mile hike. Each boy had strengths and weaknesses. The three oldest boys were the motivators. They cheered everyone on to keep going and showed everyone where to step when it got muddy. The one boy was the clown. He would tell jokes when things were getting a little to serious. One boy was the nurturer. He held his little brother's hand the entire hike and made sure that the younger bother stayed with the group. The younger brother was our adventurer. He never hiked before and was eager to try new things like walking through a creek or trying to do a mini rock climb. Without all of these students working together, we would not have had a successful hike.

This is so important with the summer and after school programs. We are consistently look for new experiences for our students so they can experience the lesson in a hands on approach.

One example is our newest Social and Emotional Program called Lions Quest. Students learn through hands on activities how to handle emotions, stresses and relationships. During the summer, students have a chance to volunteer at a local zoo. Students are able to take what they learned in Lions Quest and apply it to a "work" environment. Two program staff members take six students for each volunteer session. The staff models behaviors taught during the program while the students try to make the connections and demonstrate the same positive "work" behaviors.