Teach Life Lessons-ROI return on Investment

 

If your classes are 55 minutes as were mine when I taught, I suggest you use the last 5 minutes to teach Life Lessons. I know you are evaluated on state or national test score results, but our kids need more. (I often wonder what was Bernard Madoff's (he stole millions from his friends)  test score or Marshall Applewhite’s ( Heaven’s Gate Suicide cult leader) test score.

 

I would like to suggest that you teach ROI

ROI is an economic term. Economics, of course is all about money and money management. But there is something more valuable than money, that is time. Time is the most precious commodity in the Universe.

 

I was motivated to write this blog when I saw three young men with their pants hanging way below their buttocks. I commented “what job are they going to get, what career path will they travel”? My companion replied, “oh  they will wake up one day”. I replied. “they will have to compete with people who are already awake and on course”.

 

We must convince students that time is precious. The concepts of “just hanging out” or “just chilling” are concepts that lead to non-success or worse. There is no time to waste. I have heard the marketing concept, “a mind is a terrible thing to waste”, but even more profound is the idea that time is THE MOST terrible thing to waste.

 

SO WHAT CAN TEACHERS DO AND HOW DO CAN TEACHERS DO IT? WHAT ARE THE ACTION STEPS? Encourage your students to do the following;

 

  1. Make every minute productive. Take a CPR or First Aid Class at the American RED CROSS in lieu being with your non-productive friends. You will meet new friends.
  2. Read books for fun and self improvement. Find books that interest you. There are all kinds. If reading is difficult get books on tape at the Library. Find a favorite author and read everything he has written.
  3. Learn PC software. These are marketable skills that can be included on your resume. Learn Excel, Video Editing, free software can be downloaded from the internet.
  4.  Join a ning (www.ning.com) site. Meet people from all over the world. Learn to do blogs.
  5. Volunteer. Be an action volunteer. Volunteer at the Zoo, the Aquarium or the Botanic Garden.
  6. Visit the closest National Park. Envision being a National Park Ranger.
  7. Avoid groups. If you interact with friends, leave if the number gets above two.

 

 

  1. Get involve in activities that result in certificates.
  2. There a free farming activities. Land is available to plant, grow and harvest crops. You can keep or sell them. Find out where. Google it.
  3.  If you find yourself with nothing to do. You have a problem FIX IT. Immediately, It is a dangerous problem that could actually lead to horrendous consequences.  

 

 I got a comment on this one. Someone thought number 7 was way off base. This is my reply.

 I love to be questioned.
I suggest avoid groups because there is a concept called "group think"
A group becomes a living entity, with a "mind of it's own". People will do things in a group
that neither of the individuals would do alone.
My suggestion for avoiding groups is directed at young adults, impressionable teenagers.
However, think about JIM Jones, Would any of those people have drunk poison kool aid on their own.

Think about Heavens Gate. Would any of the people have commited suicide on their own.

they were not teenagers.

But keeping it real, it is IMPOSSIBLE to avoid groups

so what can be an ACTION STEP.

the key now is the word AGENDA.
every group has an AGENDA. WACP has an AGENDA.

Try to work with groups that have the same agenda as you have.
BUT the action step is to constantly watch the agenda
sometimes the agenda changes.

The members of Jim Jones Church started with a noble AGENDA
It was the first truly interracial church of modern times.
They were involved in helping feed the poor. They may have been the first MEGA Church
but the AGENDA changed and changed again
They moved to a different country. What an AGENDA change.

ACTION STEP: when the AGENDA changes to one that is very different from yours. Quietly slip away from the group. Don't do it with a lot of fanfare; you may get yourself in big trouble, slip away.

You probably have experienced this yourself.

Groups must be monitored constantly. The agenda can change without you noticing. You may end up doing something you would never do on your own. It is VERY HARD to avoid all groups. The more the merrier has never worked for me. I would bet that you don't belong to a lot of groups. Maybe just 2 at most. You are brilliant and you can see through most phoney AGENDAs