I guess you thought that once the election was over, you would not hear that line again for a while. I am as weary of hearing it as you are, but let me use it just one more time. We have all heard much about each political candidate’s qualifications, passion, compassion and vision during this election season, so let me…
Would you be in favor of implementing classroom practices that led to: 20% of students completing extra assignments for no credit Chronic absenteeism reduced by a third Overall grades up 50% What if it meant bringing social media into the classroom? If you are reading internet articles, blogs and surveys, then you are well aware of the debate over using…
It has been referred to as Choking Game, Scarf Game, Pass-out Game, Space Monkey, Suffocation Roulette, Fainting Game, Flat Liner and The American Dream. But regardless of the tag, it is dangerous and sometimes deadly. It is not a new game but statistics show that it has had resurgence in popularity in the last few years. Statistics are difficult to…
Guest post by Betsi Phillips Calhoun Why is Self-Injurious Behavior (SIB) so prominent among students today? Why would they resort to cutting (using a sharp instrument to inflict pain and induce bleeding), imbedding (cutting themselves, placing objects in the incision and gluing or sewing them in) or burning (inflicting pain to the skin tissue with something hot or flaming)? We…
The Silent Suffering... If the statistics are right then within the walls of our churches… sitting in our youth ministries … there is a group I call “the silent suffering.” They are the ones whose pain, self-image, peer pressure or perspective has camouflaged the truth. They are deceived and have believed a lie. The narratives of their lives are written…
Is everyone really a victim? If someone makes fun of you for being short, tall, skinny, fat, black, white, Hispanic, gay, straight, redneck, aristocrat, Christian or atheist - is that really bullying? Don’t misunderstand what I am saying: bullying is wrong and it must be addressed, especially by us as believers. But is everyone really a victim of bullying or…
John and Kelly Halligan lost their thirteen year old son, Ryan, to suicide on October 7, 2003. At the time of his death, Ryan was a middle school student in Essex Junction, Vermont. It was revealed in much greater detail after Ryan’s death that he had been ridiculed and humiliated by peers at school as well as on-line. In memory…
October marks the fifth anniversary of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Month and specifically October 20 as a day for all of us to raise our voice against this injustice. As I stated in my previous post, “Warning Signs of Bullying,” this is not a new issue but it is one that seems to be out of control. Everyone is familiar…
Bullying is not a new problem in society but it is one that has grown to epidemic proportions. Bullies prey on those who are weak, different, and unique as well as those they deem a threat to their personal ego. I like these simple definitions from The Free Dictionary: bul·ly 1 n. pl. bul·lies 1. A person who is habitually cruel…
Chasing Elephants: Wrestling With the Gray Areas of Life by Brent Crowe is a book that I and many others asked him to write. The first time I heard Brent deliver this content was at a Student Leadership University Youth Pastor’s Institute. I was impressed by the way he scripturally dealt with some really difficult issues others often avoid. He…