F.O.C.U.S. On Your Future (A Resource for Students)

Posted on February 6, 2012 by The EQ Educator

For over 20 years I have worked with students from middle school to high school to college age (traditional and non-traditional). I am a firm believer that every student has the potential to achieve and be successful. One reason I believe that is I have seen what works and what does not work. Of course, as educators, we won’t help every student that we work with because some of the responsibility rests with the student themselves.

What I have found that works is covered in my book, F.O.C.U.S.© On Your Future: 5 Simple Principles to Reach Your Goals. Designed for students, this book covers five principles that I have found to help students to reach his or her goals. These principles have also helped me along the way as well. The five principles are:

Free Your Mind

Orient Yourself to Excellence

Create a New Mindset

Use Your Resources

Success is the Goal

If you want a resource for your students, it is available in paperback and for Kindle. To preview and/or to order, click here. For orders of 25 or more, send an email to focus@hermallencoaching.com with ‘Multiple Books’ in the subject line.

Though these principles are simple, do not confuse that with being easy. Work is required for your students to receive the desired result of reaching their goals.

Don’t hesitate, ORDER YOUR COPIES TODAY!

Experience Counts

Posted on January 25, 2012 by The EQ Educator

Recently I was reflecting on my educational background. I grew up in the inner city (Cleveland, Ohio) in a large metropolitan area, where one would probably imagine the conditions being less than positive for any student to receive a “quality” education. We hear this from all around the country, not short of low performing schools, poor teacher quality, and low student achievement. Given these and other barriers to a “quality” education, what can been done for students who attend these types of schools (or any school) such that they can succeed?

From my personal standpoint, EXPERIENCE COUNTS.

I’m not talking about the experience (i.e. teaching experience) level of my teachers; instead, I am talking about the experience I received from my teachers. As a student, all I knew was that my teachers were teachers. I had no knowledge of their academic credentials nor when they began their teaching careers. What I did have knowledge of was how they made me feel as a student.

Was I challenged? Yes. Did they engage me in the classroom? Yes. Did they show an interest in seeing that I achieve? Again, yes. They (teachers) gave me an experience that will forever be imbedded in my memory. One teacher (Ms. Tressler at the time), in particular stands out vividly in my memory. Here was a woman who did not care if you were growing up in the “hood” so to speak. What she did care about was that you’d better come to class prepared to read, write and participate in the day’s activities. She went as far as telling us not to believe everything she is teaching us but to seek to find the answers for ourselves. Ms. Tressler challenged us wholeheartedly. But she also balanced that with a great deal of support.

Understand, however, this was over 25 years ago. Since then, academic requirements, standards, funding levels and polices have changed. But wait! Isn’t teaching still teaching? Can you give students an experience that will compel them to achieve? Can you challenge students to become high achievers? Can you give students an experience so that 25 years, or more, later they can speak positively of that experience? Continue reading →

Effective Educators…Part Two

Posted on December 15, 2011 by The EQ Educator

Yesterday’s post provided you with ten ways to become a more effective educator. Here we are with Part Two and as promised, here are ten more items to help you become a more effective educator. So, without further delay, effective educators:

1. Are willing to try out new things, knowing that if it doesn’t work out as intended, failure is often cleverly disguised as a learning opportunity.

2. Believe and trust themselves first and foremost. They don’t have to check with others to make decisions, they instinctively know what is right for them and they go for it!

3. Have a well-developed life strategy that includes a written life vision/mission, purpose, and goals statement.

4. Get things done, through whatever organizational/time management system that works for them. They make the most of each day and take action on important life tasks each and everyday.

5. Are able to discern (see clearly) other’s reasons and motives, so they selectively choose who and what to align themselves with. They surround themselves with only the highest quality people, programs, and places.

6. Tap into the collective brainpower of others by reading books, magazines, and articles–anything that is helpful for their own development.

7. Value the process of learning for learning’s sake. They do not just learn for a specific end–to get a certificate, degree, title, etc. They learn because it is fundamentally rewarding for them.

8. Are the teachers of the world, who share their knowledge with other people. They put themselves out there so the rest of us can benefit, and in exchange, their own learning grows and develops.

9. Do not like to stay the same, they love to grow and develop. To stay ahead of the game, they often reinvent themselves time and time again.

10. Not only know about specific subjects and topics, but also about what it means to be a human being at this time in our evolution. They are insatiably curious and want to know more about becoming bigger and brighter, as a result they naturally evolve.

Now you have 20 new ways to go to the next level as a Top Performing Educator. Don’t make any excuses as to why you cannot…JUST DO IT! Regardless of the condition of your surroundings, you can be a difference maker. This can be explained by a quotation by Viktor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning who said, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

My challenge to you…are you willing to change for your students?