Educational Insights: January 25, 2010
…developing individuals to meet the challenges of a global community
January is National Mentoring Month!
“Time, indeed, is a sacred gift, and each day is a little life."
~John Lubbock
Garden County Schools are extremely fortunate to have a TeamMates Mentoring program. This highly effective program was started nearly 20 years ago by Tom and Nancy Osborne. As a result, more than 5,000 lucky NE kids, grades 4-12, benefit from an hour a week spent with their mentors!
Did you ever think the little things you do could have such an impact?
Be involved…a child is imitating you.
Be sincere…a child is trusting you.
Be a role model…a child is following you.
Be respectful…a child is noticing you.
Be patient…a child is listening to you.
Be giving…a child is learning from you.
Be caring…a child is feeling you.
Be responsible…a child aspires to be like you.
Do what’s right…because our children are watching.
(from “Because our Children are Watching”, www.walkthetalk.com)
Mac Anderson and Lance Wubbles remind us what children really need from adults is the gift of time in their book, “To a Child Love is Spelled T-I-M-E”. The hectic pace of this 21st century lifestyle makes this gift to our children even more cherished than ever before in history. Adults are challenged daily to spend quality time with their children. Too often the day can slip by without sitting down and focusing solely on your child, whether it is time spent playing, doing homework, reading, or simply talking about their day. These opportunities are sacred in building positive relationships and improving a child’s odds at being successful.
Garden County TeamMates give their mentees this most precious gift of all: their time. If you are committed to positively impact a student in our district, call Leo Turner (the TeamMates coordinator) at 308.772.4450. An hour a week can release unlimited potential! Thank you to all our mentors and volunteers who give freely of themselves, their gifts reap huge dividends for all.
“All that is worth cherishing in this world begins in the heart, not in the head.” ~Anderson & Wubbles
