Teen Councils: Essential Skills for Success Based on the book The Excellent 11 By Mr. Ron Clark

OBJECTIVES Following completion of this session you will be able to: Identify the skills and qualities necessary to motivate and engage other youth Identify your personal strengths and how those can be used to help others

Who is Mr. Clark? Before we begin, let’s gain a better idea of who Mr. Clark is: Mr. Clark has been called "America's Educator" In 2000 Mr. Clark was named Disney's American Teacher of the Year Mr. Clark is a New York Times bestselling author whose book, The Essential 55, has sold over 1 million copies and has been published in 25 different countries Mr. Clark has appeared on The Today Show, CNN, and Oprah, and Ms. Winfrey even named him as her first "Phenomenal Man" Mr. Clark is a man and teacher who has positive impacted lives around the world

Mr. Clark Comes Alive… The following video provides us with additional insight into the life and philosophy of Mr. Clark: Watch: Mr. Clark Introductory Video

Personal Reactions After watching that video clip about Mr. Clark, what are your personal reactions and impressions of him? What did you notice about his personality? What was your impression about how he treats others? What did his students share that most stood out to you? Why?

What does all this mean to me? Mr. Clark was a teacher who took it upon himself to help kids…kids who were experiencing adversity and challenges in their lives. As a teen council member, you serve is much the same role. You are a voice for other military youth in your state/territory, helping create a better future for everyone impacted by life in the military. Your actions now can have a far- reaching and positive impact on others.

Essential Skills…What Are Those? Mr. Clark wrote a book called, The Excellent 11, in which he highlights important skills individual must possess when working with children and youth. They include: 1.Enthusiasm7. Confidence 2.Adventure8. Humor 3.Creativity9. Common Sense 4.Reflection10. Appreciation 5.Balance11. Resilience 6.Compassion/Passion

Enthusiasm What does ‘enthusiasm’ mean to you? Who are some individuals you can think of you would refer to as being enthusiastic? Why did you select these individuals? Enthusiasm is simply: demonstrating great excitement for or an interest in a subject or cause

Adventure If you were to take a trip any place around the world you thought seemed ‘adventurous’…where would you go? Why did you pick that location as being adventurous? Having an adventurous side means we enjoy experiencing the ‘unknown’ and pushing ourselves to explore new things.

Creativity Which billboard stands out to you most? What made you pick that billboard over the other? Being creative better ensures things we are doing never become dull, predictable or boring. As they say…creativity is the spice of life!

Reflection What purpose in life does a mirror serve? When working with others, we must always be willing to step back and ‘take a look’ at how well things went and how we might improve for the future…that is part of growing. Mirrors are great at showing us the outside, but why might it be as equally important to take time for an internal reflection?

Balance What possible problems can you see with the following example: Without balance in our lives and programs, things can begin to seem unfair, unappealing or even challenging. Balance is needed for a well-rounded program and life!

Compassion/Passion Imagine you just had a bad day, which of the following expressions might help make you feel better? Being able to show others we care, while also showing we truly believe in something, can go a long way in making people feel like they belong and are appreciated.

Confidence What words/thoughts come to mind when you look at the following pictures: Confidence is a good thing…we must just remember being over-confident can negatively work against us.

Humor How many of you know someone who is really funny and always manages to make people laugh? When we appropriately use humor with others, we can defuse tense situations, help others feel better and make people feel at-ease. Why would it be important to appropriately use humor when working with others?

Common Sense Have you ever looked at someone and wondered, “Why on earth would they have done that???” Common sense helps us make the right decisions and avoid possible negative or dangerous situations.

Appreciation Imagine you worked really hard on accomplishing a task and were acknowledged with the following responses: Whether big or small, one-on-one or in front of a group…everyone wants to feel appreciated, valued and respected for what they do.

Resilience What do the following items have in common? When working with others, we must be able to adapt, overcome and bounce-back in challenging situations…it’s called being RESILIENT.

Where are my strengths? Now that we have a better understanding of the 11 essential skills for working with others, let’s look at where your individual strengths reside. For the next few minutes you are going to take simple inventory assessment which will help you see where you have really strong tendencies and skills…

What do my results mean? How many of you were surprised by the results of your inventory? What surprised you most about the results? How might knowing where your strengths reside help you in the work you are doing with the teen council? How might this help you in your day-to-day interactions with others?

Putting it All Together! Now that all of us have a better understanding of the essential skills for working with others, and where our own strengths reside, as a Teen Council, we are going to identify how we can implement the Excellent 11 and our strengths into what we are doing.

OBJECTIVES Following completion of this session you will be able to: Identify the skills and qualities necessary to motivate and engage other youth Identify your personal strengths and how those can be used to help others

QUESTIONS What questions are there at this time?