Meet the Challenge and Regain the Balance

Located at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education, Challenge Success provides schools and families with information and strategies to create a more balanced and academically fulfilling life for their children. The program is based on the belief that effective change happens when all stakeholders— administrators, faculty, parents, counselors, and students—come together to identify problems and work on solutions. Schools involved in the program send full teams to attend intensive conferences where they work with a coach to design action plans to implement best practices in areas such as curriculum, assessment, homework, school schedule, and a healthy school climate. Each school is unique, so each team designs an individualized plan for change. Work with families is also based on best practices from research. The courses, workshops, videos, and other resources offer parents guidelines and tools to help their children regain their balance, strengthen their sense of self, increase their motivation and critical thinking skills, and learn how to deal effectively with the inevitable challenges of life.

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Academic Achievement

Engaging Teaching is About Flexing Our Creative Muscles

Sir Ken Robinson once said in a TED Talk that "Teaching is creative profession."

I love that line.

Because of systems in place, as well as cultural stereotypes, and Mrs. Crabapple from The Simpsons, it is very easy to believe that teachers are just walking textbooks, or playback machines, or mindless dictators (ok, maybe I can be a little dictatorish sometimes). But these descriptions are limiting, because at the heart of teaching is creativity.

A Voice for Everyone

My colleague and I recently formed a bilingual parent group to strengthen our relationship with our Spanish speaking families. Parents repeatedly explained that the language barrier caused them to feel that they did not have a voice. Each parent expressed a desire to feel more connected to our school. Hearing this made me think, “How can we give a voice to the voiceless in our schools?” To overcome this barrier, we brought families together to record a video. Parents shared the importance of education in their families and then expressed what they wished teachers knew about them. The video has made such a strong impact in our community that it is now shown throughout Wisconsin.

Teaching Compassion and Culture in the Classroom

I have always been passionate about reaching the student that no one else feels they can reach or the student that is typically considered the underdog. I began to lose interest in school when I was in 7th grade. I could study and do the work if I put my mind to it, but I lost motivation quickly. I did not get that motivation back until I was a junior in college. I finally realized that I needed to get my life together. I feel like there are so many students out there like me who are lost and looking for direction. I want to be the teacher I needed at that point in my life. I wasn’t stupid, but I needed guidance to reach my full potential. Having a relationship with your students and knowing them well enough to recognize and respond to their needs is so important.

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