Ad-For Every
Vice-One*: Motivating Students

By Dr. Richard O’Connell EdD

This collection of programs, anecdotes, and reflections seeks to accomplish what may sometimes seem like an impossible task: motivating students.

Dr. Richard O’Connell, EdD, who has helped countless students over a career spanning more than forty years in New York and New Jersey schools, shares an array of tools and insights to help you promote student achievement.

The programs are actual plans of action to influence students, which have been incorporated into schools.

The anecdotes are stories, instances, and advice that you can adapt to your own special circumstances. They are printed in bold so you can find them easily.

The reflections are the author’s thoughts and ruminations on important concerns that pertain to students.

As you read, you’ll discover the importance of looking beyond appearances, finding out what motivates students, how to engage with them, and how to get them excited about learning.

Whether you are a parent, counselor, teacher, principal, volunteer, or intern, the advice in this guide will help you make meaningful progress in promoting student achievement.

All royalties willl be donated to charities.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Apr 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781480888517

Dr. Richard O’Connell EdD

Dr. Richard O’Connell, EdD, has helped children as a district guidance coordinator, assistant principal, director of guidance, and counselor in various New York and New Jersey public and private schools over forty years. He is the recipient of numerous New York State and Nassau County Counselors Association awards, including Counselor of the Year, for his innovative programs and publications dealing with all aspects of school counseling services. For the past eleven years, he has volunteered in a minority school assisting students in the college/career admissions process.

Book preview

AD -FOR EVERY

VICE -ONE*

MOTIVATING

STUDENTS

Dr. Richard O’Connell, EdD

*Regarding the cover, the title has been deliberately re- arranged

to get your attention. As in this book, to reach students we must

be creative to make an impact on their minds.

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Copyright © 2020 Dr. Richard O’Connell, EdD.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means,

graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by

any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author

except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Archway Publishing

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.archwaypublishing.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in

this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views

expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-4808-8850-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-8851-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020903225

Archway Publishing rev. date: 3/26/2020

CONTENTS

Dedication: To My Beloved Wife, Kathleen

Preface: Please Adapt Ideas For Your Own Use

Anecdotes Fiddler Crabs, a Dilemma

Prepare to Be Surprised

Chapter 1 A Personal Reflection Seeing Beyond Appearance

Anecdotes What’s in a Name?

Follow Your Instincts, Make the Effort and Reach Out

Keep Them Happy

Chapter 2 A Program for School Implementation

Anecdotes Behind the Objection

Behind the Objection 2

Getting to Know You

Getting to Know You 2

Moving the Mountain

Chapter 3 The Counselor’s External Office

Anecdotes Awareness

Acceptance

Throw’em a Curve

Chapter 4 Seniors as Trained Volunteer Mentors to Non-Proactive Seniors in The College/Career Admissions Process or as Regent Exam Tutors

The Concept

Anecdotes Share Your Work

Know the Guidelines of Your Job

How Often….?

Chapter 5 The Inspirational Thought for The Day

Anecdotes Eaten Bread Is Soon Forgotten

Some Crazy (or Creative?) Ways to Open a Conversation with Students

Prepare to Be Shocked.

Chapter 6 The Leap Forward Program

Anecdotes Ships Passing in the Night

Benefits of This Techniques:

20 Languages

Lest They Be Forgotten

How to Solve the Problem

Chapter 7 The Principal’s Value for The Month

Anecdotes In Our Modern World

Always Keep Your Door Open

Compassion for Limited Students’ Families: Mainstream Teachers Being Proactive for Autism Students

Chapter 8 Friends Be-Friending Friends

Anecdotes Know How to Use a Student’s Mistakes TO HER/HIS Advantage

Follow Up

Reminders

A Dozen Roses

Chapter 9 A Personal Reflection: Time For A Change

Anecdotes The Principal as Co-Motivator

A Key Factor…

Passing the Buck

Chapter 10 A Personal Reflection: An Unorthodox Approach to The College/Career Recommendation

Anecdotes The Deal

What to Look for…

Some Crazy (or Creative?) Approaches to Saying Hello

The Bump into Method

Potato Chip

Chapter 11 A Personal Reflection: Ideas To Ponder

Anecdotes Reverse Psychology

Impact People

Good Advice

Chapter 12 A Personal Reflection: Reasons to Have a School Pride Program

Anecdotes Some things You Just Don’t Take Lightly

Change Based on Love

Keep in Touch

Chapter 13 A Personal Reflection: Realizing an Untapped Resource of Counselors (and Others) as Possible Volunteers: Retirees

Anecdotes A Pat on the Back

Personalize Your Relationship with Students

Keeping in Contact

Protect Yourself

The Use of a Thank You Note

Chapter 14 A Personal Reflection: A Student With Two Faces

Anecdotes Don’t Join a Cabal

Don’t Be Afraid to Tell It as It Is!

Know Your Limits

Off to a Good Start

Chapter 15 My Best Academic Advice

Appendix: Note To The Reader

DEDICATION

TO MY BELOVED WIFE, KATHLEEN

******************************

All royalties will be donated to charities in her name.

PREFACE

PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE BOOK

WITH YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVE IN MIND

AND HOW BEST YOU CAN USE EACH

CONCEPT IN YOUR WORK.

The organization of this book is centered around PROGRAMS, REFLECTIONS AND ANECDOTES with the specific aim of

MOTIVATING STUDENTS.

The Programs are actually innovative plans to influence students, which have been incorporated into schools. They are printed in plain black print.

The Anecdotes are stories, instances and advice which the reader is asked to adapt to their special circumstances. They are randomly placed after each major Program and Reflection and do not necessarily refer to the preceding articles. Anecdotes are printed in bold print for easy location.

The Reflections are personal thoughts and ruminations on important concerns that pertain to students. They are printed in plain black print.

ALL ARE OFFERED FOR

PARENTS

COUNSELORS

TEACHERS

PRINCIPALS

VOLUNTEERS

AND INTERNS

WHO WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR

THEIR STUDENTS IN THEIR WORK.

Do You Know How To Hitchhike?

The basic approach to this book is that everything in the book can be applied with a little imagination. The hope is that each reader will advocate for the incorporation of good ideas into their school or used in their work or at home.

Hitchhike on the material offered. Every individual, including parents and professionals in the educational field, has her/his own philosophy, style and personality. The book is written with the idea in mind that other individuals can use the concepts, programs and anecdotes as best applies to their needs. Some ideas may be seen as eccentric and not attainable. However, since the author is an individual and is entitled to his own style based on over 40 years of experience, he has found his suggestions as personally useful. His own style may seem too far out and unattainable. But it is his hope some tangential idea may appeal to you. What some people may characterize as creative others will regard as crazy.

So look for some crazy and unorthodox ideas, but kindly try to find some good for your personal adaptation and ultimately for the good of your student(s). Almost everything in the book is original with the exception of a few extraordinary items which the author thought useful to share.

SOME HAVE CHARACTERIZED THE

AUTHOR’S WORK AS EXTRAORDINARY,

AS WELL IT SHOULD BE,

BECAUSE IT IS BASED

ON OVER FORTY YEARS OF HIS

MISTAKES! (a little humor HERE)

Here is AD-VICE for every one.

In the course of reading of this book you may want to sponsor one of the programs. If you do wish to initiate a program with the principal’s approval: BEGIN SMALL.

Do not overwhelm people who are responsible for approving creative ideas and programs. Rather, give the basic concept, well described. Principals in the normal course of their duties do not have time for long and discursive details. They are trained to see possible obstacles before they give their seal of approval.

A psychological next step is to have the principal indicate a coordinator who will handle all the details. As the plan progresses, individuals who will actually implement the program are informed and if necessary trained.

Sample Anecdotes:

Keep Them Coming Back

At times counselors (or others) have a very serious dialogue with a student(s). However, these students do not have to leave the counselor’s office saddened. Before they leave some cheery story or little joke should be inserted into the conversation. The next story is one of those crazy (creative?) ones but it