1. 1-How to Be a Positive Role Model.
2-Using Our Self-Values and Commitments as Positive
Role Models.

2. “Passion and Ability to Inspire”
1- Role models show passion for their work and have the capacity to
infectiously teach others with their passion. One student said, “They’re
so dedicated to teaching students and helping students and
empowering students. That is such a meaningful gesture. They are
always trying to give back to the next generation. That really inspires
me.”

3. “Clear Set of Values”
2- Role models live their values in the world. Children admire people who
act in ways that support their beliefs. It helps them understand how their
own values are part of who they are and how they might seek fulfilling
roles as adults. For example, students have spoken of many people
who supported causes from education to poverty to the
environment. Role models continue to help students today to understand
the underlying values that motivate people to become advocates for social
change and innovation.

4. “Commitment to Community”
3- Role models are other-focused as opposed to self-focused. They are
usually active in their communities, freely giving of their time and talents to
benefit people. Students admired people who served on local boards, reached
out to neighbors in need, voted, and were active members of community
organizations.

5. “Selflessness and Acceptance of Others”
4- Students also admired people for their selflessness and acceptance of
others who were different from them. One student spoke of her father, saying
“He never saw social barriers. He saw people’s needs and acted on them, no
matter what their background or circumstances. He was never afraid to get his
hands dirty. His lifestyle was a type of service. My father taught me to serve.”

6. “Ability to Overcome Obstacles”
5- Initiative is the ability to take action proactively. It’s the opposite of
being reactive. It is good and necessary that you do what you are asked to
do, and it is good that you do what is expected of you. You need to do those
things to be successful, too. But what separates the most successful from the
rest of the pack is their ability to take initiative and do what needs to be done
before anyone else recognizes it needs to be done.

7. Initiative means taking action before the action is required or
necessary. It means acting before being given directions and
instructions. It means doing more than is expected. It means being
fully engaged in what you are doing, and being thoughtful enough to
decide what can be done to achieve a positive outcome on your own.
Initiative is perhaps the greatest demonstration of a willingness to
own the outcome of whatever endeavor it is that you are engaged in.
As Booker T. Washington once said, “Success is to be measured not so
much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles
which one has overcome.” Young people echoed this sentiment, showing
how they developed the when they learned to overcome obstacles. Not
surprisingly, they admire people who show them that success is possible.

8. Positive role models are also linked to self-efficacy, the ability to
believe in ourselves. In fact, the young people in a study admitted that
had they not learned to believe in themselves, they would not have been
capable of believing they could make a difference in the world!
Children develop as the result of many experiences and relationships.
Role models play an important role in inspiring kids to learn,
overcome obstacles, and understand that positive values can be lived
each day. Whether you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher,
civic leader, clergy member, sports coach, after-school program leader, or
a person who just happens into a child’s life, you have the ability to
inspire!

9. Self-efficacy is a person's judgment about being able to perform a
particular activity. It is a student's "I can" or "I cannot" belief. Unlike self-
esteem, which reflects how students feel about their worth or value, self-efficacy
reflects how confident students are about performing specific tasks. High self-
efficacy in one area may not coincide with high self-efficacy in another
area.
Just as high confidence in snow skiing may not be matched with high
confidence in baseball, high self-efficacy in mathematics does not necessarily
accompany high self-efficacy in spelling. Self-efficacy is specific to the task
being attempted. However, having high self-efficacy does not necessarily mean
that students believe they will be successful. While self-efficacy indicates how
strongly students believe they have the skills to do well, they may believe other
factors will keep them from succeeding.

10. A growing body of research reveals that there is a positive, significant relationship
between students' self-efficacy beliefs and their academic performance. Our goal with
this project is to increase the self-efficacy of the student you are working with.
People with low self-efficacy toward a task are more likely to avoid it, while those
with high self-efficacy are not only more likely to attempt the task, but they also will
work harder and persist longer in the face of difficulties. Self-efficacy influences:
(1) what activities students select, (2) how much effort they put forth, (3) how
persistent they are in the face of difficulties, and (4) the difficulty of the goals they
set. Students with low self-efficacy do not expect to do well, and they often do not
achieve at a level that is commensurate with their abilities. They do not believe
they have the skills to do well so they don't try.

11. What are Our Self-Values and commitments as positive role models?
Develop a Motto and Do it!
 “Use the Internet and make technology your friend.”
 “Create a notebook of ideas that work and don’t work.”
 “Be creative with supplies because money is always an issue in schools.”
 “Collaborate with other teachers in the school. Learning from
experienced teachers can help you tremendously.”
 “Set up a routine and stick to it!
 The students crave structure and knowing what is next.
 It is also very important to tell them what you expect from them and
never assume they know not to do something!
Prepared by Cynthia Herzog