Note to teachers/facilitators from program creator H. Veronika Gaia…
Teachers model positive character every day with their personality, reactions to stress and appropriate responses that resolve conflict during core curriculum presentation. These teachable moments are very powerful aspects of curriculum that are rarely acknowledged, identified or presented as lesson content. Yet, if they are, educators can create a learning environment that teaches the whole child, as well as enhance character, self-esteem and leadership skills.
Gold Medal for Life is a unique parallel curriculum with the intention that the program is presented simultaneously with a core curriculum experience.
This program presents realistic strategies to deal with student emotions, fear of failure, behavior challenges and the need to bully.
Ultimately, incorporating these strategies for success into class experiences, developmental guidance programs or advisor-advisee programs can create positive and productive class management shifts for teachers. This assists teachers with time-on-task during classroom instruction. In addition, this program establishes a culture of respect as the expected norm for behavior in class and creates a positive school climate that fosters healthy social relationships.
Throughout my 36 years as a teacher, I participated in many programs to support students at risk, prevent bullying behavior and to establish a school culture of respect. These presentations were always workshops with helpful information. However, they did not provide a formal structure to incorporate the instruction into subject matter presentations.
My teaching experience has led to the evolution of this curriculum to develop student potential during curriculum presentation. The program is both creative and relevant in its approach to meet 21st century educational challenges.
For effective presentation, teachers complete each lesson prior to teaching it.
From my experience, teacher-student rapport is both established and enhanced with honest communication concerning relevant and appropriate experiences. Therefore, teachers can use the author’s examples for their own workbook experience. However, when teachers present the lessons to students, they are encouraged to create their own educational examples. Consequently, personal examples presented in this curriculum workbook are from both an adult and student perspective.
Lesson Notes
The first “2” gold medals (PEACE LEADER and HEROIC RESPONSE) involve weekly lessons. The last “2” gold medals (ACTUALIZING POTENTIAL and HUMANITARIAN) have hero journey assignments that last several weeks so that students have adequate practice and/or service time.
Some lessons are shorter and can be combined with another lesson.
Finally, please interpret the figure illustrations used throughout Gold Medal for Life as non-gender and multi-cultural.