Making A Difference

Robin Cox

Description

16-year old LISA COURT confronts her demons: negative peer pressure, antisocial behaviour, drifting with the crowd at the expense of reaching her potential. Inspired by her teacher, CJ KRISTEN, Lisa launches the M.A.D. (Make A Difference) project which transforms a school, a community and, eventually, due to the power of the internet, goes global. During this time she also discovers love eternal.

Sujets

• Children's

Informations

• Publié par: First Edition Design Publishing
• Date de parution: 10 juin 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781622875986
• Langue: English

Extrait

The M.A.D. Project
Robin Cox


First Edition Design Publishing, Inc.
Making A Difference

The Teacher-Mentor, the Kids and the
M.A.D. Project

Robin Cox
Making A Difference
The Teacher-Mentor, the Kids and the M.A.D. Project

Copyright ©2014 Robin Cox

ISBN 978-1622-875-98-6 EBOOK

April 2014

Published and Distributed by
First Edition Design Publishing, Inc.
P.O. Box 20217, Sarasota, FL 34276-3217
www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com



ALL R I G H T S R E S E R V E D. No p a r t o f t h i s b oo k pub li ca t i o n m a y b e r e p r o du ce d, s t o r e d i n a r e t r i e v a l s y s t e m , o r t r a n s mit t e d i n a ny f o r m o r by a ny m e a ns ─ e l e c t r o n i c , m e c h a n i c a l , p h o t o - c o p y , r ec o r d i n g, or a ny o t h e r ─ e x ce pt b r i e f qu ot a t i o n i n r e v i e w s , w i t h o ut t h e p r i o r p e r mi ss i on o f t h e a u t h o r or publisher .
CONTENTS

PREFACE
Chapter One - GROWING PAINS!
Chapter Two - THE PARABLE OF THE BEAN
Chapter Three - THE M.A.D. PROJECT
Chapter Four - Harry
Chapter Five - BUDDIES WITH MARY-JANE AND LISA
Chapter Six - THE LAUNCH!
Chapter Seven - EARLY DAYS
Chapter Eight - HIJACKED!
Chapter Nine - STALLED
Chapter Ten - EXPANSION!
Chapter Eleven - New Promises
Chapter Twelve - BAD NEWS!
EPILOGUE
AUTHOR’S NOTE



PREFACE

For many years I explored different ways to motivate and inspire young people to become the best they can be. I had taught, coached or mentored probably about 1,000 teenagers over the years in a number of countries in Africa, New Zealand and Australia, had traveled with different sports groups to Europe and beyond and always gained immense satisfaction from these interactions.

Often I wondered whether or not I was making just a little difference in these young lives. Then, out of the blue, I received a message on Facebook from Paul who I had taught some twenty years earlier, telling me that he had been awarded Entrepreneur of the Year, was being interviewed next day on National Radio and wanted to know if I was available to be interviewed as well. He had told the presenter that I had probably had the most significant impact on his life to date and the presenter wanted to include me in the interview.

Yes, these were satisfying and humbling moments, yet when I met Lisa Court at a Hillfield College function to which I had been invited, she significantly changed my outlook on teaching and mentoring.

Lisa told me how CJ Kristen had arrived at Hillfield College when she was a Year 12 student whose life was close to falling apart. Of course, at the time she did not fully realize this, nor did she pay too much attention to the warning bells from her parents and others. However, CJ had awakened her to her own realities and now, some five years later, she was an active past student of the College with a university teaching degree to her name.

Lisa was at pains to point out to me how this one humble teacher, CJ Kristen, ‘just such an ordinary guy’, had seen the potential not only in her, but also in so many of her classmates. “It was like there were days he was speaking into that future I could not even imagine,” she would tell me. The result had been that, over a two year period, which happened to coincide with her final two years at school, one class had transformed a school with a very questionable reputation in the community, into becoming a reputable, innovative, future thinking school both in New Zealand and beyond the shores of ‘The Land of the Long White Cloud’. It had given practical meaning to one of their aims of developing responsible global citizens.

During the next few weeks Lisa and I met at Jane’s Coffee Shop in Hillfield, a suburb north of Auckland City, and she generously shared her fascinating story. I made copious notes and followed up our chats with emails asking more questions. Lisa always obliged.

This is really her story to which I can never do justice.

She kept a journal and a scrapbook of newspaper and other media cuttings detailing her incredible journey and allowed me to include some of the latter as part of her story. I have done so, choosing them as a way to fill in gaps, yet at the same time reminding us all of the positive and negative effects of the media on the local and wider community.

I still have debates with those involved in youth mentoring especially, who argue that teachers can never be effective mentors of young people, as they hold a position of authority and it’s not healthy for them to develop a non-judgmental, supportive relationship with their students.

I encourage such people to move into the 21 st Century with their thinking.

On the other hand, Lisa Court would point to her own experiences as a student and now a teacher herself. She would persuasively share with you how, through her Hillfield College experiences, she came to learn and appreciate that, despite the power and impact, both positive and negative of social media and peers, everyone, including a teacher, is hardwired to build meaningful relationships and to collaboratively build strong communities.

However, I will leave you to reach your own conclusions as you reflect on Lisa’s story.

Chapter One - GROWING PAINS!
(January – February)

“C’mon Lisa, only one drink!” Jimmy passed over the bottle of Chardonnay, a local New Zealand white wine, urging her to participate in his 16 th birthday celebrations on the grass bank overlooking Takapuna Beach, surrounded by the towering Norfolk Pines.
Lisa was in turmoil. She knew she would be breaking the law if she drank alcohol in public. Had she heard the sound of a police car siren in the distance? She discarded the thought as quickly as it had entered her mind. To tell the truth, she did not want to drink at all, though she was more partial to the wine than the beer or Alcopop drinks that some of the others were quaffing down. She had tried alcohol a few times, but really did not enjoy the taste. But this group of friends, who had hung out together since Primary School, was a close-knit bunch. Reuben had his arm around her waist and she was enjoying his closeness. As the beer was affecting him, his hands started wandering to other parts of her body. She told him off, but secretly was enjoying the attention and wondered how their evening would end. This was a fun time which she certainly did not want to ruin by not participating.
“Just a sip.”
“Don’t be an egghead,” Mary-Jane smiled, punching her playfully on the arm.
“This is harmless stuff,” Jimmy whispered mischievously in Lisa’s ear as another beer was cracked open.
“It’s so cool, sis!” Mary-Jane said with an evil glint in her eye.
Jimmy and Cindy were laughing. “Don’t be a dork, Lisa.”
She hated that word. It was so demeaning. She was feeling the pressure. All eyes were on her as she laughed superficially, grabbed the bottle and took a long swig. She took another in the hope that no-one else would make any more smart comments.
As she did so, a police car drew up alongside the group, lights flashing and two policemen moved towards Lisa who was still holding the bottle of wine. She felt vulnerable and trapped.

Beep! Beep! A musical ringing tone, Beethoven’s 9 th , brought Lisa to her senses. She stretched out a hand, fumbled on the table alongside her bed, knocking something to the floor, and switched off the mobile phone alarm. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she muttered to herself: “Was that a dream or a nightmare? That’s scary …” She smiled as she thought how good it would feel to be held by Reuben.
“Are you up, Lisa?”
“Coming, mum.”
“You don’t want to be late for school.”

Bud and Leigh Court lived with their adolescent children, Syd (18), Lisa (16) and Kylie (14) on the hills overlooking Auckland.
“I’d love to create a M.A.D. Club!” Bud said to his family at the breakfast table on a typically warm summer’s day early in January.
“It’s hard enough being a Court, dad,” Kylie responded. “Why be mad as well?”
“No, honey, not that type of mad. People who want to MAKE A DIFFERENCE in a positive way (capitals: M.A.D.). Can you imagine what a positive, more peaceful world we could live in if we created this positive M.A.D. culture?!”
“Dad’s on one of his New Year dream fantasies.”
“No, I’m serious, Syd. It’s something I’d really like to do, maybe once you’re all off our hands and are funding my retirement.”
“Whatever.” Syd laughed.
“Trouble is,” Leigh, quieter and more conservative than Bud, sighed, “the politicians, the greedy corporates and those who simply want to live on handouts would destroy that concept.”
“Oh mum, give us a break!”
“Well, I’m only …”
“Yeah, it’s cool to be uncool,” Syd chipped in.
“Whatever.” Kylie collected the dishes and the conversation ended, though not before Syd, often the idealist, almost had the final word.
“Don’t be so negative, mum. We are the future. I mean, you’re always telling us that.”
“You are, Syd, and it’s good to remember that,” Leigh nodded, “but …”
“M.A.D.! A M.A.D. Club! That‘s a cool idea, dad,” Lisa deliberately butted in. She did not want to be dragged into yet another negative conversation.
Kylie changed the subject. “Hey, Lisa, you hanging out with Mary-Jane?”
“Sure, sometimes.”
“You know she’s with the Vipers.”
“Whatever.”
“She and Reuben. I saw them with that Stu guy, the one who was thrown out of Hillfield. Isn’t he the leader? Hanging out by the Mall…”
“Reuben wouldn’t get involved with gangs,” Lisa interjected, quickly jumping to Reuben’s defense.
“Lisa, I’ve warned you about getting involved with gangs and …”
“Mum, I’m not involved with any gangs!”
“Well, you know how hard it’s been for Mary-Jane since Rosie died.”
“Spike Bird hasn’t done a day’s work in years,” Bud said, slamming his coffee mug down on the table.
“But Mary-Jane says he’s been looking for work for months, dad.”
“Sure, sure. Now his daughter’s runni