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The road less traveled by

April 13, 2017Mike SisselBlog

photo1-300x300Eighteen years ago, I completed my MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.  The program culminated in a leadership symposium of sorts, with each graduate candidate presenting a Leadership Thesis on a topic of their choice.  From the moment I received my acceptance letter, twelve months prior, I had an immediate hunch as to what my thesis topic would be.  After spending a year immersed in both the theory and art of teaching, including six months of student teaching experience, my initial hunch was solidified.  It was clear to me that the academic needs of students took a front seat to what I felt was a glaring, unmet need – the social and emotional well-being of all kids.  So, I set forth in crafting a presentation that would open the eyes of my fellow graduates, in addition to a team of professors who rarely broached this topic.  I was going to shock the world with a ground breaking presentation on the absolute necessity of meaningful character education programs in schools throughout the country.  What followed was an emotional roller coaster of events that would ultimately lead me to where I am today.

I began my presentation by recounting the horrific tragedy at Columbine High School, followed by a thought provoking question, designed to plant a seed in the minds of those in attendance.

“Could a meaningful character education program, during a child’s elementary years, prevent something like this from happening?”

After what I felt was a compelling 30-minute presentation on the need for quality character education programs in schools, I walked confidently toward the back of the auditorium, ready for another speaker to take the stage.  Just prior to reaching my seat, one of my supervising professors handed me a paper.  It was a critique of my presentation, which included several hand written comments.  I quickly perused the feedback, most of which was positive, but a single sentence near the end of the page caught my attention.  Little did I know that this comment would serve as a springboard for the work I do today.

“Great presentation, but I don’t think a character education program is going to prevent anything like this from happening.”

The rush of adrenaline following my presentation was quickly replaced with another unwelcome rush; a rush of anger.  The resulting though attack, many of which were accusatory in nature toward my professor, would eventually subside and I’d come to a revelation of sorts. Although I don’t remember any particular thoughts at the time, I realize now that the divergent roads which Robert Frost referred to in his well-known poem “The Road Not Taken,” were right in front of me.  I could either continue to talk about the need for change or move in the direction of being the change, which was clearly the road less traveled by.

Fast forward to today and I’m firmly on the road less traveled by.

As we continue to witness tragic school shootings, unprecedented numbers of teenage suicides, and a bullying epidemic that continues to gain steam, I can’t help but wonder…

“Are we still of the belief that these events are largely out of our control?”

Each day I walk into a school, I choose to think about the one child who needs to hear my message.

The child whose self-esteem is at an all-time low and is beginning to contemplate whether or not it’s worth it to live.

The child who’s under a tremendous amount of pressure to be perfect and just wants to throw in the towel.

The child who’s the victim of countless bullies and feels absolutely powerless with regard to moving forward.

The child who spends hours and hours playing video games that glorify death and destruction, not realizing the impact it’s having on his mind.

I ask you, “What is the purpose of education?  Is it to only educate the mind, or do we have an obligation to educate the whole child, including their heart?”

I believe we have an opportunity, and an obligation, to provide a transformative means of education for our children.  It’s called self-education and it has nothing to do with the 3 R’s that we continue to obsess over.  While standardized tests may very well measure a child’s intellectual abilities, what are we doing to measure, or even pay attention to, their social and emotional well-being?

I may never know if my teaching will somehow prevent one of these tragic events from occurring, but I can assure you that I’m going to do whatever I can to make emotional intelligence a part of every child’s education.

Will you join me on the road less traveled by?

If you feel so moved, I invite you to share an introductory video (see below) with teachers, administrators, parents, coaches, or in any other adult who might be interested in providing young people with the gift of emotional intelligence.

As always, I’m grateful for your support.

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“Wow! What an amazing person! We are so fortunate to have Mike Sissel in our lives. Having two daughters that compete, I cannot thank him enough for all of valuable lessons learned. He empowers my girls with tools and strategies to become not only better athletes but better people. He helps them to build strong character traits that will benefit them long after their time in completion has come to an end. He's had a positive influence on the mindset of our entire family and for that we are truly blessed.”

Kim Roberts-Johson

KaleidoEye
2017-09-14T15:05:04-07:00

Kim Roberts-Johson

“Wow! What an amazing person! We are so fortunate to have Mike Sissel in our lives. Having two daughters that compete, I cannot thank him enough for all of valuable lessons learned. He empowers my girls with tools and strategies to become not only better athletes but better people. He helps them to build strong character traits that will benefit them long after their time in completion has come to an end. He's had a positive influence on the mindset of our entire family and for that we are truly blessed.”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/kim-roberts-johson/
"At Nike, I like to say ‘You Own Your Career’, Mike presented to my team and provided them with strategies & tools that inspired them to take ownership of their actions, performance, and careers. It was Motivational Coaching that impacted all attendees – regardless of their roles. All team members learned what behaviors make good leaders, and that all of us can be a leader. Mike was an energetic, passionate and effective presenter. I look forward to seeing my team practicing and implementing these skills into their Personal & Professional Developmental Plans.”

Jeff DuMont

KaleidoEye
2018-05-23T09:41:45-07:00

Jeff DuMont

"At Nike, I like to say ‘You Own Your Career’, Mike presented to my team and provided them with strategies & tools that inspired them to take ownership of their actions, performance, and careers. It was Motivational Coaching that impacted all attendees – regardless of their roles. All team members learned what behaviors make good leaders, and that all of us can be a leader. Mike was an energetic, passionate and effective presenter. I look forward to seeing my team practicing and implementing these skills into their Personal & Professional Developmental Plans.”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/jeff-dumont/
“Mr Sissel has been such an unbelievably positive presence both at Gold Medal Gymnastics and at our daughter's school, CEE. There is always enthusiasm and excitement when she knows that they will be having a session with him. The topics that he addresses are so important and he helps the kids see not only life's big picture, but also how individually they can make a real difference for themselves and those around them with their choices. We are thankful and look forward to more work with him in the future.”

 

Margo Ingram

KaleidoEye
2017-09-14T15:04:38-07:00

Margo Ingram

“Mr Sissel has been such an unbelievably positive presence both at Gold Medal Gymnastics and at our daughter's school, CEE. There is always enthusiasm and excitement when she knows that they will be having a session with him. The topics that he addresses are so important and he helps the kids see not only life's big picture, but also how individually they can make a real difference for themselves and those around them with their choices. We are thankful and look forward to more work with him in the future.”  
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/margo-ingram/
“Mike has an amazing ability to reach our children and to challenge their thinking. His positive outlook and desire to help every child be the best they can be is inspiring. My daughter comes home from her time with him with a smile on her face and new words of wisdom to share with me.  My 13 year old son watches his motivational videos and every time turns to me and says "He is so right. Everything he is saying is so true".  So thankful to have him in my children's lives.”

 

Sally Moore

KaleidoEye
2017-09-14T15:01:56-07:00

Sally Moore

“Mike has an amazing ability to reach our children and to challenge their thinking. His positive outlook and desire to help every child be the best they can be is inspiring. My daughter comes home from her time with him with a smile on her face and new words of wisdom to share with me.  My 13 year old son watches his motivational videos and every time turns to me and says "He is so right. Everything he is saying is so true".  So thankful to have him in my children's lives.”  
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/sally-moore/
“The power of positivity is infectious and Mr. Sissel has a real gift of helping others believe that they have the mental strength within themselves to get past whatever they might be struggling with. We were introduced to Mike through Gold Medal Gymnastics and seeing the impact he has made on the lives of so many including our daughter is astounding. He helped her to overcome the feelings of insecurity, feeling bullied and showed her how to focus and 'change her lens' so that she could perform successfully.”

 

Fred Sanchez

KaleidoEye
2017-09-14T15:02:28-07:00

Fred Sanchez

“The power of positivity is infectious and Mr. Sissel has a real gift of helping others believe that they have the mental strength within themselves to get past whatever they might be struggling with. We were introduced to Mike through Gold Medal Gymnastics and seeing the impact he has made on the lives of so many including our daughter is astounding. He helped her to overcome the feelings of insecurity, feeling bullied and showed her how to focus and 'change her lens' so that she could perform successfully.”  
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/fred-sanchez/
“Mr. Sissel has been an incredible positive influence for my kids! Every time he goes to their school they look forward to learning something new from him! I have a teen and preteen and they have had him for the last several years and have quoted his lessons to us at home. Mr. Sissel has a special gift of teaching ALL ages with passion and dedication and truly knows how to connect with his audience, which makes it fun. I have also recommended him as one on one coaching for my dear friend’s son after she went through a divorce and her son was acting out and his insight truly helped her.”

Judy Salinas

KaleidoEye
2017-09-14T14:39:25-07:00

Judy Salinas

“Mr. Sissel has been an incredible positive influence for my kids! Every time he goes to their school they look forward to learning something new from him! I have a teen and preteen and they have had him for the last several years and have quoted his lessons to us at home. Mr. Sissel has a special gift of teaching ALL ages with passion and dedication and truly knows how to connect with his audience, which makes it fun. I have also recommended him as one on one coaching for my dear friend’s son after she went through a divorce and her son was acting out and his insight truly helped her.”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/3596/
“Mike Sissel is an amazing man. With a positive force driving his ultimate vision to help the world be a better place, he reminds young and old what it means to be and do good by finding it in within. His practical steps are accessible to children and admired by adults. Whether he facilitates a retreat, in-service, assembly, or consults, positive and tangible results will be the outcome. I highly recommend him!”

Greg Hebert

KaleidoEye
2018-05-23T09:48:39-07:00

Greg Hebert

“Mike Sissel is an amazing man. With a positive force driving his ultimate vision to help the world be a better place, he reminds young and old what it means to be and do good by finding it in within. His practical steps are accessible to children and admired by adults. Whether he facilitates a retreat, in-service, assembly, or consults, positive and tangible results will be the outcome. I highly recommend him!”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/greg-hebert/
“Our school mission has always been to educate the 'whole child', including their social and emotional development. Mike’s contribution to this mission, through the delivery of his meaningful, engaging lessons, has made a lasting impact on our school culture. In addition to the rich content he shares with our students, the energy he brings to each classroom is contagious. He has been an inspiration to our staff and students and truly lives the leadership principles he teaches.”

Christie Winkelmann

KaleidoEye
2018-05-23T09:49:19-07:00

Christie Winkelmann

“Our school mission has always been to educate the 'whole child', including their social and emotional development. Mike’s contribution to this mission, through the delivery of his meaningful, engaging lessons, has made a lasting impact on our school culture. In addition to the rich content he shares with our students, the energy he brings to each classroom is contagious. He has been an inspiration to our staff and students and truly lives the leadership principles he teaches.”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/christie-winkelmann/
“Having been in the coaching profession for many years, I’ve gained the most satisfaction by having the opportunity to help shape the character of my players, ultimately preparing them for life beyond baseball. Mike Sissel is a masterful coach who shares a similar passion for the 'game of life'. His ability to connect with athletes is unmatched. If you have an opportunity for Mike to work with your team, it will truly be the 'gift' that will keep on giving. He has been a blessing to my family.”

Pat Murphy

KaleidoEye
2018-05-23T09:46:00-07:00

Pat Murphy

“Having been in the coaching profession for many years, I’ve gained the most satisfaction by having the opportunity to help shape the character of my players, ultimately preparing them for life beyond baseball. Mike Sissel is a masterful coach who shares a similar passion for the 'game of life'. His ability to connect with athletes is unmatched. If you have an opportunity for Mike to work with your team, it will truly be the 'gift' that will keep on giving. He has been a blessing to my family.”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/pat-murphy/
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