E.D.G.E

From my experience with working with children, I have found a variety of methods that work well, and others that have not.
The most effective way of leading children, I have found is by using a method known as E.D.G.E.

Explain; when explaining a concept to a child you must take into account their age, and what they will comprehend.
What a seven year old might understand, will not translate as well to a five year old.
The best way to explain a concept to a child is to explain it in simple terms.
After you have tried your best to explain the concept, ask the child to reiterate what you just told them.
This will not only help them better understand the concept, but it will also help clear up any confusion.
As a side note, notice how the child explained the concept to you.
So that way, when the next time you have a similar age  group, you can explain the concept in the language that the children will better understand.

Demonstrate, when demonstrating a game show the children how to play the game.
Then instead of going right to the game, have a volunteer come up and show the group how to play the game.
I know as a kid, I would not always watch the demonstration of how to play, but when I saw one of my peers demonstrate how to play, I would pay more attention, and have fewer questions on how to play.

Guide, when guiding you are not physically doing the activity for the child, but instead you are overlooking the activity, and or participating, and aiding the kids that may need guidance.

Evaluate, reflect on the previous steps.
Figure out what went well, and what could have gone better.
Once you have figured out what works best for you, you are one step closer to being an effective leader.
 

The Quilt of Life

He who sews, gathers pieces of life, and puts them together.
Each piece he gathers has its own story.
Each piece he gathers, represent something greater, and when he sews them together creates a bond.
This bond consists of stitches that are intertwined, that cannot be broken apart easily, and should these bonds ever weaken, he will sew the bonds back together.

If you should ever wish upon a star, I'll be right behind you.
If you should ever fall, I'll be there to catch you.
Should you ever grow sick, I'll be there to take care of you.
Should you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I'll cry with you , and should the days light ever grow faint, I shall be your light.

Choices

The choices you make are much like riding a train.
Before you board the train, you must know where your final destination will be; otherwise you will not  know where to get off.
You could board the train, with no set destination.
Is it the right choice, or is the wrong choice?
Well, that depends on how you look at it.
Some may say that this is the right stop, and not go any further.
Others may stop and think, and ask is this really where I want to get off?
Those who choose to board the train again are an optimist and those who choose to leave are pessimists.

If you can, I can

If you can fly, I can fly

If you can dream, I can dream, and if you can love, than I can love you.

Defining Moment

Fly, Fly away, and spread your wings out to soar.
Your life is all within your control.
What you do, who you want to be, and who you are, is all up to you.
This is your defining moment.
The moment were you judge, right from wrong, evil from heroism.
Will you have courage to stand up against the oppressor, or will you cower away?
Will you defeat the odds, even when they are stacked against you, or will you refrain from acting on?
Will you say what you believe, or will you allow others to shape your opinion?
Will you love your family, even through the hardships, or will you ignore them?
Will you accept your life as is, and not do anything to make it better, or will you change your life, for the better?
Will you go where the money is, or will you chase after your dreams?
This is your life, you're one life to live, and it is up to you to choose how you will live it.

Mistakes

In life when we try to do something new, its easy to look past our mistakes, and move on without admitting that we made a mistake.
We convince ourselves that we are flawless; when in reality no one is perfect.
The best thing to do in our lives, is to own up to our mistakes, and reflect upon what caused our mistake to happen; so that next time when faced with a similar experience, we can correct the mistake before it happens.

 In order to accomplish your dreams, you have to work for them, dreams are not something that can be given to you.
This idea is much like peeling an orange, with the skin of the orange, being the barrier that you must overcome, and the center being, what you are working for.
Now obviously, all you would have to do, to remove the skin from an orange is peel it off, but its the idea that the skin does not come off by itself.
In life you have to work hard, in order to accomplish your dreams.
Along the way, you will have to overcome many obstacles, and through these experiences, you will shape your dreams into what they are today.

In This Moment

Fear few, trust many, and we will change the world.
What we see as fear, differs from person to person, but what we must learn is how to overcome our fears.
If we spend our lives living in fear, we are not going to get very far in life.
That is not saying that we can not fear anything, all it is saying is that we have to be willing to take risks, in order to have a better future.
Although trust, is not something that is earned over night, we need to have the flexibility to trust people, we do not even know.
Even though, there are no guarantees when we take a chance, it very well could lead to a golden opportunity, that could change our lives forever.