Kailey Mayo is a K-8 school counselor located in Montana. She was one of the national winners of the 2018 Incentive Award from Cairn Guidance in partnership with the Dove Self-Esteem Project. As a national winner, Kailey attended an all-expenses 2019 national professional conference of her choice. Kailey chose to attend the 2019 American School Counselors Association conference.
Since our school serves kindergarten through 8th grade, I have the unique experience of literally growing up with these students through the years and have the incredible opportunity to meet students where they are at. Think about it…kiddos spend so many hours of their day at school. Most of their entire day is spent here…that gives me so many opportunities to reach kids, teach them, and build meaningful relationships. We have so many chances to make a difference.
As a school counselor, my end goal is for each child to leave school at the end of the day knowing they are strong, capable, respected, and so loved. I want them to know where their true value lies, to know they are capable and competent, and to never question their strength and importance.
There are so many distractions in this world that make us all feel like we don’t belong or that we are too different. Our society throws social media, Instagram, magazine ads, commercials, movies, etc. at us every day. Every day we absorb what we are shown; the image of beauty, gender roles, and self-worth. We all grow up with the very repeated message of how we should look, act, dress, and behave. We compare ourselves, and from that comparison, we determine our value, our self-worth, and our self-efficacy.
So, let’s challenge those stereotypes and norms. Our worth and value is not about the perfect angle for a selfie, how many likes a picture may get, what brand of clothing we wear, how much we weigh, or who sits with us at lunch. Those things do not equate beauty, nor do they determine someone’s self-efficacy and personal value.
What IS beautiful is our strength, our compassion for others, our resiliency when things get hard, our generosity towards others, our kind and empathetic hearts, and the bravery we have to ask questions, persevere, and hold our head high. THAT is beauty, and that is where our society needs to put our value and our priorities. The things that make us who we are, all of the things that make us different…that is real beauty. Our self-efficacy lies in the pride we have for the space we take up in this world.
I loved the Dove Self-Esteem Project Confident Me! curriculum because it tackles very real issues that our children face every day. The videos lead to such raw, open, and honest discussion during lessons. I genuinely appreciate how the lessons and videos encourage, without sugar coating, a different way of thinking. They challenge us to re-evaluate stereotypes, body image, and societal roles. Each lesson encourages young people to look beyond what we know, to question what we see, are told, and shown, and in that questioning to re-evaluate our standards as a culture, society, and as a person.
My students are capable, because they are themselves. There is nothing more beautiful than that.
Our kids will change this world. They have power, and giving them the knowledge of their own strength, beauty, and resilience opens the door to true self-acceptance. With every opportunity I have, my students know their worth and value. They will make this world better, brighter, stronger, and kinder. I cannot wait to see it.
To learn more about the Dove Self-Esteem Project (DSEP) please visit the following link: Dove Self-Esteem Project. If you are interested in learning how to enter the 2020 Incentive Award, please email us at info@cairnguidance.com.
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