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OSPA
104 Mill Street Suite F
Gahanna OH 43230
Tel: 614.414.5980
Fax: 614.414.5982
Email: mail@OSPAonline.org
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| Terry Bendo's
2008-09
OSPA Presidental Updates |
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Summer 2008 |
| Be Prepared?
So, I’m standing over the grill at Cub Scout Camp as
I have so many times before. Peter, an affable fellow and
troop grillmeister-in-residence, has just plunked down burger
pat-ties maximizing all available grill space. He sprinkles
them carefully with his special seasoning as several of us
adults listen to the sizzle and enjoy the savory aroma. Peter,
sens-ing that it is time to lift one of the burgers to determine
if it was time to flip them, searches in vain for a spatula.
A quick rummage of the supply boxes reveals that there is
no spatula to be found. “So much for being prepared,”
I quipped, poking fun of Pe-ter with a play on the Scout motto
“Be Prepared.” Scout-master Don, ever vigilant,
overhears this and says, “Another word out of Bendo
and he doesn’t eat.” Don, a former U.S. Marine
stated that a more appropriate motto for this situa-tion might
be the one he learned during his military service, “Improvise,
adapt, and overcome.” Inspired by this rally cry, and
sensing that the burgers would soon be ruined, no less than
3 adults grabbed whatever materials were available and quickly
cobbled together burger-flipping implements. Each man tried
his prototype and the most effective one was quickly handed
to Peter so that he could finish his cooking. School Psychologists
are often thought of as unneeded when things are going well.
We come into play when the spatula is missing, so to speak.
Although we prepare as well as pos-sible with our training,
experience, and ongoing professional development, we truly
shine when thinking on our feet; when we improvise, adapt,
and overcome. When a child’s education is on the line,
you have to overcome. OSPA will continue to provide you with
excellent profes-sional development activities. OSPA also
seeks to support and improve communication with its regional
affiliates, as well as provide you, its members, with relevant
and thought-provoking reading through the revised and ex-panded
TOSP. As you serve the students and families in your charge,
so too does OSPA seek to serve you -- its membership and lifeblood
-- to the best of its ability. Please consider joining a committee
or running for office as an OSPA representative of your regional
affiliate. With the coming school year, I trust that you will
all be as prepared as possible. I trust also that when confronting
problems, from a simple consultation about a minor issue to
a complicated implementation of RtI in your district, that
you will improvise, adapt, and ultimately overcome. And remember,
don’t try to be funny when your dinner could be on the
line... |
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