| you think of interventions to use with problem and | | | | resource, and the child may not act on the message. |
| challenging students, normally you probably think of | | | | This poster-- a passive intervention-- perhaps placed |
| active approaches. But, there is a whole world of | | | | on the outside of the counselor's office door, can |
| powerful, passive approaches that are frequently | | | | actually be more effective and lasting lure than mere |
| forgotten or completely overlooked. With that in | | | | words. |
| mind, we ask you to look around your classroom or | | | | * Posters Haunt |
| office. What do you see on your walls? The items on | | | | A poster can look down on students for months or |
| your wall can have on-going, major impact-- all | | | | years at a time. Some posters can end up being |
| without you doing anything at all. We tend to forget | | | | down-right haunting. Well-executed pictures and text |
| that young people may spend hours each day just | | | | can gnaw at a youngster in ways that words can't |
| staring at what surrounds them. If you surround | | | | accomplish. Look at Poster #7 to see how |
| them with nothing, they may get nothing. If you | | | | bothersome a poster can be. Obviously, the headline |
| surround them with something powerful and | | | | of "Dropouts Needed for High Paying Jobs" could |
| persuasive, you may change lives. | | | | linger. |
| Our unusual, startling posters ( have been drawing an | | | | * Other Jobs for Posters |
| awful lot of comment lately, and that's what made | | | | Posters are obvious candidates for inspiration and |
| us realize how easy it is to underestimate the power | | | | motivation. See Poster #34 as an example. Sarcasm |
| of passive interventions like simple posters. People | | | | that might seem harsh when spoken, can become |
| have been commenting that our posters can | | | | more acceptable on paper. Sarcasm can be a |
| sometimes accomplish what conventional approaches | | | | powerful tool when used very carefully. The next |
| couldn't. The range of posters that you can use is | | | | examples, Posters #31 and #33, definitely approach |
| unlimited, from thought-provoking to haunting, from | | | | that limit-- although they do so for a good cause |
| inspirational to motivational, from troubling to | | | | (drug abuse prevention.) Posters can also heal and |
| sarcastic, from silly to calming. Let us show you how | | | | soothe. Look at Posters #29 and #30 at to see how |
| to maximize your impact beyond conventional, active | | | | posters can even be reassuring. |
| interventions. Put your walls work for you, and you | | | | HOW TO MAKE POSTERS |
| will be surprised how much more you can achieve | | | | You may be surprised to learn how easy it is to |
| when you surround your students with powerful | | | | make posters that fit your students' issues. The |
| agents of change. You may end up being pleasantly | | | | internet has made it so easy. You can find endless |
| surprised how passive interventions can underscore, | | | | clip art and photos all over the net. Before you use |
| enhance and even "hammer home" the points you | | | | any art or photos, be sure that the site grants you |
| are trying to make with your young people. | | | | use of their resources. A popular source of clip art is |
| We will look at passive interventions in two ways. | | | | at ( Free photos are tougher to find because many |
| First, we'll cover the surprising range of passive | | | | photos are protected by copyright, but a site that |
| intervention posters. Second, we'll show you free, | | | | has completely free pictures that you can use is |
| fast and low-cost ways to make your own posters if | | | | Geek ( Word, Paint, Adobe Photoshop and many |
| you have more time than budget. These ideas will | | | | other programs can be easily used to create quick |
| not require you to have a lot of time, art skills or | | | | but powerful posters that can work all day every |
| computer expertise. We'll even show you how to get | | | | day on your wall. To grab a picture or piece of clip |
| customized posters without you having to make | | | | art, simply put your cursor over the item, right click |
| anything or invest much time yourself. | | | | "Save Picture As" and voila, the item is all your's. It's |
| TYPES OF POSTERS | | | | that easy. |
| Everyone has seen the motivational and inspirational | | | | Posters can be of any size. To easily make posters |
| posters that have become commonplace, but there | | | | without a printer that produces large-size pages, print |
| are so many more options than that. Here are some | | | | the poster using the largest size paper you can, then |
| other often overlooked ways to make your walls | | | | enlarge the poster on your copier. Printing shops can |
| work for you all day: | | | | also enlarge and print full color posters for you, often |
| * Shocking Posters | | | | for a cost of under $2 per poster. If you use a |
| Shocking posters are jarring and unexpected. See an | | | | common computer program to make your posters, |
| example (Poster #15) at the link above. (You will | | | | you can even send in the poster file via the internet, |
| want to view each poster as examples to get full | | | | and not even have to leave your office or classroom. |
| value from this article.) It's hard to just shake off the | | | | You don't even have to make your posters yourself. |
| comment of "I'm looking for the lowest paying job I | | | | Instead of traditional consequences for misbehavior, |
| can find ." If you have to look at that comment for | | | | have students make posters. You can even have the |
| hours per day, it could stick with you. | | | | students use their misbehavior as the focus of the |
| * Posters That Can Teach | | | | poster. For example, if students get in trouble for |
| It's hard to believe that a piece of paper tacked to | | | | bullying peers, perhaps they craft a poster on bullying. |
| the wall can teach, but look at this silly poster (Poster | | | | Another idea: hold contests for students to make |
| #22). It does convey important information to | | | | posters. Yet another idea: have poster construction |
| students about how to get help from teachers. It's | | | | become part of your instruction. For example, making |
| silly but effective to call teachers "lousy mind | | | | posters could legitimately become an activity for |
| readers." | | | | language arts if substantial text is used. Making |
| * Posters That Reinforce What Has Been Taught | | | | posters could be a far better activity than staring at |
| Poster #22 (from the example used directly above) | | | | the walls during study hall, detention or in school |
| can also reinforce and remind students of what they | | | | suspension. You can transform those unstructured, |
| already know. It's better that a poster provides an | | | | often unproductive times into the source of endless |
| on-going reminder than you have to stop the class to | | | | posters that make your walls work for you. |
| provide a verbal reminder. See how passive | | | | I wish I could have included thumbnails of all the the |
| interventions can work better than active ones. | | | | example posters. Words don't convey their lively, |
| * Posters Deliver Messages When | | | | unexpected contents very well. But do take the time |
| Words Don't Work Words sometimes fail to deliver | | | | to check out the referenced posters and the |
| the message, but pictures and colors may do the job | | | | recommended resources sites, and the article will |
| when words fail. Take a look at Poster #28. A | | | | make more sense. Plus, viewing the two resource |
| counselor might work hard to let a vulnerable | | | | sites and the unusual example posters may spark |
| youngster know that the counselor is a helping | | | | some great ideas for you to make for your walls. |