Barren Classrooms Can Ignite Creativity

   

 The year was 1984. My first year teaching. There I sat in my principal's office, dressed in blue jeans, a t-shirt, in striped, green socks and sneakers. I had worked a full day in a school for dually diagnosed, autistic children. Most were aggressive and non-speakers. They were self-abusive, active, destructive, and mostly non-verbal. It was a locked facility to keep the children safe. I had applied for another position within the same school.  My Principal sat across from me in her leather chair, perfectly coiffed. She wore a tailored navy blue suit, white blouse, nylons, and matching navy blue pumps. Mrs. Roy was always professionally dressed, straight-laced, and proper. She seemed quite out of place from the environment she worked in. Though she had been the Principal here for twenty plus years, she seemed aloof to the students. 
      I had no idea why she wanted to see me. After "hello", she said, "I see you've asked for a transfer to the "Pinebrook Facility." I replied, "yes. Do you know when my interview will be?" She replied, "This is it"! Every neuron in my brain must have sparked at the same time, as I sat there thinking, "seriously, why did you wear striped, green socks, jeans, and a t-shirt today?"! Dress at "Greenbriar" was very casual because on a typical day  I was spit on, pinched, scratched, covered in student food, and had to restrain children. Today happened to be laundry day, so all I had left clean was, striped, green socks! Had I known that I was interviewing today, I would have brought a tailored suit, white blouse, nylons, pumps, and maybe a string of pearls to change into! 
Since, running away seemed like a poor choice, I stayed and carefully answered, Mrs. Roy's questions. Somehow, I was granted the job. Mrs. Roy, a woman of distinction must have given me a pass on wearing incorrect job interview attire.

    That night, I kind of laughed about my striped, green socks and thought back to my first interview where I was so nervous, but perfectly dressed! Then, I thought of my first day at "Greenbriar."

     I was responsible for teaching eight boys, four at a time. They were between the ages of 11-15.  I was also responsible for the day care for four of them. This meant that I had to arrive at school one hour early to help them get dressed, clean, and to eat their breakfast. Telling you about them is another story altogether! Since this was a residential setting,they lived in a secured, renovated, manor house. Their rooms were upstairs. Their living room and dining room were down stairs. There was a rubberized room downstairs too for students who were out of control and needed to be kept safe. Their school house was attached out back.

      This school consisted of three teachers. Me, another academic instructor, and a physical education teacher. There were three classrooms and a student bathroom. My classroom was barren! My classroom had an old, oak, wooden teacher's desk, a kidney shaped table for the students, and chairs to sit on.

      Keep in mind there were not computers of any kind in classrooms in 1983! The picture shown is not original! Initially, I did not see materials of any kind. Then, I saw a closet. I gingerly opened it hoping for supplies. I found an old record player, Hap Palmer records, Laurie rubber puzzles, wooden puzzles, peg boards, and geoboards. My heart sank!

       I poured over my students IEP's. These children were all non-verbal except one who had limited speech. They mostly needed self-help skills, fine motor skills, and gross motor skills. Some had self-injurious behavior, and could be aggressive. My most involved student wore a helmet and Posey mitts that tied around his waist in an attempt to decrease his self-harm. This child was like Houdini and could get the mitts off with ease. Helping him to dress each morning was a fierce battle of wills, we both won a little every day!

protective helmet

Posey Mitts

“At the classroom level, materials often seem more prominent than any other element in the curriculum.  They are, in fact, omnipresent in the language classroom and it is difficult to imagine a class without books, pictures, filmstrips, realia, games and so on.  Even the more austere classroom will have some sort of materials.”  (Nunan,1988)

     I had quite the austere classroom! I also had an austere classroom one year later when I transferred to another unit, called "Pinebrook".  The students at Pinebrook were mostly verbal, dually diagnosed with intellectual challenges and emotional disturbance. Some had limited reading and writing. They too were self-injurious and could be aggressive. They were 16-21 and strong! I had 28 students who rotated between classes in small groups. I did have a chalkboard at Pinebrook so this was exciting!

     Pinebrook was also a residential, locked facility for the safety of the students. I was hired as a functional academics teacher. We also had a home-economics teacher, a sheltered workshop teacher a wood-working teacher where the students learned to refinish furniture and cane chairs, an art teacher, and a physical education teacher.
     I began this new position in the Autumn, near Thanksgiving. I was sent to observe the previous teacher for ideas. She said "trace your hand with the paper on your desk and then color it to be a turkey." She then sat back at her desk and read the newspaper. She had no desire to talk to me! I was no more important than the turkeys the kids were drawing on the paper and they appeared no more important than me! I thought, "Are you kidding me? This is it? No wonder these kids throw furniture!" As class ended, she handed me a ruler. She said, "Carry this at all times. It scares "John". He won't pull the hair out of your head if you hold a ruler."  Then she turned and walked away. I began this position the following week.

     I again poured over IEP's. The histories of these kids were simply amazing. I, being me, needed to change things for these kids. They needed to learn that there is more to life than uncomfortable furniture, crayons, meds, and a television secured highly on a wall behind a case! Actually, they needed to know that there was more to each of them than just being part of the gang! No, I don't believe I was being unrealistic. I did not expect any of these kids to ever live independently but I did expect for them to find out that they had worth and there are things that they can be good at! Even, "Travis" who my Principal told me not to worry about! I worried! So, my eight year mission began!
     Teaching with limited resources can be both incredibly challenging and extremely educational.  This new position lit me on fire! I love a creative challenge and this was it! Like Greenbriar, I needed to get to know the idiosyncrasies of each student and allow them to work for the common good. Idiosyncrasies are often looked upon as negative, but if this particular behavior isn't hurting anyone and is important to the child, why not redirect it in a positive way?  Next, I had to know each child like a book! Their likes,dislikes,fears,foods,songs,aversions,loves,home-lives...etc. Finally to academics, functional academics to be exact, I needed to teach these kids skills that they need in real life!
      Having no materials is rough but does not make teaching impossible. I started out by throwing away all of the broken materials of teachers gone by. I couldn't understand how things of value couldn't be respected more!

      I began with what I had, a chalkboard,paper, pencils, crayons,and 28 students! We wrote daily journals, all the same that I wrote on the blackboard with each student contributing a personal sentence. For those who couldn't write, I quickly dotted out the entry so they could trace it. For those with no line boundaries, I made special with elmers glue. I traced the lines let them dry overnight to give the student built in boundaries! Eventually we began a pen-pal initiative with their families. Those without families were provided pen-pals by me! My little brother wrote to a student for years! We learned how to fill out envelopes and place a stamp. We learned the difference between an "in-town" and an "out-of-town" letter.
    Eventually, we went to the post office to mail the letters because I took a test to be able to drive the school van. So...we went out once a week to places that we needed to know about, the laundromat, the grocery store, the hardware store, farmers markets, restaurants, sometimes we went to homes just to visit people and to learn how to behave socially! Just to note, the first kids, the Greenbriar kids used to come to my house with my aide to cook, eat, and hang in a regular home! They always respected my home! 

   As years progressed and I was given my yearly stipend to order materials, we had more and more things! I wrote my name on everything and hoarded them to keep them safe! When I left Pinebrook, the new teacher was not walking into an austere classroom, but a vibrant one with many tools to teach with.
     Thinking of this first teaching experience made me think of my friend Sunny Thakral, an educator in Nepal and cofounder  of #INZPirED a chat on Friday evening. To quote Sunny, "Ignorance is never bliss".  He is so right! I guess that this is what ate at my heart back in 1984! Here were many children who were given the worst lot in life. They couldn't possibly go out and help themselves except for the basic instinct of "fight or flight".  Which they did well. They needed educators who believed in them as people. Educators who didn't care if they had supplies or not. Educators who will find a way.

       This brings me to all of the countries in the world who do not have adequate supplies or even basic nutrition in which to cultivate young minds. Can these children still learn? Can these children still be taught? Of course!

Technology is grand and I hear so many educators, including myself from time to time, whine when their technology is down. I love technology because it brings the outside world to the classroom. It makes learning fun! Is it absolutely necessary? Sorry, no! The outside worlds is grand if you have no materials.  You can use sticks or stones to count with, write in the dirt or dust, role-play, sing, dance, do anything thinkable to get children's minds away from their ghastly situation and on to learning. Just never do nothing!

So, back to those with austere classrooms, or no classrooms, I applaud you. I know that you are working harder than any educator in the world to give kids who seem to have no chance in life a chance to better themselves. A chance to know that even though their situations are bleak and perhaps people are dying around them everyday, that if they use their basic instinct of fight or flight perhaps they can too can make their lives better with education. If for just for a short time, they have positive memories from their educational experience and the educator's kindness, then they have something that will last a lifetime.

*The names and photographs used in this blog are not from the actual schools involved to protect all identities involved. The content however is true.

Keep Calm and Teach On

     Each school day buses pull up to 98, 817 public schools in the United States, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This does not include private schools. Let's think about the staggering number if children, parents, and teachers this number represents! Wow! Next question, what do you think that a parent or a student expects to happen in their school each day?  I can only speak from a parent perspective, but I expect that my child will enter school, be greeted by teachers and friends, be taught daily lessons, eat lunch, go to specials, possibly be assigned homework and then ride the bus home. Day after day, I sent my children to school with no worries. I had faith in their principal, their teachers, other school professionals, and their friends. Did all of their school days go smoothly? Of course not! In fact, we had days that I'd like to forget! However, in any of these days did I ever worry that my child would be yelled at or scolded by an adult working in the school system? My honest answer, "no".
      The word, "scold" comes from the middle 12th century. According to Dictionary.com, "A person who is constantly scolding often uses loud, abusive speech. It's to find fault, angrily, to chide or reprimand." This does not mean the adult is cursing at the child, it simply means the adult is using a loud tone often with demeaning words and/or gestures, such as the common pointing index finger!
     Did you know that discipline is actually suppose to be about education? According to Education.com, positive discipline is: 

Positive Discipline:

• is guiding and teaching;
• is done with a child;
• requires understanding, time, and patience;
• teaches problem solving and builds a positive self-image;
• develops long-term self-control and cooperation.

 According to James L. Hymes, Jr. an U.S. child development specialist, "Building a conscience is what discipline is all about. The goal is for a youngster to end up believing in decency, and acting whether anyone is watching or not--in helpful and kind and generous, thoughtful ways."
       Students perceive the yelling or scolding in various ways:
1)  Often the adult "yeller"becomes the victim when the student tries to regain control by becoming defiant which only increases all parties anger and chaos commences.  
2)  Some kids accept the fact that they didn't do what they were suppose to do and accept the scolding as a justified consequence.
3)  Some children just think that the adult is doing this because s/he doesn't like her/him.
4)  Some kids think, "This stinks but adults can yell, if they want to."

      The University of Pittsburgh found in a study that yelling and scolding:

1) Reinforced each other. In other words, the more the adult yells the more negative the behavior in the child becomes.
2) Yelling can cause depression in the children if it is used often.
3) All kids regardless of their home lives are equally in danger of the long term effects of being yelled at.
      Children who are scolded can psychologically have feelings of guilt, shame, humiliation, anxiety, stress, and indignance. If this is combined with a lack of positive feedback, the child may have difficulty forming positive friend or social relationships as they grow-up.   
     On-lookers or classmates may feel a negative impact as well. Have you ever been in a situation where someone is yelling and every muscle in your body cringes because you feel so small and helpless? This is how classmates may feel. This is not conducive to learning for anybody.
      Yelling or scolding can help temporarily but does not change the behavior. Why? The reason why is that "discipline " is to educate and yelling does not teach appropriate behavior. Plus even if the educator tried to teach acceptable behavior after scolding, the student has probably tuned him/her out!  Plus, think of yourself too, yelling is ugly! Do you really want the students to view you this way!

     So, to preserve the reputation and serenity of the entire class including yourself, remember, yelling should never be an option. Instead, create class rules and stick to them. Create a positive classroom behavior plan or a behavior modification plan. See mine at: http://mittaubs.blogspot.com/2014/11/a-win-win-reward-system.html Also, get to know each child in your classroom. Build positive relationships with each child. do all of these relationships come easy? Uh, no way! So many factors come into play such as the child's home life, if they are hungry or not, did the child get enough sleep, does the student feel inferior because s/he just can't grasp the school material, there can be hundreds of reasons why it will be hard to get to know every child in your classroom. My advice: Do it anyway! Will other adults and students frown because you have taken the "bad" kid under your wing? Yes! Ignore this, do what you have to do! Build an influential relationship with this child that makes him/her want to be respectful in class and participate in the learning activities. Oh, and the best part is, those that felt you were wrong for not yelling, may actually come back to you and say, "now I see why you did what you did!" 
   In a sense, you will be "shadow coaching" a new term I learned from my friend in New Zealand, Ritu Sehji.  Ritu Explains Shadow Coaching as an application of reflective and observational coaching that provides people opportunities to explore beyond the superficial into the core and making decisions that help people move forward. It goes beyond just supporting to problem solving. Read her blog @ http://linkis.com/ritusehji.wix.com/rXCci. 

Good-luck! 

Please Rate Me on My IEP's... My Roadmaps to Student Success!

      An Individual Education Plan better known as the IEP is a system, a dashboard if you will, for spelling out where the child is, where s/he should be headed, how s/he is going to get there, how long it will take, and how to tell when the child has arrived where s/he needs to be. The IEP is essentially a measure of accountability for teachers and schools. I like to think of it as a roadmap on how to address the important needs of each student.
      Every year, I get the memo: "Annuals", no matter what date and how many student dates are attached to it, I cringe and whine a little! I'm not sure why I whine because in writing an IEP, I actually become at peace. I cringe because they take me no less than four hours each to write and that's not counting all of the hours of monitoring, testing, gathering data, interviewing students, parents, and other school personnel. 
      So, I've begun the process of writing them for the 2015-2016 school year. I spent both Saturday and Sunday compiling all of my data and writing six IEP's. I should transform my thinking when writing IEP's because they actually do amazing things for the special education teacher writing them! 
       They invite me to take time out of my very busy day, and plan to test each student individually for several hours. What a gift! How often is a teacher allowed that one-on-one time with a student that allows them to really get to know them! I love testing my kids on a personal level because after working with them all year I know what they can do. So as they work their little heats out trying to their best, I sit their silently cheering for them in my head because I know what champions they are! Then the best part is, I get to compare last years scores to this years scores and see all of the progress we have made! Yes WE! Since opening day in September, we have been a team! I used this child's former IEP as a roadmap to plan out what this child needed to learn this year and it worked!!!! Trust me, the moment of knowing what we did as a team work really is as exciting as winning the superbowl or an academy award! It's on a smaller scale and the whole world doesn't know but it sure is equally as exciting! 
     When writing IEP's I take the time to think back on all of the lessons I've made and taught and how they've impacted each individual student! I see the progress that each child has made up close and personal! Until this point, I don't see all of the work that we've done this year! All of the planning! All of the doing!  and...All of the progress!! Trust me, this aha moment is amazing! It's my personal, secret prize, knowing that a job was well done.
    I love writing IEP's because in the hours it takes  to write them, that child unbeknownst to him or her becomes the complete focus of my attention, during those four hours, I think of no one else! Sometimes students don't make the progress that we have hoped, so throughout the year, I tweak my plans for this child and tweak them again and call the parents, and the guidance counselor, and the psychologist in trying to figure out what is going on that is making this child behave the way s/he is which is stopped him/her from making adequate progress. In writing this child's IEP, I put in extra thought to think about the child's skill level, personality, friends, homelife, growth changes, maturity level, and health. Then I write an IEP that I think may benefit this child for the following school year so that s/he makes positive academic gains. 
     This year in writing my IEP's, I had an epiphany of sorts! I realized that I know all twelve of my students very well. I know their favorite colors, their pets names, their favorite foods, their favorite school subjects. I know what's going to make them happy or angry. I know their hopes, dreams, and fears. I sometimes know what they are going to say or do before they do it! I know their reactions to various stimuli! Ask me a question about any of these kids, and I probably know the answer, right down to their favorite song , game, or sports team!
    So, why can't I be rated on their growth according to their IEP's? I use standardized testing to rate their progress in reading and math. I have portfolios of work from years past until now. I have kids in my room who could barely read when they first became my students who are now reading short novels fluently!
     In a sad sense the APPR rating seem laughable to me! 60% of my teacher evaluation comes from being observed twice by my supervisor, 20% comes from state tests, and 20% comes from my districts standardized testing. My first observation is announced. Let me just say, in special education with a mix of students with emotional disturbance, health issues, and intellectual delays, one never knows what a day may bring! Every moment of every day has the potential to change! I of course have a behavior program set in place in my classroom which helps, but it is certainly not a panacea for every situation. I can write the most perfect lesson plan in which all of the students are working, engaged if you will, and then, my one student who likes to upset others may whisper to the sensitive kid next to him, "I heard nobody likes you." Then that kid runs to the back of the room in a puddle on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, and talking incoherently,  while the other kid stands there with a smirk stating that he did or said nothing wrong"! Trust me, on a daily basis, I try to keep kids
 apart who may bother each other, and I stress the importance of respect and kindness, but even with many rules and behavior plans in place, it only takes a moment to unravel the best made plans. So, does this mean my observation is poor? Should I be rated ineffective?
    Then there are the state tests! Oh my! My kids are several years below grade level but they take the grade level state test. Hard as I try, I can't expect kids who can barely add and subtract to do linear equations and proportions! Do we practice all of the ELA and math standards, absolutely, but this does not mean we will do well on the state tests?  In my dreams, all of my kids do well on their state tests and on my district's standardized testing but in reality, my main goal is to keep their self-esteem high during  difficult testing situations!
    So....my epiphany was, please rate me on my IEP's and on my observations! I'm not really worried about my observations because I do take my time making lesson plans. I do take into account that Christopher might whisper something horrible into Michael's ear! I do have a response for that! So, if I'm observed and my IEP's are read and compared  to last years IEP's you will see that my students overall have made growth! You will see that I not only know my students, but I care about them too. You will see that sound lessons usually do keep kids meaningfully engaged. You will then know that I am a effective teacher, maybe even highly effective! IEP's work and so do the people who write them always with the best interests of their students in mind.

     

No Hungry Kid

   

In a perfect world, there would never be a child who goes to school hungry. In todays society, we constantly hear about "literacy", "Common Core", and "test scores". What about "hunger"? Perhaps combatting hunger should be our biggest concern when it comes to education. How can we expect children to do well learning, when they can only think about how hungry they are? However, this conversation is actually deeper than physical hunger, Children who regularly do not get enough to eat, combined with poverty, can lead to delayed brain development which then impacts a child's ability to learn. On top of this, children who experience chronic, hunger, do not get the right amount of vitamins and minerals which may stop them from attaining developmental milestones. They can also develop iron-deficiency anemia which can directly link to an inability to focus, retain material, and learn. Children who are hungry can be irritable which can lead to behavior problems and again a lack of being able to focus on good academic instruction. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 40% of households live below the poverty level. In many of these households children are affected by hunger.
    Schools try to do the right thing when it comes to hunger, but what is the right thing? Since 1966 most schools in America have had a breakfast program but even this doesn't stop hunger due to a multitude of other factors:

• First is the friend factor as soon as a child enters school his/her friends gather around and if they are not also eating breakfast then catching up with friends takes precedence over eating breakfast for this child.
• Next is peer pressure kids are not always kind. Sometimes those who need to go to the cafeteria to eat breakfast are teased by those who do not. Adults try to monitor teasing but the truth is, teasing can happen anytime during the day and since there are more students than adults, children always find the time and place to tease others. Sometimes kids say things that are not meant as teasing such as, "Why would you want to eat that stuff?" Nobody wants to admit that they are hungry so they choose not to eat rather than admit they had no food at home.
• Getting to school on time often interferes with a child eating a nutritious breakfast either in or out of school. First, for those who eat at home, there are always days when a child is running late and skips out the door without breakfast. Some kids just don't feel like eating when they first get up in the morning so they too leave home without eating.
• School rules altough developed with good intentions can also interfere with kids eating breakfast. Most schools do not allow food or drinks in the classroom. My school included! So sometimes students must wait as long as five hours until lunch! This is agonizing! I can attest to the point that the class period right before lunch is very difficult to keep students engaged!
• Medications, traditionally medications for ADHD make children lose their appetite. The medication allows for learning because the child can focus but may reduce the amount of nutrition the child receives throughout the day.

     So, what can teachers do?  We obviously can't stop poverty, hunger, or even high stakes testing, but we can help. I allow drinks and supply healthy snacks everyday to my students! Yes, admittedly I'm a rule breaker! I teach special education. I teach kids who many of them do take medication and many of them have difficult, impoverished home lives.  Do I allow these woes to be a crutch for them, absolutely not! They need to be responsible for their learning, engagement, and behavior just like everybody else! I am however human! I get thirsty and hungry and I have no excuses! So, I provide them with a nutritious snack everyday. Each day I place one nutritious snack on everybody's desk. Sometimes they are even provided with homemade snacks like banana bread, or apple crisp! They are allowed to bring in a drink as long as it is not soda or an energy drink.  If they do not have a drink, I give them a cup to get water from the water fountain. They can eat their snacks when ever they want to as long as it doesn't interfere with their classwork. Honestly, their snacks basically go unnoticed because they all have one! It's fair!
   Not all teacher's have the luxury of having the same students all day. My suggestion: Keep a stash of healthy snacks in your classroom that are quick to eat and low in sodium and sugar. Your students will feel energized and refocused.
    Staying in touch with parents is important too. Ask parents to not give their children their medications until after they have eaten breakfast if their medication decreases their appetite. Often, students who do eat free and reduced breakfast can set up an arrangement with the school nurse to take their  medication after breakfast in his/her office. Also,  for parents who are having financial difficulties and have trouble feeding their family tell them about school polices on free and reduced breakfasts and lunches and community programs such as food pantries and soup kitchens. Parents want to do what's best for their children.
     In today's society, educators wear many hats. During the school days our students are our responsibility and what ever we can do to help them become intelligent, informed, productive citizens is what we must do. Please go to www.nohungrykid.org to see what you can do.

Just in!!!

Two Hour Delay - Tuesday, February 24, Due to Inclement Weather
No AM Pre-K
No Breakfast Served....breaks my heart. Sorry kids, due to the weather, you may not have  
                                  breakfast! 

Love For Twelve Amazing Students in The Not Perfect Hat Club

      Where to begin! I think, I'll begin with love because in this story, there is just so much love to talk about. Besides, February is the month of love so I think this is an appropriate theme for today's blog.  
      Love...I love all kids...this along with a few other things brought me into the world of Special Education.  I can honestly say that I have never taught a child that did not end up in my heart forever! I remember them all. One of my least favorite words is "goodbye" because eventually, I have to say "goodbye" to all of them. This is as is should be, it's a part of the master plan in education to build a strong, self-sufficient person with many skills to pave his/her own way in life. Children build their knowledge base from many diverse educational leaders called, teachers! Teachers share a partnership to educate each child.
     So, like Oliver in the Broadway Musical, I think I was looking for love, not for me, but for my twelve, outstanding students and other kids who deserve to feel good about themselves (incidentally this is all children). I've talked a lot about this lot of very diverse kids who are passionate about learning. They are not all passionate about academics per se, they each have their own identity and ideals about things.  I simply wanted everyone to know that my kids are champions!
     About a month ago, January 4th, to be exact, I received an invitation from Jena Ball the co-founder of the "Not Perfect Hat Club"  www.NotPerfectHatClub.com., inviting me, my students, and our aides to help make the Not Perfect Hat Club a reality and bring it to classrooms around the world. I talked to my students and my Principal and it was a resounding, "yes."
     Next, I talked to the brilliant tech team at WCSD: Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Bennett, Mr. Millett, Mr. Koebel, and Mr. Leipfert. They did not hesitate to add Skype and a sound system to my classroom. They checked it once, then twice, then thrice! Mr. Millett even came in early on the morning of our Skype meetings to make sure that we had no glitches! 

Mr. Koebel Checking our Technology System

    We hit the ground running with Jena Ball and never looked back! The past month is truly a whirlwind! The obstacle was, how can our tiny class in a small, rural community help to raise funds for a big, global project?  As we do in science class using the scientific method, we came up with a hypothesis! What if we, make "not perfect hats", sell them, and then host a "Not-Perfect Hat Day" at our school?" Alas, we had a plan! 
     Mrs. Aubin (that's me) designed the hat and consulted with a couple of seamstresses (Named Aunt Linda and Barb).  Mrs. Faryniraz our classroom aide knows how to use a sewing machine! So, we borrowed a sewing machine from Miss Badger, the art/home economics teacher. Mrs. Aubin bought fabric and supplies, Mrs. Faryniraz, Mrs. Ross our CSE secretary, Mrs. Bigelow our janitor, and Mrs. Gonyea a classroom aide all donated fabric. Then we taught our twelve children how to measure, cut, and sew hats! The final step was snipping the edges for a "top-notch" and tying it off! We discovered that sewing is not only fun but relaxing too! 


     

Sewing, then Snipping the fringe for the top notch!

      Finally, the big day was here! It was January 20th! Ms. Jenaia came. We sat fully engaged with our newly made not perfect hats on. We intently listened to Ms. Jenaia read chapter one from the book she is still in the process of writing, oddly enough named, "The Not Perfect Hat Club." We loved it! We can't wait until Ms. Jenaia finishes writing the novel so that we can hear all about what happens to Jabber, Rylee, Carl, and of course our canine friend Newton!

     Next, Ms. Jenaia taught us how to draw Newton just like she does! We paid very close attention! How often does a class have a chance to meet a real author and illustrator right in their very classroom! This was so amazing, Ms. Jenaia came to us! Ms. Jenaia was all the way in North Carolina and here we were in Whitehall, New York. We will have to ask Ms. Janaia if she has ever been to Whitehall, other than on Skype!  We decided that we'd rather go to North Carolina where it is a little bit warmer than our recent near zero or below temperatures.



     We found it amazing that we could actually learn how to draw Newton even though Ms. Jenaia was not actually right in the room with us. Ms. Jenaia explains and shows drawing very well. She is patient and clearly answers everyone's questions. She was able to show us what to do right on the Smart board with Skype. We had never done this before!

     I'm not one to brag, but my students did an incredible job. They focused very closely. They did not want to miss a step. They wanted their  drawings of Newton to be precise! You could have heard a pin drop in the classroom.  Maybe it's Ms. Jenaia's special way of making every person she comes into contact with feel like they are the most important person ever. Miss Jenaia doesn't only have a gift for writing, and illustrating, but she has a gift with people too. Below are some of the Ms. Jenaia inspired drawings of Newton, that my students did:

Many Newton's from Mrs. Aubin's Kids.

   
         Two days later Miss Jenaia came back through Skype again! This time we were super excited! Can you believe that
 Ms. Jenaia wants us to teach her how to make hats?  Since their are twelve students into our class, I used task analysis to break the task of making hats into twelve steps. Each student had a turn teaching Ms. Jenaia how to make a hat! The students helped each other out as needed.

      

     Ms. Janaia was a real sport! She followed our directions just as good as we followed hers when she taught us how to draw Newton. She measured as we showed her how, she cut with our specific cutting directions. She snipped, and tucked, and tied; never missing a beat! Ms. Jenaia's hat came out great! We had no idea, until today what great teachers we are! We love teaching others!

Doesn't Ms. Jenaia look great?

      Our last task to do today was to learn how to make flyers for our hat day! We are so pumped! On February 9th, we are going to begin a week long hat week! We are going to sell hats everyday during lunch for $3.00 each! Then on Friday, it's NOT PERFECT HAT DAY!!!! Every one in school is allowed to wear any hat for $1.00 all day! Teachers are allowed to wear has too! Every one who pays $1.00 will get a really cool sticker to put on their hat. Ms. Jena sent us a whole bunch! She is just so thoughtful!

     Best of all, we are also hold the first annual NOT PERFECT HAT DAY CONTEST!!!  we have four categories: best hat, most colorful hat, best theme, and most not perfect hat! Ms. Jenaia helped us think up the prize categories!  Thank you Ms. Jenaia!
   Our joy does not end here! You see for six days we get to go to the front office to announce our "Not Perfect Week" Kayla was brave and went first! I, Mrs. Aubin held auditions. Everyday someone different gets to do the announcements! On Friday the 13th (our lucky day) Ms. Mc Hugh, our principal is holding an assembly so that we can announce our "Not Perfect Hat Day", Prize winners! I promise to get really fun prizes for the newest event at Whitehall Jr. Sr, High School.
        It is my hope that other schools and classes follow Ms. Jena's amazing group, "The Not Perfect Hat Club." I and my students found love the day we met Ms.  Jena. Ms. Jena shows compassion for all people and all critters. She doesn't hide ever as the song "Oliver" suggests. Ms. Jena is ever present and answers every question. There is never a non-solution but there is always a way! 
     Ms. Jena's love is global and we are very proud that she has included twelve students, three aides, and one teacher, from rural Whitehall, New York into her "Not Perfect Hat Club", but more importantly into her heart! We love you Ms. Jena and Ms. Jenaia!

P.S. Please click on the Bammy Awrd badge to vote for me under "special needs staff"...Thank you!
     

The Not Perfect Hat Club Goes Global

     As educators we live in a very special time. Since the onset of the internet about twenty years ago, we can collaborate with teachers and those who have the latest advances in educational ideas from around the globe! It amazes me that by a few clicks on Twitter, I can meet up with educators from around the world that are as passionate about teaching as I am! I have learned ideas on how to enhance student learning from educators as far away as: Australia, Hong Kong, Germany, the Philippines, New Zealand, Canada, Nepal, Mumbai, India, and closer to home right here in the United States!

    You see, I had known with my whole heart that I had to become a special education teacher! I am fairly positive that I was born to have this career! Way back in 1961 (forget the year) I was born over two months early. On my third day, my heart stopped and I stopped breathing. A miracle brought me back. I stayed in the hospital for a long time. My parents had little hope that I'd ever be "normal" given the combination of my prematurity and the lack of oxygen to my brain. I beat the odds! I hit every milestone on time, did well in school, and was accepted into college. From the beginning of my time, special education was my passion!
    My mission has always been to give back! I want to give to those who were not as lucky as me. Every child deserves a champion. Every child deserves someone who believes in him/her even when the odds are against him/ her. Success comes in different forms for different people. Success for me is getting the word out that education is special for all children.

Deb Aubin Wearing a hat!

   This leads me to four amazing people whom I have met on my journey to promoting education. They are: Jena Ball,  Marty Keltz, Karin Lippert, and Nick Brierley. Last August, I decided that my amazing students needed a voice, and I would be that voice! So I discovered Twitter, which led to a blog, which led to a webpage, which led to Jena, Marty, Karin, Nick, and many others whom I adore! 

Jena Ball 

Marty Keltz

Karin Lippert

      Since my students are special education students, they often feel less than perfect. They aren't the best readers, writers, test takers, athletes,...etc. But...if you ask me, they are the best students! They work so hard! Talk about diligence, they never give up! We cherish the small improvements and watch them grow into bigger advances!  My students want to learn! They amaze me every day! Jena Ball and Marty Keltz came into our lives at just the right time. They are partners in the Not Perfect Hat Club. Miss Jena is an author and illustrator who visits classrooms and teaches kids that perfection is not an option, and that is perfectly okay! My kids needed a lift, and in came Jena and Marty with their optimistic, everyone is okay attitudes!  Wow! Talkabout a perfect match!
    Miss Jena created the Not Perfect Hat Club, after visiting schools with her CritterKin book Series and hearing kids say negative things about themselves and their work. She decided that it was clear that she needed to find a way to help kids set aside their judgements and trust themselves and their work. Thus, the Not Perfect Hat Club was born! Just wait until; they hear that Karin Lippert, publicist for the Not Perfect Hat Club mentioned us on a touchcast newscast!
       Being launched in conjunction with The Global Classroom Project,* The Not Perfect Hat Club is both an illustrated children's book and a project based learning initiative being shared with kids around the world. Jena is not only writing and illustrating the book, but developing creative activities and tools that will allow parents, teachers and kids to share their "Not Perfect" experiences with others. A global initiative dedicated to helping teachers and students connect with and learn from one another. Through Jena and Marty, I have met amazing educators from all over the world who like me are teaching academics combined with empathy, compassion, and mutual respect for everyone. One of these amazing educators is Nick Brierley.  He is a part of The #Aussieed Team. Check their blog out at: http://www.aussieed.com.  I am proud to be a part of the global Not Perfect Hat Club which includes my educator friends across the ocean in Australia. I know that the kid inside this educator has found the perfect place to hang my hat in the global Not Perfect Hat Club!

Nick Brierley #aussieEd

     

Teaching with Heart A Place for Every Kid to Hang A Hat

     Have you ever known with your whole heart that you had to do something? Something that maybe everyone else in your world is telling you not to do, that it is too challenging for you or too risky?  Yet, your heart kept telling you that you just had to give this new thing a try. This for me was special education. I had been groomed to be a nurse, but my heart told me that there were kids in schools who needed me. I went with my heart. I don't tell this story often, but I was born over two months early way back in 1961! On my third day of life my heart stopped beating and a miracle brought me back. My parents had little hope of me ever being "normal" due to the combination of my prematurity and the lack of oxygen to my tender brain. I was in  the hospital for a very long time. I however never lived a day of suffering due to my not so gentle entrance into the world. I hit every milestone on time. I did well in school. I was accepted into college, and I chose the field that everyone told me not to: Special Education. My question to all of my doubters, was how could I not help children who were not as fortunate as me? If I had not beat the odds, I would hope that someone who genuinely cared would be my champion and teach me how to navigate in the world as much as possible. I just had to be this person for the countless number of children who need extra support and specially created lessons to learn.

   Two years ago, I made another life change and went from being a resource room teacher to a self-contained classroom teacher. My work load more than doubled I'd say! I was now responsible to teach English, math, social studies, science, reading, and life skills to twelve very diverse children all on different levels . I planned all summer long and carefully read their IEP's. I wanted to do right by these children. I differentiated their lessons. I planned for every second of the day. I created a behavior /task oriented program to keep everyone focused and engaged. I made sure that the children came first and in this equation that every child felt as if s/he was the star. 

    I created a room of mutual respect. I wanted each child treated with kindness and understanding. We of course have our scuffles but in every set back is a lesson to be learned, a coping strategy to be created, and from this comes growth. In my classroom I take the good with the bad and cherish each child everyday regardless if it was a positive day for the child or not. Sometimes a unproductive day is a stepping stone to the next stage of growth, the next insight, and understanding after a long reflection. There is good in everyone and in every situation even when you can't see it from the onset. I am so thankful that I took on the challenge of these twelve amazing children. I am in year two with them. We have become a family. We are a family who sometimes disagree but in the end, we are there for each other. We matter. We know that every day, no matter what kind of day it is that each of us has  a place to hang our hat.

      This brings me to a wonderful lady named Jena Ball who came into my life and the lives of my students at just the right moment.  Since my students are special education students they often feel less than perfect. They aren't the best readers, or test takers, or the best in sports, chorus or drama. The thing they are best at is diligence. They never give up! They work so hard everyday! They are inquisitive and they want to learn! They simply amaze me! They are at a point though, that they needed a lift.  They need someone to tell them that they are doing good and they need not to compete against each other to be "top dog".  They need some one to tell them that it's okay to be one of a kind and do things in their own way and in their own time. Then unexpectedly, Miss Jena and her business partner Marty Keltz walk into our lives! Wow! Miss Jena's Not Perfect Hat Club, teaches kids that perfection is not an option and that is perfectly okay. Miss Jena is an author and illustrator who writes the CritterKin Tales.  Miss Jena visited many schools with her CritterKins and heard students repeatedly saying negative things about themselves and their work. She decided that it was clear that she needed to find a way to help kids set aside their judgements and trust themselves in their work. Thus, the Not Perfect Hat Club was born! 

      Being launched in conjunction with The Global Classroom Project,* The Not Perfect Hat Club is both an illustrated children's book and a project based learning initiative being shared with kids around the world. Jena is not only writing and illustrating the book, but developing creative activities and tools that will allow parents, teachers and kids to share their "Not Perfect" experiences with others. A global initiative dedicated to helping teachers and students connect with and learn from one another. Through Jena and Marty, I have met amazing educators from all over the world who like me are teaching academics combined with empathy, compassion, and mutual respect for everyone.

     As we wait for Miss Jena's Skype visit next week, we discuss all of the wonderful ways that we are perfectly not perfect and we celebrate this process! Today we wrote paragraphs and colored hats for our bulletin board. 

     Ironically, Out of twelve students, I have two who don't feel perfect enough for Miss Jena's visit. They are concerned about Skype being live and that they will be less than perfect for her visit.  Since Miss Jena leads with her heart I am not worried. With gentle encouragement these two students will be successful. Miss Jena and our Not Perfect Hat Club will work magic and show these two young men that there is nothing to fear. They will gain confidence from this experience and will take home a memory of a day that they were worried but had success just from being themselves. What a powerful message. 
     I now know with my whole heart that special education was my calling and meeting Miss Jena and being able to share her heart and wisdom with my students was just met to be. I will write again to share all about our visit with Miss Jena and to share our bulletin board filled with Not Perfect Hat Club members who have been touched by Miss Jena's wisdom.

     If you'd like to know more about the place where every child can hang a hat, The Not Perfect Hat Club Global Project, you can find Jena at:

Follow Jena on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/JenaiaMorane  you will be so glad that you did!