Life Skills are Beneficial

   

      Way back in 1983, I had the privilege of  beginning my career in special education at the Devereux Foundation. The teens that I taught lived and learned in a residential setting. They were dually diagnosed as intellectually challenged and emotionally disturbed. My job was to teach them "functional academics". I taught them money, time, reading, community signs, letter writing, grocery shopping, how to use a laundromat and vending machines. My students learned how to read and order from a menu. They learned how to read a grocery circular and how to subtract coupons from their total bill. They learned how to write checks and balance a checkbook. My friend and co-worker, Miss Angie, taught them "home economics" which included reading recipes and cooking. Miss Angie's students learned how to measure with cups and spoons. The students learned how to do laundry and how to fold it. Miss Angie taught the students how to clean their home. She taught them personal hygiene too. Every Tuesday and Friday Miss Angie and I would take a small group of students out into the community to places like the post office, grocery store, laundromat, different types of restaurants, and different types of shopping establishments. We always worked on proper social skills and good manners. Miss Angie and I were preparing our students for adult life. In our small school , where our twenty-eight students switched classes, we also had a workshop teacher, woodworking teacher, an art teacher, and a physical education teacher. After leaving The Devereux Foundation, many of the students went on to live in group homes. They needed skills to live as independently as possible.
   I think that "Life skills are valuable skills for most students not just special needs students.  The first phone call that I received from my daughter at college was her worrying that she'd ruin her clothes in the public washing machine and dryer! With common core and higher stakes testing students don't have the time to learn all of these essential life skills during a rich academic school day. Families are busy and while most do teach their children essential skills and behaviors for life, students still may benefit from at least an elective course that prepares them for real world living.  I currently teach one life skills class every day. In many ways this is the most valuable course that I teach.

Daily Parent Links:
Life Lessons for Kids and Teens: 5 Skills Every Child Needs to Learn
http://www.empoweringparents.com/life-lessons-for-kids-five-skills-every-child-and-teen-needs-to-learn.php?gui=5753


Daily Educator Link:
Daily Living and Cooking Activities
http://home.centurytel.net/mrs_browns_classroom/


Children's Book Review:

     Tonight's book review pick, is:  The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars, adapted by: Jean Merrill.  When my oldest daughter, Kirsten, was young, she was the caterpillar girl! She loved nature and animals and anything to do with either of these! She was an early and voracious reader so I was always searching for books to sooth her precocious soul! 
      This Japanese tale was thought to have been written in the twelfth century during the Heian period.  The original author is unknown the original story was found on a scroll. It's a story of a young, Japanese girl who loved caterpillars. It's a rich story set in ancient Japan during the time of the Emperor's court in Kyoto. This is not a book for every child, but for those who enjoy a sense of culture combined with the depth of long ago, it is a nice story. It may also make a nice accompaniment to a world history or literature lesson.
    The illustrations painted by Floyd Cooper, are done in soft-oil. They give the book a more cultural sense of long ago.

Respect and Security Create Success for Students

     I have always said that I love my career choice because I meet some of the most amazing people. Today I met "Docbob" on Twitter and found the above quote on his page. I so agree with David A. Sousa. I have long had the belief that students need to feel safe in their environment in order to give their brain the freedom to process new information. 
     Each year I face a new group of students. I teach in a 7th and 8th grade self-contained, special education classroom. My students have for various reasons, not always had success in school. Sometimes they come from impoverished families and broken homes.  Many have been ridiculed both by peers and adults in their life.  I stand before them, a new adult. There is always a "honeymoon" period where we all just study each other. Trust takes time and consistency. Trust is earned. Trust doesn't come easy. My motto:" firm and fair", yet not really. I guess my motto really is, "consistent and fair." I have a little over six hours a day to nurture and guide these students. I expect a lot. My students work hard every day. Respect is expected. I respect them, I expect them to respect me, their teacher aides, other adults in our school, their peers and above all themselves.  
     While with me, I want my students to be comfortable. I give them snacks and allow drinks in the room. It's difficult to concentrate if you're hungry or thirsty. So we take a little time to eat. Again, it's about feeling comfortable.  
    My classroom is a safe haven. Bullying and name calling are not allowed. We all accept each other for who we are with our wonderfully, unique differences. Our focus each day is our school work. My students know that they are cared for. They know that we will face our challenges head on and figure out a way to approach them. I care about my students success. I also care about them as people. My students feel physically safe and emotionally secure while in our classroom; therefore they are emotionally available to work hard and that in itself is success. 

Daily Parent and Educator Links:
No, Actually It's Not Okay for My Son to Lick You
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-eicher/no-actually-its-not-ok-for-my-son-to-lick-you_b_5793968.html

Focus on Poverty: Education Isn't a Magic Bullet
http://m.scidev.net/global/education/analysis-blog/poverty-education-magic-bullet.html

"Addressed to Him Who Stares at His First Birthday candle." Today in 1929.
https://twitter.com/amhistorymuseum/status/511142612477022208/photo/1


Daily Book Review:
     Lincoln's Last Days by Bill O'Reilly.  Bill O'Reilly at his best. Lincoln's Last Days, is adapted from Bill O'reilly's best selling novel, Killing Lincoln.  The adaptation is for young adult readers. This book will capture young minds giving them accurate information about the killing of Abraham Lincoln. 

Education is Special: A Fundamental Right

Education is Special: A Fundamental Right:

          People with disabilities have the same fundamental right to live and participate in this world as much as the non-disabled.  ...

A Fundamental Right

   

      People with disabilities have the same fundamental right to live and participate in this world as much as the non-disabled.  This does not mean that they should be given special treatment because of their disability. It simply means that if a disabled person is able to carry out activities in the home, school, community, and in the workplace with or without reasonable accommodations and/or modifications then they should be allowed to do so. Merit should always go to the best qualified candidate. 

   Savvy special educators take the time to get to know each of their students. When it comes to educating them, they take into account the whole child. Aside from academic and physical needs an astute special educator will take into consideration each students need to have skill in self-determination and self-advocacy.
     Self-determination is a person's individual characteristics that lead them to make choices and decisions based on their own personal likes and preferences.  Self-determination also helps the individual to become goal oriented and to self-regulate their own actions related to this goal. In many cases the more a person wants something, the more he/she will work toward this goal regardless of a disability. Special educators  help students attain realistic goals. Many times these goals allow students to reach for their dream. Have you ever noticed that uninhibited, little children always reach for their dreams blurting out things like, "I'm going to be a fireman, or a princess, or an astronaut"?  How many parents run out to stores to get them toys and dress-up clothes to help them play out their dream! It is my belief that dreams can become a reality with the right support and guidance. Sometimes as a child grows-up dreams need to be tweaked or changed but every child has the fundamental right to participate fully in every aspect of life and reach for their own personal dreams.
   Self-advocacy is one of the best skills that a parent or educator can equip a child with. A child that has the courage to speak up for himself will be heard. When I hold (IEP) Individual Education Plan meetings, I always invite the student. I tell the student, "This is your education. You deserve the right to say what you want and to ask for what you need." One of my all time favorite IEP meetings was for a young teen with asperger's syndrome. The student wanted it written in his IEP that he could chew gum during tests and quizzes because it helped him to concentrate. A small request that made a big difference to him. This was added as an accommodation in his IEP. Gum was always on hand for this child during tests and quizzes and therefore this child was able to sail right through them. It was a seemingly insignificant adjustment that made a huge difference for this student.
     In this great world filled with opportunity after opportunity those with and without disability are all on equal playing fields when it comes to the fundamental right of living a complete life at home, in school, in the community, and in the workplace. 

Parent and Educator Links:
Educational games:     www.digipuzzle.net

11 Sample Education BYOT Polices to Help You Create Your Own:
http://www.teachthought.com/technology/11-sample-education-byot-policies-to-help-you-create-your-own

   
   
Daily Book review:
The Princess Fables written by Marc Clark. I first met author Marc Clark on Twitter. I instantly fell in love with the idea behind his book, The Princess Fables.  So I ordered it. I have not been disappointed with my purchase. In fact, I love The Princess Fables!  Marc Clark wrote eleven inspirational stories for girls who dream of becoming a princess. Each princess finds herself on a journey of self-discovery. Each princess learns true values along her journey. I love that these stories were inspired by Marc's daughter. Since my daughters are grown, I plan on using The Princess Fables with my special education students who dream big and sometimes need a lot of encouragement to get over everyday challenges. The Princess Fables will help guide me as I give my students the gift of self-determination. As I told Marc, I still do dream of becoming a princess and I dream that all of my students will achieve their highest aspirations too, so this book is perfect for me and the princesses in my classroom!  

PS. Incidentally, I also love the delicate pen and ink drawings by illustrator Eric Hosford.  The classic look of 19th century fairy tales makes The Princess Fables a real treasure.

Where were you on 9/11?

 

      Where were you on that ominous day thirteen years ago? The day so momentous that now when people hear 9/11 they instantly know where they were or weren't because some, like my current students weren't even born yet. Still without hesitation, my students can tell me exactly what 9/11 is. They also instinctively know that this is the day that the United States of America stood still and changed forever. Millions of us stared blankly at our television sets in disbelieve that such a heinous act could have occurred. I was one of them. I was a young mother with two beautiful daughters who were safely spending their day in our neighborhood elementary school. I was waiting for my very good friend to pick me up to go out for breakfast. She too was a young mother with two beautiful daughters in the same neighborhood elementary school. My phone rang. It was my friend. She said, "Turn on your television." I did, just as a plane went into the second Twin Tower. I literally couldn't absorb what I was looking at. Nobody yet understood what was happening. My friend and I didn't know what to do, so we kept our plans and went out to breakfast. We didn't understand. We were numb. I'll never forget the eerie car ride. Well travelled, main roads that were normally filled with cars,  were today practically empty. Life seemed hollow. We learned that our daughters were safe in school but were in lock-down, which meant that no one could go into or out of the school. We went home, each to our own homes and waited. We waited and prayed. We prayed that our own children would remain safe. We prayed that everyone's missing loved one would be found safe. We prayed that no one died, even though we knew they did. We prayed for the families who had loved ones who died. We prayed for all of the brave firefighters, policemen, and rescue workers that they would not be harmed.  We still pray, because even if you didn't know someone who was influenced personally by 9/11/01, you were still affected even if you weren't born yet.
     Thirteen years ago today, life changed forever in the United States of America. I think that we all became a little less trusting and more suspicious of strangers. I think though, that too our hearts grew too. Our hearts grew to help grieve for those who were suffering. Our hearts grew because we knew that our children's lives would not be quite as innocent as they had been only yesterday. Our history books grew too because a new chapter was started that day. This chapter is still being written. People are still suffering. We still pray.  We pray for all of the brave men and women who have kept us safe during the war on terrorism. I pray for a happy ending in this chapter but fear that this may not happen.
     So, where were you? Where are you now? What does your heart tell you? What do you tell your children or students about 9/11/01? In my daily links, I've included educator and/or parent resources on 9/11 to help explain this fateful day to children. Today I pray for love, peace, and tolerance. 

Educator and Parent Links:
9/11 Memorial.org
http://www.911memorial.org/teach-learn

Resources to Help Teachers Explain 9/11
http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/09/10/resources-teachers-911/

911 Materials for Teachers
http://www.ed.gov/911anniversary

Daily Book Review:
     Today I am reviewing one of the most endearing books I've ever read, Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People, and War. I chose this book because 
the author, Yukio Tsuchiya so truthfully tells the story of how war touched the Ueno Zoo in Japan during WWII. I cannot read this story without tearing up. Faithful Elephants, explains why and how three elephants, who were so deeply cared for, at the Ueno Zoo died.Yukio Tsuchiya wrote this book to let children know how deeply war touches everyone, even innocent animals. His hope is that through stories like his, world peace may be achieved. I hope so too.

Scary Textbooks...Nah!

     I believe that sometimes it's important to look at things through the eyes of a student.  In elementary school most school books are full of pictures that

students can acquaint themselves with by thumbing through the pages and looking at the pictures. By middle school however, textbooks change. They are no longer filled with pictures and large text. Instead they are replaced with textbooks so large that only a couple at a time can fit easily into a backpack. They are heavy, the print is small, there is a glossary, index, graphs, charts, diagrams, maps, and sidebars! This new, middle school textbook can be very scary. Personally, I never want a student to fear any part of school! So to avoid fear and possible avoidance of the text book, I do text feature walks to familiarize my students with their textbooks. When understood, textbooks can become a valuable resource for students and very possibly their strongest ally, aside from their teacher, to success in the course. 
     A text feature walk introduces students to all of the features their textbook has to offer them to help them interpret the information that they will be studying in the given course. They learn how to read expository text which simply put is informational text. Doing a text feature walk, helps students to link prior knowledge to new terms,to make meaningful connections, and to glean a purpose for reading the informational (expository) text. In the beginning of each school year when my 7th and 8th grade students come back to my classroom with their cumbersome and overwhelming American history textbooks the first thing we do is "dissect" them. We thoroughly look through them from cover to cover. When a text feature walk is done correctly, it can be a very powerful tool for the student. This in turn helps the student become more successful in the course. I scaffold the text structure walk by guiding the students a little bit each day with clear directions. I allow the students to work in pairs. When everyone is finished with their guided text feature walk we discuss them. Below is an example of "day one" of a guided text feature walk:

  Typical text features that should be examined and discussed are: the title, table of contents, the index, the glossary, headings and/or subtitles, sidebars, pictures and/or captions, labeled diagrams, charts and graphs, maps, cutaways and cross sections, and inset photographs.
   Students benefit from a text feature walk because they explicitly learn what the purpose of each section of their textbook is which will be invaluable to them as they navigate their way through the course and textbook. They see their textbook not only as a learning tool but a resource as well. So, are textbooks scary? Nah!

Daily Educator Link:
All that Teachers Need to Know about Remind (101)
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/09/all-that-teachers-need-to-know-about.html

Daily Parent Link:
As Kids Settle Into the School year, the Need for #Accommodations Begins to become Apparent. Your Guide to get them.  12 Steps to Smarter Accommodations:
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd-ld-school-accommodations.html

Children's Book Review:
   Today's book review choice is: Tale of A Tadpole, written by Barbara Ann Porte. It was a book I once purchased for my daughter, Rachel when she had a pet frog she named "Cinnamon". I wanted Rachel to know the journey a frog had taken from tadpole to becoming a frog! the Tale of a Tadpole, follows the growth of a tadpole named fred owned by a little girl much like Rachel, named Francine. It's a very sweet story of a very beautiful journey.

The Value of Graphic Novels

      

      Imagine, that you have taken a foreign language class for only one year when your teacher hands you a novel in this new language and expects you to read it both aloud, and at home for homework. Plus, your teacher expects you to keep a journal on it in your new language, as well as discuss it in class groups, and take tests on it! This is what reading is like for countless numbers of children who have learning disabilities, dyslexia, or a multitude of other academic challenges. Children with out any academic challenges also disengage because today's youth are living in a hyper-visual culture where pictures and graphics speak volumes to them.  In the end the student may comprehend parts of the novel words and pictures here and there but the overall reading experience will be laborious, frustrating, and confusing.
      What are graphic novels, you ask?  First, lets be clear, graphic novels are not comic books! Comic books are periodicals. Comic books are printed on a monthly basis and the storyline continues from one edition to the next. Graphic novels on the other hand, are full length books. The commonality between comic books and graphic novels are the illustrations and presentation of the written word. Graphic novels dive deeply into the plot and character development. Like  novels, graphic novels tell the whole story from beginning to end. 
     As a special educator and literacy specialist, graphic novels get my seal of approval. Last year, the sixth graders in my school district read the novel, The Lightening Thief, written by Rick Riordan. Students with reading disabilities read it along side of their peers confidently in English class.  They were confident because in their resource room, they read, The Lightening Thief  by Rick Riordan's graphic novel. The graphic novel gave these children peace of mind because the text was less cumbersome yet provided them with the same storyline, plot, and characters as the full-length novel. Using a combination of texts made reading comprehension more explicit for these learners. They were able to delve deep into the context of the novel with out frustration. Using a visual learning approach added the needed diversity that these students needed to move ahead and to become engaged. So, graphic novels no longer need to be an underground commodity. They can also be used as a very appropriate learning tool in reading comprehension.

Daily Parent Links:
Why Older Kids and Adults Need Picture Books and Graphic Novels
http://trevorcairney.blogspot.com/2014/09/why-older-kids-adults-need-picture.html



Daily Educator Links:
Using Graphic Novels in the ELT Classroom
http://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/2014/01/using-graphic-novels-in-the-elt-classroom/

Third Grade Math Routines (That can be adapted for other grades-good teaching)
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/third-grade-math-routines


Book Review:
     Today's book review is on a graphic novel written by Rave Mehta, titled The Inventor, The Story of Tesla.  It is a nonfiction graphic novel based on the true story of Nikola Tesla while he competed with his mentor who became his rival, Thomas Edison.  Tesla lived in a time during the Industrial revolution when inventors were known as wizards and corporations were thought of as kingdoms.  J.P. Morgan, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Marconi, Westinghouse,Henry Ford, and Nikola Tessla to name a few, were the supreme wizards in the world of inventions. Tesla went up against the big wigs of industry and forever changed the world with his mind, drive, passion, and want for a better human existence. He catalyzed the second electrical revolution. He was left penniless by allowing others to build their fortunes off of his inventions. Until Rave Mehta brought him back, Nikola Tesla was all but forgotten. 
     Rave Mehta uses a visual learning approach to engage the hyper-visual culture in today's society. He gives Nikola Tesla an edgy steam-punk look to draw in readers. Mehta hopes to light the fire in students to get them interested in STEM learning. It is my hope, that Mehta continues with the Inventors Series to bring more inventors into the limelight. 

"I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success... such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything."~Nikola Tessla
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/nikolatesl127569.html#4BdQ2XiqlosEIiM5.99