Category Archives: Professional Learning

Mindfulness and Arts Education: A Path to Healing and Expression for Trauma-Affected Students in the Post-COVID Era

Instruction, Professional Learning, Research, , , , ,

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on our world, impacting individuals and communities in profound ways. Beyond the physical health concerns, the pandemic has also exacerbated mental health issues, particularly among children and adolescents, many of whom have experienced trauma and loss. As educators and arts professionals, we face the challenge of supporting these students and creating nurturing environments that foster healing, resilience, and self-expression.

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One of my art students creates artwork that delves into the theme of overcoming trauma and examines the concept of taking charge of one’s destiny. This work was produced in the year 2020; Photo credit: Melissa Williams.
A student creates a powerful artwork that delves into the theme of overcoming trauma and learning to love oneself, even in the face of challenging life experiences. This thought-provoking piece serves as a testament to resilience and self-discovery. It was produced in the year 2020. Photo credit: Melissa Williams.

In my own teaching experience and work as the founder of a nonprofit performing arts organization, I have witnessed the transformative power of mindfulness practices and arts education in supporting students who have been through trauma. Mindfulness, the practice of non-judgmental awareness of the present moment, offers a range of benefits for these individuals, including:

  • Reduced stress and anxiety: Mindfulness cultivates a sense of calm and inner peace, helping students manage the overwhelming emotions that often accompany trauma.
  • Improved emotional regulation: Mindfulness teaches students to observe and accept their emotions without getting caught up in them, enabling them to respond more effectively to challenging situations.
  • Enhanced self-awareness: Mindfulness fosters a deeper understanding of one’s thoughts, feelings, and sensations, empowering students to make conscious choices about their reactions and behaviors.
  • Increased empathy and compassion: Mindfulness cultivates a sense of connectedness with others, enabling students to develop empathy and compassion for themselves and others.

Arts education, on the other hand, provides a unique platform for trauma-affected students to express their emotions, explore their experiences, and develop coping mechanisms. Through various art forms, such as visual arts, music, dance, and creative writing, students can:

Crafting art with mindfulness at the street art festival, where creativity meets tranquility, and every brushstroke becomes a mindful journey of self-expression. Photo credit: Melissa Williams.
  • Process their emotions and experiences in a safe and non-threatening environment.
  • Develop self-awareness and self-expression skills.
  • Explore and communicate their inner world in a way that words alone may not allow.
  • Build self-esteem and confidence.
  • Connect with others who share similar experiences.

The integration of mindfulness and arts education into the learning environment has been particularly valuable in the post-COVID era, where many students are grappling with the aftermath of the pandemic’s disruptions and uncertainties. These combined practices can provide a holistic approach to supporting trauma-affected students, fostering healing, resilience, and self-expression.

Here are some specific examples of how mindfulness and arts education can be incorporated into the classroom and beyond:

  • Mindful breathing exercises and guided meditations can be integrated into arts classes to help students manage stress and anxiety before or during creative activities
  • Mindful journaling prompts can be used to encourage students to reflect on their thoughts and feelings while creating art.
  • Art therapy sessions can be offered to provide students with a safe space to process their emotions and experiences through art-making.
  • Mindful movement practices can be incorporated into art classes to help students connect with their bodies and reduce stress.
  • Art exhibitions and performances can provide opportunities for students to share their work with others and build a sense of community.
Enthusiastic students immerse themselves in the practice of mindfulness through invigorating yoga sessions; Photo credit: Melissa Williams.

In my work with my nonprofit organization, I have seen firsthand the positive impact of mindfulness and arts education on trauma-affected students. I’ve have seen them become more confident, expressive, and resilient. I’ve have seen them develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their emotions. And I have seen them build strong connections with others.

I believe that mindfulness and arts education are powerful tools that can be used to help trauma-affected students heal and thrive. By integrating these practices into our work, we can create a more nurturing and supportive world for all.

Additional Resources

I hope this blog post has been helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.

What the heck is STEM?

Assessment, Instruction, Leadership, Professional Learning, School Improvement, , ,

By Michelle Murray

Perhaps you feel you have an answer to the question posed, “What is heck STEM?”.  Well guess what, you are not alone! As a former STEM consultant, I made an income from schools who had their own definition of STEM  as well. Some schools created a committee that was in charge of compiling relevant data, creating and administering surveys to their constituents, and preparing proposals to ask donors for funds for a Maker Space or something similar all with the goal of adapting this once hot educational buzzword “STEM” into their curriculum and hopefully school culture. As an outsider to any particular school, I always found it interesting that there is normally a fundamental difference per school in how STEM was defined.

Public schools, on the other hand, often sought to fill a gap, raise test scores, or apply for a grant that dictated what that definition of STEM was. However, state to state and sometimes even county to county, there is still a different understanding of what STEM is and the best way to implement STEM. Usually schools attempting to fill some sort of curricular gap with a new STEM curriculum had other underlying issues that they hoped the alleged magic of STEM would resolve. With that, sorting out what those issues were instead of throwing the idea of STEM at the problem became the norm and oftentimes did not solve the issue. This was often another reason why schools hired me. 

“The implementation of STEM can differ according to the school, district, or county.”

– friendly stem consultant

In 2018, the National Science and Technology Council created a report driven by their Committee for STEM education. This report’s intention is based on a vision for a future where all Americans will have lifelong access to high-quality STEM education and the United States will be the global leader in STEM literacy, innovation, and employment (National Science and Technology Council, 2018). While I have not found any evidence that this report is commonly used when schools implement STEM, the report did share important key factors when developing STEM such as increasing diversity and equity in STEM and the use of technology as a classroom tool.

Additionally, the federal five year strategy for STEM implementation was introduced in the report and how best to prepare the STEM workforce for the future. 

I found myself thinking about this lack of consistency and the expected outcomes of STEM implementation in South Florida schools. I wanted to answer the following questions; could consistency somehow play a part in how schools implement STEM successfully and be a contributing factor to the growth in STEM fields in the US? Similar to common core standards, should STEM be its own mandatory vertically aligned standard, perhaps, or should it continue to be woven in as just an option for schools to adapt?

Lastly, are we as teachers planning our STEM lessons using different STEM curricular goals thus resulting in inconsistent student outcomes statewide or nationwide? How do we accurately measure the results equitably given the different ways we understand and implement STEM?

Not to mention STEM has now evolved over the years as people such as myself study STEM implementation and recognize that STEM needs to evolve as education evolves. Some examples of this evolution: i-STEM (Integrative STEM), D-STEM (Diversity in STEM), STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and STREAM (Adding the reading or research to STEAM) to name a few. 

As schools look to define their STEM programs, I think it’s important to look at existing programs as a guide based on your schools goals. I also suggest a pace that makes sense for all stakeholders at your school, and lastly STEM seekers should develop a true sense of why you’re implementing STEM in the first place. This will help frame the hard work ahead but I caution you humble educator, due to technology evolving and the need for the workforce to catch up to neighboring countries coupled with the lack of a mandatory baseline STEM curriculum framework, in the end you may find yourself still asking, What the heck is STEM anyway?

 References

National Science & Technology Council. 2019. Charting a Course for Success:America’s Strategy for STEM Education. https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2019/05/f62/STEM-Education-Strategic-Plan-2018.pdf

Florida Department of Education. 2022. Defining STEM. https://www.fldoe.org/academics/standards/subject-areas/math-science/stem/defining-stem.stml

Recommended Citation Carmichael, Courtney C., “A State-by-State Policy Analysis of STEM Education for K-12 Public Schools” (2017). Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs). 2297. https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/2297

A New Special Education Educator and a New Classroom

Instruction, Leadership, Professional Learning, School Improvement, Uncategorized, , ,
Preventing Teacher Burnout: 7 Tips for School Leaders | TUIO

Imagine: You are fresh out of college with a teaching degree and certifications from a university that prepared you for life in the classroom before a pandemic. You are so excited about your first year of teaching; you take the first job opportunity. You answered all the questions correctly presented by an administrator but asked little to no questions about how they will support you and their knowledge of special education. You assume that since you see their school-wide positive behavior reinforcement and vision, the administration is supportive and will guide you through your new environment. A few weeks pass, you are given the keys to your new classroom and an assistant or two to decorate the plain white walls and begin lesson planning along with attending a variety of training, but you still don’t even know where the resource room is located. You begin the school year applying instructional and classroom management strategies that you were taught in college. A few months passed, and you had a groove going. Then, suddenly, a nationwide school closing happens due to a pandemic. Since this is the first pandemic for all, no one had answers to how to engage students, especially students with disabilities, create a Zoom or Google call, teach through screen share, and more. After students receive the technology provided by the state, you begin to get frustrated with the incompletion of assignments, lack of attendance, and lack of support from the administration. Parents are struggling on the other side of the screen with your students who are non-verbal, lack the motor skills to hold a mouse or touch a screen, require movement breaks, maladaptive behaviors, and more. Teaching from home has allowed you to pick up more hours with your second job to make ends meet because of inflation. Let’s be honest having a little bit of freedom during the day is nice, but it begins to get repetitive and boring. You feel isolated as an educator and begin to lose that drive you had. Fast forward to summer, and you are anxiously waiting for the announcement if you will be back in the building or continue virtually. You receive an email from your administration; you will continue virtually with new and difficult guidelines to meet with no insight and how to get there. You start the school year while still working your “side hustles” because your teacher pay is not enough to afford your tiny one-bedroom and car payments. You begin the school year still collecting insufficient data from half of your students who choose to show up. A month has passed, and you still haven’t heard from some families by zoom, email, call, or text. Finally, teachers can return to the building, but students are still learning at home. Feeling a little more confident you can use the calendar and other supplemental materials in the classroom, but it’s still not engaging students. Your administration has yet to provide strategies that you could be using from the classroom over zoom with your students with disabilities. Luckily, you taught yourself how to make interactive PowerPoints. You receive an email from your administration that students can return in two weeks. You get that feeling of excitement again that you haven’t had in a while. Your students return with more maladaptive behaviors and show regression academically, socially, emotionally, and independently. Now, you are in the position to make up for lost skills and have your students acquire new skills because they are eligible for state testing. You attend meetings hosted by your administrator reminding you of deadlines but still offering no tools. You begin doing more work for your students outside of school, and your career has slowly absorbed your workplace and home. You become physically and mentally drained from your classroom’s physical behaviors and lack of structure. You begin to give up on this career with no one to lean on. You see on social media how teachers are making more doing less intensive jobs like a virtual assistants. You put in your two weeks by winter, and you’re free along with 50% of special education educators who leave within the first few years (Boe et al., 2008). Two weeks passed, you began questioning your decision to leave the field. You feel guilty for leaving your students, but your mental health is more important. Eventually, someone less qualified with a general education degree, temporary license, and unaware of the prior scenario takes your special education position. The less qualified teacher is married with no children, and their household is a dual income. The less qualified teacher struggles more than you do because students lose over 54 days of instruction when their teacher leaves mid-year (Jones, 2020). With only a few differentiated instructional strategies, this new teacher relies on your aids to show her the way and has to make up for the regression lost during the pandemic and your 54 days (Jones, 2020). At first, the new classroom is overwhelming for the teacher, but she is passionate and driven. The first week is chaotic but still no sign of administration checking in. She requested a few days off for a fake medical emergency but only to sit at home to teach herself how to manage and teach a variety of students with disabilities because the administration had no tools to offer. She comes back with a new schedule, new ideas, and a caring heart. The students do not make gains as they would have with you, but there are some gains, and the new teacher is trying her hardest. How could losing a qualified special education teacher and student regression be avoided?

Jones, A. E. (2020). Retaining Special Education Teachers: The Relationship Between School Leadership and Special Education Teacher Retention in a Low-Income School (Order No. 28090280). Available from Education Database. (2449480535). http://lynn-lang.student.lynn.edu:2048/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/retaining-special-education-teachers-relationship/docview/2449480535/se-2?accountid=36334

Boe, E. E., Cook, L. H., & Sunderland, R. J. (2008). Teacher turnover: Examining exit attrition, teaching area transfer, and school migration. Exceptional Children, 75, 7–31. 

Adulting on the Spectrum: What Works?

Instruction, Leadership, Professional Learning, Research, School Improvement

Several studies have shown that many individuals on the autism spectrum achieve limited independence in adulthood. Data also shows that they are usually unemployed or underemployed after aging out of high school and are less likely to participate in post-secondary education or employment. This disadvantage causes social isolation and the need for ongoing support in daily activities. The range of the autism spectrum varies with those at the higher functioning end, often leading to reasonably independent lives, employment, and/or completing secondary academic programs. Special classes for individuals on the autism spectrum taught within a secondary special education program provide the best opportunity for maximum inclusion in the community as adults. Several qualitative findings have identified interventions that support this idea.

My first-hand experience also supports that notion. I was the owner-operator of an adult day program. We provided pre-vocational training to adults with disabilities. Most of our participants had recently aged out of high school (ages 22+). While participants in our program came from various educational settings, it was evident in those who had prior pre-vocational training. Our program consisted of supported employment, pre-employment curriculum, occupational skills acquisition training, social skills training, independent living skills training, and executive functioning skills training. Implementation varied from role-playing, computer-based programs, one-on-one practice, group activities, community-based instruction, video modeling, and dramatic play. Because many of our participants had just come from a secondary educational setting, our program functioned as an extension that led to gainful employment, skills maintenance and enhancement, and/or productive daily engagement of community inclusion.

Being an adult on the autism spectrum and actively engaged in the community is the goal. Several factors play an essential role in assuring successful inclusion. Fong (2021) identifies the effectiveness of employment-related interventions on the employment outcomes of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He identifies Project SEARCH Plus ASD Supports (PS-ASD) model and Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT) to improve employment rates for individuals with ASD. The PS‐ASD intervention consists of community‐integrated business settings, classroom instruction at a business, and internship experiences. PS‐ASD is a collaborative model between students with autism, their family members, a local community rehabilitation program, and a vocational rehabilitation agency. It adds additional components to include specific strategies and staff expertise specific to autism based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR‐JIT) consists of a digital job interview simulation with a human resources representative from a department store accessible through a computer or using wearable virtual reality headsets. Tsiopela (2017) introduces a pre-vocational skills laboratory (PVS-Lab), a web-based learning environment supporting students on the autism spectrum to develop pre-vocational and employment skills. The new research framework aims to improve performance and pre-vocational skills development of students with ASD, emphasizing the interrelation between performance, behavior, and stress-emotional situations.

Knowing that there are proven interventions readily available to improve the outcomes of adults on the autism spectrum, why isn’t the use of those programs mandated? Knüppel (2019) notes that young adults without regular productive and engaging daytime activity had more behavioral difficulties and comorbidities than young adults with daytime activity. There is an imperative need to increase independence in adulthood, employment rates, and participation in post-secondary education for individuals on the autism spectrum. This improvement will decrease social isolation and the need for ongoing support in daily activities.

Citations

Fong, C. J., Taylor, J., Berdyyeva, A., McClelland, A. M., Murphy, K. M., & Westbrook, J. D. (2021). Interventions for improving employment outcomes for persons with autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review update. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 17(3)http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1185

Knüppel, A., Gry Kjærsdam Telléus, Jakobsen, H., & Lauritsen, M. B. (2019). Characteristics of Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder Performing Different Daytime Activities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(2), 542-555. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3730-7

NCH Healthcare System. “NCH Welcomes Project Search.” YouTube, NCH Healthcare System, 1 Oct. 2018, https://youtu.be/oH4737RsQy4.

Tsiopela, D., & Jimoyiannis, A. (2017). Pre-vocational skills laboratory: designing interventions to improve employment skills for students with autism spectrum disorders. Universal Access in the Information Society, 16(3), 609-627. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10209-016-0488-6

Let’s Talk About COVID-19 and Why Teachers Are Important During Times of Uncertainty

Instruction, Leadership, Professional Learning, School Improvement, Uncategorized, , ,

Let’s Talk About Sex COVID-19 and Why Is Sex Education Still Taboo in the U.S.? Teachers Are Important During Times of Uncertainty by Angela Holliday My dissertation topic is Let’s Talk About Sex! Why Is Sex Education Still Taboo in the U.S.? Considering what’s going on in the world however, it doesn’t really seem important right now. COVID-19 has caused job loss, supply shortage, fear, anger, hoarding, and death. With this grim picture though, there have also been acts of kindness, generosity, sharing, and dedication by many, including teachers. Therefore, I’d like to focus on the importance of teachers during times of uncertainty, and why we need them now more than ever. Ava Parker, President of Palm Beach State College, said at the 2017 LCAN Achieve Palm Beach County Florida Chamber Learners to Earners Summit “education is everybody’s business” and as such, I have made it mine.

I still remember the names of the teachers who made a difference in my life. Two teachers, Mr. Norde and Mr. Sweeney, were huge in helping me understand Algebra I. Mr. Norde and Mr. Sweeney left an indelible mark even though I’m sure I didn’t show my appreciation at the time. Their words of encouragement allowed me to believe I could do it. They found ways, where my parents had failed, to explain math problems in a way that made sense. I still appreciate their time and ingenuity to this day. A perfect example of this was when “a student who faced hardships told a researcher that the greatest thing a teacher can do is to care and to understand” (Zakrzewski, 2012). If not, “the kid will say, ‘Oh, they’re giving up on me, so I might as well give up on myself’ (Zakrzewski, 2012).”

I mention my teachers because in times of uncertainty or self-doubt, seeing a familiar face or hearing encouraging words from a teacher, even if virtually, can offer stability and encouragement. The students need their teachers to be the faces and voices they knew in school. The students need their teachers to have expectations of them while also understanding things are different now. The students need their teachers to push them but also to pause when they see them struggling. The students need their teachers to laugh with them but also to allow them time for silence when there’s nothing left to give. Recently, a student asked their teacher if she thought they’d see one another in August. She was honest and said she didn’t know, but she couldn’t wait for the day she sees them again.

What does education look like moving forward? In their article, 3 Ways the Coronavirus Pandemic Could Reshape Education, Gloria Tam and Gloria El-Azar examined how education changed very quickly, with its first change being how millions around the world are educated. The old, lecture-based approach to education was ushered out by COVID-19 which became a catalyst for educational institutions around the globe to search for “innovative solutions in a relatively short period of time” (Tam et. al, 2020). Second, the rapid change prompted much needed innovation to the educational system. Within the past few weeks, there have been a multitude of stakeholders coming “together to utilize digital platforms as a temporary solution to the crisis” (Tam et. al, 2020). Lastly and probably the most unfortunate change, with the digital divide, the equality gap could widen. In Palm Beach County alone, the school district needed as many as 11,000 laptops for students to learn at home during the coronavirus pandemic (Palmbeachpost.com, 2020).

Time takes time and we will wait to see what changes continue to take place in education.

Parker, Ava (2017). Local College Access Networks Achieve Palm Beach County. Florida Chamber Learners to Earners Summit, 2017. Retrieved from: http://floridacollegeaccess.org/local-college-access-networks/

Isger, Sona (2020, March 3). Coronavirus Florida: 11,000 Laptops Sought for PBC Students to Study from Home. Palm Beach Post, 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20200323/coronavirus-florida-11000-laptops-sought-for-pbc-students-to-study-from-home

Tam, Gloria & El-Azar, D. (2020, March 13). 3 Ways the Coronavirus Pandemic Could Reshape Education. World Economic Forum, 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/3-ways-coronavirus-is-reshaping-education-and-what-changes-might-be-here-to-stay/

Zakrzewski, Vicki. (2012, September 18). Four Ways Teachers Can Show They Care: Research Suggests Caring Relationships with Teachers Help Students Do Better in School and Act More Kindly Toward Others. Greater Good Magazine Science Center at UC Berkeley, 2012. Retrieved from: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/caring_teacher_student_relationship

Remote Digital Learning: A New Reality

Instruction, Leadership, Professional Learning, Uncategorized, , ,

Entering into the second week of March 2020, several memes circulated the internet via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to name a few about this particular week having to spring forward an hour due to daylight savings time,  a Friday the 13th and a full moon to end the week. The memes were quite funny, at the time. As an educator, we call this a “Just make it through the week” type of week. After one more week, we would be on Spring Break resting, relaxing or maybe evening traveling on a cruise that we have pinched our pennies for. 

Prior to spring break would be the end of a grading period.  This would also be the beginning of the high stakes testing season for FSA, AICE, AP, and EOCs.   We have prepared all year for this final upcoming term. The aforementioned assessments are the opportunities for students to prove what they have learned.  This would put teacher instruction to the test to see if students are able to retain the knowledge from the standards that were taught and assessed throughout the year.  These tests are the tests to determine if students are on track for graduation. Little did we know what was yet to come. 

On Friday, March 13, 2020, the Superintendent of Schools announced that students would be dismissed for an early spring break due to the spread of a new virus; COVID-19, set to return back to school Monday, March 30, 2020.  Later that same evening Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference announcing the close schools until April 15 at the very earliest.  

With this sudden news, we were faced with a new reality in education.  What does education look like moving forward? What plan does the state have in place? Is there an emergency Instructional Continuity Plan in a vault ready to be unveiled during a pandemic or other major events that would force school closures?  The answer to the latter is No. Yes, you heard it here… the answer is No.  

As an administrator, my role as an instructional leader has taken on a whole new meaning.  Questions spewing left and right about how to make instruction meaningful when schools are closed.  Teachers are prohibited from entering the campus, only to be told they can enter the campus in small groups; no more than 10 for a maximum of 30 minutes.   Administrators enter into think tank sessions to build and facilitate what learning will look like while staying in line with the newly created District Continuity plan.   What is it that we are responsible for? How do we support our teachers and keep them calm while ensuring that all students are enrolled and adhere to the guidelines that we have set forth?  

To launch an instant remote digital learning plan takes a team that is willing to work countless hours, collaborate with principals, and leaders at similar schools.  Guess what? The plan will never be perfect and you need to be willing to accept that fact. We are assuming parents have the technology needed at home. We are assuming that only one device will be enough.  We are assuming families have internet access. We are assuming that a parent will be at home to assist students. We are assuming students can advocate for themselves and will sit for their scheduled class on time and be an active participant in their learning.  We are assuming that all teachers are technologically savvy to embrace this new remote digital learning world while supporting their students who may or may not have an IEP/504 plan and parents. There are a lot of assumptions being made here that simply is not the reality. 

As teachers were scouring the internet for resources on how to transition,  so was I. On Friday, March, 20, famed Principal Kafele led a Facebook Live for first-year administrators and their role during this pandemic.  I must say, while I am not a first-year administrator, I definitely participated since this was my first experience with a pandemic. In fact, I’m not sure how many administrators can say they have experienced a pandemic in their lifetime.

Moving forward, what have I learned about this new reality of remote digital learning during this process as well as from Principal Kafele?  I have learned the following:

  • Be a support and a calm for teachers
    • Strive to find answers and support their ideas.  Believe it or not, teachers can be quite innovative during these times
    • Check on their well being and their families
    • Provide resources relevant to their work
  • Be clear about the systems we have in place, however, be flexible.  There isn’t a need to lead with an iron fist
    • Identify systems in place
    • Identify personnel that can be used to relieve the burden on teachers, think clerical, support staff, language facilitators, etc.
  • Kids need food→ be a resource for this or provide resources
    • Many kids only eat two meals a day and it’s breakfast and lunch received from the school 
  • Technology
    • Have a plan to provide devices to families who do not have a device in a home
  • Balance
    • Self-care is imperative
      • You can’t lead if you are worn out and overworked
  • Consistent but meaningful communication
    • Information overload will cause parents, students, and staff to tune out
  • Document and save
    • Save your files, notes, steps, to create a plan to reflect upon

Moving forward, when the dust settles, what are the next steps?  Do we begin to integrate a pandemic plan as a part of our required yearly Emergency Crisis Response Plans? Would we have required practice “drills” for a pandemic?  Do we provide ongoing professional development on remote digital learning and the resources that a school district may have in place to support?     

Would our new reality resemble something similar to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s plan for continuing education?  UNC at Charlotte has an entire department dedicated to continuing education in the event of a disruption of school due to a pandemic, natural disaster, or unsafe conditions on the campus.  Information regarding UNC at Charlotte can be found here

Academic Phrases

AICE- Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education

AP- Advanced Placement

EOC- End of Course Exam (Geometry and Algebra)

FSA – Florida Standards Assessment

IEP- Individual Education plan504- 504 plan; temporary accommodations

References:

[This week has daylight savings time, a full moon and Friday the 13th]. (2020.). Retrieved from https://www.mixdexhq.com/education/ is-the-week-of-march-8-the-perfect-storm-for-teachers/

[Teachers realizing its]. (2020). Retrieved from https://makeameme.org/meme/teachers-realizing-its

University of North Carolina at Charlotte. (n.d.). INSTRUCTIONAL CONTINUITY PLANNING – GENERAL. Retrieved from https://teaching.uncc.edu/about-ctl/instructional-continuity-planning/general#Preparedness


Quaran-teen: Providing Social Emotional Learning Support Online

Instruction, Leadership, Professional Learning, , ,

Social and Emotional Learning approaches provide a foundation for the classroom environment that are both safe and positive for learning, as well as enhancing students’ ability to succeed in school, careers, and life. School is one of the main places where students learn social and emotional skills. Educators daily serve students with different Social Emotional Learning techniques when engaging in learning, behaving positively, performing academically, and deepening their relationships. Now more than ever, educators need to support their students through social-emotional supports.

What can educators do to support teenagers in getting through these difficult times of being quarantined and learning online?

Based on Durlak et al., 2015, an effective SEL program incorporates the acronym SAFE: Sequenced: connected and coordinated sets of activities to foster skills development; Active: forms of learning to help students master new skills by participating; Focused: emphasis on developing personal and social skills; and Explicit: targeting specific social and emotional skills. Some of the top ways to incorporate SEL techniques within an educator’s new virtual instructional continuity plans are to be intentional. Being intentional is extremely hard when changing an entire way of teaching in the classroom to online, but extremely important. 

Remember this is not a hurricane day. It is not a holiday break. It is a quarantine.

Much of the following comes from CASEL’s Playbook. The areas of focus daily within virtual lessons are Getting Started & LessonPlanning, Welcoming Ritual, Explicit SEL Lesson and Engaging Practices/Activities, and Optimistic Closure/Message. 

Getting Started & Lesson Planning: The educator needs to be systematic when introducing students to their new virtual classroom and lessons. Educators not only need to explain to students how to use different features in their virtual classroom, but also set expectations with students in all resources that will be used. Lesson plans must include the social or personal skill underlying their content taught. The teacher modeling everything helps teenagers see how things should be done.

Welcoming Ritual: Every new day and meeting a welcoming ritual should be the opening. Welcoming rituals help the students and teacher to get to know each other (builds relationships), establish safety and predictability, and creates a sense of belonging by allowing people to connect right off the bat. Virtual Welcoming Rituals can be done through the chatbox or by unmuting the microphone and having participants share verbally.

Explicit SEL Lesson and Engaging Practices/Activities: Explicit instruction teaches a specific SEL Skill, provides an opportunity to practice and apply the SEL Skill, and reinforces self-reflection. Engaging practices are brain-compatible strategies that foster relationships, cultural responsiveness, empowerment and collaboration, intentionally build opportunities for brain breaks that provide space for integrating new information and long-term memory, and foster active and engaged participation to support teenagers with making their meaning of the content.

Optimistic Closure/Message: These closure messages provide positive closure to the virtual class lesson, reinforce what students learned, and creates momentum towards taking action in positive ways. These can include reflection questions on how the group functioned, reflection questions for students to make connections to their own lives’ and experiences, or an inspirational word/phrase based on the message the teacher is incorporating. 

One can only hope that every person quarantined is aware and positively working on their social-emotional capacity. Being quarantined is hard for adults to understand, let alone children. Our teenagers have it the hardest as they are missing out on memories they have been told about their whole lives, such as prom, graduation, and just the practice of being in class with their peers. Educators need to ensure that we are supporting our teenagers and incorporating SEL supports within their virtual classroom.

More SEL Resources:

CASEL: Secondary Guide

Podcast: How to Handle Coronavirus Anxiety | Special Edition

Corona Virus Sanity Guide

Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning Research and Practice

References

Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. (2015). 2015 CASEL guide: Effective social and emotional learning programs—Middle and high school edition. Retrieved from http://secondaryguide.casel.org/ 

Durlak, J. A. (Ed.). (2015). Handbook of social and emotional learning: Research and practice. Guilford Publications. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=gBPpCQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=andbook+of+Social+and+Emotional+Learning+Research+and+Practice&ots=AW6jK2Pvgd&sig=C

Change is in the Air

Instruction, Leadership, Professional Learning, Uncategorized

By Jason Cascio

Change is in the air.  Can you smell it?  Whether we like it or not, summer and our vacations are becoming fast memories as we make room for back-to-school activities and new fall routines.  Social media confirms a quarterly shift in seasons, from Facebook posts of exciting new classes and sporting events, to the sad, yet proud, goodbyes from parents sending their kids off to college.  Kierkegaard tells us that life can only be understood backwards but must be lived forward (1855).  It’s tempting for us to hold onto what was lost, and perhaps, naively embrace new beginnings.  Yet, Kierkegaard suggests we lead lives beyond the confines of our inflection points.  Perhaps, we honor our pasts as we continue to grow forward. What do you think?

For me, September marks the end of a hectic fiscal work year which was accompanied by unexpected personal goodbyes.  While I’m glad to turn the page to a new chapter in my life, I’m intrigued by life’s transitions and paradoxical feelings of loss and gain, and joy and blue.  Dan Millman’s book on personal development, In Way of the Peaceful Warrior, reminded me that “the secret of change is to focus your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”  He reinforces Kierkegaard’s philosophy and relates it to our collective development.  

Change Management Guru and Author, William Bridges, distinguishes transitions from changes, in that changesare results of external events whereas transitions are internal experiences for how we respond the change.  He elaborates that, “change is situational; transition is psychological. It’s not those events but rather the inner reorientation or self-redefinition that you have to go through in order to incorporate any of those changes into your life.  Without a transition, a change is just rearranging the furniture. And unless transition happens, the change won’t work, because it doesn’t ‘take.’” Regardless of our season or stage of life, reframing how we view change and transition may help us as transformational leaders.  Here’s a handy diagram of Bridges’ views of change management:

If we can positively harness change, why wouldn’t we seek out incrementally more ways to transform our lives?  Technology could be used as a benevolent change agent, or tool, for us to use as transformational leaders.  Why not incorporate it into our living repertoire to promote healthy change and transitions?  I think of this often when I’m taking off from West Palm to Seattle, shooting up 40,000 feet at 400 miles an hour.  Ok, in that scenario it’s hard not to think of the speed of change around us, the opportunities it creates for our development, and how ‘living forward’ with my South Florida peeps was transforming my life and that of others on the other side of the country. In all seriousness, looking at change from this metaphorical altitude provides a whole new perspective. I’d love to hear your thoughts on change, technology, and our collective development.  

Bridges, William (2004). Transitions:  Making Sense of Life’s Changes (2nd ed.). Da Capo Press.

Millman, D. (2006). Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book that Changes Lives by Dan Millman, (2nd ed.) H J Kramer, Inc., Tiburon, California, New World Library, Novato, California. 

Hello Millennials: How this generation of educators needs to be trained!

Professional Learning, Uncategorized

“Organizations that can’t – or won’t – customize training, career paths, incentives and work responsibilities need a wake-up call.”

Carolyn A. Martin and Bruce Tulgan from “Managing Generation Y.”

If you are not oblivious to the changes in society and the people living in them, you will know and understand that as generations grow and adapt, so they fall within a generalized group of people. They have many distinct characteristics and each of you reading this will be able to identify with one or even two of these generation groups. All of us have encountered most of the six living generations today. Each of these generations come with not only a different set of skills, education, and mentality but also an attitude to go along with them.

The oldest of the generations still living today is the GI Generation. They are the folks that were born between 1901-1926. The generation to follow is known as the Mature/Silents and were born between 1927-1945. This generation was followed by the Baby Boomers who were born between 1946-1964. The Baby Boomers were followed by Generation X who were born between 1965-1980. Generation Y/The Millennials are the generation born debatably between 1980 -2000 and the latest generation group is Generation Z/Boomlets who is anyone born debatably after 2001.

Now, you all have Google and if you really wanted, you could do your own research on all of the highlighted characteristics of each generation. My focus here is the Millennials. Who are they? What makes them tick? How do we adapt to this generation? Why do we feel it is necessary?

The millennials are the generation known by many names! Here is the list:

  • Generation Y
  • Generation WHY
  • Generation Next
  • Generation Me
  • Nexters
  • Millenniums
  • Digital Generation
  • Digital Natives
  • Echo Boomers
  • Baby Busters
  • I Generation
  • Net Generation
  • Netizens

Millennials are one of the most studied generations. This generation make up about 86 million of the U.S population, making them the largest generation. They are the most generous, educated, most diverse, and civic-minded and contrary to the “bad reputation” they have attached to them, researchers now believe that this hybrid of generations is becoming the next greatest generation. It is the millennials who have recently joined the workforce of the world, with many still in the finishing stages of High School and University. As the Baby Boomer generation begin to retire, there will only be “experienced” workers to fill half of those positions, due to the fact that Generation X is only half the size of the Boomers. So, why is this an important fact? Well, it means that at least half of those positions will be filled by Millennials and thus, they will have accelerated promotion opportunities and will require more training and mentoring.

With the Millennials being the largest group of current working people, I believe that we should be figuring out a way to understand this generation, and adapt to their needs, making them successful in their career paths and equipped with what is needed to teach the next generation of society.

In terms of education, this is the next generation of teachers! How confident are we that they are prepared for the job? This group is going to have a large impact on our next generation, the GenZ’s. Should it not then be important for us to design teacher preparation programs as well as professional development in the workplace that train the Millennials in a way that they learn best, but keeping in mind that the programs that we are teaching them are designed to best suit our GenZ’s?

In a nutshell, Millennials are:

  • Multitaskers
  • Connected
  • Tech-Savvy

And…they want:

  • Instant Gratification, Recognition and Feedback
  • Work-Life Balance and Flexibility
  • Collaboration
  • Transparency
  • Career Advancement
  • $$$$

What can you be guaranteed with Millennials:

  • They will challenge Hierarchical Structures
  • They are open to change
  • They value guidance
  • They are task and not time oriented
  • They want to produce something worthwhile
  • They have a hunger for learning
  • They love a challenge
  • They seek to make a difference
  • They want to have fun
  • They are constantly moving and therefore staff turnover will be at an all-time high

If this is what we know about the big portion of our society today, why is it that in the teaching profession, have we not adapted to meet this innovative and ever changing group of people? In the fast paced Corporate America, Human Resources and Training Teams have revolutionized the way that they train their newly hired college graduates. Companies that have not done so are finding it difficult to survive in the competitive market. Successful companies have looked at the research and have made the necessary adaptions in order to be the best. My question to education is, why are we still trying to stick with the old tricks and why are we taking so long to adapt to the new and diverse 21st century and its working force?

It would be incorrect to say that education is not changing but the rate at which this change is taking place is not managing to keep up with the constantly evolving and rapid pace of the Millennial generation and their technological world. Education today needs to meet these needs and some suggestions to do this include:

  • Technology to enhance good teaching, not replace it
  • Collaborative coursework and assignments
  • Tell them upfront what they need to know
  • Coach and praise along the way
  • Use as many visuals as possible, including video
  • Millennials love mobile learning, using phones is to them the fastest and most effective tool for learning
  • Training simulations and games – active learning (When millennials are not interested, they turn their attention elsewhere very quickly)
  • Keep it relevant – millennials do not value information as they are able to find it on their own, having grown up with Google. What they want and need is the assistance in applying the information
  • A relaxed learning and working environment
  • Rapport – millennials are not afraid of adults because many have grown up central to their parents lives and therefore enjoy to connect with teachers/mentors on a personal level
  • Don’t be afraid to explore new teaching methods and new things

The world around is changing and thus if we do not adapt our education and training methods to meet the demand of these changes, we are going to fail the very generation that will be in control of society in the near future.

“Although they are better educated, more techno-savvy, and quicker to adapt than those who have come before them, they refuse to blindly conform to traditional standards and time-honored institutions. Instead, they boldly ask, Why?”

Eric Chester from “Employing Generation Why?”

Get Plugged Into Professional Development

Leadership, Professional Learning, School Improvement

Are you drained from all the grading, planning and day-to-day responsibilities of being a successful educator? We all know that educators are mentally tested every day in their classrooms on curriculum, content knowledge, pedagogy, behavior management and maybe even your patience levels, sucking the life out of our batteries. With all of the daily responsibilities, Professional Development seems to be another energy vampire. Let’s get recharged with realistic, quality Professional Development that will add to our craft of teaching while providing useful learning opportunities while using 21st century skills.

As educators, we know that need to recharge our pedagogy batteries with useful, new and relevant information in order to best help our students, but who has the time? Increasing the productivity of Professional Development would immensely help teachers to save time and be able to share ideas and reflect upon their own learning. For example, a study was conducted on using Twitter as a social media outlet to connect teachers, share ideas, and reflect on their own usage of learning and it increased participation in Professional Development by 94% (Ross, Maninger, Laprairie, & Sullivan, 2015). In addition, online blogs (go figure) can be great tools to encourage reflection and increase deeper knowledge of understanding in teachers’ own pedagogies (Raffo, 2012). Both of these examples allow for differentiated learning and instruction. Using active digital learning can lead to a personal interaction of ideas when incorporating Professional Development.

So why are we not using it to our advantage? In today’s education system, digital learning is a component that is ever changing and difficult to perpetually transform with. However, active digital learning provides a faster and more productive way to learn new information and would be a beneficial tool in Professional Development. Leaders in education would be able to promote cooperative learning, sharing new information and implementing strategies to increase their productivity and knowledge.

The focus of my dissertation will be to illustrate the growing demands of active digital learning in Professional Development. As the needs of our students grows with the expansion of technology, educators must be learning at a faster and more productive rate to provide relevant and beneficial educational tools. Through the use of active digital learning in Professional Development, leaders in education will be able to cooperatively learn, implement and share ideas, strategies, and tools.

Educational leaders are accountable for guiding and implementing active digital learning through their quality Professional Development. With an ever-changing technological society, educational leaders should be at the forefront of using technology to develop future leaders and implementing current practices. Professional Development should be conducted in a manner that knowledge can be shared from one professional to another with the ability to continue to distribute with colleagues and others invested in education.

As we continue to build and adapt our craft of teaching, we need to plug ourselves into the active digital learning age, starting with Professional Development. Implementing new technologies into our own learning skill set is not only going to increase our pedagogy but develop skills that will increase our adaptability in the classroom and increase our productivity.

How could you incorporate active digital learning, into your already busy schedule, to increase your pedagogy and decrease your workload?

 

References

Raffo, D. (2012). Blogging as a reflective tool for leadership development: An exploratory study of a leadership practicum grounded in the relational leadership model. Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, LIV(2), 39-51.

Ross, C., Maninger, R., Laprairie, K., & Sullivan, S. (2015). The Use of Twitter in the Creation of Educational Professional Learning Opportunities. Administrative Issues Journal Education Practice and Research AIJ, 5(1), 55-76. doi:10.5929/2915.5.1.7