The post Sir Ken Robinson discusses changing education paradigms appeared first on .
]]>The post Sir Ken Robinson discusses changing education paradigms appeared first on .
]]>The post “Too Many Kids are Suffering at School” appeared first on .
]]>Where are empathy and compassion in our schools?
This recent e-mail is typical of the hundreds I get from distraught mothers.
“Today was not a good day and the reason for my email. We were called to the school where he had overturned pretty much everything. It was like we were looking at someone else’s child. And he kept repeating he was a “bad boy.” It was heartbreaking. I was not aware that his teacher is not able to remove him from the room. Instead they are trained to remove the entire class…We are really struggling to find the right course of action for him. The school is going to have a speech pathologist come in to see if he is struggling with language and speech. We have made appointments to have his hearing & sight tested just to rule it out. My gut tells me there is a disconnect with his classroom teacher and maybe a combination of him struggling with worksheets and more structure. I really don’t know, all we know is this is not the boy we see at home.”
The only thing missing from this e-mail is the recommendation that he be put on medication. I’m sure that suggestion will be made eventually. The solution is always a technical one – professional specialists or medication. It is never a human one. This five-year-old boy needs empathy and compassion. He needs to be held. No one is listening to the mother’s “gut.”
Are teachers to blame for this situation? It’s more complicated than that. We all know there are good teachers and bad teachers. A good teacher has empathy and compassion. You feel for the child, and you act on those feelings. A good teacher doesn’t let institutions get in the way of their humanity.
Unfortunately, teachers become the product of policies, systems and procedures that they feel compelled to follow. Teachers have imbibed more than anyone the central lesson of school:
“Do what you’re told, and don’t talk back.”
Fear keeps people silent. Parents fear their child will be disadvantaged somehow if they speak up too much. Teachers have even more fear.
They live under the shadow of administrators whose goal is to make the school look good. Administrators, in turn, obey their own superiors. It is a completely top-down system where no one is allowed to talk back, where we are all just following orders.
Kids have no organization to represent their interests – other than mothers and fathers. Teachers do, but even this protection comes at a cost. Teachers are given strict instructions from their unions about what they can and cannot do or say. They are constantly coached about how to protect themselves.
Over arching all these systems of control are professional governing bodies with the power to discipline teachers. At any moment a teacher can be accused of any number of things and submitted to a ritual of public shaming made even more efficient by social media. Fear rules teachers lives, and kids are the ones who suffer.
“If a child comes toward me crying, I was instructed to put my hands in the air.”
Are you saying we should get rid of accountability and transparency? I am saying we need to balance them with humanity – with empathy and compassion. Systems are set up to serve us and safeguard us. When they begin to hurt us and hurt our children, we need to do something we weren’t taught how to do in school – talk back.
Half of all new teachers leave the profession within the first five years. They report that the culture of school is just too oppressive. There is no tolerance for creativity or innovation. There is no place for human connection. Empathy and compassion are not just ignored; they are frowned upon. And this is the environment into which we send our kids. They can’t quit in the first five years.
What is the solution? Individuals. In the age of conformity and herd behavior, we need individuals who will stand up and speak out – teachers, parents and administrators who will talk back to systems based on fear and have the courage to connect authentically with children.
Advice for administrators
Question policies and procedures that are not kid friendly – that are put in place on the advice of insurance companies to avoid litigation. Schools can practice due diligence without shutting down our humanity.
Advice for unions
Do more than protect teachers’ interests. Protect children’s interests too.
Advice for professional governing bodies
You were set up to “protect the public interest.” Don’t just protect the interests of the fearful public, but the compassionate, progressive public as well.
Advice for teachers
You have as much freedom, humanity and compassion as you claim for yourself. Do not let fear, instilled by systems and institutions, rule your decisions.
Advice for parents
Keep talking back to school – teachers and administrators at all levels. You can be a powerful voice for children’s rights – your own child and all children. Listen to your gut. Always be on the side of your child.
The post “Too Many Kids are Suffering at School” appeared first on .
]]>The post 59th Annual Ontario CEC Special Education Conference appeared first on .
]]>Want to save on the registration rate? Just register as a delegate by October 1st for the early bird rate of $295.00!!
Click here to open the conference brochure: 2015 Ontario CEC Conference Brochure.pdf
The post 59th Annual Ontario CEC Special Education Conference appeared first on .
]]>The post “I don’t want to go back!” appeared first on .
]]>Let’s not forget what we learned this summer. We learned who our boys are without school. If we were lucky, we saw our boys as they are in nature. We saw our boys as they are with unstructured play. They may have complained about boredom at times, but we had the chance to see them as relaxed kids who were free and natural and happy. We have to remember that this is who our boys really are. The great educational theorist, John Holt, said, “In school, we do not see children as they are. We see them as school reveals them to us.” This past summer we got to see who our boys really are. They love to move, they love to have fun, they love to laugh, and they love to have the freedom to be themselves with all their spontaneous, wonderful energy!
Now it’s time to go back into “the system.” Let’s remember that it is a system; it is not a natural environment. Some kids manage OK in school; some actually like it, but for many – especially boys – school is not a pleasant place. A.S. Neill asked the fundamental question, “Do we make the child fit the school or do we make the school fit the child?” In our school system today, the child is expected to fit the school. “Sit still, be quiet, and do what you’re told.” We must work to make the school fit the child. Eventually our schools will become more boy-friendly. Parents will become more active in advocating for change, and teachers will become better trained in gender differences. But we’re not there yet. So how can I help my child this fall?
READ MOREThe post “I don’t want to go back!” appeared first on .
]]>The post Halton Region Special Needs Strategy Planning Tables Update appeared first on .
]]>1. Coordinated Service Planning
2. The Integrated Delivery of Rehabilitation Services.
These new strategies will mark the beginning of a new way of delivering services to children and youth with special needs and their families. First steps of the Special Needs Strategy include:
Identifying children’s needs earlier and getting them the right help sooner; A new developmental screen for preschool children has been developed that will help identify potential risks to children’s development and connect them with the services they need as early as possible.
Coordinated family-centered service planning for children and youth with multiple and/or complex needs; Service planning coordinators will connect families to a range of services and supports and help the family to develop one coordinated service plan.
An integrated approach to the delivery of rehabilitation services; Children and youth will receive seamless and effective speech language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy services from birth through school exit. These services will be built around their goals for home, school and the community and be delivered in the way and in the place that meets the needs of the child and family.
READ MORE HERE:
Parent Engagement Communication FEB15 – final (1)
The post Halton Region Special Needs Strategy Planning Tables Update appeared first on .
]]>The post Tax Tips for the 2014 Taxation Year appeared first on .
]]>
The post Tax Tips for the 2014 Taxation Year appeared first on .
]]>The post Adult ADHD Peer Support Group of Halton appeared first on .
]]>The purpose of this peer support group is for members to share ideas, ask questions and share common experiences in a supportive and respectful environment. The meetings are run by peers who are not healthcare professionals.
For more information call:
Anthony 905-844-9086
Manuela 289-208-5149
The post Adult ADHD Peer Support Group of Halton appeared first on .
]]>The post Organizing 101 for Students with ADHD appeared first on .
]]>
In partnership with Indigo Tree Coaching the is pleased to host this 5 week course in October for students enrolled in grades 7-12.
Does your child lose their text books and handouts? Forget when projects are due? Do they procrastinate over homework? Are they stress out and overwhelmed?
THEY WILL LEARN HOW TO:
CLASS SCHEDULE:
Thursday October 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th. ( 5 classes total)
7:30 – 8:30 pm
Missed sessions will not be made up or refunded. You must be committed to attending the 5 classes.
This program is not for everyone. Students get the most out of the program when both the student and parents are engaged in working towards a set of goals. Students MUST be willing to participate in trying new ways of organizing, while parents need to support them in developing new habits each week.
Maximum students per class: 7
FEES:
$297 + hst Non- Members
$247 + hst LDAH members
(includes organizing supplies)
Indigo Tree Coaching will be made aware of your membership purchase to qualify you for the Member’s rate.
Click here to be directed to an Organizing 101 intake form. You will be contacted by Indigo Tree Coaching to confirm your interest, answer any questions and make payment arrangements.
Organizing 101 flyer to download and/or share.
The post Organizing 101 for Students with ADHD appeared first on .
]]>The post Behaviour Management Strategies for the child with LD- Rick Lavoie appeared first on .
]]>Richard Lavoie is speaking in Ottawa on Oct. 25. He will present dozens of field-tested behavior management techniques for use at home and in the classroom. These strategies are designed specifically for use with students with language and attentional deficits. Click here for more details and to register.
The post Behaviour Management Strategies for the child with LD- Rick Lavoie appeared first on .
]]>The post LDAO Policy Statement on ADHD appeared first on .
]]>WHEREAS:
The LDAO definition of , 2001 states:
“’’ refers to a variety of disorders that affect the acquisition, retention, understanding, organization or use of verbal and/or non-verbal information. These disorders result from impairments in one or more psychological processes related to learning, in combination with otherwise average abilities essential for thinking and reasoning”, where psychological processes are defined to include:
The LDAO definition further states: “Frequently learning disabilities co-exist with other conditions, including attentional, behavioural and emotional disorders”.
THEREFORE the Association of Ontario
For further information and to review other provincial policy statements see here.
The post LDAO Policy Statement on ADHD appeared first on .
]]>
