Category Archives: Educational Support

Why Teachers Must Become Change Agents

Issue Table of Contents

Michael G. Fullan

Teacher education programs must help teaching candidates to link the moral purpose that influences them with the tools that will prepare them to engage in productive change.

Teaching at its core is a moral profession. Scratch a good teacher and you will find a moral purpose. At the Faculty of Education, University of Toronto, we recently examined why people enter the teaching profession (Stiegelbauer 1992). In a random sample of 20 percent of 1,100 student teachers, the most frequently mentioned theme was “to make a difference in the lives of students.” Of course, such statements cannot be taken at face value because people have a variety of motives for becoming teachers. Nonetheless, there is a strong kernel of truth to this conclusion.

What happens in teacher preparation, the early years of teaching, and throughout the career, however, is another story. Those with a clear sense of moral purpose often become disheartened, and those with a limited sense of purpose are never called upon to demonstrate their commitment. In an extensive study of teacher burnout, Farber (1991) identifies the devastating effects of the growing “sense of inconsequentiality” that often accompanies the teacher’s career. Many teachers, says Farber, begin their careers “with a sense that their work is socially meaningful and will yield great personal satisfactions. ” This sense dissipates, however, as “the inevitable difficulties of teaching … interact with personal issues and vulnerabilities, as well as social pressure and values, to engender a sense of frustration and force a reassessment of the possibilities of the job and the investment one wants to make in it” (1991, p. 36).

A Natural Alliance

Certainly calls for reestablishing the moral foundation of teaching are warranted, but increased commitment at the one-to-one and classroom levels alone is a recipe for moral martyrdom. To have any chance of making teaching a noble and effective profession—and this is my theme here—teachers must combine the mantle of moral purpose with the skills of change agentry.

Moral purpose and change agentry, at first glance, appear to be strange bedfellows. On closer examination they are natural allies (Fullan 1993). Stated more directly, moral purpose—or making a difference—concerns bringing about improvements. It is, in other words, a change theme. In addition to the need to make moral purpose more explicit, educators need the tools to engage in change productively. Moral purpose keeps teachers close to the needs of children and youth; change agentry causes them to develop better strategies for accomplishing their moral goals.

Those skilled in change appreciate its volatile character, and they explicitly seek ideas for coping with and influencing change toward some desired ends. I see four core capacities for building greater change capacity: personal vision-building, inquiry, mastery, and collaboration (see Senge 1990 and Fullan 1993). Each of these has its institutional counterpart: shared vision-building; organizational structures, norms, and practices of inquiry; the development of increased repertoires of skills and know-how among organizational members; and collaborative work cultures.

But we are facing a huge dilemma. On the one hand, schools are expected to engage in continuous renewal, and change expectations are constantly swirling around them. On the other hand, the way teachers are trained, the way schools are organized, the way the educational hierarchy operates, and the way political decision makers treat educators results in a system that is more likely to retain the status quo. One way out of this quandary is to make explicit the goals and skills of change agentry. To break the impasse, we need a new conception of teacher professionalism that integrates moral purpose and change agentry, one that works simultaneously on individual and institutional development. One cannot wait for the other.

Personal Vision-Building

Working on personal visions means examining and re-examining why we came into teaching. Asking “What difference am I trying to make personally?” is a good place to start.

For most of us, the reasons are there, but possibly buried. For the beginning teacher, they may be underdeveloped. It is time to make them front and center. Block emphasizes that “creating a vision forces us to take a stand for a preferred future” (1987, p. 102). To articulate our vision of the future “is to come out of the closet with our doubts about the organization and the way it operates” (p. 105).

Personal vision comes from within. It gives meaning to work, and it exists independently of the organization or group we happen to be in. Once it gets going, it is not as private as it sounds. Especially in moral occupations like teaching, the more one takes the risk to express personal purpose, the more kindred spirits one will find. Paradoxically, personal purpose is the route to organizational change. When it is diminished, we see in its place group-think and a continual stream of fragmented, surface changes acquired uncritically and easily discarded.

Inquiry

All four capacities of change are intimately interrelated and mutually reinforcing. The second one—inquiry—indicates that formation and enactment of personal purpose are not static matters but, rather, a perennial quest. Pascale (1990) captures this precisely: “The essential activity for keeping our paradigm current is persistent questioning. I will use the term inquiry. Inquiry is the engine of vitality and self-renewal”(p. 14, emphasis in original).

Inquiry is necessary for forming and reforming personal purpose. While the latter comes from within, it must be fueled by information and ideas in the environment. Inquiry means internalizing norms, habits, and techniques for continuous learning. For the beginner, learning is critical because of its formative timing. Lifelong learning is essential because in complex, ever-changing societies mental maps “cease to fit the territory” (Pascale 1990, p. 13). Teachers as change agents are career-long learners, without which they would not be able to stimulate students to be continuous learners.

Mastery

Mastery is a third crucial ingredient. People behave their way into new visions and ideas, not just think their way into them. Mastery is obviously necessary for effectiveness, but it is also a means for achieving deeper understanding. New mind-sets arise from mastery as much as the reverse.

It has long been known that expertise is central to successful change, so it is surprising how little attention we pay to it beyond one-shot workshops and disconnected training. Mastery involves strong initial teacher education and career-long staff development, but when we place it in the perspective of comprehensive change, it is much more than this. Beyond exposure to new ideas, we have to know where they fit, and we have to become skilled in them, not just like them.

To be effective at change, mastery is essential both in relation to specific innovations and as a personal habit.

Collaboration

There is a ceiling effect to how much we can learn if we keep to ourselves (Fullan and Hargreaves 1991). The ability to collaborate on both a small- and large-scale is becoming one of the core requisites of postmodern society. Personal strength, as long as it is open-minded (that is, inquiry-oriented), goes hand-in-hand with effective collaboration—in fact, without personal strength collaboration will be more form than content. Personal and group mastery thrive on each other in learning organizations.

In sum, the moral purpose of teaching must be reconceptualized as a change theme. Moral purpose without change agentry is martyrdom; change agentry without moral purpose is change for the sake of change. In combination, not only are they effective in getting things done, but they are good at getting the right things done. The implications for teacher education and for redesigning schools are profound.

Society’s Missed Opportunity

Despite the rhetoric about teacher education today, there does not seem to be a real belief that investing in teacher education will yield results. With all the problems demanding immediate solution, it is easy to overlook a preventive strategy that would take several years to have an impact.

Currently, teacher education—from initial preparation throughout the career—is not geared toward continuous learning. Teacher education has the honor of being the worst problem and the best solution in education. The absence of a strong publicly stated knowledge base allows the misconception to continue that any smart person can teach. After visiting 14 colleges of education across the U.S., Kramer (1992) concludes:

Everything [a person] needs to know about how to teach could be learned by intelligent people in a single summer of well-planned instruction (p. 24).

In a twisted way, there is some truth to this observation. It is true in the sense that many people did and still do take such minimal instruction and manage to have a career in teaching. It is true also that some people with a strong summer program would end up knowing as much or more as others who take a weak yearlong program. In her journey, Kramer found plenty of examples of moral purpose—caring people, committed to social equality. What she found wanting was an emphasis on knowledge and understanding. Caring and competence are of course not mutually exclusive (indeed this is the point), but they can seem that way when the knowledge base is so poorly formulated.

Teacher education institutions themselves must take responsibility for their current reputation as laggards rather than leaders of educational reform. I will not take up the critical area of recruitment and selection in the profession (for the best discussion, see Schlechty 1990, chapter 1). In many ways an “if you build it, they will come” strategy is called for. It is self-defeating to seek candidates who turn out to be better than the programs they enter. What is needed is a combination of selection criteria that focus on academics as well as experience (related, for example, to moral purpose), sponsorship for underrepresented groups, and a damn good program.

Teacher educators like other would-be change agents must take some initiative themselves. Examples are now happening on several fronts. At the University of Toronto, we embarked on a major reform effort in 1988. With a faculty of some 90 staff and 1,100 full-time students in a one-year post-baccalaureate teacher certification program, we piloted a number of field-based options in partnerships with school systems (see University of Toronto, Making a Difference Video, 1992a). In 1991 I prepared a paper for our strategic planning committee, taking as a starting point the following premise: Faculties of Education should not advocate things for teachers or schools that they are not capable of practicing themselves. Using a hypothetical “best faculty of education in the country” metaphor, I suggested that such a faculty would:

  1. commit itself to producing teachers who are agents of educational and social improvement,
  2. commit itself to continuous improvement through program innovation and evaluation,
  3. value and practice exemplary teaching,
  4. engage in constant inquiry,
  5. model and develop lifelong learning among staff and students,
  6. model and develop collaboration among staff and students,
  7. be respected and engaged as a vital part of the university as a whole,
  8. form partnerships with schools and other agencies,
  9. be visible and valued internationally in a way that contributes locally and globally,
  10. work collaboratively to build regional, national, and international networks (Fullan 1991).

To illustrate, consider items 3 and 6. It would seem self-evident that faculties of education would stand for exemplary teaching among their own staff. Faculties of education have some excellent (and poor) teachers, but I would venture to say that hardly any have effective institutional mechanisms for improving their own teaching. Regarding item 6, many faculties of education advocate collaborative work cultures for schools, and some participate in professional development schools. This leads to two embarrassing questions. First, to what extent are teacher preparation programs designed so that student teachers deliberately develop and practice the habits and skills of collaboration? Even more embarrassing, to what extent do university professors (arts and science, as well as education) value and practice collaboration in their own teaching and scholarship?

Key Images for Teacher Preparation

With such guiding principles, and some experience with them through our pilot projects, we at the University of Toronto have recently begun redesigning the entire teacher preparation program. Our Restructuring Committee has proposed that:

Every teacher should be knowledgeable about, committed to, and skilled in:

  1. working with all students in an equitable, effective, and caring manner by respecting diversity in relation to ethnicity, race, gender, and special needs of each learner;
  2. being active learners who continuously seek, assess, apply, and communicate knowledge as reflective practitioners throughout their careers;
  3. developing and applying knowledge of curriculum, instruction, principles of learning, and evaluation needed to implement and monitor effective and evolving programs for all learners;
  4. initiating, valuing, and practicing collaboration and partnerships with students, colleagues, parents, community, government, and social and business agencies;
  5. appreciating and practicing the principles, ethics, and legal responsibilities of teaching as a profession;
  6. developing a personal philosophy of teaching which is informed by and contributes to the organizational, community, societal, and global contexts of education (University of Toronto, B.Ed. Restructuring Committee, 1992b).

We are now developing the actual program, curriculum, and teaching designs. Everything we know about the complexities of change applies in spades to the reform of higher education institutions. Nonetheless, after four years, we have made good progress and look forward to the next four years as the ones when more comprehensive and systematic reform will be put into place (see also Goodlad 1991, Howey 1992, and the third report of the Holmes Group, forthcoming).

To summarize: Faculties of education must redesign their programs to focus directly on developing the beginner’s knowledge base for effective teaching and the knowledge base for changing the conditions that affect teaching. Sarason puts it this way: “Is it asking too much of preparatory programs to prepare their students for a `real world’ which they must understand and seek to change if as persons and professionals they are to grow, not only to survive” (in press, p. 252, my emphasis). Goodlad (1991) asks a similar question: “Are a large percentage of these educators thoroughly grounded in the knowledge and skills required to bring about meaningful change?” (p. 4). The new standard for the future is that every teacher must strive to become effective at managing change.

Redesigning Schools

One of the main reasons that restructuring has failed so far is that there is no underlying conception that grounds what would happen within new structures. Restructuring has caused changes in participation, in governance, and in other formal aspects of the organization, but in the majority of cases, it has not affected the teaching-learning core and professional culture (Berends 1992, Fullan 1993). To restructure is not to reculture.

The professional teacher, to be effective, must become a career-long learner of more sophisticated pedagogies and technologies and be able to form and reform productive collaborations with colleagues, parents, community agencies, businesses, and others. The teacher of the future, in other words, must be equally at home in the classroom and in working with others to bring about continuous improvements.

I do not have the space to elaborate—indeed many of the details have not been worked out. The general directions, however, are clear. In terms of pedagogy, the works of Gardner (1991) and Sizer (1992)—in developing approaches to teaching for understanding—exemplify the kinds of knowledge and skills that teachers must develop and enlarge upon throughout their careers.

Beyond better pedagogy, the teacher of the future must actively improve the conditions for learning in his or her immediate environments. Put one way, teachers will never improve learning in the classroom (or whatever the direct learning environment) unless they also help improve conditions that surround the classroom. Andy Hargreaves and I developed 12 guidelines for action consistent with this new conception of “interactive professionalism”:

  1. locate, listen to, and articulate your inner voice;
  2. practice reflection in action, on action, and about action;
  3. develop a risk-taking mentality;
  4. trust processes as well as people;
  5. appreciate the total person in working with others;
  6. commit to working with colleagues;
  7. seek variety and avoid balkanization;
  8. redefine your role to extend beyond the classroom;
  9. balance work and life;
  10. push and support principals and other administrators to develop interactive professionalism;
  11. commit to continuous improvement and perpetual learning;
  12. monitor and strengthen the connection between your development and students’ development (Fullan and Hargreaves 1991).

We also developed eight guidelines for principals that focus their energies on reculturing the school toward greater interactive professionalism to make a difference in the educational lives of students. However, as important as principals can be, they are a diversion (and perhaps a liability) as far as new conceptions of the professional teacher are concerned. In a real sense, what gives the contemporary principalship inflated importance is the absence of leadership opportunities on the part of teachers (Fullan 1993).

A New Professionalism

Teacher professionalism is at a threshold. Moral purpose and change agentry are implicit in what good teaching and effective change are about, but as yet they are society’s (and teaching’s) great untapped resources for radical and continuous improvement. We need to go public with a new rationale for why teaching and teacher development are fundamental to the future of society.

Above all, we need action that links initial teacher preparation and continuous teacher development based on moral purpose and change agentry with the corresponding restructuring of universities and schools and their relationships. Systems don’t change by themselves. Rather, the actions of individuals and small groups working on new conceptions intersect to produce breakthroughs (Fullan 1993). New conceptions, once mobilized, become new paradigms. The new paradigm for teacher professionalism synthesizes the forces of moral purpose and change agentry.

References

Berends, M. (1992). “A Description of Restructuring in Nationally Nominated Schools.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco.

Block, P. (1987). The Empowered Manager. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Farber, B. (1991). Crisis in Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Fullan, M. (1991). “The Best Faculty of Education in the Country: A Fable.” Submitted to the Strategic Planning Committee. Faculty of Education, University of Toronto.

Fullan, M. (1993). Change Forces: Probing the Depths of Educational Reform. London: Falmer Press.

Fullan, M., and A. Hargreaves. (1991). What’s Worth Fighting for in Your School? Toronto: Ontario Public School Teachers’ Federation; Andover, Mass.: The Network; Buckingham, U.K.: Open University Press; Melbourne: Australian Council of Educational Administration.

Gardner, H. (1991). The Unschooled Mind. New York: Basic Books.

Goodlad, J. (1991). “Why We Need a Complete Redesign of Teacher Education.” Educational Leadership 49, 3: 4–10.

Holmes Group. (In press). Tomorrow’s Colleges of Education. East Lansing, Mich.: Holmes Group.

Howey, K. R. (1992). The Network of Fifteen. Columbus: Ohio State University.

Kramer, R. (1992). Ed School Follies. New York: Foss Press.

Pascale, P. (1990). Managing on the Edge. New York: Touchstone.

Sarason, S. (In press). The Case for a Change: The Preparation of Educators. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Schlechty, P. (1990). Reform in Teacher Education. Washington, D.C.: American Association of Colleges of Education.

Senge, P. (1990). The Fifth Discipline. New York: Doubleday.

Sizer, T. (1992). Horace’s School: Redesigning the American High School. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Stiegelbauer, S. (1992). “Why We Want to Be Teachers.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco.

University of Toronto, Faculty of Education. (1992a). Making a Difference Video, Toronto, Ontario.

University of Toronto, Faculty of Education. (1992b). “B.Ed. Restructuring Committee Report,” Toronto, Ontario.

Michael G. Fullan is Dean of Education, University of Toronto, 371 Bloor St., West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2R7.

Nine Professional Dispositions of a Good Teacher

Do you know how to exercise? Do you exercise? Your answer might be “yes” to the first and “no” to the second. The first question asks about ability: Do you know the ways to exercise so as to do you some good? The second question goes beyond ability and asks about inclination: Are you disposed to exercise? Do you exercise regularly?

Professional dispositions are the principles or standards that underpin a teacher’s success in the classroom. They are the values, commitments, and professional ethics that govern how a teacher acts with students, families, colleagues, and communities.

https://education.wsu.edu/undergradprograms/teachered/professionaldisposition/

From Washington University

The Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) mandates, through the Washington Administrative Code (WAC), that all certified educators must be “fit to teach” and “have the proper dispositions to teach.” The transformation of a person from one who merely possesses knowledge and technique into a superior teacher must include the development of characteristics such as a capacity for active and creative communication, a tendency to probe, and a willingness to explore topics from a variety of perspectives. Further, an outstanding educator must possess the desire to engage and encourage students who have a wide range of abilities, interests, and temperaments.

In order to provide the highest quality teacher force possible, Washington State University ’s College of Education has the responsibility of evaluating teacher effectiveness along a variety of dimensions. It uses many instruments and methods to assess the effectiveness of prospective teachers, to make certain they have the knowledge, skills and professional habits necessary to serve in the highly dynamic and complex classrooms of the 21st century.

Good teachers come fom widely different backgrounds, and have varied opinions, interests, and personalities. But some qualities, such as the ability to communicate clearly, are common to nearly all good teachers. On the other hand, it is hard to imagine a teacher being a success without possessing these qualities.

Likewise, students in Washington’s K-12 classrooms come from varied backgrounds. They have a wide range of abilities, different levels of prior knowledge, and vary in how they feel about learning and school. These young people grow and develop, sometimes slowly, sometimes with astonishing quickness. Each classroom, therefore, is a mix of dozens of competing interests, stages of development, and strategies for learning.

Even within a single student’s attempt to learn, a teacher may have to try several approaches before finding one that succeeds. A student may believe that she is “no good at math (or science or history or reading),” for reasons having nothing to do with her abilities.

With as many as a hundred different students and several different subjects to teach every day, teachers have an almost impossible mission. Yet we expect nothing less of them than success with every student.

In order to be successful—to leave, truly, no child behind—teachers must purposefully act in caring, fair, professional, respectful, and responsible ways.

Professional dispositions of good teachers

  1. Good teachers are active, respectful participants in discussions.
  2. Good teachers express themselves clearly and effectively.
  3. Good teachers listen thoughtfully and responsively.
  4. Good teachers engage in lifelong learning, aided by reflection and assessment of new information and ideas.
  5. Good teachers interact effectively, respectfully, and empathetically across a wide range of situations and people.
  6. Good teachers work to ensure system-wide high quality learning opportunities and experiences for all students.
  7. Good teachers seek understanding of complex issues in order to solve problems both independently and collaboratively.
  8. Good teachers are committed to mastering best practices informed by sound theory.
  9. Good teachers are responsible colleagues.

How is it possible to tell whether a person possesses these professional dispositions? By careful observation of their behaviors and actions. Is the teacher candidate a thoughtful, active listener? Does he or she participate in discussions, and is that participation respectful? Does the teacher candidate give help readily?

Excellence is a long, laborious process. It is not always easy to foretell which teachers will excel in their careers. But patterns of action that show up in the course of teacher preparation can be presumed also to show up later on the job. A person demonstrating promptness, courtesy, and scrupulous attention to detail in teacher preparation will likely act likewise when employed. A person habitually late, or rude, or careless in pre-service work will, in contrast, be likely to have trouble in a teaching position.

These are judgments about professional potential, not about persons or their opinions or beliefs. Institutions certifying teachers owe the state’s citizens their best judgment and keenest observations when making decisions that will have such profound future effects. The identification and evaluation of professional dispositions is a valuable tool for identifying and capturing important information about prospective teachers, to make sure that they are best prepared for their professional lives.

Read our Professional Disposition Assessment Form (PDA).

The issue of dispositions has been widely discussed. The President of NCATE (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education) has responded to claims in the press. Read the letter by NCATE President Arthur E. Wise.

See how our Professional Disposition Assessment (PDA) formcompares with state, national, and accreditation standards.

Professional disposition forms

PROFESSIONAL DISPOSITION ASSESSMENT (PDA)
PROFESSIONAL DISPOSITIONS EVALUATION FOR FIELD EXPERIENCES (PDEFE)

The Professional Dispositions Assessment (PDA) is the form used by the Department of Teaching & Learning to document a student’s disposition to be a teacher based upon their performance in the University classroom.

The Professional Dispositions evaluation for Field Experiences (PDEFE) is the form used to document a student’s dispositions during practicum/field experiences. The PDA form and the process used by the Department of Teaching and Learning have received national accolades.

The procedures for the forms vary depending upon a student’s tenure in the program and the circumstances that precipitated the documentation. For example, all students taking T&L 301 will receive a PDA indicating strengths and weaknesses (if any). In T&L 301, students will discuss the concepts of teacher dispositions. Later in the program, a professor may issue a PDA/PDEFE when specific behaviors are noted and must be documented.

If you have any questions about disposition or the PDA/PDEFE, do not hesitate to contact Chris Sodorff, Director of Field Services at csodorff@wsu.edu or 509-335-0925.

Professional disposition

How Parents Can Prepare for Back to School Time

By: Janelle Cox

Back to school time is always a big transition, not only for children but for parents.

While children are filled with excitement and first-day jitters, parents are filled with thoughts of “Am I prepared enough?” To help eliminate these thoughts, and help you and your child prepare for the new school year, all you need is a little organization and forethought. Here are 10 back to school tips to kick-start the new year and get you prepared for a fresh start.

1. Get back into your sleep routine. To help eradicate those stressful school mornings, set up a regular bedtime and morning time routine to help prepare your child for school. Begin your usual school sleep routine about a week or so before school starts.

2. Shop for school supplies together. To get your child excited about starting a new grade, shop for supplies together. Allow them to pick out their own backpack, lunchbox, etc. This is a great way to give them a little bit of responsibility too!

3. Re-establish school routines. Have your child practice getting back into the rhythm of their daily school routine. You can do this by having them wake up at the same time every day, and eat around the same time they would at school. About a week or so before school starts, plan a few outside activities where your child will have to leave and come home around the same time they would if they were in school. This will help them be rested and ready for the big day.

4. Set up a homework station. Sit down with your child and together designate a time and place where he can do his homework each day. This can be somewhere quiet like in the den, or even in the kitchen while you are preparing dinner. Make sure to choose a time where you are available in case your child needs your help.

5. Prepare for the unexpected. Working parents know that it can be difficult to find a sitter when your child is sick. Before school even begins, it’s a good idea to have a sitter already lined up in case you get that phone call home from the nurse saying your child is ill.

6. Make an after-school game plan. Make a plan for where your child will go after school lets out for the day. Depending upon the age of your child, figure out if they will go to a neighbor’s house, an afterschool program, or be allowed to stay home by themselves. This will help eliminate any confusion during the first few weeks.

7. Turn off the TV and video games. For a lot of children summertime is filled with endless video games and TV programs. Children are usually in shock when they begin school and realize that six hours of their day is going to spent learning and not playing games and watching TV. Ease your child into the learning process by turning off the electrics and encouraging them to read or play quietly.

8. Review school material and information. For most parents, schools send home a packet with a ton of information regarding their child’s new teacher, important dates to remember, emergency forms, and transportation routines. Make sure that you read through this information carefully, and mark down all important dates on your calendar.

9. Get organized. The best way to prepare for back to school time is to be organized. With school comes a massive amount of paperwork which can consume your household. Designate a spot in your house for homework, permission slips, and any other school-related papers. This can help eliminate all of that paper clutter and make your life less stressful.

10. Get your child’s yearly checkup. School and germs go hand in hand, so it’s best to get your child’s yearly checkup before school even starts. Get any required vaccinations and ask your pediatrician the best ways your child can stay healthy throughout the school year.

Through preparation and organization, you can ensure that your child will have a smooth transition to the start of the new school year. By doing so, you and your child can enjoy the rest of your summer break.

Janelle Cox is an education writer who uses her experience and knowledge to provide creative and original writing in the field of education. Janelle holds a Master’s of Science in Education from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. She is also the Elementary Education Expert for About.com, as well as a contributing writer to TeachHUB.com and TeachHUB Magazine. You can follow her at Twitter @Empoweringk6ed, or on Facebook at Empowering K6 Educators

10 Teachers’ Tips for Kick-Starting the New School Year

Read these tips from teachers to help get your child ready for the new school year.
  1. Sleep for school. Setting up a regular bedtime and wake-up routine before school starts is a crucial step to prepare your child for class and a practical way to cut down on first-day stress.
  2. Look up to learning. If your child is feeling a bit anxious about going back to school, keep a positive attitude. Recall the fun and exciting events, field trips, projects, and so on from years past, and show excitement about the opportunities for learning new things in the upcoming year.
  3. Walk through it. Escorting younger children to the classroom can help with the transition. Familiarize your child with key places such as the bathroom, gym, library, and cafeteria — he’ll feel more confident if he knows where everything is.
  4. Suit ’em up. Shopping for school supplies with your child can be a fun way to give her some responsibility. Provide parameters, but allow her to pick out a backpack, lunch box, nap mat, water bottle, new clothes, and some basic school supplies (pencils, crayons, etc).
  5. Talk it out. Asking your child about school is important. It shows him that you value his education. Try to avoid general questions, like “How was your day?” These will most likely produce one-word answers. Instead, be specific.
  6. Bring it home. Helping your child with his homework is an effective way to show concern for what she learns at school. Displaying your child’s projects around the house also helps to keep learning excitement high.
  7. Go farther. Getting involved in school events is a critical aspect of showing support and enthusiasm for your child’s learning experience. Participating in school activities is also a valuable way of connecting to the school community. You can learn a lot about the school just by talking to fellow parents.
  8. Keep your eyes (and ears) open. If your child’s eating or sleeping habits have changed drastically, it may be a sign that he’s having difficulty adjusting to his new grade.
  9. Read, read, read. Reading with your child is an invaluable way to spend quality time together on a daily basis. In addition to other long-term benefits, reading together can also be a practical way to discern her reading level.
  10. Connect. Communicating with your child’s teacher on a regular basis is an essential part of caring for her education. Teachers can alert you to any emotional, social, or academic difficulties they perceive in your child at school. The same works in reverse: notify teachers about changes that might affect your child’s behavior in school. Some examples are illness, divorce, the death of a family member, a recent move, or a parent getting a new job.

Navigating Learning Disabilities and the Cost for Treatment

Education

Living with a learning disability can be a source of great frustration if it’s not fully understood – especially during a child’s school-age years. These disabilities have very little to do with a child’s behavior or level of intelligence. Rather, it comes down to understanding that people who live with learning disabilities are living with a different cognitive wiring than others.

For this reason, a learning disability can affect multiple areas of a person’s life well into adulthood. What can be helpful, however is early diagnosis and early intervention. By identifying a learning disability and implementing adequate and affordable tools for treatment, your child can have a full and productive life.

Types of learning disabilities

There can be a danger of generalizing all learning disabilities by saying that they merely cause difficulty with comprehension. The reality is there are multiple types of learning disabilities, and each have their own fingerprint.

According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, about 10% of children in the U.S. live with some form of learning and attention issues. They range from the “specific learning disabilities” – which is the lawful designation under the Individuals with Education Disabilities Act (IDEA) – to the related but slightly different disorders that don’t quite get the same designation.

Here are a few of the more common types of specific learning disabilities and their traits:

Dyslexia

Referred to as a Language-based disability, where a person has trouble deciphering written words. This disorder makes it difficult to comprehend, recall, write, or spell words.

Approximately 15% of people have some form of dyslexia.

Dysgraphia

A learning disability that affects handwriting and fine motor skills. This disability can make it difficult to spell, write legibly, or think while writing.

Approximately 7% – 15% of people have some form of dysgraphia.

Auditory Processing Disorder

A sensory disorder that affects how the brain interprets sounds. Even if a person has normal hearing and vision, this disability can make it difficult to process sounds to make any meaningful connection.

Approximately 5% of children are living with a form of APD

Language Processing Disorder

A sensory disorder very similar to APD, but specific to interpreting language. This disorder makes it difficult to process words or sentences into receptive communication. Speech is also impeded.

The percentage of diagnosis is similar to APD, but there are specific areas of difference

Visual Perception Disorder

A disorder that affects how the brain processes visual stimuli. It can make drawing or copying shapes very difficult. It can also affect hand/eye coordination.

The symptoms and percentage of diagnosis can overlap with those of dyslexia, but there are specific areas of difference

Nonverbal Learning Disorder

A neurological disorder that affects the interpretation of body language, facial expressions, or other nonverbal communication. This disorder can also cause a person to have weaker visual-spatial and social skills.

Studies suggest that approximately 1% of people are diagnosed with a specific NVLD. However, this disorder is most closely connected to Asperger’s syndrome

Learning disorders are different from other conditions such as deafness, blindness, and autism. While these conditions can make learning difficult, they aren’t considered learning disabilities under Federal law. Also, attention disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is often designated as a learning disorder, but it is not. Differentiating between attention disorders and specific learning disabilities can aid in proper diagnosis and helpful treatment.

Treatment for learning disabilities

If your child has a learning disability, it doesn’t mean they have an illness that needs to be cured. While they do have a lifelong condition, there are treatments that can allow these conditions to be managed.

It’s important to understand that there could be some co-occurring issues that arise with their disability that you may have to be prepared for as well. The key is to first educate your child about their disability so they can better understand their learning patterns. This will help to fend off any frustration when face difficulty related to their disorder.

Secondly, infusing learning exercises and other therapy tools into the daily routine can go a long way for positive reinforcement. In addition, it could encourage any gradual improvement in your child’s condition as they get older. Here’s more info on the potential co-occuring issues and practical treatment tips for each of the specific learning disabilities:

DISORDER MEDICATION TOOLS/TECHNIQUES
Dyslexia
  • Medication will only help with treating anxiety, depression, and ADHD.
  • Other treatments such as behavioral cognitive therapy can also help.
  • Multisensory techniques such as word games, songs, and implementing physical touch to practice word recognition and recall.
Dysgraphia
  • Medication will only help with treating anxiety, depression, and ADHD.
  • Other treatments such as behavioral cognitive therapy can also help.
  • Writing tools such as pencil grips, paper with highlighted lines, graphic organizers, and handwriting apps.
Auditory Processing Disorder
  • Medication to treat ADHD and anxiety only.
  • Speech therapy
  • Auditory training therapy
  • Word repetition gamesy
Language Processing Disorder
  • Medication to treat ADHD and anxiety only.
  • Comfortable environments that aren’t very loud or visually stimulating.
  • Speech therapy
  • Occupational therapy
Visual Perception Disorder
  • Medication will only help with treating anxiety, depression, and ADHD.
  • Behavioral vision therapy
  • Educational therapy
  • Physical stimuli such as sensory gyms
Nonverbal Learning Disorder
  • Medication will only help with treating anxiety, depression, and ADHD
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy
  • Speech therapy
  • Interaction with social skills coaches or small groups

Educational resources for children with learning disabilities

Thanks to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), it’s law in this country to provide free and appropriate public education to children with disabilities (FAPE). This means children who experience specific learning or attention-related disorders should be provided non-discriminatory, targeted educational services from infancy through age 21. Although these services can seem pretty straightforward, there are some unique traits that are specific to the child’s condition. It’s also important to note that not all children will be eligible for these services.

Eligibility

If you suspect your child should receive special education services, their public school will follow federal regulations to evaluate your child. There are two steps to this evaluation process.

The first step is an educational evaluation. This is usually conducted by the child’s teachers along with the school psychologist. The evaluation includes observing the child in the classroom and evaluating their academic records. A determination is also made during this stage whether or not the child has at least one of the 13 disabilities that are covered under IDEA. Afterwich, a report is written up.

The second step is the eligibility determination. Based on the evaluation, the school will decide if your child’s disability calls for special education services. Even if your child is shown to have one of the 13 covered disabilities, it still doesn’t guarantee that special services will be granted. The school may determine that despite your child’s disability, they are still learning at an acceptable rate within the general classroom setting. If special education services are granted, they will work with you to create an appropriate program for your child within 30 days.

Individualized Education Program (IEP)

Once your child is granted special education services, an Individualized Education Program is created. An IEP is a written statement, detailing the purpose, goals, and services related to your child’s needs. These statements are required for anyone who’s receiving special education.

It goes without saying, but it’s vital for parents to be involved with the development of the child’s IEP. It’s just as important for the student (if they’re of age) to be involved in the process as well. Specifically, students who will be transitioning to adulthood soon are encouraged to learn and have a say in as much as they can.

As the annual goals are met during the IEP, your child will be monitored to determine if any adjustments to the program are warranted. These can be helpful benchmarks if you decide to change schools or if there are any administrative changes. Regardless, your child must be reevaluated every three years to determine if they are still eligible for an IEP.

Professionals in the classroom who conduct various phases of the IEP include:

  • A psychologist
  • A speech therapist
  • A physical therapist
  • A vision or hearing specialist
  • A special educator

Instructional intervention

While an IEP is a strategic plan to help your child learn successfully in the classroom, instructional interventions are methods of tracking their progress. These interventions exist within the overall IEP to allow you to work with educators to monitor the effectiveness of a program. If it’s determined that your child needs a little extra time or additional support on a subject, adjustments will be made through an instructional intervention.

These are usually more targeted towards students with standard academic or behavioral issues rather than students with specific learning disabilities. However, they can be effective in either capacity.

What if my child isn’t granted special education services?

Even though many children are granted eligibility for special education programs at their schools, there are a number who aren’t. It can be tough to get the news that your child has been denied, but it doesn’t mean that your options are eliminated.

504 Plan

If your child isn’t eligible for services under IDEA, schools may encourage you to consider a 504 plan. This is a plan that supports accommodations in the classroom to help manage your child’s learning and attention disorder. Unlike an IEP, a 504 plan doesn’t alter your child’s curriculum. It simply allows for some small adjustments to be made to the learning environment.

Some of the accommodations include:

  • Sitting at the front of the class
  • Allowing for extra time on tests/assignments
  • Taking frequent breaks throughout the school day

Why might someone need to pay for treatment for learning disabilities?

Despite some of the helpful resources provided through the public school system, there are still instances where you’ll need to pay for your child’s treatment.

Your child is outside of the public school system

Some families don’t have access to resources simply because they aren’t in the public school system. Federal law dictates that all children be evaluated for learning disabilities. But free special education services are only provided to eligible public school attendees. Homeschooling or sending your child to private school doesn’t guarantee the same comprehensive coverage.

If your child is found to have a learning disability and they don’t attend public school, you have the option of either changing schools or staying with your private school and receiving equitable services. These are special services that are paid for through public school funding to provide some needed care. However, these funds are limited, so there’s a good chance the services will be limited as well. As a result, families who stay in private school will most likely need to pay for the outside care their child needs.

Here’s more information on special education services provided in private school:

Your child has therapy needs that aren’t provided by the school

Public schools are required to provide free and appropriate public education for kids with disabilities (FAPE). But they aren’t required to provide the very best services available. Your child may have needs that are a little more broad than what might be offered at their school. So purchasing additional services could make sense for you. Or, if you feel more comfortable with a specific private therapist and want to maintain that relationship, that’s also an understandable reason for going outside of school services.

Here are some forms of therapy you might consider if you’re searching for private options:

Payment options for private learning disabilities treatment

If you’re in the position to seek private treatment for your child’s learning disability, the costs involved should factor into your decisions. Though the services through FAPE are free, including the educational evaluations, private evaluations are not free. Neither are the private counselors and specialized schools. Below are the costs involved with treatment for learning disabilities and some options for funding.

Assessments

Performed by Average cost Funding options
Primary doctor Insurance copay ($15-$30)
  • Cash
Pediatric Psychologist $800-$200
  • Health insurance
  • Cash
  • Personal loan
Psychiatrist (Cannot assess learning disabilities, but will recommend medication for co-occurring issues such as ADHD and anxiety.) Insurance copay ($15-$30)
  • Cash

Therapy

Treatment Average cost Funding options
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Up to $100 per hour or sliding scale based on income.
  • Health insurance
  • Grants
  • Personal loan
  • Cash
Speech Therapy
  • $200-$250 for initial assessment
  • $100-$200 per hour for regular sessions
  • Copay of 10%-50% for those with insurance
  • Health insurance
  • Grants
  • Employee discounts
  • Personal loan
  • Cash
Educational Therapy
  • $60/hour per session
  • $100-$250 for educational materials
  • Health insurance
  • Grants
  • Employee discounts
  • Personal loan
  • Cash
Occupational Therapy
  • $150-$200 for initial assessment
  • $50-$400 per hour for regular sessions
  • Copay of 10%-50% for those with insurance
  • Health insurance
  • Grants
  • Employee discounts
  • Personal loan
  • Cash

Private School

Level Average tuition Funding options
Elementary school $7,770 per year
  • Government funding
  • Personal loans
  • Cash
High school $13,030 per year
  • Government funding
  • Personal loans
  • Cash

Tax deduction and tuition reimbursement for private school

According to IRS Publication 502, you can include tuition (including room and board) for private school in your medical expenses when filing your taxes. This is an option only if you can prove that your child attends private school primarily for treatment of learning disabilities.

Even if the school is not primarily a special needs school, you can still take advantage of the option to classify your child’s education as a medical expense. It is, however still recommended that you speak to your financial advisor regarding this issue to avoid any miscommunication with your tax filings.

If you were approved for special education services but your public school is not working to adequately meet your needs, you could opt for placement in an approved private school as part of your child’s IEP. These private schools are licensed and approved for tuition reimbursement by the state.

If you prefer a different private school than the one your child is placed in, there’s a chance you could still be eligible for tuition reimbursement, but it depends on a couple of factors. First: Your school district doesn’t offer FAPE to begin with. Second: Your preferred private school is appropriate for your child’s needs.

Unsecured personal loans for disability services

When it comes down to paying for special needs services, leaning on health insurance and personal funds are among the more popular options. The truth is, not everyone is fully insured or confident enough about their financial standing to handle the expense.

An unsecured personal loan could be a helpful tool to offset some of your child’s learning disability needs. Unlike secured loans, an unsecured personal loan doesn’t require you to put up property as collateral (your home, your car). The last thing you want is to be concerned with the state of your assets if a default or something else unexpected were to happen. The hope is to leverage as many high-quality, affordable services as possible. And an unsecured personal loan could provide you with the flexibility and funds you need for your child’s care.

CMC – Human Dimensions of Mathematics

The 2018 California Math Council – Central put on a stunning Symposium March 9-12 at the new Tulare County Office of Education in Visalia, California.  On Friday, March 9th, Leadership Session Speak Matt Larson spoke on “Overcoming Obstacles to Make Mathematics Work FOR Students”.  Saturday, March 11th, the Keynote Speaker was Leslie Hamburger on “Developing Teacher Expertise to Work with English Language Learners”.  Breakout Sessions were lead by Anne Schwartz, Jeanie Behrend, McKenzi Hurick, Priscilla Sustaita-Clark, Nacy Nagatani, Mario Valdez, Chris Atkin, Troy Hayes, Ed Campos, Duane Habecker, LaMar Queen, and Hilda Wright.  Elementary Schools students were also present to model strategies they have learned in their classrooms.  Thanks to all who work so hard for the sake of student learning!

The Leader in Me

This summer, I joined this book study with this group in Chatham, Illinois, via Google Docs. My lifetime friend, Pam Hogan, and her team started this move in Chatham in 2016 and as you will hear from the principal, Elizabeth Gregurich, who is an awesome top down supporter, the paradigm shift is visible on their campus.  The district technology lead, Josh Mulvaney, is now involved via the book study,  which took it to district level.

Why did this hit home for me?  As stated in the previous post, finding everyone’s gifts, talents, passions, skills is what I have been preaching about for years.  “Everyone is a Genius”  states Elizabeth Gregurich.  I believe we all put on this planet for purpose and to delve into what those gifts, skills, talents and passions are will help you find yours!  “What is your genius”?

Albert Einstein wrote, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” The question I have for you at this point of our journey together is, “What is your genius?”

We know that ALL students can learn.  Students learn very differently just as you do.  How do we reach all students?  Differentiating instruction, meeting all modalities, understanding we all learn best at different times of the day, understanding we all don’t hear everything the first time, understanding that everyone is in a different place with prior knowledge, not everyone understands the academic language, and everyone has very different home situations.  These are the many concepts that educators must consider in a day while teaching their topic.

So, I have taken on the task to assist with “peppering” this cultural change onto their already full plate without the feeling of adding more to an already hectic schedule.  I’m looking for inspiration from all of you reading this.  Hoping someone in each district will look at the powerful positive outcome this creates and take it on for the sake of students and community.  Hopefully, this group will develop into assisting each other with ideas that create the interdependence necessary to produce best practices.~Sandy

Enjoy  the video below on how this school implemented the “The 7 Habits for Highly Effective People” through “The Leader In Me” as well as other resources.

 

https://youtu.be/SgkqzMQ91bM

I apologize for the quality but its about getting it said and done, not how perfect it is. ~Sandy

New Mobile Education App with Mega Info

New Mobile Application Offers Detailed Information about California’s PK-12 and Adult Education Schools

Source: California Department of Education

URL: http://bit.ly/CA-Schools_App

A new mobile application that offers detailed information about California’s 10,000 public schools was announced last week by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.

The free “CA Schools” mobile app, which is available for iOS and Android systems, lets users locate nearby schools based on their current location or search for schools (public or private) by location (e.g., city, district, or ZIP code). The app provides information such as the school’s phone number, address, demographics, and test scores (for public schools).

“Never before have we put so much school information literally in the hands of our students, parents, and community members and made the information so accessible and user-friendly,” Torlakson said.

Visit http://bit.ly/CA-Schools_App for more information about this useful new app. Also see http://bit.ly/CDE-DataQuest-61417 for today’s announcement about DataQuest improvements.

~ To subscribe to COMET, send the following message to listserv@listserv.csufresno.edu: Subscribe COMET [followed by your name]

Example:  Subscribe COMET Albert Einstein

Carol Fry Bohlin, Ph.D.

Professor and Graduate Program Coordinator (M.A. in Education-C&I)

Director, Mathematics and Science Teacher Initiative (MSTI)

Reporter/Editor, California Online Mathematics Education Times (COMET)

California State University, Fresno

5005 N. Maple Ave. M/S ED 2

Fresno, CA  93740-8025 

E-mail: carolb@csufresno.edu

COMET: http://comet.cmpso.org                 

http://twitter.com/STEM_Fresno

FREE Distance Learning for all of Arizona

FREE distance learning for Kindergarten through Community College available online for Arizona students.  FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, GO TO:  http://www.sequoiachoice.org/

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, GO TO:  http://www.sequoiachoice.org/

MENSA Visalia, Fresno, Madera

Dear Members and Prospective Members,

 For possibly the last time, we will once again gather at Panera Bread, 4103 S. Mooney Blvd. in Visalia, at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 13, for sandwiches, soup, salad and intelligent conversation.

 In May (or at least by June), we will launch our monthly speakers forum on the second Thursday of each month, beginning at 7 p.m. The event will be open to the public. Our plan includes meeting at 5:30 p.m. at a nearby location (perhaps the same location as the forum?) for our monthly fix of sandwiches, soup, salad and intelligent conversation before the event.

 If you have preferences regarding possible locations and/or suggestions for speakers, please contact me.

 Our northern neighbors, Fresno-Madera Mensans, present speakers at their monthly dinner meetings, which begin at 6 p.m. at Mimi’s Café, 7660 N. Blackstone Ave. in Fresno. On April 5, novelist Gary Walker will return to speak about his second novel, Vengeance Unbound. On May 3, Mensan Jim Lambe will talk about false confessions – why people confess to crimes they did not commit. For more information, contact Jan Drenth, Fresno-Madera Area Coordinator, at Acybrarian@gmail.com or (559) 435-1078.

In the meantime, we hope to see you at Panera Bread on Thursday, April 13.

Sincerely,

Steve Pastis, Area Coordinator

Tulare-Kings Area of Sacramento Regional Mensa

TulareKingsMensans@yahoo.com

(559) 280-9774