ProfEd- Articles in Education

8/3/2019 ProfEd- Articles in Education

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How to Plan Homeschool

Homeschooling a child can be a long and tedious road. Many parents have no idea of the amount

of work that must be placed into a childs curriculum. In fact developing a curriculum takes time,

thought and a plan.

To develop a curriculum for your child you should know about what grade level the child is capable

of completing. Does the child have any special needs or concerns that need to be addressed in the

curriculum? Will the child need to complete any additional credits or need to complete Advanced

Placement classes? Will foreign language be necessary? Are there credit recovery classes that have

to be addressed? What learning styles does the child use? All questions that will have to be

answered.

Because of the internet parents now have several choices for curriculums. I recommend that

parents consider a well developed curriculum for their child instead of developing one on their own.

This can be accomplished through the multiple online schools that are currently on the internet.This allows the parent to assume the role of a coach instead of a teacher. Taking the burden of the

parent for developing lesson plans, activities and testing and allowing them to focus on the childs

education. The parent only needs to follow the plan from the school. This option gives the child a

solid structure to learn in and gives the parent a well defined plan.

The second issue that parents usually encounter is what to do with my child. You have to realize

that this is school and that there needs to be a certain amount of structure in order to succeed. The

child needs to have a well defined work space where books, pencils, pens, paper and the computer

can be located. This will be school. Do not get into the habit of letting your child set on the sofa

with the television going attempting to do school work. Next, define a timeline. When will school

start and end? When will lunch be? Snack time and recess time? Write it down and post it on the

wall in the school area. Let you child know that this is the normal schedule that will be followed

each day. Your child also needs to know that the schedule may change if there are activities or field

trips. You as a parent must remember that this is your school and that you can manipulate the

learning environment to increase your childs educational experience. An example of this would be

when I take my child to the tidal pools to explore the oceanic environment and water quality. This

puts science into action allowing my child to live what she is learning in science. When we return

home we alter the schedule for the day and then make sure we address the areas we missed

tomorrow.

Homeschool can be a long a tedious road but it is one filled with beautiful colors, sounds and

textures. Just do not forget to look around.


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Simple But Effective Ways to be A Good Teacher

1)A Great Teacher Will Always Be There- If you are not in your classroom, you are not teaching.

Yes, teachers must take days off occasionally, but do not make it a habit. If you are feeling a little

sick, unless it is serious, show up! A sick regular teacher is ten times better for his or her students

than a healthy sub is. Regular attendance is a must. Be proud to have a perfect attendance record.

2)A Great Teacher is Accessible- You need to help your students at all times. That means before

school, during lunch, and after school. No, you do not have to do it all the time. Start out with

something like two days a week before school, lunch, and after school. You are the best tutor your

students can get. Teach them!

3) Great Teachers Know Their Students on a Personal Basis- Talk to them during lessons.

What is their favorite music? TV? Movies? Talk to them in the hallways. The more you know, the

more you can adapt. It is easy to converse during class time. Little comments between concepts can

go a long way. If some show up early for class, you can really get personal. No class time? Pass out aquestionnaire. Above all, learn their names quickly!

4) A Great Teacher Knows Many Parents- Get phone numbers. Make two calls a day to parents. If

you can, make more. They do not need to be long. Just a short hello and that you are interested in

their child. In just a short time, you can indeed make contact to at least one parent of each student.

Parents can be your biggest ally. Students will perform and behave better if they know you are

talking to their parents.

5)A Great Teacher Knows What They are Teaching- If you do not know what you are doing,

how can you teach? This involves complete preparation.

6)A Great Teacher Attends school events- Make yourself seen at school sports and

performances. Being seen in this setting shows students you care about them and support them.

7)A Great Teacher Lives in or Visits the Neighborhood- If you do not live in the same place as

your school, make some visits on weekends. Go to a local place to eat. Shop at a local store. Many

of your students may have parents who own local businesses. Patronize them. Visit a church. The

more your students see you, the more they will be willing to behave in class. They will see you as

someone who is willing to be on their level.

8)A Great Teacher Eats Lunch on Campus- Wander around at lunch and sit at a student table.

Buy a school lunch and join them. Many students help sell food. Make a point to buy something.

9)A Great Teacher is Always Fair- Expect the best, but be flexible. Fairness does not have to

mean leniency It simply means to grade your students on a balanced scale.

10) Great Teachers Never Lose Their Cool- Bite your tongue. All things will pass. Never carry a

grudge. Things in your classroom will happen. This goes hand in hand with being professional.

Acting like a raving lunatic is a sure way to shorten your career.


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Motivating Your Students in the Classroom

Motivating students is a tough task for teachers. Once students reach a certain age, they no longer

feel the need to attend school, let alone enjoy it. It is up to teachers to motivate their students.

Without at least minimal motivation, your teaching will fall flat and there will be little or no real

learning in your classroom. How do you currently try and motivate students?

First rule of student motivation

Your classroom must be an enjoyable experience. Student motivation will be next to impossible if

your classroom does not have an inviting atmosphere.

What is your demeanor? Are you excited about teaching? Glad that you're there? Happy to see the

students? Excited about your subject or grade? You must be warm, inviting, and enthusiastic about

your job. You must show up everyday well prepared.

What does your classroom look like? Sterile? Prison? Blank walls? Your classroom needs color andexcitement. Put up posters. Put up students' work. You need to hook the students as soon as they

set foot in your classroom.

Making your classroom an enjoyable place to learn is actually half the battle.

Students are motivated with rewards

Students need a reward for learning. No, this is not prizes or candy. That may work to get a task

completed, but not motivate for real learning. Remember, we are looking to motivate students into

learning, not necessarily completing a task.

The reward for learning that you strive for is a students satisfaction for learning. That's it. For

example, you are teaching the Civil War. You want a student to sit back and say, "Man, that Abe

Lincoln was one cool dude."

Okay, a little corny, but it makes the point. If that goes on in your classroom, you are virtually there!

But it's not easy. It's not easy because teachers are taught to dish out a task, test, boom, done. Not

very motivating, is it?

Tips for motivating students

Students need a reason for doing the assignment. Give them one. Each teacher will have to come upwith this on their own. No help here is given because if you can't think of a reason for teaching

something, you can't motivate students.

Here are some hints. How does it affect them? Does it make them a better citizen? Learner? Relate it

to their life. Relate it to their future. Relate it to their ego.

Relate it to current events. You cannot just say, "Because."


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Praise goes a long way. This is the reward you can give out frequently and it's free. Write notes on

their papers. Say things to them as you walk around the room. Call everybody by name and

encourage them. Put student work on the walls. Put a piece of work from ALL students at various

times. Call home and praise your students to their parents.

If your students have a reason to learn the material and get praise from you, that's really allmotivation they need. It sounds simple, but remember it is hard. Over the course of the school year,

you will get better.

Choose your opening to the lesson in such a way that it makes the students want to know more. It

may sound silly, but a story can be a very effective way.

Using the Lincoln example, "Let me tell you about a guy whose mother died when he was nine. His

first girlfriend got sick and she died. Eventually he became president."

Once your students want to know more, you have them hooked. They are motivated! You want

your students to go home every day and say, "Guess what I learned?"

Recapping student motivation first is you and your classroom. Next comes a reason for learning.

You then create a curiosity about what is to come. You do all those; your students can't help but be

motivated in your classroom. And the best thing about this, is it make your discipline problems be

few and far between.

Teachers At Their Best

Teachers or professors are most often into a lot of stress. For all the precious times they spend in

teaching our children, they should really be given due recognition for all their efforts. Teachers dont

only teach theories to our children; they are also sources of moral teachings. Inside and outside the

campus, a teacher is seen as a model to her students. In relation to health and wellness, the teacher is

expected to have and project a good state of both mental and physical health. To help teachers

achieve top health status, here are some notes about nutrients that can help fight-off negative

moods.

Teachers, or anybody, can have negative moods as a result of lack of sleep and even

skipping/missing meals (which are commonly experienced by teachers). If teachers would

frequently experience lack of sleep and skipping of meals, they would be very prone to emotional

instability, a thing that wewouldnt want our childrens teacher to be into.

The following nutrients have been studied for their ability to help improve moods and increase ones

responsiveness to stress.

B-Vitamins. For a long time, this group of vitamins are known to be helpful in fighting stress.

Stress tablets would usually have a combination of B-Vitamins. The B-Vitamins are known to help

in the production of two neurotransmitters known to produce a calming effect.


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Some doctors would recommend having as much as 5-10 mg of each of the B-Vitamins B1, B2, B3

and B6. Foods rich in these B-Vitamins are: pork, products with wheat germ, whole grain cereals,

fresh and boiled peas, liver, baked potato, hard cheese, mackerel, mushrooms, eggs, sardines,

yoghurt, roast chicken , peanuts, red and green pepper and cashew nuts.

L-Theanine, now commonly heard and read from television and print ads. This component ofgreen tea, an amino acid, acts on the brains waves to help you become more relaxed but mentally

alert. In just 30 minutes, and, for 8 hours, they say that you can already feel its effect.

Users do not feel any drowsiness but experiences improved quality of sleep (at a dose of 200 -500

mg daily)

Inositol, one of the B-complex vitamin, is important in the health of cell membranes especially in

the brain, bone marrow, eyes and intestines. It helps reduce the symptoms of anxiety, panic and

obsessive-compulsive behaviour. Other B-Vitamins enhance the claming effect of inositol. Food

sources includes: nuts, beans, wheat and wheat bran, beef brain, raisins, cantaloupe, cabbage and

oranges.

Magnesium. Our body can make some vitamins but it cannot manufacture minerals. Minerals like

magnesium need to be supplied in the diet. Magnesium is necessary in a lot of chemical reactions

inside our body. It is needed for energy production, control of digestion, temperature regulation, and

nerve and muscle firing.

Very importantly, magnesium relaxes the muscles. With too much calcium and insufficient

magnesium, it can affect the bronchial tract (causing asthma), muscles, and even bladder. Capsule

supplements are suggested to be taken once or twice a day at 200 mg or simply take food sources

that are rich in magnesium like: whole grain cereals, Brazil nuts, halibut, yellow finned tuna, spinachand tofu.

Teachers are treasures in our society; let us help them be at their best so that they too can help bring

out the best in our children, in their students.

Should Teachers Give Rewards to Students for Good Behavior? A

Psycho-Educational Perspective

Rewarding students for good behavior is a popular classroom discipline procedure. Teachers of

habitually disruptive students like using rewards because, in a well-structured reward system, theyhave the potential of winning students compliance fast. Advocates of using rewards to discipline

students with habitually disruptive behaviors claim that rewards promote compliance and stop

misbehavior. Opponents of rewards state that rewarding students, an externally oriented procedure

(the teacher regularly administers the rewards, not the student) are a way of controlling and

manipulating childrens behavior that does little to change permanently the disruptive behavior. In


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other words, the short-term effect of stopping misbehavior does not translate into a long-term effect

of helping children grow and develop better-adjusted ways of behaving. Alfie Kohn, the author of

Punished by Rewardsstates that rewards can be seen as punishment in the sense that rewards

both manipulate behavior and are a form of doing things to students rather than withstudents. Both

advocates and opponents of rewards present strong supportive arguments and I would like to bring

a psycho-educational perspective to this controversy.

Assuming that the teacher has a well-structured and consistent reward system, rewarding students

with habitually, and in some cases severe, disruptive behaviors can be a fast and effective way of

winning compliance. My fourteen years of experience teaching emotionally disturbed/behaviorally

disordered students strongly supports the conclusion that rewards are fast and effective.

Nevertheless, I also understand that, if used alone and with no clear long-term goals (both for the

student and for the teacher) in place, rewards are short-lived. External rewards may temporarily

inhibit disruptive behaviors but they do not teach appropriate behavior and will not help children

outgrow the disruptive behavior. Teachers need to be aware that rewards appeal exclusively to

students extrinsic motivation(I do _____ so that I can get _____) having little or no effect in

strengthening childrens intrinsic motivation(i.e. self-pride, self-confidence, self-efficacy, and a sense of

accomplishment among others). Consequently, even when the teacher uses rewards consistently, a

discipline system that only takes into consideration giving rewards while ignoring childrens

perceptions, attitudes, and feelings may have a strongshort-term effectin winning compliance, but no

long-term effectin helping habitually disruptive students learn new and more productive ways of

behaving. Simply put, psycho-educational teachers see rewards as one way of supporting and

strengthening the more comprehensive psycho-educational program, but they never use rewards as

the only and/or most important component in the behavioral management program. Primarily,

teachingself-management of behavioris the long-term psycho-educational goal; rewarding behavior

extrinsically while the student develops internal self-control and is able to self-manage behavior is

just a supportive tool in our more comprehensive psycho-educational toolbox.

This brings us to the second point that I would like to make. At all stages of the reward program,

students should be part of the decision-making process. Children have a say in what is motivating to

them, and they have a choice in the kinds of rewards included. Even when we are externally

manipulating the behavior, we give choices to children and make children part of the decision-

making process, encouraging and inviting the child in formulating solutions. Learning to make


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better-adjusted behavioral choices is another long-term goal that we teach children since the

beginning. Children learn to make good behavioral choices by having the opportunity to choose, not

by following our directions or receiving rewards. For this reason, we explain to the child that once

he or she is better equipped to self-manage behavior, we will fade the extrinsic reward system,

moving the student gradually from an externally supported system into an almost exclusively

internally motivated support system. The childs self-management skills and self-awareness tell us

when he is ready to make the transition. In addition, just knowing that they now require less external

manipulation than at the earlier stages of intervention is extremely rewarding and motivating to

students. Teachers can measure success when we find ourselves using considerable fewer rewards at

the final stages of our intervention program than the amount of extrinsically motivated rewards

required at the initial stages of our intervention.

If you are thinking of implementing a reward system to manage a habitually disruptive student, or

already have one, the following guidelines will be helpful in increasing the systems efficiency. With

minimal variations, you can adjust these guidelines so that you can use them with a disruptive class.

Get to know the child as an individual. Find out what the child is interested about and whatmotivates him or her; also, find out what the child dislikes. Directly ask the child what is

reinforcing to him or her. You and the child should discuss the reinforcement.

After discussing what is rewarding to the child, set goalswith him, and help the child translatethe goal into an action planthat clearly lists the sub-steps that he will need to follow to reachthe goal. Link the reward system with the action plan, aiming at reinforcing the action plan.

To set goals and develop an action plan, engage the student in a discussion about the wayshe wants to be (goal), and how he can make that happen (action plan).

Do not assume that the student knows how to listen, how to cooperate with otherstudents, or how to solve social problems. Teachers need to teach those behaviors explicitly.

Explainto the student, model, and then reviewthe behavior that you expect from the child.

Give the student examples ofalternative behaviorsthat the child can use to replace thehabitually disruptive behaviors. The extra time you spend earlier in the year teaching socially

appropriate behaviors to habitually disruptive students will save you time and frustration in

the future.

Explicitly state what the student needs to do to earn the reward. For example, just saying,Be nice to each other or Pay attention to the lesson is not enough. You need to state


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what the child is going to do in behavioral terms, for example, 15 minutes seated and doing

your class work will earn you a token. The link between the childs behavior and the

reinforcement must be apparent to the child.

Vary the reinforcement, so that the child does not get used to it, and does not feel bored bythe same reward. With the student, you can develop a reinforcement menu(10-15 rewards), and

to make it more appealing, include a mystery reward. When the child meets her behavior

expectation, she selects one reward from the reinforcement menu.

For bigger rewards, you can use a token system, so that each day, the child earns tokens,points, or checks that she exchanges at the end of the week or month.

Emphasize social and privilege reinforcement(e.g. breakfast with the teacher or extra computertime) over material reinforcement (toy and prizes). Reinforcement that involves spending

time with adults and doing tasks together are generally more rewarding to children than toys.

Remember, when you spend time with the child, resist the temptation to discipline the child

during that time. In other words, keep reinforcement time and discipline time clearly

separated.

Always keep in mind that, particularly for students with recurrent behavior problems, forbehavior to be good does not need to be perfect. Reward effortand improvement; that is, notice

and appreciate that the child is trying hard and is doing a little better each time.

Teach the student self-rewardsand self-reinforcement; for example, the child compliments herselffor raising her hand, for waiting her turn, for using a learning strategy, or for thinking of a

better approach to solve a situation. Gradually transition the student from an externally

manipulated reward system to self-reward and self-reinforcement.

Acting Out in School: When Your Child is the Class Troublemaker

Every parent of an acting-out child knows that once your kid has a reputation for being a

troublemaker at school, it's very difficult to undo that label. Thats because your child becomesthelabel; when the teacher looks at him, she often just sees a troublemaker. Sadly, it's very hard tochange that image, because even when your child tries harder, the label is reinforced when he slipsup. And then he's really in trouble, because not only is he still a troublemakernow he's seen as amanipulator, too.

We all know that labels are assigned all the time and that they don't help the problem. Not only arethey innately unfair, they are also subjective. In other words, one person's view of a troublemaker is


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not the same as anothers. School teachers, being human, will label kids. Make no mistake, teacherstalk and are well aware of who the troublemakers are before they get to their class at the beginningof the year. After all, its part of their job to anticipate the behavioral issues they will be dealing within their classroom and try to plan for them.

Part of what you have to do as a parent is try to distinguish between the label and your child's styleof functioning in school. So if your child has been called a troublemaker, ask yourself what thatmeans. Howdoes he make trouble? Does he speak out of turn in class? Is he easily distracted andbothersome to the students sitting next to him? Or is he disruptive and rude?

I always advise parents to be honest with themselves about their child's behavior. Yes, it's importantto assert yourself as a parent and advocate for your child at school. But it's also vital to your child'sdevelopment that you notdefend him when he's in the wrong. Make no mistake: defending yourchild when he has behaved inappropriately will not help him develop appropriate skills and tobecome rightas a person. So if your child is known as a school troublemaker and is disruptive andrude in class, it's very important that you acknowledge that. Parents need to have an open mindabout their children so they can help the school in changing their behavior. Don't forget, for many

parents of kids with behavior problems, it's easier to fight with the school than it is to change theirchild. And when you do this, that only succeeds in letting your child off the hook, when in realitywhat they really need to do is learn how to change their behavior. Whenever possible, though it'ssometimes difficult, parents and teachers need to work in tandem.

The New School Year: Starting Off on the Right Foot

If your child is in danger of having the troublemaker label follow him from grade to grade, youreprobably wondering how to start him off on the right foot thisyear. I think that at the beginning ofany school year, you want to coach your child about the importance of first impressions. Let himknow how important the first couple of weeks of school are in terms of getting along in class and

doing well. Tell him that presenting himself as respectful and responsible will make a big differencefor him. You can say, Remember how we talked about what you would do differently in school thisyear to get along better? Well, one of the things we mentioned was that you should be polite to yourteachers and not talk back. When you have the urge to talk back or be rude, what could you dodifferently?

As a side note, if parents have a problem with a teacher or the school, they should never discuss it infront of their child. Make no bones about it, if you undermine the teacher openly at home, itbecomes almost impossible at some later date to get your child to behave appropriately. Iunderstand that parents wont always agree with their childs teacher. In certain cases, I thought mysons teachers had some rules that didnt make sense. My wife and I talked about it and discussed it

with the teacher, but my son never knew it. That was because we were there to uphold the image ofthe school as an entity that has to be respectedand one in which our son knew he had to behaverespectfully.

In my opinion, going to school is like having a job. You coach your child through their school careerthe same way you might give them advice when they start a profession. You can say, You have tolearn to get along. There are going to be good people and bad people. There are going to be goodtimes and bad times. There are going to be people who don't like you and people you don't like.


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The key is not to eliminate everything your child doesnt like in life; the key is to help him managethings even when life is difficult. After all, there's going to be injustice in school and in life, thoughfew parents acknowledge or talk about it with their kids. I think it's good to say, "That's an injusticeand you'll have to deal with it." Because in fact, some things really aren't fair in life, and part ofgrowing up is learning to deal with that fact.

When I worked with kids who didnt get along with their teachers, I would often say, Look, it'syour job to get along with your teacher, not your teacher's job to get along with you. A teachersjob is to be respectful of their students and to help them learn. It's not their job to humor kids whentheyre in a bad mood or act out. No place does that, so when kids complained about their teachers,I would say. Whether you work at a gas station or a lawfirm, your boss and co-workers won't putup with that kind of behavior. You have to learn how to get along, that's part of becomingindependent. In fact, some of the most important criteria for independence are How well doesthis person manage adversity? How well does he get along with people he doesn't like? How does hedeal with supervisors who are a pain in the neck? We're all going to have that in life. So the idea isto give your child the skills to get along no matter who he or she is dealing with.

Consequences: Should I Give Them to My Child When He Gets in Trouble at School?

Let's face it: every parent whose child acts out in class gets sick of hearing from the schooleven ifthey know their child is legitimately a problem. Parents don't want to go to work and hear abouttheir kids during the school day; they want the school to handle it. And the school thinks parentsshould be more involved in dealing with inappropriate behavior.

So when should parents get involved? I think the answer to that is straightforward. In my opinion, itdepends on whether the problem is functional or relational. A functional problem includesbeing late for class, chewing gum or running down the hall. I think schools should handle thoseproblems; that is their community, and they need to manage it. I personally do not think parents

should give more consequences at home for those types of things. But the whole game changeswhen it comes to relational problems. These are problems that have to do with inappropriatebehavior towards people or property. If your child steals, if he's physically abusive, if he'sthreatening, if he gets into a fight, parents need to hold him accountable and give consequences athome in addition to the consequences the school assigns.

Again, one of the things parents have to avoid is insulating their child from the natural consequencesof their behavior. If your child destroys property or assaults someone at school and you doeverything you can to protect him so he doesn't have to face legal consequences, I think you'remaking a mistake. I think you can support your child through those consequencesI would. Butthe more you insulate him from the natural consequences of his actions, the less likely those actions

are going to change. Because let's face it, people don't change until there's pressure to change. Andunfortunately, that pressure often comes from negative consequences, whether that's for a speedingticket or for being physically aggressive in school. We understand that fact as adults in society:people get tickets all the time for running lights and for speeding. You may not like getting a ticket,you may not think it's fair. But the bottom line is that it makes you look at your behavior and changeit.
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When a child gets in serious trouble at school, many parents become worried that it will go on theirpermanent record. Is that a legitimate worry for a parent? Yes. But you don't soothe those worriesby sweeping the problem under the rug. Let me be clear: if your child assaults someone at schooland doesn't get a record now, he's going to get one laterthat's all there is to it.

How to Handle a Functional Problem

If your child tells you, I got detention because I was running in the hall, the thing to askhim is, All right, so what are you going to do differently next time? What did you learnfrom that? Dont give speeches. Just ask simple questions that help your child clarify thewhole object lesson. I wouldnt judge him and I would be as matter of fact as possible. Justshrug and say, Well, that's life; you can't run down the halls in school. And teach yourchild, Look, you know what you're doing. You made the choice. Now take yourconsequences and learn from them.

How to Handle a Relational ProblemIf your child has been caught destroying property, speaking rudely or obscenely, or hurtingsomeone at school, as a parent you need to deal with that very strongly. I think you need tofind out the facts and then you need to let your child know very clearly that there areconsequences at home for that kind of behavior. And the first consequence is, We're notgoing to fight with the school. You need to pay the price for your actions. If your child hasa fight in school and he's suspended, for example, he ought to have consequences at home. Iwould recommend no electronics for the length of the suspension. He should not besuspended from school and then allowed to goof off at home all day. Make the suspensionunpleasant for him. If it's not unpleasant, it's not going to shape his behavior. The wholetheory behind consequences is that the memory of unpleasantness will shape the person'sbehavior next time. So dont undermine the schools consequences by making the

suspension a week of playing and vacation for your child.

Talking to Your Child's Teachers: Let Them Know What Works for Your Child

I recommend that you let your childs teacher know how you deal with behavior at home. I think ifyour child has a history of behavior problems, you want to meet with that teacher early on in theyear and say, We know that Jake can be disruptive. This is how we deal with it at home. And ifthere's any way we can help you, please let us know. Certainly you should tell a teacher what worksat home andwhat doesn't work at home. This doesn't mean you're limiting them; rather, yourehelping them be more effective with your childs behavior in the classroom. So if you have specifictechniques you use, share them. An example might be, We find Jake does his homework better

when his door is open or he's sitting at the dining room table. So he might do better in school if youhave him up close to your desk. Or, We find Jake does better at home when we get him started.So if you could take a minute to get him going on the assignment, it might work out better. Be sureto ask your childs teacher how you can be helpful to them. Be open to what they saythey mighthave some great ideas. And always ask the teacher, How can we support you at home with this?

Parents and Teachers: Getting on the Same Team


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In this day and age, everybody is stressed and nobody's got time. Parents are working harder thanever, and teachers have larger classrooms and more responsibilities. Believe me, if everybody hadtime and more resources, there would be a lot less friction between parents and schools. But that'snot the case, so we just have to live with that and figure out how to manage it the best we can.

After all, we have the common goal of wanting our kids to behave responsibly and get an education.Schools have a legitimate interest in kids being compliant and respectful. Parents have a legitimateinterest in kids getting an education and learning how to become independent. Parents and teachersshould be on the same team, but sadly, often they're not. There was a time when teachers andparents worked togetherwhere if the teacher called a parent, the parent really worked on changingtheir childs behavior. Kids were held accountable at home. It's not often that way anymore. Nowparents are often blaming of teachers and teachers are blaming of parentsand children play bothends against the middle. Kids can be highly manipulative in this area.

I think parents and teachers should work hard at being on the same team. I think the parent's role isreally, How can we help the teacher do their job? What can we do at home? And the teacher'sstance has to be, In what areas do I need the parents support and what is my responsibility? How

can we work together to get this child on track?

I've heard a lot of stories about bad teachers. I've met one or two myself, but by and large, I believemost teachers are trying their best. The truth is, you have to really try to work with the teacher yourchild gets. If there is an issue, I recommend you go to that teacher and talk about it. And if thatdoesn't work, then go to an administrator and try to set up some meetings. Just realize that the moreadversarial the relationship between the parents and the school, the more your child is going tosufferand the more theyre going to get away with. Don't forget, when parents and teachers fight,nobody wins. And the end result is that your child doesn't feel he has to change his behavior at all.

If your child has been labeled a troublemaker and he has chronic behavior or attitude problems, its

crucial that you are able to communicate with his teacher and the school. I think if you can developa working relationship around a child who has these problems, it becomes a lot easier to supportthat teacher in his or her efforts. The bottom line is, that is what is best for your child. It may notfeel best for your ego, but that is what's best for your child. Is this a lot of work? Yes, it is. But Ithink parents need to try to find the time to do it. I know that sometimes I ask a lot of parents, butthe fact is that kids need a lot of parenting nowadays. Communication and compromise are a hugepart of parenting and working with your childs school.

Gifted and Learning Disabled: Students Who Are Twice Exceptional

Parents may suspect that their child is gifted, yet be baffled when their smart child has difficulty

learning in certain areas. Some intellectually gifted students also have special learning needs such as alearning disability. Gifted students may also have other special educational needs such as auditoryprocessing problems, dyslexia, ADHD or emotional problems.

When a highly intelligent child has a learning disability, it is difficult for parents to make sense of thelearning and behavior patterns they observe. A masking phenomenon often occurs; high intellectis partly hidden by learning problems, and learning difficulties partially obscure a childs true level of


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intelligence. This can result in two problems: the childs intellectual gifts are not nurtured anddeveloped, and the learning disabilities may not be properly remediated.

Because these students are extremely intelligent, they can utilize many compensatory strategies inorder to learn and appear more successful. They use abilities such as reasoning skills, strong

memory, attention to detail, or other gifts to circumvent their disability. It is difficult for teachersand parents to observe the learning problems and, therefore, the childs learning disabilitiesfrequently are not identified and the child does not receive help in the area of disability.

It is often difficult for adults to be alert to the signs of intellectual giftedness in children who do notlearn easily and rapidly in all areas. Therefore the childs giftedness also goes unrecognized and thesestudents do not receive the proper encouragement and educational support to fully develop theirgifts, talents and desire to achieve academically.

Gifted individuals with learning disabilities exhibit both strengths and areas of need. Not every childhas the same pattern of highs and lows. Therefore, adults must be vigilant in determiningappropriate educational interventions.

Some characteristics of twice exceptional students include the following (keep in mind that eachindividual will exhibit a unique profile):

Above average abstract reasoning ability Strong mathematical reasoning skills Comprehensive knowledge in subjects of interest Exceptional attention to detail Advanced grasp of the big picture Keen visual memory, spatial skills Advanced vocabulary Imagination, creativity, insightfulness Extraordinary talent in areas such as music, arts, science, language First-rate problem-solving skills Wide variety of interests Sophisticated understanding of satire, humor, metaphors, analogies Command of complex relationships Socially adept, popular

Difficulty with memorization in areas such as math facts, phonics, spelling Distractibility, disorganization, poor follow-through Hypersensitivity to criticism Perfectionism, slow rate of work production Unreasonable self expectations, negative view of own performance Often, failure to complete assignments Difficulties with sequential tasks


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Appropriate Educational Services for Twice-Exceptional Students

The intellectual abilities of gifted students with disabilities must be nurtured. These students must beprovided with appropriate challenges. Frequently the pace of education is too slow for thesestudents and they become disinterested. These students need challenging, stimulating, relevant

instruction that emphasizes problem solving and understanding the big picture.

Society owes each intellectually gifted student an education that nourishes their talents, developsstrong reasoning abilities, and sparks curiosity. Students who receive a stimulating education enterthe adult world as full, eager, competent participants, able to contribute their talents to society.

Intelligence is a multifaceted, malleable, and vibrant faculty that can either be encouraged orhindered by experience. Our society must commit to nurturing the capacities of intellectually giftedstudents with disabilities. Educators must:

Be alert to the signs of intellectual potential in students who learn differently or who do notlearn rapidly and easily

View non-conventional types of talents such as artistic, musical, visual-spatial, and socialgifts as indicators of intellectual giftedness

Use portfolios, projects, debates, discussions and other methods of instruction andevaluation in order to reach a students gifts

Stress high-level problem-solving, abstract thinking, and creativity Have high expectations for childrens futuresnot set limits based on pre-conceived

notions

Emphasize self-directed learning, experimentation and active inquiry Support strong self concept as the driving force for success

Simultaneously, we must identify and remediate learning disabilities so that twice exceptionalstudents can fully participate in academic experiences to the level of their intelligence. Students mustreceive the educational support they require in areas of need such as speech and language services,reading remediation, educational therapy, counseling or tutoring. The traditional school curriculumand methodology must be modified to circumvent weak areas of functioning.

5 Homework Strategies that Work for Kids

Pre-teens and teens often insist they have no homework even when they do, or tell parents thattheyve completed their assignments at school when they havent. If your childs grades areacceptable and you receive positive reports from their teachers, congratulationsyour child is doing

just fine. James Lehman advises that students who are doing well have earned the privilege of doingtheir homework whenever and however they see fit. But if their grades reflect missing assignments,or your childs teachers tell you that theyre falling behind, you need to institute some newhomework practices in your household. For those classes in which your child is doing poorly, theylose the privilege of doing homework in an unstructured way. For the classes they are doing well in,they can continue to do that homework on their own.


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Trying to convince your child that grades are important can be a losing battle. You cant make yourchild take school as seriously as you do; the truth is, they dont typically think that way. Remember,as James says, its not that they arent motivated, its that theyre motivated to do what they want todo. In order to get your child to do their homework, you have to focus on their behavior, not theirmotivation. So instead of giving them a lecture, focus on their behavior and their homework skills.

Let them know that completing homework and getting passing grades are not optional.

If youre facing the rest of the school year with dread and irritation, youre not alone. By followingthe tips below, you can improve your childs homework skills and reduce your frustration!

5 Strategies to Get Homework Back On Track

Schedule Daily Homework Time

If your child often says they have no homework but their grades are poor, they may not be tellingyou accurate information, they may have completely tuned out their teachers instructions, or needto improve some other organizations skills, for example. The Total Transformation Programrecommends that whether your child has homework or not, create a mandatory homework timeeach school day for those classes in which you child is doing poorly.

Use the 10-Minute Rule" formulated by the National PTA and the National Education Association,which recommends that kids should be doing about 10 minutes of homework per night per gradelevel. In other words, 10 minutes for first-graders, 20 for second-graders and so forth.

It will be most effective if you choose the same time every day. For example, you might schedulehomework time for the classes that your child is doing poorly in to begin at 4:00 p.m. every schoolday. If your child says they have no homework in those subjects, then they can spend that timereading ahead in their textbooks, making up missed work, working on extra credit projects, or

studying for tests. If they say I forgot my books at school, have them read a book related to oneof their subjects. By making study time a priority, you will sidestep all those excuses and claims ofno homework today. If your child hasto spend a few days doing busy work during the dailyhomework time, you may even find that they bring home more actual assignments!

Use a Public Space

Its important to monitor your childs homework time. For families where both parents work, youmay need to schedule it in the evening. In many instances it may be more productive to have yourchild do their homework in a public space. That means the living room or the kitchen, or some placeequally public where you can easily check in on them. Let them know they can ask for help if they

need it, but allow them to do their own work. If your child would like to do his or her homework intheir room, let them know that they can earn that privilege back when they have pulled up thegrades in the subjects in which they are doing poorly.

Use Daily Incentives

Let your child know that they will have access to privileges when they have completed theirhomework. For example, you might say, Once youve completed your homework time, you are free


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to use your electronics or see your friends. Be clear with your child about the consequences forrefusing to study, or for putting their work off until later. According to James Lehman,consequences should be short term, and should fit the crime. You might say, If you choose notto study during the scheduled time, you will lose your electronics for the night. Tomorrow, youll getanother chance to use them. The next day, your child gets to try again observing her homework

time and earning her privileges. Dont take away privileges for more than a day, as your child willhave no incentive to do better the next time.

Work towards Something Bigger

Remember, kids dont place as much importance on schoolwork as you do. As you focus on theirbehavior, not their motivation, you should begin to see some improvement in their homework skills.You can use your childs motivation to your advantage if they have something theyd like to earn.For example, if your child would like to get his drivers permit, you might encourage him to earnthat privilege by showing you he can complete his homework appropriately. You might say, Inorder to feel comfortable letting you drive, I need to see that you can follow rules, even when youdont agree with them. When you can show me that you can complete your homework

appropriately, Id be happy to sit down and talk with you about getting your permit. If your childstarts complaining about the homework rule, you can say, I know you want to get that driverspermit. You need to show me you can followa simple rule before Ill even talk to you about it. Getgoing on that homework. By doing this, you sidestep all the arguments around both the homeworkand the permit.

Skills + Practice = Success

Tying homework compliance with your childs desires isnt about having your child jump throughhoops in order to get something they want. Its not even about making them take somethingseriously, when they dont see it that way. Its about helping your child learn the skills they need to

live life successfully. All of us need to learn how to complete things we dont want to do. We allhave occasions where we have to follow a rule, even when we disagree with it. When you createmandatory, daily homework time, you help your child practice these skills. When you tie thathomework time to daily, practical incentives, you encourage your child to succeed.

After Graduation: What Next? Keep your Momentum Going

Record numbers of college students will be graduating by the end of the month. With all these newjob candidates entering the employment pool, what should these new graduates consider whenmoving into the next phase of their lives?

In this economy, finding a job right out of college is challenging but there are a few things studentscan do to start the job search on the right foot.

Now is the time to be aggressive, and go into commando mode. Dont put too much time into yourresume, they are overrated. Resumes should be one page and easy to read. Are you spending dayswriting a cover letter? People like me almost never read them. When you get 100s of resumes daily,yours must stand out. Use new tools and technology to help with your job search. Join LinkedIn,start a Facebook page that focuses on your professional persona.


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Here are more tips you can adopt:

Consider moving back in with your parents. Less stress, less financial demands and moretime to look for a job. Plus a daily dose of advice might be a good source of motivation.Sorry parents..It is a sign of the times.

If you cant find a job, try volunteering or an unpaid internship. This is a great opportunityto hone your skills and make connections in your field of study. Network, network, network. Don't just rely on the Internet...you must meet people in

person. As the old adage goes, sometimes its more about WHO you know than WHATyou know.

Practice your interview skills!join a group like Toastmasters and fine-tune yourpresentation skills.

Research companies you are interested in. Don't just send out gobs of resumes to everyTom, Dick & Harry. Refine your search and make sure you are polished when given theopportunity to make a connection.

Research the person you are meeting with. Did you go to the same school or have the samehobbies? This is a great way to start the conversation and make the interviewer like you.Rememberpeople hire people they like, and that person may not be the best person onpaper.

Focus on entry level jobs even if they are not in your field. You need to add businessexperience to your resume. You may also have to get your hands dirty.

Learning and Teaching Social Skills: A Relationship-BasedApproach

For those of us committed to helping children overcome learning challenges, the quest to teach

social skills is particularly important. Social learning impairments are associated with a wide varietyof learning disabilities, although they are especially problematic for people with nonverbal learningdisabilities (NLD), noted to have underdeveloped right-hemisphere abilities, including deficits in:

reading facial expressions perceiving emotions using nonverbal communication (body language)

The constellation of social skills deficits often encountered in school age children are perhaps bestdescribed as pragmatic communication deficits, which encompass challenges understanding socialconventions and applying social cognitive skills. On the next page you will find some commonexamples of pragmatic communication skills. This information is taken from my book, Boys of FewWords: Raising Our Sons to Communicate and Connect, 2006.

Pragmatic (Practical) Communication Skills

**All these skills should be considered in an age-appropriate context. Many of these skills are developed inadolescence. Compare your child's abilities relative to his peers.

PHYSICAL


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Maintaining appropriate conversational distanceExample: Other children may complain that "he's bothering me," or say "tell him to stop touching me" while playingtogether. Sometimes inserts himself physically into a group of children by pushing or nudging others out of the way inorder to join the conversation.

Eye contactExample: Doesn't look others in the eye; hides behind hair/hat/sunglasses; stares to the point of discomfort.

Linking gestures with ideas and emotionsExample: Body language doesn't match speech (thanks you for giving him a desired gift but slumps and stares off intospace); waves too strongly or too unenthusiastically for the circumstances; forgets to reinforce emotion with bodylanguage.

Using facial expression effectivelyExample: Facial expressions don't convey interest in other people; expression is not congruent with topic or situation;doesn't nod to show he gets the point, looks furious at small disappointment; forgets to smile.

VERBAL

Attending to time and placeExample: Talks too fast; doesn't know when to interject a comment or let others speak, doesn't know how muchinformation to share (goes on and on about a subject to someone's obvious irritation).

Turn-takingExample: Consistently interrupts; doesn't perceive when it's someone else's turn to talk.

Voice modulation

Example: Has trouble with prosody (pitch, tone, volume, inflection); speaks too softly or loudly without regard forphysical proximity (you're across the room but he doesn't raise his voice to answer you).

Giving complimentsExample: Doesn't know how to give a compliment relevant to a person and circumstances; sometimes unintentionallyinsults people ("you're a lot less fat than you were").

Greetings and Good-byesExample: Doesn't know how to introduce himself to individuals or groups; can't initiate social contact (avoids partiesand gatherings); doesn't know how to close a conversation (just walks off when he's done talking); doesn't shakehands/share hugs with close friends or family members; forgets to say "hello."

THINKING

Detecting emotions in other peopleExample: Doesn't consider other people's emotional state before speaking (you're in the middle of an argument withsomeone and he asks you to make him a snack); doesn't realize when it's time to "back off"; doesn't read signs abouthow you feel (thinks you're mad when you're not)

Perceiving and expressing humor


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Example: Takes jokes, sarcasm or irony literally; laughs at inappropriate times; doesn't engage in word play orfriendly teasing with peers.

Knowing how to make conversational transitionsExample: Forgets to take his turn in conversations (calls you up on phone and then says nothing); discussions filled

with uncomfortable "dead space"; doesn't pick up on "leads" to continue conversation (So, you like baseball? Who'syour favorite team?)

Anticipating other people's reactionsExample: Neglects to consider the impact of his words before speaking; can't easily imagine how his words or actionswill be perceived by others (says he likes one present more than another at his birthday party without anticipating thatsomeone's feelings will be hurt).

Why Are Social Skills So Hard To Learn?Most people use social skills quickly and automatically, and as a result, don't have the benefit of timeto analyze which skills will be used in particular situations, or how best to apply them. When oursocial reflexes are well-attuned and effective, we don't need time to think - we just do and say what

comes naturally.

Important to emphasize is that social skills are built on a foundation of interpersonal awareness.Without an appreciation of other people's nonverbal behavior, including sensitivity to nuances oflanguage rhythm and intonation (prosody), it is difficult to formulate appropriate and constructiveverbal and behavioral responses. In addition to having a basic awareness of other people, having anempathetic orientation toward others is very helpful in bolstering one's intuition about how to relateeffectively. As some readers may be aware, a disproportionate number of children and adolescentswith learning disabilities are observed to have low empathy.

To be in an empathic relationship with another person or group is the opposite of self-absorption.

Empathy implies a departure from a state of self-centeredness, and immersion into the subjectiveexperience of others. By definition, empathy is prosocial, because it emphasizes the value ofcomprehending and appreciating the thoughts and feelings of other people.

We all function in various types of groups: families, schools, teams, neighborhoods, andcommunities, among others. Social skills make our participation in these groups easier and moresatisfying. Although lack of empathy has been associated with the presence of NLD, I would arguethat what is missing for many learning disabled children are overt expressions of empathy, as areoften conveyed through pragmatic communication. This is very different from the absence ofempathy found among antisocial children and adolescents.

Many children with nonverbal learning disabilities are better understood as being asocial, meaningthat they can appear indifferent to social interaction.

We Can Help Teach Children to Solve Their Own Social ProblemsNot long ago, I was leading a social skills group for 3rd and 4th grade boys, about half of whom hadbeen identified as having a learning disability. We were huddled in my office with kids bunched onsofas, sitting on the floor, and twirling in my desk chair. One seven year-old boy, Grant, resistedjoining in our group activity, which was to design and build a big "cyborg." He stood near the dooron the periphery of the group with a scowl on his face and body language that conveyed his fear and


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distrust of the group. Grant wasn't responding to cajoling and encouragement to join us. I tried allkinds of approaches, changing the tone of my voice and my facial expression, in search of thecombination that would help him join in. Still, he would not budge.

Several years earlier, my frustration probably would have resulted in me taking Grant outside and

pleading with him to sit down and join the group. That's because I used to have the faultyimpression that "leading" a group, meant "controlling" the group. Since then, I have come toappreciate the extraordinary strong will of boys to do things in ways that reflect their own logicabout how problems should be solved.

As the situation unfolded, it became apparent that Grant's resistance provided the boys with a goodproblem-solving opportunity, and so I posed a question to the group. Did anyone have any ideasabout how we could get Grant to join us? Most of the kids responded with suggestions of variouskinds of rewards: games, candy, or premium seating (twirling chair). One typically shy boy, Tyler,suggested we could "buddy-up" so that everyone could have a partner, including Grant. Tyler alsosuggested that buddies sit next to each other so they could share tools. Most of the boys agreed thiswas a good idea and so we began a discussion of how buddies would be chosen. Again, Tyler spoke

up, suggesting that Grant could pick his buddy.

Throughout this process, I was watching Grant closely, and was struck by his awareness of thegroup's concern about him. His facial expression changed from one of distrust to a cautious grin.He'd obviously had some significant doubt about whether the boys would accept him, and how hewould fit in, figuratively and literally. Tyler's leadership in breaking through his fears paved the wayfor his integration in the group. As you might imagine, I felt very proud of Tyler for his sensitivity toGrant, and his ability to apply that sensitivity through active problem-solving. Although he neververbalized Grant's feelings, Tyler's suggestions were, emotionally speaking, quite sophisticated, andreflected an understanding of what Grant was feeling.

Socializing is not a "Logical" ProcessWhen we think about teaching social skills to children, it is a natural step for us to begin thinkingabout skills as component parts of a larger system. While this may be a logical and practical way togo about the teaching of a "system," it is not necessarily the best, or only, aspect of a therapeuticprocess designed to facilitate the development of social skills.

In addition, for individuals such as psychologists or counselors who may teach social skills, there is atendency to systematize the teaching of such skills in limited periods of time, such as teaching oneskill per session for 12 - 15 weeks. When social skills are taught to groups this approach may beinevitable, but when working with children individually, there is typically more latitude, includingallowing the child to play an important role in how the learning evolves. Experience has taught me

not to exclude the importance of the relationship between teacher and student, or therapist andclient, in helping children integrate new skills. In this sense, professionals allow the process oflearning to be as organic as would be the process of healing syndromes like depression or anxiety.

An excellent working alliance is a critical foundation for learning most things, including how torelate to others.

This is because gaining social competence is more than conceptually grasping "skills," it alsoinvolves relaxing enough to take risks - trying new things with uncertain outcomes.


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From Skills to AwarenessPerhaps we need to remember that for the brain and mind to integrate new ideas, a fertile ground ofreceptivity must first be prepared. That receptivity often springs from an effective, trusting, workingalliance. For many children, this means engaging in therapeutic and relational activities that are notpurely didactic, because such structured activities are often associated with domains where they lack

success. In other words, you can make it fun - play is the work of children.

While I would never want to give up my use of behavioral charts and records, or surrender mycollection of therapeutic games designed to teach things like communication pragmatics andlistening skills, I have come to believe that those exercises are somewhat empty without a solidalliance between my clients and myself.

The alliance gives children and teens the capacity to be receptive. Sometimes, people may not evenbe aware of their own resistance to learning new skills. For children with learning disabilities, thesewalls often come down slowly, but they do come down with tools like patience, commitment, andbelief in the desire of children to connect with others.

Anything that might help a child connect the development of social awareness with a positiveoutcome should be considered a potential tool. Still, we should remember that what we are buildingwith these tools is a mind, and a mind is not a machine - it is the very essence of being a person. Wesimply can't program a mind according to standards of efficiency without regard for the individualwithin whom that mind lives.

ADHD: Disorder or Difference?

The word disorder conjures up images of illness, disease and serious disabilities. All parents wantto see their child as the smartest, most capable and best liked boy or girl on the block. So whywould they want to have a label attached to them that often coveys just the opposite--such as slow

learner, under-achiever or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

What a difference one word can make. Suppose we changed the last D in ADHD from disorderto difference. We could then say that a child with ADHD has some significant differences in hiscognitive ability, emotional sensitivity and activity level when compared to other children. Thisdifference is probably inherited. His skill set is different from 95% of the children in his class.

Unfortunately, the environment in which he spends most of his time is geared toward the other95%. However, we then could look at helping him to adapt successfully to this environment, usinghis own set of strengths rather than helping him to cope with this environment due to hisweaknesses. We then might say that this child may need psychostimulants and/or psychological

intervention to enable him to concentrate on boring tasks and control spontaneity in a highlyregimented environment.

The above in some ways reflects the ongoing debate about whether ADHD is a valid mental healthcondition that requires appropriate medical and psychological intervention OR that ADHD is amythical disease state, manufactured by the medical community in order to make huge profits and ispromoted by educational bureaucrats and abusive parents desiring to tranquilize unruly kids. Ibelieve that, as a society, we have created a monster with ADHD. We perceive it as a diagnosis that


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will forever change or even taint the course of our childs life. And we are no longer surprised by thenumber of school-age children who are now diagnosed with ADHD. In fact, we have come toregard it as a norm, and it has fueled our perception that medicating our children can solve all theirproblemsand ours.

The facts, as in most debates, point to the truth being somewhere in the middle of theseperceptions. ADHD is a condition worthy of future study to provide answers to scientific questionsthat will result in more accurate diagnosis and more effective methods of treatment. In themeantime, ADHD left untreated leads to a higher likelihood of depression, suicide and substanceabuse later in life. ADHD appropriately treated leads to a higher likelihood of success in lifebecause it can help the child properly channel his increased sensitivity, creativity and high energy.

On a more personal level, as a parent of a son who was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of five, Ican identify with parents who may lean toward either the denial or victim mentality. When my wifeand I were concerned about our sons behavior and emotional well-being, the last thing I thought ofwas that he had ADHD. Sometimes, I was probably a bit on the overprotective side. But on thewhole, once our whole family accepted that he was a child with an attention deficit hyperactivity

difference who needed medication, along with psychological support (provided by us at home), thesituation turned around completely. He responded well to the medication, and the crisis ofemotional turmoil was over. Over the years, we continued to provide consistent structure (as bestwe could) and encouragement as well as teaching him how to relax, learn necessary social skills andhow to stop and think. It all paid off. He has been off medication since middle school. Hegraduated with honors from a highly regarded university and is now pursuing a successful career inTV and film. He has a great sense of humor and lots of friends.

I encourage parents not be afraid of the diagnosis, give it undue weight and importance or use thelabel as a crutch for your child. Instead, I believe we need to accept it as the first step in turning adifficult situation around to a positive direction. Helping a child with ADHD succeed requires a

team approach that often needs to continue over many years. That team includes the family, healthprofessionals, teachers and, of course, the child. Children may need medication, but treatmentguidelines indicate that psychological interventions are also important. In some cases, psychologicalinterventions may be sufficient to bring about desired results. In other cases, they address symptomsmedication alone does not help and may also actually reduce the dosage of medication necessary toachieve desired results.

Effective psychological interventions include parent education, behavior modification, home-schoolcontracts, cognitive behavioral therapy, social skills training, relaxation training and mental exercisesto improve cognitive functioning. Recent research indicates that many or all of these interventionsmay be most effective when implemented at home with the parents and the child working as a team.

Not only does this approach appear to improve the short-term effectiveness of the interventions, italso results in positive parenting techniques and an open and supportive parent/child relationshipthat becomes a way of life that is consistent and enduring over time.

So, ADHD can be perceived as a label to be dreaded, used as an excuse to avoid difficult situationsor it can be perceived as the identification of the problem underlying a childs difficulties at homeand at school which can be successfully addressed. On the one hand, it is a curse. On the other, it isan opportunity to make things better. The basic tenet of cognitive behavioral therapy is that how we


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think determines how we feel, which then determines how we behave. If we want to change howwe feel and how we behave as the result of those feelings, we need to change how we think.ADHD: Think of it as an opportunity.

Putting Students into Groups

As group work in schools has become more prominent in education, teachers are developing theircurriculum by not only incorporating more group work but also focusing on it. Group work isimportant; it gives students the opportunity to learn from each other, teaches them communicationskills and helps them develop interpersonal relationship skills.

However putting students into groups is not as easy as saying Class! Please get into groups offour. Even if this goes smoothly without anyone getting upset or arguing over which group theyregoing to go in, sometimes the groups need to be more specific depending on the task.

These are some different ways of forming groups and when you might like to to use each method:

Student choice:This is the Class! Please get into groups of four type of forming groups. This willbe easy or hard depending on your class. The main problems are that students can get left out oftheir friend group or get no group at all. Although this can be a lesson in resilience for students, it isimportant to be aware of any issues you need to solve quickly. This could mean you re-organise agroup or tell a group that a certain student is going to be in their group. Its important to be aware ofwhats going on and intervening when necessary, making sure the students know that although theycan choose which group theyre in, if you make a group change then the decision is final. Anotherrecommendation with this is to set a time limit and when the time runs out you will make any finalgroup forming decisions. This stops the students from having too much time to discuss groups indepth, which can lead to arguments. Student choice groups are good for fun group games they liketo be with their friends for, social activities such as class partys or discussion groups and activitiesthat involve creative ideas with a set focus. (This could be something like making a movie, wherefriends with similar interests are going to be more likely to enjoy and be motivated to pursue similarideas)

Ability Based Groups: This is a widely used method of putting students into groups, which involvegrouping students with other students of similar abilities. Of course it depends on what the topic is,if its chance and data you group the students with an advanced knowledge together (who canworkout the chance of a die landing on a 6 then a 3 then a 4, in that order) and the students who stillneed to understand the basic concepts together (still learning what the chance of a coin landing onheads is). Then form groups in the middle range. The difficulty with this is knowing where to putthe students in between two groups. I recommend just choosing a group for them knowing that you

can move them to a different group if necessary, even if you place them in a group based on whothey work better with. Ability based groups are good to use when you are focusing on a specificconcept where the level of understanding in your class is very wide.

Mixed ability groups: This is my preferred method of putting students into groups. These aregroups formed by the teacher with a specific focus on getting as wide a level of abilities in to onegroup as possible. The more advanced students can help the more developing students, this helpsthe developing students through the one on one guidance and also helps the advanced students by


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cementing their knowledge and developing their understanding of the ideas in a way necessary toexplain it to other people. Mixed ability groups can be used for a range of learning activities with aspecific focus, I primary use them for literacy working groups and maths based activity groups.Mixed ability groups are also a good group to use for quiz games.

Quiet Signalling: A Classroom Management Technique That ReallyWorks

The time that students spend in the classroom actually working on academic subjects is sometimesreferred to as engaged time. This engaged time is very valuable. Classroom teachers have anopportunity to observe students actively solving problems and independently working through anassignment. Through appropriate monitoring and active observation, instructors can determinewhat tasks students are having difficulty with and when students are being successful.

During independent seatwork several of the children may have questions as they work through theassigned tasks. But the key to addressing these questions is to have previously developed a simple

procedure with the class, so as not disturb the valuable learning time of the rest of the students.

In Mrs. Suppes 3rd grade classroom at Marquette Elementary School, a simple quiet questioningprocedure is used every day. Her method of assisting students who need help, without disruptingthe learning environment, is to utilize a flag located on each of their desks. This simply designedflag (the Flagbee) can be flipped up on its swivel. If a student gets stuck on a problem andrequires teacher assistance, he or she may raise the flag, but should continue working. An uprightflag indicates that help is needed. This quiet signal for help minimizes distractions and disruptions.

Many times Mrs. Suppes chooses to wait a few minutes before immediately addressing a raised flag.This technique allows the children additional time to attempt to problem-solve on their own. In

many cases, the student may choose to lower his or her own flag without teacher intervention,because they have figured it out on their own.

All students have been trained to make appropriate use of the help signal as a class wideintervention, and not to abuse the flags. After posting the help signal, the student should continueto check over the current work assignment to see if there are other problems or items that he or shecan work on while waiting for the teacher.

This quiet questioning practice has proven to be very effective in elementary classrooms. The flagwas designed by educators, and supports the latest practice in classroom management techniques. Ithas encouraged students to remain on task while waiting for assistance, and has helped maintain anappropriate working environment for everyone, that is conducive to learning.

The Truth about Bullies

The public perception of bullying is that bullies are acting out to cover their own fears. They may

indeed be afraid, but accepting this as a reason makes bullies sound like victims of their fears -- like

we're supposed to feel sorry for them and not hold them responsible for their abusive actions.


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The issue is not whether bullies are afraid. Bullies bully other people to feel powerful around them

and to feel power over them. Bullies start out feeling like zeroes, like nobodies. When they

intimidate, threaten or hurt someone else, then they feel like somebody. The key is the feeling of

power.

We often think of the child bully as being male, but the percentage of girls who intimidate theirclassmates and siblings is increasing dramatically. Bullying doesn't stop at the end of the school day,

either. Whether bullies are at home, at school, or theyre threatening and intimidating other kids on

the Internet, they're going to act out to make themselves feel powerful. Many kids who are bullies at

school are bullies at home. The most common victims are their innocent siblings.

What are the consequences of bullying? You may have heard about post-traumatic stress disorder

(PTSD) when it comes to sexual victimization or assault. PTSD can occur any time people feel they

have no control over the way their pain is delivered. They live in fear, not knowing when they're

going to be hurt. Kids who are constantly bullied and not protected will develop symptoms of

PTSD -- constant anxiety, constant fear, idiosyncratic behaviors to compensate for those feelings.They'll fall behind in their development.

Dealing with bullies requires holding them strictly accountable for the abusive, hurtful or

disrespectful things that they do to feel powerful. They need to practice appropriate ways to feel

powerful -- using social skills, articulating their feelings, communicating honestly with others and

solving problems. Those skills are difficult to develop. It takes work; its like learning how to

multiply or learning how to add. But it can be done. Holding bullies accountable for inappropriate

behavior gives them boundaries and gives them a roadmap for doing that work.

If your child is a bully

If your child starts to exhibit bullying behavior, the first thing to do is realize it's something you need

to address. You can't kid yourself that it will go away on its own. If adolescent bullies are not

stopped, and not taught more appropriate ways to solve problems, they become abusive parents,

spouses and bosses. We all feel powerless at times, but there are better ways to deal with that than to

abuse other people.

You as the parent have to set a standard: No excuse for abuse. There's no excuse for cursing

someone out, for breaking something, for hitting anyone. The bully always has an excuse, a way to

justify this behavior. This justification is so powerful that it takes the place of empathy for the other

person. Thats why you have to have a no-excuse standard.

A kid may curse out his sister and say foul things to her and then make up some justification about

what she was doing to him -- "She went into my room again" or "She wouldn't get off the

computer." Let the kid tell you the excuse, and then reiterate, "There's no excuse for abuse." Don't

shut off communication, but don't validate the thinking errors that go into the justification of

abusive actions. There should be consequences for abuse. Later, you can talk about appropriate ways

to handle a problem.


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If your child is bullied

If your child is a victim of bullying, it may be because he is the sort of child who has difficulty

standing up for himself. Bullies look for easy targets, because that makes them feel powerful. If you

can teach a child not to respond to bullying, to walk away, bullies are less likely to press that child.

The most effective strategies for dealing with bullies are "avoid" and "escape." These are things you

can teach your children: Avoid bullies when you can. Walk away from them if theyre in your

vicinity. If youre being bullied and that doesnt work, you need to get help from somebody who has

more power than the bully. You shouldnt have to fight because somebody else is a bully. Go to

someone who has more power than the bully, like the teacher or the police. Teach your child that he

has to hold that person responsible. Getting hit in school is still assault, and parents shouldnt back

off if that happens. You want the other kids parents down at the police station. You want them to

be as uncomfortable as you are.

It hurts to be bullied, and this fact should never be minimized. Teachers, parents and school officials

are sometimes inclined to say, "Well, theyre only kids. It happens." It shouldnt happen, and it's

adults' responsibility to provide a healthy environment for our children. The best schools are the

ones who develop a zero tolerance for violence and zero tolerance for bullying, and parents should

demand that and support it.

At the same time, if your child is experiencing abuse at the hands of another child, ask this question:

"What would you find helpful?" Find out what your child would find helpful to improve the

situation. Heres why this is important. If a child is being bullied at school and his parents just take

over the situation, then he's powerless on both ends. Be encouraging, give him a chance to work it

out, offer some help and ideas. But also let him know that if it's still a problem, you're going to step

in and protect him.

Homework: What to Do When Students DON'T Do It

There is a form on my website where I ask people to tell me their greatest concerns/challenges

regarding homework. It is probably no surprise that a significant number of teachers have

responded with comments like this:

"Apathy."

"No motivation."

"Students dont do it."

If you are like me, then you probably dont have fond memories of homework yourself, but you

likely did it.

It was not because you liked it.


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It was not because you couldnt find anything better to do. (Yes, we had TV as kids. Some of us

even had video games, too. We are not that old)

You did it because you wanted to get a good grade. Or, you did it to avoid having to answer to your

mom who would give you "That Look" and ground you until you were dead. Or, you did it because

it just needed to be done.

So, the real question is, "Why dont students seem to care about homework?" There are a variety of

possible answers, but the best advice I can offer is this

Ask them!

You, of course, can provide additional insight. Share your experiences with homework when you

were younger and then explain why you value it as an adult. The more relevance children see to the

"real world" the more likely they are to value homework.

Meanwhile, I would venture to guess that many of their answers will sound like these:

* "Whats the point? Why do I need to do it?"

* "It takes too much time!"

* "Homework causes fights in our family."

* "Its just a couple of assignmentswhats the big deal?"

* "I lose my homework a lot."

* "I dont know how to do it."

Each of these responses could inspire their own book, but we will settle for a few quick comments:

"WHATS THE POINT? WHY DO I NEED TO DO IT?"The child who asks this question is

begging to understand a real-world purpose for homework. They need help understanding that

homework is not just practice on the topic taught in class, but practice for developing responsibility.

Homework may not be fun, but completing it on time is good practice for the day when they are

employed and have to complete a project on time. It is practice for paying bills and keeping a roof

over their head. Doing homework helps build responsibility skills in the same way that lifting

weights build muscle. They literally program neuron pathways in the brain that develop

responsibility. Developing "responsibility muscle" will directly impact their ability to earn more

money in the future.

"IT TAKES TOO MUCH TIME!"Homework takes too much time because students do not know

strategic learning skills for doing homework more efficiently. They are also busy "multi-tasking" by

doing homework while texting, watching TV, or surfing the internet which is a major time drain.

Teach your children time-management and study skills to help them cut homework time or enroll

them in a study skills class.


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"HOMEWORK CAUSES FIGHTS IN OUR FAMILLY."As I have said many times, homework is

the greatest lever of control that a student has over their parent(s). They may not quite realize they

are striving for control, but they do know that they dont like being told what to do.

"ITS JUST A COUPLE OF ASSIGNMENTS. WHATS THE BIG DEAL?"Children are often

oblivious to the impact one or two "zeros" have on their overall grade. Encourage them to tracktheir grades so they can see the math for themselves. If your school makes grades available

electronically, have them log in and see how their grade changed after that big ol "0" was plopped in

the homework column. In 95% of middle and high school classes, students can pass with a "C" if

they simply turn in all homework and show up for tests and quizzes. Its not rocket science... but

they think it is until they see the math for themselves.

"I OFTEN LOSE MY HOMEWORK!"In most cases, your children do not deliberately lose

homework. Imagine if we, as adults, had several different email accounts to manage each day?!? We

would be completely overwhelmed and frustrated! The same is true for students who are trying to

manage dozens of papers along with a couple dozen folders, notebooks, and textbooks that must betransported to-and-from school and individual classes each day. Students need a system to simplify

and streamline all of their supplies.

"I DONT KNOW HOW TO DO IT." Children are often afraid to ask for help. Their teacher may

have offered help to the class and posted "Tutoring Lab" hours on the board, but many are afraid to

step forward and admit they need help. Or, they may simply believe that the help is for "someone

else" and may not realize the potential value for themselves. As you know, there is almost always a

resource for students who are willing to get extra help. Some may simply need an extra nudge.

The key to this discussion is to listen 85% of the time. Let them be honest about their feelings

towards homework and acknowledge them. Brainstorm problem-solving ideas together and allowyour child to have some ownership over some solutions.

The Quality of Philippine Education in the New Millennium

Philippine education is strongly viewed as a pillar of national development and a primary avenue for

social and economic mobility. It has undergone several stages of development from the pre-Spanish

time to the present. It is handled by three government organizations, namely, the Department of

Education, Culture, and Sports (DECS), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The DECS govern both public

and private education in all levels, with its mission "to provide quality basic

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