Newsletter

Winter Issue—2015

Special Education

Department

Jean Thompson stood in front of her 5th

grade class

On the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth.

Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she

loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because

there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named

Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed

that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes

were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition,

Teddy could be unpleasant.

It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take de-

light in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X’s

and then putting a big “F” at the top of his papers. At the school

where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each

child’s past records and she put Teddy’s off until last. However,

when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy’s first grad teacher wrote, “Teddy is a bright child with a

ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners….he

is a joy to be around…”

His second grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is an excellent student,

well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother

has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.”

His third grade teacher wrote, “His mother’s death has been hard

on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn’t show much

interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren’t

taken.”

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and was ashamed

of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her

Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper,

except for Teddy’s. His present was clumsily wrapped in the

heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thomp-

son took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some

of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone

bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was

one-quarter full of perfume. . .

But she stifled the children’s

laughter when she exclaimed

how pretty the bracelet was,

putting it on,

and dabbing some of the per-

fume on her wrist.

Teddy Stoddard stayed after

school that day just long

enough to say, “Mrs. Thomp-

son, today you smelled just like

my Mom used to.” After the chil-

dren left, she cried for at least

an hour.

On that very day, she quit

teaching reading, writing and

arithmetic. Instead, she began

to teach children. Mrs. Thomp-

son paid particular attention to

Teddy. As she worked with him,

his mind seemed to come alive.

The more she encouraged him,

the faster he responded. By the

end of the year, Teddy had be-

come on of the smartest chil-

dren in the class and, despite

her lie that she would love all

the children the same, Teddy

became one of her “Teacher’s

pets.”

A year later, she found a note

under the door, from Teddy,

telling her that she was still the

best teacher he ever had in his

whole life.

Six years went by before she

got another note from Teddy.

He then wrote that he had fin-

ished high school, third in his

class, and she was still the best

teacher he ever had in life.

Four years after that, she got

another letter, saying that while

things had been tough at times,

he’d stayed in school, had stuck

with it, and would soon gradu-

ate from college with the high-

est of honors. He assured Mrs.

Thompson that she was still the

best and favorite teacher he

had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed

and yet another letter came.

This time he explained that af-

ter he got his bachelor’s de-

gree, he decided to go a little

further. The letter explained that

she was still the best and favor-

ite teacher he ever had. But

now his name was a little long-

er . . .

The letter was signed,

Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there.

You see, there was yet another

letter that Spring. Teddy said he

had met this girl and was going

to be married. He explained

that his father had died a cou-

ple of years ago and he was

wondering if Mrs. Thompson

might agree to sit at the wed-

ding in the place that was usu-

ally reserved for the mother of

the groom.

Of course, Mrs. Thompson did.

And guess what? She wore the

bracelet, the one with several

rhinestones missing. Moreover,

she made sure she was wear-

ing the perfume that Teddy re-

membered his mother wearing

on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and

Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs.

Thompson’s ear, “Thank you

2

Igniting Enthusiasm in Students

(Originally titled “Motivating Young Adolescents”)

“The era of blaming young adolescents for their lack of motiva-

tion is over,” says author/consultant Rick Wormeli in this Educational

Leadership article. He starts off with twelve things that de-motivate

students:

Telling them how important today’s lesson will be in high

school and beyond;

Teachers who talk the whole class period or speak end-

lessly when disciplining;

Complex assignments that students don’t have the skills to

complete and have no clear evaluative criteria;

Telling students what they’re probably feeling and thinking;

Teachers who see teaching middle school as something to

do until a high-school position opens up;

Fs, zeroes, and other marks of failure;

Spending the day working on weaknesses;

Treating middle-schoolers like elementary-school kids;

Belittling a student’s strong emotional response to some-

thing minor in his or her life;

Classes that claim to be relevant to students’ lives but deny

them access to technology;

Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making

me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.”

Mrs.. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said,

“Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I

could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you?.”

(for those of you who don’t know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa

Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)

LO Teachers and Staff, you can make a difference!

Respectfully,

Julie Gutman

Director of Special Education

3

Teaching young adolescents, says Wormeli, is a “dance between mid-dle schoolers’ lingering childlike curiosity and their mounting distrac-tions; peers, sex, risk-taking, pop starts, and keeping track of body parts in time and space.” He suggests seven strategies and says, “Although any one of these motivational elements may not work every time, several in tandem likely will.”

Realize that motivation is created with students. “Our goal should be a classroom culture that cultivates curiosity and personal investment,” says Wormeli, “one in which stu-dents feel safe to engage in the activity or topic without fear of embarrassment or rejection.”

Understand that there’s no such thing as laziness. If a stu-dent appears lazy, there’s always something else going on that we can’t see—or cant’ control,” he says. “Humans are hard-wired to do demanding and complex things.

Empathize and build trust. “Young adolescents intensely value teachers’ opinions of the,” says Wormeli. “[They] need to trust that teachers won’t humiliate them or let them humiliate themselves.” They must know we have their backs—specifically, what will the teacher do when a stu-dent gives a wrong answer in class?

Tell stories. “Young adolescents are like first-time visitors to an esoteric sculpture museum who don’t understand why everyone’s so impressed with a particular piece of art,” says Wormeli. “Then a museum curator explains the story behind the artist or his technique, and the skeptic is jarred into wide-eyed appreciation and curiosity . . . Young ado-lescents are story tellers and story receivers. Narratives not only appeal to their theater of the mind, but they also provide connections among disparate parts.”

“Motivating Young Adolescents” by Rick Wormeli in Education-al Leadership, September 2014 (Vol. 72, #1, p. 26-31)

If a student needs an accommodation to work towards his/

her potential . . . he/she gets it. Anyone can have it.

Great Resource

Try— www.interventioncentral.org

This site provides you with a great resource for interventions/

accommodations in the classroom. Samples are included. Just

adapt for your grade level.

4

How to Get Out of a Bad Mood: 12 Tips By Joyce Marter, LCPC

Large and rapidly moving, ominous clouds of negativity roll into my mind, infuse my thoughts and deeply darken my mood. As I exhale, I feel the irritability fume from my nostrils like fiery smoke from a drag-on’s. As I bristle with defensiveness and hostility, I feel the energetic spikes of anger jet from my spine, creating a non-verbal warning to oth-ers to steer clear. My eyes narrow and shoot lasers of fury. My tongue sharpens and my words become cutting and biting. As waves of anger ripple through my body, my energy and power grows. My walk be-comes a stomp and I can almost feel the slash of my tail as I move, determined to defend myself and survive anything that comes my way. “I’m in a bad mood today,” I said to my dear friend and colleague. I feared she could see the dragon, was ashamed of my rage, and want-ed to give her warning of my mood-state to protect our relationship. “Really? You seem totally fine,” she said. Interestingly, more often than not, others do not see the dragon. I have spent a lifetime hiding her and have apparently gotten quite good at it. “Anyway, you are entitled to be in a bad mood with what you have go-ing on,” she added. What? Entitled to be in a bad mood? This was a radical new concept to me, and one that changed my life. Growing up in my family, it was never acceptable to be in a bad mood. Angry feelings were not viewed as normal responses to life events, ra-ther they were viewed as bad behavior. I was expected to be the hap-py, good girl. My feelings of anger were often invalidated. Subsequent-ly, feelings of shame, guilt and anxiety were internalized.

5

If a student needs

an accommoda-

tion to work to-

wards his/her po-

tential . . . he/

she gets it. Any-

one can have it.

Would my dragon exist had I been allowed to experience and express normal feelings of an-ger? As I move through my own personal psycho-spiritual journey, I consciously strive for self-compassion for my negative feelings and less desirable aspects of self. I’m dedicated to a life aligned with love for self and others. Because we are human, anger and foul moods are a natural and normal part of life. However, they need not be shameful nor destructive. They can be navigated and managed successfully, with little or no harm to any. After 20 years of counseling clients and being dedicated to my own personal work, I recom-mend the following to pull out of a bad mood: 1) Don’t fight it. Fighting a bad mood is like flailing in water when drowning or panicking in quicksand—it makes things worse. Simply be mindful of your mood-state and accept that, “it is as it is.” (It’s important to note that I am referring to a “bad mood” and not depression, which requires treatment by a qualified mental health professional.) 2) Look for the lesson. Was there a trigger for the bad mood? Is there a hidden blessing or something to be learned? For example, I often get in a bad mood when I have over-extended and have not set healthy boundaries for myself. Sometimes negative consequenc-es are opportunities for learning and growth. 3) Embrace it. Anger can be mobilizing, energizing and empowering. I secretly some-times love my dragon energy. Man, do I get stuff done when I am in that state. I’m fearless and determined—-aspects of that can feel quite good and work to my benefit. Ask yourself, how can your negative mood state work to your advantage? 4) Understand that your feelings are always normal. Our feelings may be irrational, but they are always normal responses to our nature and our nurture. Sometimes a current event taps into a well of old feelings from the past, so our emotional response appears dispropor-tionate to the event, but is actually understandable when you consider the full picture. 5) Cut yourself some slack. Nobody is perfect and we are all works in progress. Prac-tice a mantra such as, “I am only human and I am doing the best that I can.” Accept and for-give yourself as you would your best friend or somebody you love very much. 6) Bring your attention to the present. Don’t exacerbate your bad mood by ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. Practice mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation or meditation to reboot your mind, body and spirit. 7) Pay attention to your thinking. You can observe your negative thoughts and choose not to listen to them. Look for anything good, as gratitude promotes positivity. Compassionate-ly coach yourself through the mood (i.e. “It’s completely understandable that you are upset…Take one thing at a time…It’s going to be okay,” etc. 8) Take pause. Give yourself a mental time out. A bad mood is a good time to take a walk around the block or shut your office door to have a few quiet moments. It’s not a good time to initiate important conversations about work or relationships! Let loved ones know that your not at your best and hold your tongue so you don’t say things you will regret later. 9) Infuse yourself with self-care. Think of it like an epi-pen shot of self-love. Give yourself what you need, even if it is as simple as a good cup of coffee, a yummy meal, a bubble bath or an early night to bed. Keep the self-care healthy, as drinking and shopping and other com-pulsive behaviors can masquerade as self-care but may be more harmful in the end. Think of it as being your own good parent and take loving care of yourself. 10) Tell people what you need. Don’t expect others to be mind-readers or you might end up in an unwanted conflict. Use assertive communication to ask for support or space, depend-ing on your needs. 11) Know that you are not your anger. You might feel like you are the dragon, but you are not. You the unique spirit of light and love that your anger is temporarily eclipsing. 12) Understand, this too, shall pass. Like the waves of the tide, your moods ebb and flow. You can trust in the ways of the universe—your low mood will lift in time. The more you practice self-compassion and self-care, the sooner your spikes and claws will retract and the dark clouds will clear from your mind. Inner peace and sereni-ty will be restored. That is, until the tides change and life presents you with another les-son…

6

If a student needs an accommodation to work towards his/her potential . . . he/she

gets it. Anyone can have it.

7

8

9

10

Get Involved

Subject: Math

Partners

Number shakes

Objective: To achieve a specific number by shaking fists and extending fingers.

Turn to face your partner (your neighbor, the person behind you, etc.)

Sit comfortably with your feet on the floor.

This is like the game Rock, Paper Scissors. You shake your fists three times and, on the fourth

time, you both open your hands at the same time. But instead of making the sign for rock , pa-

per, or scissors, you will hold out as many fingers as you want.

I will call a number and your goal is to try to shake the number I call. For example, if I call 3,

then one partner would need one finger and the other would need two. Or one partner might

shake no fingers( that is, keep his/her fist closed), while the partner puts out three fingers

Keep track of how many tries you and your partner need to reach the magic number. As soon

as you get the number, raise your hands.

This gets a bit competitive, as pairs all want to be the first to get the number. You can play up

this competition or not, depending on your students. It’s usually a good idea to stop when sever-

al pairs get the number, then start again with a new number. Bigger numbers can involve using

all four hands.

To increase the difficulty level for older students, try positive and negative integers. One partner

is positive, the other negative; together the must come up with the called number. Or use with

subtraction (subtract one number from another to get the called number), multiplication, or divi-

sion. Lots of variables are possible.

Another alternative is to challenge two or more students to shake exactly the same number. In

other words, how many tries does it take for both to shake, for example, threes?

11

From the Book . . .

3–Minute Motivators

by Kathy Paterson

For all Levels

Kathy states why to use a 3-Minute Motivator

To give students a positive break

To give the teacher a positive break

To refocus flagging attentions

To remove excess energy

To wake up lethargic minds

To introduce a lesson most of the activities can have an anticipatory set function

To reward good behavior

To keep a lesson moving quickly and constructively

12

Calm Down

Subject: Any

Individual

Absolutely Nothing!

Objective: To do absolutely nothing for as long as possible.

This is a tough game. You are going to do NOTHING!

Start by sitting comfortably in your chair. Sit tall: do not put your heads on your desks and do not slouch. Think tall and straight!

When I give the Start cue, you are going to freeze—not move at all, not make a single sound—for a full minute. Sounds easy doesn’t it? It’s not.

Check to see if you are comfy and firmly rooted to your chair, with not body parts hanging over, and in a position you can hold without moving—not even to scratch!

Try to still your diaphragm; breathe slowly and very quietly.

You are a statue! Even your mind is still. Begin.

Work up to 60 seconds (and more). It’s difficult for students to remain motionless and silent for this amount of time.

Debrief: Discuss what was difficult/easy about the game.

Extended Debrief: Challenge students to think of situations in which total immobility and silence might be necessary.

If a student needs

an accommoda-

tion to work to-

wards his/her po-

tential . . . he/

she get it. Anyone

can have it

13

Calm Down

Subjects: Health & Wellness;

Language Arts; Science; Social Studies

Individual

Props: A collection of interesting school facts, collected and written on individual slips

of paper

Prep: Like Joke in a Jar, this activity calls for teacher preparation in the collection of

interesting school facts. Collecting and selecting facts could be a job for an aid or volunteer.

Fun School Facts

Objective: To enjoy interesting facts about your school.

Sit quietly and listen carefully.

You are going to be amazed by some facts about our school.

Read a few facts, or select students to read them.

Debrief: Which fact surprised you the most? Why?

Suggestions for Fun School Facts

When the school was built.

How many students/teachers/support staff there are.

Changes that have been made to the facility/curriculum/surrounding area.

School rules that have changed/developed.

The first principal.

The current principal’s middle name.

Specific fun facts about teachers; don’t forget to get teachers’ approval first.

Examples include

Who just had an anniversary/birthday/baby/grandbaby.

Who has been to Hawaii/Mexico/Russia/etc.

Who plays basketball/hockey

Who skis/dances/sings/swims/compete in . . ./etc.

If a student needs an accommodation to work towards his/her potential . . . he/she

gets it. Anyone can have it

14

Pencil and Paper

Subjects: Art; Health & Wellness;

Science

Individual

Props: One piece of scrap paper per student, any size (it can have text or be blank); individual

writing tools

Scribble, Crumple & Tear

Objective: To scribble on a page, crumple it, tear it into small pieces, and dispose of it.

Choose a tool for writing. It can be anything you like.

When I give the Start cue, scribble all over the paper. Try to fill your scribbles with feelings.

Are you angry? Bored? Frustrated? Show that in your scribbles.

Cue to start and allow 30 seconds of scribble

Cue to stop.

Crumple your page up into a tine ball. Use lots of quiet energy.

Now open your page and tear it into tiny, tiny pieces. Again, use quiet energy.

Allow 60-90 seconds for the crushing and tearing

Debrief: Discuss how it felt to destroy the paper. Ask what, if any, feelings students experienced

during the refocuser and invite suggestions as to how/when they could use this activity on their own.

If a student needs an accommodation to work towards his/her potential . . . he/

she gets it. Anyone can have it.

15

Pencil and Paper

Subject: Language Arts

Partners

Props: One piece of paper and one writing tool per student

Letter Scramble

Objective: To randomly write five letters, then add them to a partner’s five letters to make words.

When I give the Start cue, write five letters on your page. Don’t let your partner see what

you’re writing.

On either of your pieces of paper, put together the letters you have both written, and make as

many words from these letters as possible.

If you both have chosen the same letter, that means you can use that letter twice in a word.

Otherwise, each letter can only be used once in a word.

You will have tow minutes. Go!

At the end of two minutes, check for winning pairs. Do a quick check for accuracy. Point out

that a lot depended on which letters they initially chose. Once students have played this gam

a few times, they become expert at selecting the letters that can be included in the maximum

number of words.

16

Get Active

Subjects: Health & Wellness;

Phys Ed

Individual

Life Rhythms

Objective: To connect speed of tapping with different life emotions.

Sit straight in your desk, feet on the floor, eyes on me.

We are going to tap our desks with fingers (or clap our hands) very slowly, a little faster, or

very quickly, depending on the cues I give you. Model very slow taps, then very quick taps.

Some feelings or emotions feel like they slow us down—like fear, for instance. It might tap

slowly. Model and let students copy.

But excitement would be very fast. Model and let students copy.

Some feelings might be very soft taps, while others might be hard taps. It’s up to you to

choose. I might choose soft and slow for a feeling like worry.

Now I will say an emotion and you will tap the speed you think best describes that feeling.

This is not a contest-everyone might tap different speeds, and that’s okay. Just tap for your-

self and keep the speed you choose until I say a different emotion.

Debrief: It might be a good idea to briefly discuss the correlation between the rhythms the stu-

dents tapped and the rhythm of their hearts. This could lead to a lesson on how we handle emotions

and, therefore, protect our hearts.

If a student needs an accommodation

to work towards his/her potential . .

. he/she gets it. Anyone can have it.

17

FOSTERING FUTURES SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION AND INFORMATION

The Fostering Futures Scholarship (FFS) provides eligible foster youth with scholarship funds for tuition, fees, room/board, books, and supplies/equipment required for enrollment. The FFS is available to stu-dents on a first-come, first-served basis. Students must complete the application and return it to Student Scholarships and Grants, listed at the bottom of the application.

NOTE: Limited funds for room/board have been reinstated for Winter/Spring 2015 semester.

Application Enrollment Period

December 1, 2014 through January 31, 2015

Eligibility

Student must have been in foster care on or after their 13th birthday.

Student may receive funding at any age. (There is no upper age limit.)

Student must be an undergraduate, attending a Michigan public or private 4-year college/university or

a community college.

The Fostering Futures Scholarship application is available here.

Please note this is a fillable form that may be completed online. Sign and date your completed application,

keep a copy for yourself, and then submit the application to the address or fax number located on the bot-

tom of the application. Illegible applications will cause a delay in processing.

Questions may be directed to Student Scholarships and Grants at ssg@michigan.gov or call toll-free at 1-

888-4-GRANTS (888-447-2687).

If a student needs an accommodation to work towards his/her potential . . . he/she gets it. Any-

one can have it.