principal
Vol. 11, No. 2
Navigator The magazine of the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators
Winter 2016 EMOTIONAL RESCUE: Social-Emotional Well-Being
Inside: Results from the OAESA KRA Survey • Managing Stress As a School Leader Supporting Teachers • Social-Emotional—It’s Important! • Grit to Teach 1
Are your teachers questioning their career choice? With financial pressures of student loans, concerns about achieving financial goals and the stress of uncertain education funding, some teachers are considering leaving the career they love. How can you retain your staff when budgets are already tight? Consider partnering with businesses to add employee programs. Horace Mann can provide quality financial education workshops, explain proven ways to secure classroom funding and offer extras like a teacher recognition program. For information about Horace Mann and how we can help your schools and your employees, visit schools.horacemann.com or contact us at 866-999-1945.
Executive Director’s Exchange Dear Colleagues, Happy New Year and welcome to the winter issue of the Principal Navigator! There is always something fresh and renewing about turning the calendar to a new year. Our theme this time focuses on the social, emotional, and physical well-being of our students and the educators who serve them. Our colleagues have submitted wonderful vignettes and articles sharing their stories about focusing on the whole child and the whole adult! I know that your role as a leader has become more demanding and complex—often at the expense of your own physical and emotional well-being. Since this is the season of resolutions, I want to share a decision-making strategy that often works for me. I hope you will find it useful. When you start to feel the “overwhelm” at work or home, ask yourself these “D” questions: 1. Can I delete this task? Does it really need to be done? In education we are notorious for piling more and more on our plates, without deleting a thing. What can be deleted at work or home? Purposely abandon some things! 2. Can I diminish this task? OK—if it has to be done, are there more efficient, less complicated ways to accomplish it? A recent example for me is all the holiday tasks and expectations I put on myself. This year, I diminished several tasks and still had the great experiences and memories I was not willing to delete from our lives. I bought more prepared foods and did all my shopping online. I did not miss the mall at all and did not pay a cent for shipping! Amazon.com and I are best friends. At work, I am continually looking for opportunities for us to be more efficient and productive with our time. Are there things you can diminish at your job or home life and still get the same results? “Work smarter, not harder,” so they say. 3. Can I delay this task? Frankly, this question is the hardest for me to address. I love lists and get great satisfaction checking things off of those lists. And, I would prefer if things had been done yesterday. So, delaying is not in my vocabulary. However, my husband is an expert at delaying! As a result, he is more apt to enjoy the moment and is very seldom stressed. I am trying to learn from him how to stop and delay the task for a bit.
I want to work with a 403(b) provider who focuses on the same thing I do: education
As the #1 provider of 403(b) plans in the K-12 market,* we provide your members with the resources and tools they need to learn how to prepare for retirement.
Can we help you take the next step? Schedule an appointment with your local financial professional by calling (866) 401-3030, Option 3.
4. Can I delegate this task? This is where my expertise comes in! I learned long ago that delegation is the survival strategy of a successful administrator. I try to discern which tasks truly can only be done by me in my role. Then, I delegate the others to capable staff members. I have learned to trust their expertises and abilities, which frees me up to spend time on tasks that are specific to my role as your executive director. It takes competent employees, trust, and a bit of letting go, but the benefits are exponential. On the home front, I found that I am a fan of curbside pick-up at our neighborhood grocery store. Surely my time is worth $4.99 to delegate this task! And, I know I am saving money because there is no impulse buying. 5. As Nike would say, “Just do it.” Sometimes, none of the first four D’s are relevant, and you just have to power through and do it! Got grit? Yes? Then just do it. The OAESA staff and I have been reading Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time by Brigid Schulte. It is more than a book about time management; rather it’s a book about the role time plays in our social, emotional, and physical well-being. The research presented by the author highlights the plague of busyness in the United States and offers several stories and solutions in the quest of a more balanced life. If you have a second, check it out. (Or better yet, make the time to read it—you won’t be sorry!) Here’s to a happier, healthier, calmer New Year!
*Source: LIMRA, Not-For-Profit Survey, Participants as of 12/31/2013 and contributions for full year 2013. “AXA” is the brand name for the AXA Equitable Financial Services, LLC family of companies, including AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company, AXA Advisors, LLC and AXA Distributors, LLC. AXA S.A. is a French holding company for a group of international insurance and financial services companies, including AXA Equitable Financial Services, LLC. The obligations of AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company are backed solely by its claims-paying ability.
Julie Davis, EdD OAESA Executive Director
AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company (NY, NY) issues annuity and life insurance products. Variable products are co-distributed by AXA Advisors, LLC and AXA Distributors, LLC (members: FINRA, SIPC). GE-96533 (8/14) (Exp. 8/16)
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Vol. 11, No. 2
In This Issue
Feature Stories
10 Making a Coordinated
Plan for Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Health
by Steven Evans, PhD and Julie Sarno Owens, PhD
This article contains essential steps for creating an organized mental health program in your school.
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Grit to Teach: We Need to Harden Aspiring Teachers’ Soft Skills by Debra Dunning, PhD, Terri Green, and Paul G. Young, PhD
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Managing Stress As a School Leader
How We Help Our Students Grow Socially and Emotionally at Crestview Elementary by Marian Dangerfield
by Jennifer Schwanke
by Roger Morris, EdD Assistant professor of education and former P-12 educator offers practical tips for a stress-management plan.
A resourceful elementary principal shares her school’s response to the varied social-emotional needs of its students.
OU faculty members polled administrators about what they look for when hiring staff. The results identify what future educators need to learn in higher education to become outstanding teachers.
Editorial Service Team Jeromey Sheets, EdD, chair, Lancaster City Schools Keith Helmlinger, Sidney City Schools Angela Schaal, Sylvania City Schools Paul Young, PhD, retired Stephen Zinser, retired
OAESA/SAIL Staff Julie Davis, EdD, Executive Director Mark Jones, Associate Executive Director Nancy Abrams, Business Manager Donna Ball, Special Projects Coordinator Melissa Butsko, Director of Operations Tyler Carson, SAIL/University Partnerships Advisor KT Hughes-Crandall, Communications Specialist Tony Piehowicz, Corporate Partner Advisor Abigail Smith, Editor, Principal Navigator Zana Vincent, Project Manager, Ohio Ready Schools
Supporting Teachers
A Dublin City Schools principal gives readers practical advice about how to elevate the social-emotional well-being of teachers in this warm, heartfelt article.
The Spring 2016 issue of the Principal Navigator magazine is Mission: Possible. This edition will feature articles reflective of our upcoming annual professional conference with the same theme. Articles are due March 15, 2016. Please e-mail Abigail at navigator@oaesa.org for article guidelines and to let her know you are interested.
Congratulations to Nora Beach on winning our book giveaway for submitting a vignette or article to the Navigator! You can read her vignette on p. 32. Stay tuned and you could be our next winner!
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About the Principal Navigator
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Executive Director’s Exchange
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Highlighting a Board Member
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OAESA Board of Directors
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Elementary Essentials
Julie Davis, EdD
Jeromey Sheets, EdD, NAESP Representative 2015–2016
Social-Emotional: It’s Important! by Zana Vincent
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OAESA Spring Zone Meetings
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OAESA Chalkboard
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OAESA 2016 Mission: Possible
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Join us—in your part of the state! News from the Association Keynote Speakers
From OAESA’s Associate Executive Director KRA Survey Results
Unless otherwise noted, all articles published in the Principal Navigator become the property of OAESA and may not be reprinted without permission from OAESA. The articles published in the Principal Navigator represent the ideas and/or beliefs of the authors and do not necessarily express the views of OAESA unless so stated. Advertising inquiries should be directed to OAESA by phone at 614.547.8087 or e-mail at info@oaesa.org.
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Tell Us Your Story...
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Health Issues
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Legal Report
The Principal Navigator (ISSN 1088-078X) is published three times per school year by the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators, 445 Hutchinson Ave., Suite 700, Columbus, Ohio 43235. Subscriptions are available only as part of membership. Periodical postage paid at Columbus, Ohio, and additional mailing offices.
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Middle School Matters
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Principal Navigator 445 Hutchinson Ave. Suite 700 Columbus, Ohio 43235.
How do you support your staff or students socially and emotionally?
Start Talking! It’s Never too Late by Adria Troyer Inside the ODE Hearing by Dennis Pergram Social-Emotional Learning in the Classroom by Donna Feldman, PhD, and Johnetta Wiley, EdD
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Sorry...We’re Booked!
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Welcome to the Association
Sharing the Blue Crayon
OAESA’s newest members
OAESA is affiliated with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP).
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Highlighting a Board Member Jeromey Sheets, EdD
NAESP Representative for OAESA District Coordinator, Lancaster City Schools Tell us a little about your background, as well as your current position.
I have educational degrees from Heidelberg University, Ashland University and Nova Southeastern University. In 2001, I was hired for a principal position with the Lancaster City Schools. Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of serving as principal in four fantastic buildings. This year, I am serving as the district administrator of gifted services and instructional programs. This position allows me to work with a variety of educational specialists throughout our district while collaboratively working on the creation and improvement of district delivery of services for all students.
What inspired you to choose education as a career?
People. There are many people who have influenced my life and guided me toward a career in education. My family was most influential, teaching many important life lessons. But I also had many teachers and coaches who were influential. Today, I have great mentors, coworkers, and friends that challenge me professionally.
Name a hot topic in education that you’re passionate about. Why?
I continue to stay current on topics that directly impact learners. Educational changes occur so frequently that we can easily lose awareness of how some decisions are made and what is really in the best interest of kids. I believe education extends beyond a K–12 concept; it is a life cycle.
Do you have any favorite moments as an educator that you’d like to share with us?
Many, and it is very difficult to narrow them down to just a few. But I will share one of the most memorable moments as a first-year teacher: During my first week of teaching, I quickly learned that things can and will go wrong. On my first day teaching, a student got her head stuck in a chair. How she got her head stuck is still unclear, but the look I got from veteran teachers and students as I escorted this child to the office with chair intact is still very clear. The very next day, another student got his arm stuck in the stairway railing, but a great custodian saved the day with a screwdriver before anyone could even see what happened. The third day was better, but I quickly learned how to cope and deal with things about which I wasn’t taught in college.
Share with us an important lesson you learned as a building principal. That lesson would be the importance of building relationships. The principal wears so many hats but has numerous opportunities to influence and be influenced by countless numbers of people. Relationship building with students, parents and staff is an important skill in building a community of trust and a culture that supports the changes needed to meet the many needs of our students each and every day.
When you’re not busy with work, what do you like to do in your free time? I am blessed to have a great wife and three very energetic children. I can think of nothing better to do than to spend my time with family. When I have free time, activities tend to be driven by my kids, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
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What is your position on the OAESA Board of Directors? What does that position entail?
I am currently the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) State Representative for Ohio. NAESP State Reps serve as liaisons between NAESP and their state associations. In addition to coordinating NAESP membership campaigns within their respective states, NAESP State Reps deliver regular NAESP updates to the state associations’ executive directors, board of directors, and key staff.
How long have you been involved with OAESA governance? Why?
I have served on the Board in a variety of different capacities since 2003. I was encouraged to become a member of OAESA by my mentor, Dr. Paul Young, who is a past president of both OAESA and NAESP. Shortly after joining the association, I got involved, and soon found myself serving the board as zone one director. Serving as a board member has allowed me to work closely with elementary, middle and central office administrators throughout Ohio in supporting administrators and advocating for Ohio’s children. Our board and members are very fortunate to have Dr. Julie Davis and OAESA staff working tirelessly on our behalf.
Some of Dr. Sheets’s favorites: Book: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein Color: green Sports Teams: The Buckeyes and the Browns Food: Ribeye steak (medium rare) Vacation Spot: Hilton Head, SC
What’s the one thing OAESA offers that members should participate in/take advantage of and why?
Each year I look forward to attending our annual professional conference. This summer, I will attend my fifteenth successive OAESA conference, and every year I leave feeling re-energized. I take away so many ideas that positively impact me professionally. I also am very fortunate to have developed a great network of administrators throughout Ohio, and can’t wait to see them again during the conference.
This issue centers on social-emotional well-being for students and educators. How do you embrace this topic in your current position, or how did you support your staff socially/emotionally when you were a building principal?
I have always encouraged individuals to intentionally take time and focus on self. The nature of educators is to take care of the needs of others, and as a result, we often neglect our own needs. An educator’s social-emotional well-being is extremely important, and we owe it to our students to take care of ourselves.
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Board Representatives
Board of Directors 2015–16
Central Office Rep
Assistant Principal Rep
Minority Rep
Daniel Graves
Stephanie Morton
Asia Armstrong
Executive Board President
President-elect
Past President
NAES P Rep
Federal Relations Coordinator
Columbus City Schools 270 E. State St. Columbus, OH 43215
614.365.8951 dgraves@columbus.k12.oh.us
Middle School Rep Heidi Kegley
Frank B. Willis Intermediate 74 W. William St. Delaware, OH 43015 740.833.1700 kegleyhe@delawarecityschools.net
Stephanie Klingshirn
Mississinawa Valley Elementary 10480 Staudt Rd. Union City, OH 45390 937.968.4464 stephanie_klingshirn@mississinawa.org
Kevin Gehres
Van Wert Elementary 10992 State Route 118 S. Van Wert, OH 45891 419.238.1761 k_gehres@vwcs.net
Jeromey Sheets, Ed D
Lancaster City Schools 345 E. Mulberry Street Lancaster, OH 43130 740.681.7676 j_sheets@lancaster.k12.oh.us
Scott Martin
Northwest Elementary 4738 Henley Deemer Rd. McDermott, OH 45652 740.259.2250 Scott.Martin@nwmohawks.net
Zone Six Director
David Winebrenner South Lebanon Elementary 50 Ridgeview Lane Maineville, OH 45039 513.459.2916 dwinebrenner@kingslocal.net
Zone Seven Director
Zone Three Director
Cathryn Petticrew Midwest Regional ESC 121 South Opera St. Bellefontaine, OH 43311 937.599.5195 cpettic@gmail.com
Zone Eight Director
Troy Armstrong
Springfield Local Schools 6900 Hall St. Holland, OH 43528
419.867.5600 troyarmstrong@springfield-schools.org
Zone Nine Director
Zone Five Director
Jonathan Muro
Madison Middle School 1419 Grace St. Mansfield, OH 44905 419.522.0471 jmuro@mlsd.net
Zone Ten Director
Gretchen Liggens
Westfall Middle School 19545 Pherson Pike Williamsport, OH 43164
Watterson-Lake K–8 School 1422 W. 74th St. Cleveland, OH 44102
jfife@westfallschools.org
gretchen.liggens@clevelandmetroschools.org
740.986.2941
Zone Four Director
614.833.2154 aarmstrong@cwls.us
Columbus District Rep
Aretha Paydock
Zone Directors Zone Two Director
Cleveland District Rep
Indian Trail Elementary 6767 Gender Rd. Canal Winchester, OH 43110
The Arts Academy at Summit 1100 10th St. NW Canton, OH 44703 330.452.6537 paydock_a@ccsdistrict.org
Jason Fife
Zone One Director
Joseph M. Gallagher 6601 Franklin Blvd. Cleveland, OH 44102 216.961.0057 stephanie.morton@ clevelandmetroschools.org
Get Involved!
216.838.7550
April Knight
Avondale Elementary 141 Hawkes Columbus, OH 43222
614.365.6511 aknight@columbus.k12.oh.us
Zone Map
OAESA is seeking district liaisons all across the state. We have 146 right now. Is your district represented? Contact your zone director directly or call the office at 614.547.8087 for more info.
Erin Simpson
Overlook Elementary 650 Broad St. Wadsworth, OH 44281
330.335.1420 wadc_simpson@wadsworthschools.org
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Melanie Pearn
Fairfax Elementary 6465 Curtiss Ct. Mentor, OH 44060 440.255.7223 pearn@mentorschools.org
Susanne Waltman
Steven Foreman
330.830.8056 sew2jc@jackson.sparcc.org
740.588.5539 foreman@zanesville.k12.oh.us
Strausser Elementary 8646 Strausser St. Massillon, OH 44646
Zanesville City Schools 956 Moxahala Ave. Zanesville, OH 43701
Timothy Barton
Galloway Ridge Intermediate 122 Galloway Rd. Galloway, OH 43119 614.801.8850 timothy.barton@swcsd.us
Sign up online at oaesa.org/membership.asp. 9
Making a Coordinated Plan
for Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Health
by Steven W. Evans, PhD and Julie Sarno Owens, PhD
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n too many schools, the approach to meeting the social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) needs of students is a bit haphazard. This is in sharp contrast to the extensive coordination and consideration of an academic curriculum. The benefits gained from the academic curriculum can be maximized if the services for students’ SEB needs are similarly organized. For example, the academic curriculum should include screening, assessment, and remediation governed by a process that coordinates students, data, and services. In the paragraphs below, we have outlined several steps and processes to achieve an organized school mental health program in your building. Evaluate Resources Use school mental health professionals (SMHP) to provide leadership for an SEB program. SMHPs are professionals with a master’s degree in a mental health field and typically include school counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists, as well as local university graduate students whom they supervise. Other professionals with related training, such as special education teachers, school nurses, and intervention specialists also play a key role in serving students with SEB problems. To some extent, all school staff can be considered a resource, as many universal intervention programs rely heavily on these individuals. Lastly, in some schools mental health providers from external agencies spend time at the school and can supplement a school’s program. Creating an inventory of school mental health resources can help you create a coordinator program. Assess Needs Assessing student needs can enhance the efficiency of intervention provision. In some schools, teachers complete universal screening measures that provide data about the nature of students’ problems. An equally important, second type of assessment focuses on situations. Identifying situations and locations in the school that are
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problematic can inform targeted strategies. For example, it can help you understand when and where fights occur; if students feel safe using unmonitored restrooms; where bullying occurs; how problems are monitored and addressed on the school bus; and if there’s adequate teacher presence in the hallways during transitions. Collecting this data can inform areas most in need of intervention and serve as a baseline for continuous assessment to determine if approaches are achieving desired effects. Establish Roles and Responsibilities A principal can increase the success of a school mental health program by maintaining active involvement in the process. At a minimum, this includes appointing a leader for the school mental health services agenda and meeting regularly with this SMHP. These meetings should include reviewing data such as the names of all students referred to the building-level team, what has been tried with each student, and how the student’s response to those services is being measured. The lead SMHP should also be able to describe how the fidelity of services are being measured and how those implementing the services (e.g., general education teachers) are being supported. These discussions can lead to the identification of training needs and/or the need for an evidence-based service for a particular problem. Reviewing data and critically discussing these issues on a regular basis holds the lead SMHP accountable and conveys the importance of meeting the needs of students with SEB problems. Another way that the principal can communicate the importance of this work is to prioritize these activities for SMPHs. For example, a master’s degree in mental health is not required to manage student schedules, proctor examinations, or complete many administrative tasks. Requiring (or allowing) SMHPs to do this work alone is a clear message that meeting the SEB needs of students is not important. Demands to do such unrelated administrative tasks
takes time away from meeting the needs of students. This can result in the unfortunate situation of SMHPs unnecessarily referring students to community providers. Although some complicated cases need care at a clinic, many do not. Because most SMHPs have the same training as professionals working in clinics, and because most students do not access care in those settings even when referred, building capacity to address student SEB problems within the building can maximize time for academic learning and success. Thus, prioritizing the SMHP’s time toward addressing the needs of the students at school seems like an appropriate priority. Establish a Toolkit and a Process At most schools, there is a building-level child study team (or something with a similar name) where the needs of students with SEB problems are discussed. This team often works with the referring teacher to address the referral problem. Critical to the success of this team is a sufficient set of high quality services that can be provided and the presence of an adequate tracking system (see below). To be effective, the team must include professionals with expertise in providing best practices for SEB problems. The science of mental health services is clear about the specific components of counseling (e.g., exposure for anxiety; see Walker and Gresham, 2014, and see effectivechildtherapy.org) that are likely to lead to positive outcomes. Thus, it is important for the lead SMHP to help the team understand that generic or supportive “counseling” is unlikely to help many students, but there are effective practices that can be done in a counseling setting for most presenting problems. In addition, many of the evidence-based practices involve classroom interventions provided by general education teachers such as daily report cards, self-management, and effective study strategies. The team should also recognize the difference between an intervention and an accommodation. Interventions increase the competencies of the student by directly addressing the problems and can lead to the student being able to independently meet age-appropriate expectations for rule following, engagement, interpersonal functioning, work completion, and learning. Cognitive behavioral treatments, organization interventions, self-management and many other techniques can achieve this goal, and can be provided by SMHPs or other staff. In contrast, accommodations (e.g., extended time) simply lower expectations for student competence and should never be the priority, as they do nothing to improve the functioning of the student. Relying solely on accommodations is equivalent to giving up on the student (see Life Course Model description in Evans, Owens, Mautone, DuPaul, and Power, 2014).
Developing a Measurement System and Monitoring Outcomes Data-based decision-making is a hallmark of an effective school mental health program. Schools should establish a process for reviewing school-based data from screenings and needs assessments. In addition, data should be routinely collected for students referred to the child study team. These data should include information regarding the history of the referral problem, the context within which problems occur, the types of services provided, the fidelity of the services, and the student’s response to the services. Organizing these data on electronic spreadsheets or databases will help the lead SMHP manage the system and provide data to address these issues. It is important to recognize that, even when using evidence-based interventions, it can take two to four months to achieve desired outcomes. Thus, the team should establish smaller, specific goals that can be evaluated weekly and shaped over time to achieve longer term goals, and to continuously assess the extent to which the services are being applied with fidelity and in a coordinated manner (e.g., teacher is prompting and reinforcing the student’s use of coping skills learned during a counseling session). These data-collection procedures constitute a constant monitoring process for children with SEB that can enhance services and student outcomes. Establish Training Priorities The research literature documents that a large portion of the SMHPs (and clinic-based professionals) are not adequately trained in the evidence-based practices described above. We also know that attending a workshop does not usually provide adequate training for a person to be able to begin using many of the techniques. Identifying sources for training staff in the services most needed in a school is a high priority for an effective school mental health program. Unfortunately, this can also be a difficult challenge. Nevertheless, prioritizing professional development or SMHPs and learning communities among staff members can have a valuable cumulative effect on the available services, and ultimately, student outcomes. Conclusions Establishing an effective school mental health program in a school is an iterative process that can improve learning outcomes for all students. In order for it to achieve this goal, it must be a priority of the principal, rely on data-based decision making, incorporate evidence-based practices, and include on-going staff training and support.
References Evans, S. W., Owens, J. S., Mautone, J. A., DuPaul, G. J., and Power, T. J. (2014). “Toward a Comprehensive, Life Course Model of Care for Youth with ADHD.” In M. Weist, N. Lever, C. Bradshaw, and J. Owens (Eds.), Handbook of School Mental Health (2nd ed, pp. 413-426). New York: Springer.
Walker, H.M. and Gresham, F.M. (2014). Handbook of Evidence-Based Practices for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Guilford Press: New York.
About the Authors Steven W. Evans, PhD, and Julie Sarno Owens, PhD, are both faculty members in the Center for Intervention Research in Schools at Ohio University. For more information, contact them at info@oucirs.org.
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Elementary Essentials Social-Emotional: It’s Important! by Zana Vincent
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uch has been written lately about the importance of early attention to the social-emotional and physical well-being of the child and the impact these developmental domains have on learning. In addition, increased attention is being placed on what is identified as approaches toward learning. This umbrella term includes critical skills like persistence, curiosity, inventiveness, attention to task, problem solving, planning, reflection, and flexibility. Ohio’s New Learning Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 3,¹ adopted in June 2015, address these domains and skill areas. The standards promote an understanding of nonacademic areas that contribute to student success.
Using the Language That Promotes Hope We as educators can provide the hope for children by helping to build their “can do” attitude. Bringing out the best in each child is the task for every teacher. To do so takes close observation, a keen since of timing, and a deep repertoire of well-researched strategies. Three areas are key: 1. the language used 2. the scaffolding designed to promote student’s success 3. the shared celebrations for the progress being made
In his book, Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children’s Learning,² Peter Johnston explains how children narrate their lives by explaining events they see as consistent with their lives. He shares that a teacher’s comments can move a child toward productive identities, giving hope and new possibilities. Comments such as “What a talented young poet you are,” or “As scientists, how should we handle this?” create the open door to further conversations, deeper cognitive development, and more opportunity to change self-identification. Additionally, teacher language, such as “I bet you are proud of yourself!” instead of “I am proud of you!,” moves the focus from pleasing the teacher to being pleased with one’s own accomplishments. Johnston’s small, one hundred-page book contains a wealth of strategies and points to ponder. It could So Where Are We Now? also make one cringe and say, “Oops! I have said that.” The pendulum is beginning to swing back. There is no question Recently Ready Schools participants were invited to hear Mary that respect, patience, caring for others, consensus building, and Anne Buckley, author of Sharing the Blue Crayon,³ convey how she self-regulations are missing in quite a few critical interactions of our society. Many key public figures do not exemplify the status of a worthy role model, and one only needs to read the paper or click on the news to see the continual loop of headlines for verification of this situation. So where do schools fit? As educators, we have a shared responsibility within the classroom, the building, and the district to model and teach key elements of living in harmony. The path to helping children acquire these critical skills is not purchasing a new program to add to the curriculum. Rather the path involves intentional and consistent modeling of the skills as they are interwoven into the daily life of the classroom and building. It requires helping children to understand the “why, when, and how” to use these skills as part of being productive in the classroom and in the future. It means addressing the needs of the whole child. The importance of these domains is not a new revelation. Education literature from the 70s spoke to the importance of the affective domain in the child’s development. In fact, many districts required activities related to the affective domain be included as part of lesson plans. And in the 90s, problem-based learning was explored as a way to engage children, bring relevancy to the learning, initiate cooperative teaming, and serve as a platform for the development of critical thinking skills. On the educational scene, the focus can quickly change, and what was on the front burner gets pushed to the back, often without thoughtful consideration about what is in the best interest of the child.
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integrates social, emotional, and literacy learning into her daily classroom routine. Her message was that the combination of soft skills with academics makes learning relevant and includes children as part of the decision-making process. This further extends their interest and commitment. In her books she writes, “We (the students) learn how to tell a story and how to listen and respond to another’s tale. We discover the power of emotions and word choices, not just in literature but also in our lives. We share, which builds empathy and trust and leads to problem solving and revision. The social-emotional skill development does not represent a one-time lesson or a tagalong activity. Rather, the integrated approach to learning how to learn runs fluidly throughout the school day.” Being very intentional in creating lessons, in processing, and in repeated visitation to the skill with conversation and student demonstration is essential. In her book, Buckley also addresses mindfulness with lessons on self-regulation. She suggests that paying attention to what is happening in one’s mind can affect decision-making. By monitoring internal thoughts and feelings, children begin to process what is happening in their minds, allowing them to monitor internal thoughts before acting, which can immediately adjust behaviors. Addressing Physical Well-being When planning for a comprehensive educational system, addressing the physical well-being of a child is a significant piece of the picture. Tending to the child’s physical well-being looks at what is happening in the classroom. Are items like lighting, heat, room arrangement, and seating conducive to the comfort of the child? Will there be mental breaks provided throughout the day that include “Out of your seat and on your feet” activities? Michael Kucazota, director of instruction for the Regional Training Center in Randolph, New Jersey, reminds us that we don’t just learn from the neck up but also from the feet up. It only makes sense that frequent, short breaks for movement heighten concentration, improve behavior, and enhance learning. Strategies like paired circle walks, Vote with Your Feet, and Give One/Get One, all use movement to learn and move at the same time. A recent article in the Columbus Dispatch highlighted a school in Worthington that received a grant to purchase three exercise bikes for the classroom. They are being used, not only for physical exercise but also for mental breaks to energize thinking. Health-related issues, including a hungry child; a child with a poor diet; or a child with a chronic illness, dental needs, hearing issues, poor vision, sleep deprivation, allergies, skin issues, etc. can all be barriers to regular school attendance. Attending to attendance pays big dividends to academic progress! Managing health-related issues takes a well-orchestrated approach, delineated roles, follow-through, reporting checkpoints, and open communication among the various players in addressing the issues and connections for services. Parents and Caregivers: Partners in Success Being in the field of education for many years, I have had multiple opportunities to visit schools, observe in classrooms, speak with teachers and principals, and spend time “kid watching.” One enlightening experience was being invited to observe a wel-
come meeting with parents. The classroom teacher had scheduled half-hour conversations for each set of parents, or caregivers, during the two weeks prior to school opening and the two weeks after the beginning of school. Asked about this large time commitment, the teacher replied that the upfront work paid off throughout the year because a warm, caring relationship had been established in the very beginning. Here is what I experienced: The first grade room was colorful, neat, and welcoming with books on display and interest centers set. A round table with adult seating was inviting, and parents and teacher sat side by side. Paper and pencils were available on the table for note taking. The purpose of the meeting had been conveyed to parents prior to the meeting as an opportunity to get to know them, explore their expectations for the school year, and gather any important information about the learning habits of their child. The meeting would also serve as time for the parent to get their questions answered. The teacher had four questions prepared that she explained would help them work continued on next page...
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...continued from p. 13 together as a team. The questions were: 1) What is it that you hope for your child this school year related to learning goals and his/her social development? 2) What do you think your child wants from this year’s experience? 3) What do you see as your role and responsibility in making the expectations happen? 4) What are your expectations of me? During the conversation notes were taken by both parties, benchmarks set for checking progress, and important contact information exchanged. The parents and caregivers received a take-home folder containing helpful beginning of the year information and a personal letter to the child from the teacher. Hearing parents verbalize their expectations and shared responsibilities served as a shared commitment statement to their investment in their child’s education. The information gathered was referred to throughout the year as a guide to parent-teacher conversations, student interactions and benchmark progress. Don’t Go It Alone: Reaching Beyond the School Walls The saying that it takes a village to raise a child continues to ring true. However, if you don’t know what is available in the village, you miss out on multiple opportunities for support. Thinking that schools can meet all needs shortchanges all parties. Schools that
have been successful in connecting with services started small and then expanded their reach. One Ready School site worked with community leaders to create an Asset Map to identify agencies within the community that could assist schools and families. The map was posted in a location open to parents, staff and visitors. The map identified services offered, locations and contact information. The map revealed multiple agencies connected to health related needs, clothing and food needs, legal matters, social services, mental health services, and other agencies available for information and support. Schools that have been successful in building relationships did not wait to be courted. They reached out. When you don’t think outside the box, you only get what is in the box. Think big. Closing Thoughts Much can be achieved for the good of all by addressing the soft skills related to self-regulation, empathy, and respect. By honing these skills in addition to skills of negotiation, tolerance, problem-solving, teamwork, curiosity, and persistence, the foundation for success is being constructed. This is not to say that academics should be short-changed, but to acknowledge that a vital part of a comprehensive education must take into account the education of the whole child. As educators, our focus needs to be intentional, integrated and consistent and we too, need to take inventory of our own skill set. We lead by example. A wise mentor once shared: “Treat them as you want them to become.”
Spring Zone Meetings ZONE ONE
April 14, 9–12:00 pm The OSU South Centers 1862 Shyville Rd. Piketon, OH 45661
ZONE THREE March 8, 4–5:30 pm Basil’s On Market 18 N. Market St. Troy, OH 45373 937.875.2068
ZONE SIX
March 23, 4:30–6:30 pm Winking Lizard 1615 Main St. Peninsula, OH 44264 330.467.1002
ZONE TWO
April 6, 5–7:00 pm South Lebanon Elementary 50 Ridgeview Lane Maineville, OH 45039
ZONE FOUR
April 18, 2–4:00 pm Wood County ESC 1867 North Research Dr. Bowling Green, OH 43402 419.354.9010
ZONE SEVEN
March 22, 4:30–6:30 pm Panini’s Grill 7580 Fredle Drive Concord, OH 44077 440.639.1000
ZONE FIVE
March 2, 5:30–7:00 pm Baker’s Pizza 224 Sandusky Ave. Bucyrus, OH 44820 419-563-9998
ZONE EIGHT
March 3, 3:30–5:30 pm Buffalo Wild Wings 1072 W. High Ave.
New Philadelphia, OH 44663
330.339.9464
Mark your Calendar! ZONE NINE TBD
ZONE TEN
April 7, 5–7:00 pm Buckeye Hall of Fame Grill (Film Room) 775 Yard St., #100 Columbus, OH 43212
References ¹Ohio Department of Education. 2015. “Ohio’s New Learning Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 3.” ²Johnston, P.H., 2004. Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children’s Learning. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse. ³Buckley, M.A., 2014. Sharing the Blue Crayon. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse.
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GRIT TO TEACH
We Need to Harden Aspiring Teachers’ Soft Skills
noncognitive skills (also known as life skills, soft skills, dispositions, or habits of mind) that reflect strong, time-honored character traits—especially grit—in order to successfully transition from college admission to career readiness, to success during the first critical years of teaching. Grit is defined as perseverance and passion for long-term goals. It entails working strenuously toward challenges, maintaining effort and interest over years despite failure, adversity, and plateaus in progress (Duckworth et. al., 2007). For previous generations of teachers, conventional wisdom held that a strong intellect and mastery of core academic subjects would lead to success in school, career, and life. But that is not the case with aspiring teachers today. We now know that success is more likely to come when students possess high-level cognitive skills coupled with highly developed soft skills like self-control, persistence, social awareness, relationship development, and self-awareness (Duckworth et. al., 2007). Beyond the Transcript and the Resume Improvement in the preparation of teachers requires higher levels of collaboration, trust, involvement, and circular communication between preparation programs and the receiving schools they serve. That implies that stakeholders in both realms of influence listen actively, learn from each other, and leverage resources and what is learned for mutual gain. Those in higher education must recognize that their “customers” are the schools where teacher candidates obtain jobs. Improving circular communications, involving superintendents, college administrators, principals, and tenured and adjunct professors, would advance customer service, increase accountability, and provide a means to quickly address new and emerging issues related to beginning teachers’ transition to the classroom. P-12 students are the ultimate stakeholders.
by Debra Dunning, PhD, Terri Green, and Paul G. Young, PhD
A
ccording to the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) 2014 Teacher Prep Review, less than 10 percent of the nation’s 1600 teacher preparation programs provide first-year teachers with solid preparation.1 As professors in one of those programs, that statistic matters to us, and we also know that it is a great concern to principals. Most of the professionals in Ohio’s P–12 schools are products of state-governed teacher preparation programs, some of which ranked very high in the NCTQ report. Yet, most of the improvement recommendations suggested by educational reformers, policymakers, and practitioners for improving unranked programs, which also includes many from Ohio, focus on three areas: 1. raising admission standards for teacher candidates, 2. increasing rigor in college coursework, and 3. assessing candidates’ acquisition of content-specific knowledge and pedagogical skills. These suggestions and many others have merit. However, we think that current aspiring teachers, many of whom have been reared in an age of entitlement and overprotection, need support developing specific
We share growing concerns about many aspiring teachers’ lack of grit. Our colleagues from other disciplines share our concerns, but we rarely have opportunities to address them collectively. Many students’ lack of purpose, persistence, and passion is reflected in a fixed mindset. They’re content to meet only minimal expectations. Fewer and fewer seem to possess growth mindset characteristics (positive attitude, effort, persistence, acceptance of criticism, etc.) as described by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck.2 We do not infer that mastering core academic content should no longer be an important part of teacher preparation. However, observable deficits in students’ noncognitive performance must be addressed. We acknowledge research findings showing that soft skills help new teachers use technical knowledge and skills. All effective teachers demonstrate mastery of both hard and soft skills. Our collaboration with principals in Fairfield County, Ohio, indicated their interest in learning more about how we intended to prepare grittier teacher candidates, equipped with hard and soft skills. To help us further reflect upon and improve our practice, we reached out to the leaders of the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators (OAESA) and requested to survey Ohio’s elementary and middle-level principals to better determine what others throughout the state most looked for when interviewing and Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. NY: Random House. Duckworth, A.L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M.D., and Kelly, D.R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9, 1087–1101.
selecting first-year teachers. The Survey OAESA surveyed its members in November 2015, collecting qualitative and quantitative responses to seventeen questions from 142 respondents. The questions were structured to quantify ranked choices with allowance for qualitative comments related to insights about what respondents thought were the most preferable new teacher career-readiness skills. The questions probed a variety of factors to determine what most influenced principals’ perceptions about attitude, mindset, initiative, perseverance, social-emotional wellbeing, communication skills, and attendance compared with GPA, test scores, portfolio, and traditional references. First Glance at What Principals Look for in Beginning Teachers At first analysis, Ohio’s principals appeared to respond to the questions in two distinct ways: 1. principals that appeared to be influenced by credentials (GPA, resume, references, field placement, technology experience, and related items) whom we’ll call “credentialists” and 2. principals we’ll call “potentialists” who seemed to predict future success by evaluating grit, attitude, emotional intelligence, and other character descriptors.
Table 1 Regardless of those differing perspectives, nearly 90 percent agreed that the influence of candidates’ attitude was very important in hiring decisions. Almost three to one (70 percent to 23 percent— Table 1), in situations where two final candidates were viewed equally, respondents indicated that character soft skills weighed more heavily in decision-making than academic content competence. Many comments suggested that principals could teach academic content and pedagogy once a new teacher was on the job, but not character skills, which some described as being innate. Simply put, principals prefer to hire attitudes and teach skills. More than 80 percent of the respondents ranked a candidate’s personal grit factor as an important/very important factor in hiring decisions. Although there are some scales for measuring grit, there does not appear to be an acknowledged dominant measure for non-academic grit qualities. The Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) standards outline a set of dispositions that influence many preparatory programs’ licensing,
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National Council on Teacher Quality, www.nctq.org
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classes will likely miss work, which will impact student learning and achievement. Again, enhanced circular communication could preparation, and professional development of teachers. Enhanced lead to an elevated awareness of how attendance and grit combine circular communication between schools and colleges would to harden students’ soft skills and become an indicator of potential provide HR departments with indicators and strategies for ques- success. Further research studying the correlation of college attendance, grit, and career readiness could offer clarity on how teacher tioning candidates about their mastery of these standards. education programs can best prepare teacher candidates for both One question probed candidates’ grittiness and coachability as credentialists and potentialists. extrapolated from involvement in high school and collegiate activities, such as clubs, athletics, musical groups, etc., commonly Interestingly, respondents had mixed responses about the imporknown as extracurriculars (Table 2). Surprisingly, only 52 percent tance of candidates’ reference letters. Several respondents suggestindicated that extracurricular involvement influenced their hiring ed they were impressed more by who wrote the letter than its condecisions. According to Robert Putnam’s research from his book tent. Many principals stated they utilized professional networking Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis,4 students who regular- to check out a candidate, contacting people who could speak about ly participated in extracurricular activities were nearly 400 per- a candidate but who was not listed as a reference. Letters of refercent more likely to succeed in college (and life) than those that ence appear to be an antiquated formality. did not. Project-based learning also supports the development of grit. Are we missing obvious incubators of where essential grit In 2015, EducationWorld.com’s5 Gary Hopkins asked a group of characteristics can be developed? principals to summarize in one word what they most looked for in new teachers. The answer—passion! The final question in our Approximately 80 percent of respondents did not consider survey was the same, and passion was recommended most ofcollege class attendance to be an important issue that impacted ten (twenty-seven respondents) along with compassion (10), hiring decisions. In contrast, however, we consider student atten- flexibility (6), integrity (5), and attitude (2). Words like intelligence or dance very important and view it as an indicator of commitment competence were listed only three times. and persistence. Aspiring teachers who frequently miss college
Further Implications from the Survey Designing reforms for teacher education programs must be a process that involves principals and others in schools who receive the finished product. Additional surveys and research, specific needs assessments, and feedback from principals to teacher preparatory programs should influence program design and course adjustments to better meet “customer” needs. Ultimately, that translates into academic success for P-12 learners. What principals are looking for in new teachers should be shared with aspiring teachers in a variety of venues. Principals should frequently be guest speakers in college classrooms. The specific skill sets needed by new teachers must be clearly identified, showcased for those who aspire, and practiced routinely in every college classroom.
Summary Our concerns focus on how to best prepare future teachers to meet and support the expectations of the principals who receive them. We recognize our students must demonstrate competent skills in specific content areas, but just as important, we must help them acquire numerous personal character traits that are readily distinguished from other people. Preparing them for a profession that seems to be attacked and admired in equal measure, we know we cannot meet their needs in a vacuum. We recognize that what principals want should drive how we prepare candidates to look, act, and think. We appreciate this opportunity to probe principals’ perceptions, identify what they value most, and open dialogue about how to do what we do better in higher education—preparing the next generation of passionate, high-quality teachers.
References Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Random House. Duckworth, A.L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M.D., & Kelly, D.R. (2007). “Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-term Goals.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9, 1087-1101. Hopkins, G. (2015). “What Qualities Do Principals Look for in a New Teacher? EducationWorld.com.” (http://www.educationworld. com/a_admin/admin/admin071.shtml) Greenberg, J., Walsh, K., McKee, A. (2015). 2014 Teacher Prep Review (revised 2015). Washington, DC: National Council on Teacher Quality. (web: www.nctq.org) Putnam, R. (2015). Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis. New York: Simon & Shuster.
About the Authors
4 Putnam, R. (2015). Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis. New York: Simon & Shuster. 5 http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin071.shtml
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The authors are education collaborators at Ohio University Lancaster Campus. Debra Dunning (PhD, Ohio State, dunning@ohio.edu) is a lecturer specializing in early childhood education. Terri Green (MA, Ohio State, greent@ ohio.edu) is a lecturer specializing in literacy. Paul Young (PhD, Ohio University, youngp1@ohio.edu) is an assistant lecturer specializing in middle-level education and music. He is also a past president of OAESA and NAESP. Together, they have created a weekly Lunch and Learn Seminar Series called “So You Think You Can Teach” to harden the soft skill traits of their aspiring educators.
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The OAESA Board of Directors and staff met November 13 and 14, 2015, to plan goals for both the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years. Goals revolve around OAESA’s four focus areas, including membership, professional learning, networking, and advocacy. The main goal for this school year is to make a targeted effort to have an OAESA district liaison in every district across the state. OAESA service teams have been meeting face to face at the OAESA office last fall and this winter to work on issues important to the association. The Editorial Subgroup of the OAESA Networking and Outreach Service team planned themes for upcoming issues of the magazine. Our Spring 2016 issue is Mission: Possible and will reflect the theme of the June 2016 professional conference. Fall 2016 will be about welcoming parents and students back to school. And Winter 2017 will focus on teacher recruitment. Participants in the 2015–2016 Ohio Instructional Leadership Academy (OILA) heard from nationally known authors in the field of education. In September of 2015, Dr. Anthony Muhammad spoke to attendees about establishing and supporting a positive school culture. January’s session, Maximizing Your Design Teams, was facilitated by Dr. Roland Chevalier from The Schlechty Center. The final session in April features Dr. Mike Staver: Leadership Isn’t for Cowards.
Are you looking for a 100% online, convenient way to further your education? SAIL for Education, in partnership with Concordia University Chicago, is currently accepting students for the March 2016 start date. Please visit the ad on p. 14 for details about how to start earning your graduate degree today! April 1, the Ohio Ready Schools in the northeast region will meet in Canton City Schools for their regional meeting. Part of the professional learning experience will be the opportunity to visit area Ready School sites to see first hand the many activities taking place. 2020
Are you taking advantage of OAESA online communications?
+ Join our 1300 followers on Twitter! + The first Tuesday of each month we host a Twitter chat, 8–9 p.m. Check it out. #ohprinchat + Over 279 people like us on Facebook. Do you? + Our members suggest many of our Tuesday Talk topics. What is important to you? Be heard! Send your ideas to info@oaesa.org. + Did you know our monthly webinars are completely free? Join us for our Lunch and Learn series held on the second Friday of each month from 1–2 p.m. to discover best practices from colleagues. + We now have an Instagram account, instagram.com/oaesa, and a Pinterest account, pinterest.com/oaesa. Come follow us! When was the last time you stopped by OAESA’s website? Did you know we recorded all our Lunch and Learn webinars for you to access whenever you want? Check out the archives on your OAESA account page. We also keep digital issues of past Navigators and post exclusive job openings there as well. To access these member perks, just log in to your account. Can’t remember your login credentials? Contact us at 614.547.8087. Don’t miss out on connecting with OAESA and your fellow administrators at our spring zone meetings. We will share important updates in education with you, and you’ll have plenty of time for networking, all in your area of the state. Find a zone meeting near you on p. 15 of this magazine. 21
MANAGING STRESS
As a School Leader
by Roger Morris, EdD
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tress is unavoidable. In the age of the accountability test, school performance, and crisis management in schools, it has become essential for school leaders to manage stress effectively to increase the effectiveness of leadership in the school environment. It is interesting to note that handling stress is not a national standard for principals. But this concept is essential for a leader to be more effective and less prone to making potentially harmful mistakes (Greenleaf, 1996). There is no formula for a leader to handle stress, as everyone is different, but leaders must be capable of developing a “stress management program” that deals with the emotional, spiritual, physical, and social health of the leader (Greenleaf, 1996, p. 295). This article will provide leaders with insight into the development of a program or set of activities that will address the level of stress a school leader faces in today’s twenty-first century, ever-changing school environment. continued on next page...
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...continued from p. 23 There is inconclusive evidence that stress causes long-term diseases, but definite evidence that stress exasperates disease (Stress and Physical Health, 2014). Stress impacts a leader’s ability to be effective, and higher stress can lead to more mistakes being made on the job (Greenleaf, 1996). How does stress affect a person’s health? Some stress can be positive, but when it affects one’s total well-being, then stress can become a disastrous impediment to a school leader’s effectiveness and livelihood. Krantz, Thorn, and Kiecolt-Glaser (2015) state, “Even short-lived, minor stress can have an impact. You might get a stomachache before you have to give a presentation, for example. More major acute stress, whether caused by a fight with your spouse or an event like an earthquake or terrorist attack, can have an even bigger impact. Multiple studies have shown that these sudden emotional stresses —especially anger—can trigger heart attacks, arrhythmias, and even sudden death. Although this happens mostly in people who already have heart disease, some people don’t know they have a problem until acute stress causes a heart attack or something worse.” Stress is unavoidable. A school leader has the challenge of balancing the stress at work and at home, as well as leading a staff and student body that needs a low-stress environment. While a “stress-free” environment is desired, this is an unrealistic expectation of schools. Therefore, in order to be highly efficient and productive, a school leader must manage personal stress. Several studies cited in this article have outlined ways to reduce or manage stress. As previously stated, a leader should develop a stress-management plan to determine what works for an individual. This plan should encompass not only the physical needs but also the emotional, spiritual, and social needs of the school leader. Some stressors include anger, anxiety, depression, fear, and worry (Davis and Eshelman, 2008). But coping with stress is the key to any leader’s well-being. Some suggestions for activities in a stress management plan include the following (Davis and Eshelman, 2008, and Krantz, Thorn, Kiecolt-Glaser, 2015):
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Identify what causes the stress and manage it.
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Practice good nutrition and eat properly.
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Exercise—do something both enjoyable yet physically challenging, e.g., yoga.
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Meditate or pray.
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Perform self-hypnosis.
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Work on time management and personal goal setting.
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Do breathing exercises.
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Develop positive relationships outside of work, e.g., with spouse, children, or close friends.
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Get proper sleep; avoid caffeine if this is an issue.
It is important to note that when a school leader is engaged in an activity, that leader must recognize the need to take a break from work, including shutting down electronic devices like cell phones. Proper time management is critical to a successful customized stress-management plan. Obviously a school leader cannot avoid stress and simply go to a yoga class when a student need arises or a crisis emerges. A school leader, or any leader for that matter, should have the predisposition to expect the unexpected (Kraemer, 2011). A leader must also realize that he or she cannot show stress to his or her followers, or panic might ensue. Kraemer narrows the focus to two factors that will help a leader prepare for any stressful situation that arises. The first is self-reflection, and that can be tied to the “general focus on doing what’s right instead of being right” (Kraemer, 2011, p. 171). A leader who has like-valued subordinates can focus on the more important issue of the means to an end. The second factor is for the leader to do his or her best and let everything else take care of itself (Kraemer, 2011). School leaders with a well-developed stress-management system, combined with the correct focus on a situation, will be healthier and more productive, which will lead to a healthier school environment. References Davis, M., and Eshelman, E. (2008). The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook (6th ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. Greenleaf, R., and Frick, D. (1996). On Becoming a Servant-Leader. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Kraemer, H. (2011). From Values to Action: The Four Principles of Values-based Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Krantz, D., Thorn, B., and Kiecolt-Glaser, J. (n.d.). “How Stress Affects Your Health.” Retrieved October 12, 2015, from http://www. apa.org/helpcenter/stress.aspx. “Stress and Physical Health.” (2014). Retrieved October 12, 2015, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/ hic_Stress_and_Physical_Health.
About the Author Roger Morris, EdD, spent twenty-seven years in P–12 education, retiring as a school superintendent in 2014. He is currently the assistant professor of education at Malone University in Canton, Ohio, where he focuses his teaching and research on education leadership efficacy and development.
Go to oaesa.org. Click on Mission: Possible.
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from OAESA’s Associate Executive Director
KRA Survey Results We Asked—You Answered by Mark Jones, OAESA Associate Executive Director Introduction: Assessments. Whether pre or post, short cycle or end of course, formal or informal, tests are certainly a necessary and critical part of our profession. These days so much emphasis has been placed on the value of the assessments we use in our schools that it sometimes feels as if testing has superseded instruction in importance. We waste absolutely no time in putting our children on the testing carousel. As our youngest students transition from home or preschool programs to kindergarten, schools are required to perform some formal screening to determine their initial skill levels. Over the past few years, Ohio has seen several changes to the screening process of our incoming kindergarteners. Not surprisingly, these changes have often evoked feelings of frustration and confusion for educators, as principals, teachers, and even central office staff have had to sort through the implications and nuances of these new assessments. Recently, the OAESA Advocacy Service Team decided to survey our members about their perceptions of the new Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA). The following is a summary of the survey results. Survey Demographics: Our 2015 KRA survey was conducted during the month of November, just after the deadline for schools to have completed all the required testing. In addition to taking the survey, we also asked participants to forward the survey to their kindergarten teachers, since these frontline folks would likely have valuable insights about the new KRA. During the two-week survey window, nearly 170 principals, kindergarten teachers, and central office staff members completed the fifteen-item online survey. Of the total respondents, the number of principals and teachers was nearly identical, with both groups comprising about 87 percent of the total. Curriculum directors and other district-level personnel made up the remaining 13 percent. In addition to his or her title, each participant provided us with the grade levels his or her building serves. We asked this to see if there existed a significant difference in perception between schools heavily weighted to just the primary grades and those balanced across all elementary grade levels. We found no real difference. Interestingly, however, the percentage of respondents who indicated their school offered a full-day kindergarten program was surprisingly high at 73 percent, and another 11 percent told us their school provides both full-day and half-day options for students. Only 17 percent of those surveyed replied that their district offers only a half-day kindergarten program. When asked about the number of kindergarten teachers working in their buildings, the most common response was three FTE, with two and four teachers as the second and third most popular answers, respectively. Overall, the respondents’ answers
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averaged 3.5 FTE kindergarten teachers per school. We then asked a follow-up question about kindergarten class size. Here, we found that the average class size consisted of 21.9 students per section. The final question we asked about basic demographics polled respondents if their schools were urban, suburban, or rural. Responses were skewed more heavily toward rural (45 percent) and suburban (41 percent) schools, with only 14 percent coming from urban settings.
“The data comes back so late in the year that it is just not helpful.” KRA Perceptions: Following the demographics section, we asked respondents a simple yes/no question: “Does the new 2015 KRA provide you with the data you need to accurately assess your students and inform instruction?” On this particular item, a disappointingly high number (64 percent) replied in the negative, with only 34 percent answering yes. When we asked those who answered no why they felt that way, most responses centered around two basic themes: First, many individuals commented about how long it took to have the scaled score results returned. Their complaint was that by the time these results come back, nearly a third of
the school year is gone, and, often, at that point, the results are no longer a valid reflection of student performance. The second major theme that emerged involved the perceived redundancy of the KRA when coupled with other tests already in use. For many respondents, other assessments seem to provide more relevant and timely information about the student readiness, and the KRA became nothing more than a “compliance function” with very little value.
“We have assessments of our own that we do prior to August and in the early weeks of the school year. What we do is much more informative and timely.” We asked respondents to identify other assessments their schools use or have used in the past. Because some schools use multiple tools, participants could check multiple answers. The top response was the KRA-L, with 87 percent identifying it, but several other tools were popular as well. DIBELS was listed by 44 percent of those surveyed, followed by the DRA at 37 perecent; AIMSweb EL at 29 perecent; the ODE Reading Screener, or Full Measure Diagnostic, at 27 percent; and STAR and STAR-EL at 23 percent. As a follow-up to this item, we asked which one assessment provided them with the most useful data to assess kindergarten students. The answers were all over the board. Each assessment, including the 2015 KRA, had a respectable amount of support from teachers and administrators finding it most useful. Leading the pack, perhaps for its immediate feedback and streamlined focus, was the KRA-L. Other popular assessments were the STAR/STAR-EL, the DRA, and the DIBELS. The main takeaway from this question, however, is that determining the “best” assessment probably relates to the teacher or principal’s familiarity with the instrument. Of interest also was how often a respondent listed “a teacher-created screener,” or something similar, eschewing the idea that the only useful tools are products of our corporate testing world!
“Old-fashioned teacher observation is the best identification tool! I can tell within the first two weeks who is going to need help sharing, taking turns, etc.”
To determine if there was a favorite assessment for identifying whether a child was on track to meet the requirements of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee (TGRG), we asked respondents which tool their district was using for this purpose. A frequent concern, expressed by both teachers and principals, is that some assessments over-identify kids as not being on track, while others don’t identify all students who are struggling. Results therefore are alarming families unnecessarily about a child’s reading progress and creating too many Reading Improvement Monitoring Programs (RIMPs), or, even worse, missing a student who needs extra assistance. So, is there a clear preference as to which tool best determines where each student fits in the on-track, offtrack spectrum? No. The most frequently mentioned screener for determining whether kindergartners are or are not on track for meeting the TGRG is, in fact, the 2015 KRA. This might be because the KRA is required or because educators are against overtesting, and therefore, they are using the KRA results for this dual purpose. However, participants listed other screeners for the TGRG—the two most popular being the STAR/STAR-EL, and Aimsweb. And, quite logically, many respondents also said their district used a combination of two, three, or even four different assessments for this purpose. Let’s hear it for the “multiple measures” crowd! As we built the survey, we considered a fundamental question about kindergarten readiness: When is the best time to do this assessment? We gave respondents choices, and the first choice was “before the start of the school year,” with just over 50 percent. Another 26 percent chose “within the first month of the start of the new school year.” The least popular choice, at 17 percent, was “by November first of the new school year,” reflecting their concerns about timeliness.
“The 2015 KRA involved less testing than last year, but [it]still provided a good basis to begin interventions in reading and math.” Next, to accentuate the positive, we included an open-ended question about what the participants deemed the benefits of the KRA. Initially, we were encouraged that 130 individuals entered a reply to this question! Unfortunately, almost a third indicated they saw no benefits. Those who were able to articulate some benefits of the 2015 version cited that it was somewhat shorter than last year’s KRA and that several of the more confusing tasks had been eliminated. Other positives include that the assessment provides the opportunity to compare students to their peers from across the state, that it encompasses more skills than just the literacy piece, and that the online component for both students (iPad app) and teachers (data collection) were helpful.
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For the next survey item, we listed several of the perceived negatives about the KRA, having respondents check all that apply. In addition, they could list their own concerns, and we provided them with an option to check “I have no concerns.” Only a scant 3 percent had no concerns with the 2015 KRA. By contrast, over 82 percent were concerned the loss of instructional time that assessment administration costs kindergarten teachers. Sixty-seven percent felt that the KRA interferes with the establishment of critical, beginning-of-the-year classroom routines that help transition students into the school setting. Other common complaints included the lack of useful information derived from the KRA (65 percent); the inaccessibility of the data once it was entered into the system (52 percent); and the staffing requirements necessary to administer the KRA (39 percent).
“Honestly, we would be so much better off without it. The time commitment is tremendous, and the return is negligible or worse.”
We then asked respondents to tell us about how prepared they felt to administer the new 2015 KRA, using a scale of one to four, one indicating no training and four meaning they were fully trained. The average score for this question was a 2.8, signaling that most felt they had been adequately trained. Next we asked an open-ended question about how participants will use the results of the KRA. Most educators felt that the real value of any assessment lies in how well the gathered data informs subsequent instruction. Most also offered insights into how they believe the new KRA results will be used in their schools. As we analyzed the feedback, four or five themes emerged. Only 2 percent indicated they would share individual results with parents at conferences. Seven percent said they would compare results with other data, using it as back-up information to provide a more complete picture of a student’s skill levels. About 15 percent thought that the KRA data could help in grouping students for instructional purposes or for remediation and enrichment activities. At 34 percent, the second most popular response involved using the literacy component for identifying students as “on track” or “not on track” for the TGRG, as well as to assist in placing students on a RIMP. Finally, the most common response (42 percent): “We are not using the KRA data for any purpose.”
“We are too far into the school year to use this data, so we are only recording the results as required.” 28
Our final survey item asked participants one recommendation they’d like to provide to policymakers about the KRA. This item yielded the most extended responses of the survey! Equally as predictable, many would urge those in charge to abandon the idea that we should even assess our youngest students in such a comprehensive way, just as they are starting their formal schooling experience.
“Scrap it completely. Don’t tweak it, try to justify it, or try to save it.” Still, most respondents expressed the need for some form of readiness assessment for kindergarteners, but they suggested modifications that follow one of two strategies. These recommendations would be to ask policymakers to further shorten the test or to alter the timing of when the test is administered. Again, most participants would like to administer the test before school starts in the fall. Several respondents mentioned that if the state is going to place such a high value on collecting this readiness-assessment data, then the state should also fund the staff required to administer it before the school year begins. In addition, many respondents would encourage policymakers to allow districts the flexibility to use other vendor-approved instruments in place of the KRA, or even return to the KRA-L instead. Finally, another theme cited making much-needed improvements to the data-collection process. Specifically, the “KReady” website was presented as being unreliable and overly cumbersome with respect to data entry.
“Revamp the KReady website! The issues with uploading the data files were unbelievable. I have twenty-two documented e-mails and multiple phone calls to the help desk because my files wouldn’t load.” In conclusion, like many other reform efforts thrust upon us, the KRA seems to evoke the full spectrum of emotions from those in the field who are responsible for administering it. And, when thoughtful, dedicated, and experienced educators express their views, we would all do well to listen!
How We Help Our Students Grow Socially and Emotionally at
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by Marian Dangerfield
have played many roles when working with children throughout my lifetime. I’ve been a parent, a teacher, a guidance counselor and now an elementary principal. In addition, I’ve worked with students at all grade levels, K–12. In each case, I have seen firsthand that socialemotional issues can act as a huge roadblock to learning. I would guess that all educators can think of a student that they have known that had trouble engaging in learning activities because of some social-emotional roadblock. Whether we like it or not, teachers need to be able to reach students on a social-emotional level before learning can occur. As a parent, I can attest that children today are different than kids of yesterday. Because they are so technologically connected, many have had fewer opportunities for practicing interpersonal skills and are thus lacking in social skills. Children today have had more screen time than ever before, contributing to this problem. In fact it seems they spend more time communicating via social media than interpersonally. Some kids even have meltdowns because their social-emotional needs have not been met at one time or another. As parents and educators, we need to work together to offer more direct instruction and practice with social skills. As a former middle school guidance counselor, I know firsthand that student success hinges upon students’ social-emotional health. Here at Crestview Elementary, we have taken a multifaceted approach to helping students build their social-emotional skills. Our teachers have realized that this takes teamwork, and all staff members agree on what it takes to build a working relationship with our students. We make an effort to get to know our students and their situations at home. Teachers spend time on “getting to know you” activities. They ask for parental input at the beginning of the year, via questionnaires, that helps our teachers learn about each student’s preferences and interests. After they learn about their students, they can build lessons that work well with preferred learning styles and interests. We also teach students how to work interpersonally in small groups, defining their roles as a group member. We model how to work with one another, showing respect for others and accepting others’ opinions.
kindergarten friends on the playground
One obstacle that our school has had to overcome regarding social-emotional learning is that, due to budget constraints, we no longer have a guidance counselor at our school. To offset this, we utilize a number of community-based initiatives, such as Big Brother/Big Sister, Aiming High, DARE, and the Counseling Center, and schedule weekly visits for students needing more support. At our school, we follow an inclusive model of instruction, teaching all students to respect differences in each other. Our support staff of intervention specialists and occupational, speech, and physical therapists has taken the lead in implementing the Zones of Regulation: Exploring Emotions (zonesofregulation.com) in each classroom. They have explained to students about the Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green Zones. They have modeled the zones around the new movie, Inside Out, in which the characters in the movie represent the various feelings that a child experiences, which encourages students to identify how they are feeling in relation to being ready to learn. Our students have been trained using FranklinCovey’s Leader In Me and the Seven Habits of Happy Kids (Find information about both at theleaderinme.org.), and they visit classrooms regularly to teach students about the seven habits and the Zones of Regulation. We try to promote a growth mindset in our students, helping them achieve personal academic goals and persevere when things become challenging. At Crestview we have a strong, school-wide bully prevention program—Olweus—with a committee that implements bully-prevention initiatives regularly throughout the school year. Through Olweus, we have weekly classroom meetings, and we celebrate Bully continued on the next page...
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HOT TOPICS CONFERENCE March 3, 2016
Hanging out with Big Brother/Big Sister volunteers
Sitting on the Buddy Bench
...continued from p. 29 Prevention Week and Friendship Day annually. We recognize students with Kindness Counts rewards every week. We give a Good Apple Award, a Caring Heart Award, and a Helping Hand Award to students who did something kind for someone else. We use teachable moments in the classroom to promote and model positive character traits, like honesty and respect. We let students know that they matter, encouraging even our most introverted to join in classroom activities. We have two “buddy benches” on the playground where students can sit at recess when they feel like they need a friend. Fellow students are encouraged to invite anyone sitting at the buddy bench to play with them. On Tuesdays, students and staff wear bully prevention T-shirts to help us remember that we are unified against bullying. The number one rule at our school is “be kind.” We tell students that if everyone is kind to one another, we won’t have a problem with bullies at our school. This simplifies for students what is expected of them and helps them to feel in control of situations. As a principal, I view each disciplinary issue as a learning experience that will build positive social-emotional skills. Students learn how to admit what happened, verbalize feelings about the situation, and plan how they will react in similar situations next time. I ask students three basic questions after a behavioral incident occurs: 1. What did you do that you shouldn’t have? 2. Why shouldn’t you have done it? 3. What are you going to do differently next time?
Students learn from their mistakes and learn to take ownership of them. When students have a conflict with others, I try to help them become problem solvers to find a solution in which all parties involved feel respected and validated. More than anything, we get to know our students, listening to them when they talk, making meaningful eye contact and thoughtful responses to what they have to say. I personally make it a point to greet each student by name each morning. I speak to most students at lunch and recess or in the bus line, as they wait to leave at the end of the day. Through these interactions, I can gauge the social-emotional status of individual students, asking individual teachers to provide extra support for certain students.
OCLC
6565 Kilgour Place Dublin, OH 43017
Members: $165 • Nonmembers: $265 Feeling the heat from stepping through the maze of initiatives and demands as an administrator? Don’t sweat it. Get your burning questions answered at this conference. Our experts will explain and address all recent issues affecting education and administration at the time of the conference. Register online at oaesa.org/events.asp or call 614.547.8087.
Finally, we give students multiple opportunities to help others, which helps to build social-emotional skills. We have a caring, supportive school community that has a long history of helping others in need. Countless times we have encouraged our students and their families to help support others in need: a holiday food drive, a used clothing drive, the Relay for Life that supports cancer research, and the American Heart Association Jump Rope for Heart, are just a few examples. Recently, we have helped families with seriously ill children or parents raise funds to help with medical expenses. If it sounds like we’re just doing a hodge-podge of initiatives at our school regarding social-emotional learning, you are right. The key to helping students become emotionally and socially healthy is to take it “one student at a time.”
February 12 Topic TBD March 11 PBIS Me ASAP April 8 Topic TBD May 13 You Want Me to Do What? Effective
About the Author
Ways to Get the Most Out of Difficult Students
Marian Dangerfield has been the elementary principal at Crestview Elementary School in rural Columbiana County for the past ten years. She was previously a middle school guidance counselor and a high school English language arts teacher. She believes that students can be more successful academically when their social-emotional needs are addressed and validated.
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Tell us your story...
How do you support your staff or students socially and emotionally? At the start of the school year, I began reflecting on ways to safeguard my staff by preventing long-term burnout and help them to deal with stressful situations as they happen. As a yoga practitioner myself, I have come to realize the benefits of yoga and mindfulness in my personal life. I decided to reach out to a local yoga instructor, to offer yoga classes for a minimal amount to interested staff members twice weekly, for an hour in the cafeteria after school. The group has been practicing for about one month. I also plan to offer workshops on “Mindfulness and Eating” later in the school year. Thus far, I have received very positive feedback from the teachers, such as, “This is the only time of the day when my mind is totally clear of thoughts!” Our school nurse has also arranged to utilize wellness monies to contribute towards the cost of lessons and purchasing yoga blocks. Some of the social-emotional benefits of practicing yoga and mindfulness regularly are greater mind control, improved mental clarity, and increased self-awareness and optimism. I believe this is a powerful foundation upon which teachers can start to build their social-emotional skills – and, in turn, improve their teaching. Alexandra Nannicola, Principal Champion Central Elementary School “Dear Mr. Beach, I always thought you were an odd teacher, but then I got you as a teacher and realized how cool you are. You have helped me reach into a deeper level of thinking, which has helped me in my faith and in my every day life. I hope to keep in touch. Thanks, Zach.” This is a note that my husband received from a high school student he taught last year. I am serving in my eighteenth year as principal of Glendale Primary School in Bedford. Being married to a teacher and having a daughter who was a teacher and is now an administrator, I am constantly reminded that teachers need to hear how important they are in the lives of their students. I try to support the emotional well-being of my staff by starting every meeting with “shout outs” to staff members whom I notice going above and beyond in our school. I also share letters, stories, or compliments from former students and parents or visitors to our school. The letter my husband received was read at our opening faculty meeting. When students enter our classrooms, we really don’t know who they are or how they are feeling. Teaching is hard, and it is not unusual for teachers to go home thinking, “Did I make a difference today?” I try my best to remind them that they do make a difference each and every day, even if they don’t see it or feel it. Nora C. Beach, Principal Glendale Primary School 32
Taking care of the emotional health needs of over 1500 students in grades two through five is no easy task! However, the outstanding and dedicated mental health team at New Albany Elementary is working to bring a seamless system of support to all students. Their support as a team enables our students to gain more social and emotional tools to improve their school experience, be more successful within the school environment, and ultimately be a happier and healthier child! The team, consisting of three school counselors and three licensed social workers (one funded in partnership with an ADAMH grant), provide multiple supports to students, teachers, and families in order to help students gain the skills they need to successfully navigate both school and home. The team provides small group lessons, individual student and family meetings, full class lessons, and specific social group opportunities as part of their daily schedule. In addition, they are part of a well-trained crisis-response team that intervenes in times of crisis or great need for children, staff, and families. The team works tirelessly to link families with outside resources, supports, and other professionals when children need even more help. As part of their annual goal, the New Albany team is working to improve the school culture in all the buildings where they work and to increase teacher awareness that mental health issues with students have a significant impact on a child’s success and progress. The team will be working with teachers in grades two through five on the February staff development day to examine multiple aspects of social-emotional learning, and the critical role that teachers play in a child’s health, development and daily success. Jen Denny, Principal, K–12 Learning Facility and Elementary Head of Schools Teresa Smith, Principal, 2–5 Elementary Andy Roeth, Assistant Principal, Grades 2–5 Elementary New Albany-Local Plains Schools
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Health Issues Start Talking! It’s Never Too Late by Adria Troyer
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very day, national, state, and local educators are working to improve the quality of public education in every grade so our children can someday graduate from school ready for success in college and a globally competitive job market. But an unseen enemy works against us: drugs are making their insidious way into our schools, slowing bright minds and cutting promising lives short. As a child gets older, interactions with family members, others at school, and those within the community can affect that child’s risk for later drug abuse. This becomes even more likely as students transition into middle school, junior high, or high school, especially if they are moving into a new school system. In all of these cases, the onset of harmful substance use can as much as triple. Ohio is mounting an increasingly aggressive fight against student drug abuse. A state law now requires schools to address opiate addiction in their health education curricula (See http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/ Ohios-Learning-Standards/Health-Education/Opioid-Abuse-Prevention for more information). In Ohio, that includes a statewide initiative to discourage drug use by leveraging children’s relationships with their families and teachers. The Ohio-born Start Talking! initiative launched in January 2014. The program is built on national research that shows children who have parents and other influential adults talking to them about the dangers of drugs are up to 50 percent less likely to abuse these substances. That’s serious, because prescription drugs can become a gateway to other drugs. Because of their mindaltering properties, the most commonly abused prescription drugs are opioid painkillers, antianxiety medications/sedatives and stimulants. Prescribed opiate painkillers have the same chemical makeup as heroin. As a result, addiction to prescription pain medications often gives way to that cheaper alternative, which is cut with all types of additional poisons. The result? Unintentional drug overdoses have become the leading cause of accidental death in Ohio—with one Ohioan dying from a drug overdose every four hours. Start Talking! takes a multipronged approach to drug prevention with three programs to help educate families and influence students to head off substance abuse before it starts.
Parents360 Rx is an educational program developed by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids to increase parents’ knowledge of prescription drug abuse and improve their confidence in their ability to speak with their children about substance abuse in general. Know! offers a free, bimonthly tip sheet called TEACHable Moments to help educators and community leaders talk to children about drug-free living. The program also publishes Parent Tips twice a month. These contain guidance for families and other caregivers who want to help their children resist peer pressure to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. 5 Minutes for Life centers on Ohio State Troopers, Ohio National Guard, or local law enforcement officers talking for five minutes with student athletes either before or after practice. They discuss responsible decision-making, leadership, and ways to encourage those in their peer groups to live drug-free lifestyles. Following the conversation, students have the opportunity to become ambassadors for their schools. The statewide partnership involves all fifty-eight Ohio State Highway Patrol posts, more than eight hundred Ohio High School Athletic Association member high schools, and Ohio National Guard Service members from around the state. “The beauty of the Start Talking! approach is that you don’t have to be a professional counselor to have effective conversations,” says Tracy Plouck, director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. “The tools are easy to use. So, whether it’s around the family dinner table or in the classroom, Start Talking! provides the tools adults need to have frank discussions about alcohol and other drugs.” Educators and communities can help their students avoid the drug trap by being knowledgeable about drug abuse in their areas and by taking advantage of free Start Talking! programs to mount their own local campaigns. To get started, visit StartTalking.Ohio.Gov. For additional information about the initiative, contact Adria Troyer via e-mail at Adria.Troyer@Education.Ohio.Gov.
About the Author Adria Troyer is the assistant director of the Start Talking! initiative. You can reach her by phone at 614.995.5158 or by the e-mail address listed above.
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Legal Report
The hearing officer then issues a report and recommendation to the parties, and if any party is dissatisfied with any part of the report or the recommendation, they can submit objections within ten days after receipt of the report and recommendation. The hearing officer may recommend one of the following:
Inside the ODE Hearing by Dennis Pergram
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uring an Ohio Department of Education (ODE) investigative interview, ODE determines the charges to be serious enough to consider the suspension or revocation of an educator’s license, ODE may send out a “notice of opportunity for hearing.” This notice, in part, sets forth the charges against the educator and informs the educator that the state board intends to determine whether to impose discipline. Before receiving issuance of the notice, settlement negotiations that result in a consent agreement or other discipline may be held, but if the matter is not settled, the educator has 30 days to file a request for hearing after receipt of the notice of opportunity for hearing.
No discipline takes place. The educator receives a warning letter (not discipline). The educator receives an admonishment (discipline). The educator’s license is suspended for a certain time period. The educator’s license is revoked. The matter is then transmitted to the Ohio State Board of Education, which has the right to accept, reject, or modify the hearing officer’s recommendation. The state board then adopts a resolution, which becomes the order of the state board, which can be appealed to the common pleas court. There is also an appeal of right from the common pleas court’s decision to the court of appeals, and, after that, to the Supreme Court of Ohio; however, the Ohio Supreme Court is not obligated to hear any further appeal as it is discretionary and the standard for the Supreme Court of Ohio to accept an appeal is if there is a constitutional issue or the case is of public, or great general, interest. The Supreme Court of Ohio accepts only a small percentage of civil appeals.
About the Author Dennis Pergram, legal counsel to OAESA, is a partner in the law firm Manos, Martin, and Pergram, LPA. He is a former chairperson for the Ohio State Bar Association Committee and has practiced school law for over thirty years.
ODE then appoints a hearing officer, who is a private attorney, to conduct the due process hearing. Prior to that time, the hearing officer may request—or the parties may agree to exchange—witness lists and documents to be introduced at the hearing, and the hearing officer schedules the hearing, which typically takes place at ODE. In many respects, the due process hearing is like a civil trial; however, there is no right to a jury. ODE has both the burden of proof and the burden of going forward. The due process hearing is open to the public, although members of the public rarely attend. The hearing typically begins with ODE’s attorney (an assistant attorney general) presenting an opening statement to the hearing officer, followed by the opening statement of the educator’s attorney. Next, ODE elicits testimony from its witnesses and presents exhibits, and after each ODE witness testifies, the educator’s attorney has a right to cross-examine him or her. After ODE has called all of its witnesses, the educator may call his or her witnesses and offer exhibits. ODE’s attorney can then cross-examine each witness. Following the presentation of testimony and exhibits, ODE’s attorney and the educator’s attorney are permitted to make closing arguments or to present the closing argument in a written post-hearing brief. All of the testimony given in the hearing is sworn testimony, taken down by a court reporter. As a general rule, the hearing officer requests the court reporter to transcribe all of the testimony and to send the transcript to the hearing officer for the hearing officer’s use in preparing a report and recommendation.
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Supporting Teachers by Jennifer Schwanke
Gathering a sense of the emotional needs of the teachers in our buildings—and reacting accordingly—is not something we are directly taught in our administration classes; indeed, it’s not even something we frequently think about when we reflect upon our work. But I would argue that it’s really, really important. The truth is this: teaching is really tough these days. While the rewards are still high, the pressures and challenges have steadily increased. Many times, teachers feel overworked and undervalued. They are challenged by parents, by students, and by unrelentingly high standards set by our communities and legislators. Social media has given a platform for anyone who is frustrated about their child’s education to sound off publicly—regardless of the truth behind their perceptions. And perhaps the most difficult challenge of all for teachers? It seems that the rules keep changing, so it’s tough for teachers to get into a comfortable groove. In the past few years alone, we’ve seen big, sweeping changes in evaluation systems, curriculum, accountability, technology, and resources. And that’s just the big stuff.
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ere’s the thing: We’re all social-emotional learners. It doesn’t matter how old we are, or what stage we find ourselves in life. There is the infant who is just beginning to interact with others. There is the kindergartener trying to figure out a quickly expanding world; a teenager navigating important decisions and learning from mistakes; and an adult managing relationships, jobs, and family all at the same time. No matter our age, experiences, or stability in our own environments, we’re all constantly learning about the complicated and unpredictable world around us. As school leaders, we go to work every day and see students moving along in their journey as social-emotional learners. We know when they are excelling, and we know the warning signs when they need help. It’s our job to put supports and programs in place to help them along. But what about teachers?
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I have a lot of empathy for what teachers are managing these days. That’s why I’ve made it my mission to develop an ongoing sense of how teachers are feeling. And when I notice they are struggling, I step in and try to do something small to help them stay motivated. To help them feel valued. To keep them going and believing in the important work they are doing every day. I’ve found a few simple tricks for doing this—none of which get in the way of the other things I manage as a principal. Write notes. I have a stack of blank notecards that I keep at arm’s length in my desk drawer. Whenever I have a free moment—and, really, that’s all it takes—I write quick notes to thank teachers for something special they’ve done; to acknowledge their effort; or to let them know I notice how hard they’re working. Feed them. Whether it’s a handful of Hershey’s kisses delivered to the classroom, a half-dozen donuts dropped off for a team at the beginning of a meeting, or an occasional breakfast of bagels and juice, teachers love to be surprised by a tasty and unexpected treat. Talk to them. Ask teachers how things are going. Not just about school, but about other things too: How are your children? Your parents? Is there anything worrying you? How are you managing things at school—and outside of school? By acknowledging that they have a whole, real, important life outside of the classroom walls, you stay connected to them as people—and they will appreciate that you truly care.
on my way to do something else, so it’s not difficult for me—but it makes the world of difference for a teacher who feels stretched too thin. Give teachers permission to evolve. Sometimes, teachers do things just because they always have—and there is no longer a need for it. Recently, I walked into a classroom during a teacher’s planning period and found him frantically trying to complete a stack of “parent communication forms” to use as talking points for upcoming parent-teacher conferences. When I asked why, he looked at me blankly. “Um…because I always have?” he said. I pointed out that all the information he was putting on the forms already existed in our online grading portal for each child; all he needed to do was pull the portal up on his laptop and reference it when meeting with each parent. He was stunned by the obviousness of this solution— and pleased that I encouraged him to let go of something that was no longer necessary.
Help teachers delegate. In general, teachers tend to have personalTake something away. Teachers have a lot on their to-do lists each ities that lead them to want to manage everything. They don’t feel day, so I jump at any opportunity to take a task for them. I’ll cover a right asking for help. I like to encourage them to do so. Just the othrandom duty; I’ll offer to put in the work ticket when their technol- er day, I saw a teacher feeding some pages through the laminator. ogy fails; I’ll offer to finish making some copies and deliver them to the classroom. I can generally do these things in moments, usually continued on the next page...
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...continued from p. 39 “I don’t know when I’ll get these cut out,” she lamented. I suggested that she ask one of our aides, who is assigned a daily duty that just requires monitoring students who are working independently. “I would never ask her to do that,” the teacher said—until I reassured her that the aide would be more than happy to help. I was right: the aide was eager for small tasks to do during her duty and was thrilled to be able to help her colleague. Don’t ask them to do things alone. Teaching should not be a lonely job, but sometimes it becomes that way when there is not enough support and teamwork available. It helps to think about ways teachers can work together on tasks. Whenever possible, I tell teachers, “Why don’t you work together with a colleague on this?” Even grading a stack of student essays feels less grueling if a friend or colleague is across the table doing similar work. Show gratefulness. I read somewhere that if you think you’re showing enough appreciation, you still need to double your efforts. I don’t think “thank you” ever stops giving positive energy. Once or
Middle School Matters
twice a week, I challenge myself to walk down the hallway and find something I appreciate in each person I encounter—and tell them so. It’s a wonderfully easy challenge to meet. But…make sure it’s authentic. I find saying things like, “Thank you for all you do” can easily become stale and stop feeling true. I think it helps to be specific: “Thank you for being here early each day to be so prepared for your students” or “Thank you for managing that tricky parent conference so well” or “Thank you for organizing that student breakfast.” Don’t just thank them for “all” they do—thank them for what they do. All these tips are ways you can quickly and easily help support the emotional needs of your staff—without much time, money, or effort on your part. The key is to stay alert and aware so you recognize when a teacher needs a bit more support. In doing so, your staff will be more likely to feel valued, balanced, and appreciated— leaving them better equipped to teach the students in their care.
About the Author Jen Schwanke has been an educator for eighteen years. She taught middle school language arts for six years before moving into administration at both the middle school and elementary level. She is currently a principal for Dublin City Schools in Dublin, Ohio. She blogs about her experiences in learning and leading at jenschwanke.com.
Donna B. Feldman, PhD
Social-Emotional Learning in the Classroom
Johnetta D. Wiley, EdD
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he National Institute of Mental Health estimates that one in five American children will experience a serious mental disorder (n.d.), and one in ten children living in poverty will experience an emotional and behavioral problem (Howell, 2004). Many of these pediatric disorders will remain undiagnosed and untreated, especially for those in poverty. Although educators are not trained mental health workers, there are various activities educators can provide to give students the opportunity to grow socially and emotionally without compromising course content and ethics. In the ELA Classroom The inhibition of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors begins in the early years of a person’s life and leads to increased anxiety and mental illness (Pennebaker, 1990). Reducing the effects of inhibition is as simple as confronting the related thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and, at the same time, forcing a rethinking of a traumatic event (Pennebaker). School offers a natural opportunity for directing students to confront inhibitions. Expressing emotion writing about adversity translates it into language, an integral part of therapy, and then helps foster a better understanding of the event and a way to minimize its impact on daily life (Esterling, Antoni, Fletcher, Margulies, and Schneiderman, 1994; Pennebaker; Smyth and Helm, 2003; Spera, Buhrfeind, and Pennebaker, 1994). Various writing genres facilitate different but comparable results. The use of autobiographies by adults with mental illness helped develop their sense of self and connection to others in their lives by using sensory details, awareness, self-awareness, and memory in their stories (Alschuler, 1997). Poetry can be a means for recovery in substance dependence, mood disorders, and eating disorders (Gillispie, 2001). All of these genres appear in English language arts classrooms in one context or another. Autobiography is often found in elementary school and, later, morphs to personal narrative or expository writing in secondary classrooms. This genre permits students to explore their identities and personal histories and can be expanded to include an objective look at their roles, responses, and future actions. Students reveal both the joys and tragedies of their lives (Feldman, 2011). One student may write about taking a leading role in organizing a cotillion
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and how he grew while a classmate recounts the death of her mother. Another student may celebrate his successes in sports and what it means to him. Writing an autobiography, personal narrative, or exposition also permits students to analyze their response to adversity learned through the study of history or literature. Their writing may cause a revisiting of an event and help create a meaning for the situation (Feldman, 2011). Writing contests focused on social injustice prompt students to think about acts of hatred, their responses, and plans of actions they could take to promote acceptance of others who are different. But even a short writing assignment can impact students. When teaching Hamlet, a teacher asked students to identify a person who angered them and why they were angry. The last part of the short writing assignment was to identify what the person needed to do for forgiveness. Many students wrote about relatively inconsequential topics. But one student addressed her anger at her mother, who had recently lost her job. This small, two-person family was then forced to sleep at others’ homes, and the student often slept on a couch in a living room. The teacher passed the information about the family to a social worker and told the student she had. Although the student was upset at first, the next day, she walked around the school smiling in the new clothes the social worker had been able to procure. One thoughtful paragraph changed the student’s outlook and helped her understand her anger. When used by an adult population, this writing genre resolved negative feelings and provided emotional closure (Spera, Buhrfeind, and Pennebaker, 1994). It should work similarly in a classroom. Less popular with students as a genre is poetry. The use of Gillispie’s (2001) poetry framework in classes is helpful in guiding students in creating poetry as well as having students define issues of importance and the priorities in their lives (Feldman, 2011). Using
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skills, inferencing skills, and decisive decision-making skills regarding laboratory safety. Equally important, the standard scientific method requires students to define a problem or try to answer a question, form a hypothesis, perform an experiment, make observations, analyze the data, and form a conclusion based on the results. While performing these tasks, students most often work in groups and must rely heavily on their listening skills and give credence to the perspective of their peers. It also requires concerted social-emotional learning. If we are to increase the capacity of the next generation of scientists, researchers, and technicians, it will be important to continue to make real-world and career connections with students and that they are receptive in order to build self-esteem and confidence to occupy these science fields as adults. This alone does not, however, encompass it all. Educational leadership concerned about all students learning should take a serious look at social-emotional learning, restorative justice, and response to intervention in trifecta. Conclusion No activity in a classroom is a substitution for therapy. As of now, there is very little academic research on the use of writing as ther-
apy in elementary or secondary classrooms. However, disclosing adversity in an autobiography or personal narrative can help students come to terms with the events that changed their lives and look at their own behaviors. It also can be a conduit for learning about a student who needs professional help and referring him or her to appropriate school personnel. The sentence-stem poem not only helps students see relationships in their own lives and with others, but removes some of the stigma of composing poetry. A side benefit of using writing to help facilitate students’ social-emotional learning is students tend to think about their writing more, and they write about a meaningful topic. The demands of effectively teaching science make demands on students that few other content area subjects do—students must conduct themselves appropriately during lab settings. Successfully taught labs promote scholarship. Assigning specific tasks and giving students responsibilities facilitates self-awareness. Regardless the school and the discipline, educational leadership concerned about all students learning, should take a serious look at social-emotional learning, restorative justice, and response to intervention in trifecta to close this widening gap.
References Alschuler, M. (1997). “LifeStories—Biography and Autobiography As Healing Tools for Adults with Mental Illness.” Journal of Poetry Therapy, 11 (2), 113–117. Esterling, B. A., Antoni, M. H., Fletcher, M. A., Margulies, S., and Schneiderman, N. (1994). “Emotional Disclosure through Writing or Speaking Modulates Latent Epstein-Barr Virus Antibody Titers.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62 (1), 130–140. Feldman, D. (2011). “Beyond the Classroom: Writing As Therapy.” Journal of Poetry Therapy, 24 (2), 93–104. Gillispie, C. (2002). “Recovery Poetry 101: The Use of Collaborative Poetry in a Dual-Diagnosis and Alcohol Treatment Program.” Journal of Poetry Therapy, 15 (1), 83–92.
...continued from p. 41 the sentence-stem poem, budding poets identify their values and goals (Gillispie). Students complete a series of four sentences” “I would never ____________________, but I would always____________________.” Once done, students write the first line of the poem by completing one line that covers the commonality of their four previously written sentences: “If I ________________.” The next steps are to have students create a title for their poems and pair up with a partner. The new partnership then uses their poems to create a poem together. This last step of collaboration permits students to extend their ideas and see themselves in relation to their classmates. The construction of poetry can address organization and the processing of personal experiences (Gillespie). In the Science Classroom While a side benefit of writing may be helpful for addressing trauma or adversity in students’ lives, social-emotional learning is also necessary for the science classroom. Attitude and behavior management are crucial to the success of student achievement in science and in life. The questions now become, is social-emotional learning attainable as the sole goal, or does it require joint programmatic targeting?
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A true command of the sciences require students to be able to analyze, infer, evaluate, summarize, interpret, justify, and compare and contrast not unlike other disciplines, and are nevertheless critically germane to the higher sciences in high school (i.e., chemistry, honors, and AP). These higher order skills are paramount to managing impulsive behavior, expressing emotions in a socially acceptable manner, and developing positive attitudes and stress management, because the higher the science the more abstract it becomes. Students have a prodigious responsibility to allow instruction to take place and to be receptive to that instruction by learning. Here lies the problem. Some students fear success, because it challenges their need for social affiliations among their peers and fosters a risk of isolation from them. Research conducted at the University of West Georgia reports that this is particularly common among gifted African-American students and note that due to perfectionism, fear of success, and the need of affiliation, some gifted Black students may underachieve as a way to gain attention or to rebel against those who know that they can do better. Very little effort is put forth and, as a result they may develop poor study skills (Scott, 2012). It is the gradual yet eventual development of poor study skills that set the tone for unmanageable frustrations for the student as they fall further and further behind those who are self-motivated to achieve. Students performing investigations, such as “Where Does the Matter Go?” laboratory experiments and activities, make science visible, especially when studying subatomic particles or matter billions of miles away. This requires developing acute observational
Howell, E. (2004). “Access to Children’s Mental Health Services Under Medicaid and SCHIP.” Washington, DC: Urban Institute. Retrieved from http://www.urban.org/research/publication/access-childrens-mental-health-services-undermedicaid-and-schip. National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). “Any Disorder Among Children.” Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/ prevalence/any-disorder-among-children.shtml. Pennebaker, J. W (1990). Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressive Emotions. New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Scott, M. T. (2012). “Socio-emotional and Psychological Issues and Needs of Gifted African-American Students: Cultures Matter.” Interdisciplinary Journal of Teaching and Learning, 2 (1), 26. Smyth, J., and Helm, R. (2003). “Focused Expressive Writing As Self-Help for Stress and Trauma.” Psychotherapy in Practice, 59 (2), 227–235. Spera, S. P., Buhrfeind, E. D., and Pennebaker, J. W. (1994). “Expressive Writing and Coping with Job Loss.” Academy of Management Journal, 37 (3), 722–733.
About the Authors Donna Feldman, PhD, is an English teacher at Cleveland Heights High School and a college instructor at Cuyahoga Community College. She has academic degrees (PhD and MA) from Cleveland State University and her teaching credentials from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Her publications include articles in regional, national, and international academic journals as well as chapters in books on pedagogy. Donna has presented at the Israeli Forum for Academic Writing, International Reading Association, National Conference of Teachers of English, the American Education Research Association, and at various regional conferences. Johnetta Wiley, EdD, is a chemistry teacher at Cleveland Heights. She has been a principal, administrative principal, and director of special programs and compliance. She earned graduate degrees from Nova Southeastern University (EdD), Ashland University (MA), and University of Dayton (administrative license). She has a BS in chemistry from Mississippi Valley State University. Johnetta has presented for the National Institute of Excellence in Teaching (NIET) and The System for Teacher and Student Advancement (TAP). Johnetta received the bronze medal from U.S. and World News America’s Top 100 High Schools in 2010 and was designated by TAP to film teaching-and-learning best-practice videos used to train other TAP teachers all over the country.
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Sorry...We’re Booked! Sharing the Blue Crayon
W E L C O M E
by Mary Anne Buckley
‘s New Members
Reviewed by Donna Ball, former principal and OAESA Special Projects Coordinator
A
s educators, we recognize that a child’s social-emotional well-being is at the core of all learning, but in this age of accountability and with so much focus on testing, this critical aspect often gets overlooked. Sharing the Blue Crayon by Mary Anne Buckley offers strategies that teachers can use to integrate social-emotional learning into their classroom practices every day. Buckley sets the stage for learning by defining the “true purpose of reading and writing” and then methodically addresses topics of empathy, kindness, peacefulness, self-control, and perseverance. She addresses these affective domains through a process she calls the “Friendship Workshop,” which she extends to literacy lessons, helping “children identify and regulate their emotions so they can make choices that support their relationships and their schooling. It reframes how you react to their behaviors in order to support the literacy work you are already teaching. Friendship Workshop is a means for mindfully being with your students and building a caring, supportive community that learns and grows together.” Buckley doesn’t offer just one way to teach social and emotional skills to students, but she suggests different ideas that teachers can adjust to their specific classroom and student needs. Not only does this book provide practical strategies for creating and supporting a socially responsible classroom, but it includes reflective questions that guide teachers to the discovery of specific needs of students and the possible actions to address those needs. In addition, Buckley includes a list of picture books to use along with her techniques, increasing the practicality of this book for educators. Although this book shares strategies used in a kindergarten classroom, the processes described will resonate with all who serve children in their formative years, including special populations, such as English language learners and children of poverty. If you are looking for ways to support young children as they enter your school, consider using Sharing the Blue Crayon as a book study for your primary teachers.
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Zone 1 John Biggs Lance Davis Brent Eaton Kenneth Mills Roger Nott Troy Tucker Zone 2 Keri Albrinck Daniel Boles Erin Bucher Ashley Burst Angela Godby Craig Horn Andrea Martinez Monica Music Jennifer Pierson Rob Polca Tonya West Wright Jennifer Wilson Teresa Woodin Zone 3 Melanie Anders Jody Harter Brad Heintz Terrah Hunter Laura Inkrott Katie Mentz Trish Passwaters
Amy Paul Joni Pechie Shannon Pence Kevin Schalnat Jonathan Shoffstall Jeffrey Smallwood Tina Smith Derek Wenning Shawnkeida Whitlow Jason Wolke Zone 4 William Colon Kimberly Dedo Julianne Gault William Hayes Donna Judy Kristal King Ryan McMichael Trent Miller Lisa Morse Kortney Nieckarz Tracy Potts Eric Ruffer Gina Sanderson Jennifer Theis Shannon Twiggs Christine Williams Kevin Wilson Amanda Wilson Blake Young
Zone 5 William Beaston Nicole Brodie Jessica Carpenter John Donner Aaron Eckert Susan Franz Casey Garver Brandi Goodwin Jill Jiovanazzo Martin Kral Matt Krivak Matt Makeever Jennifer Martinez Cathy Schafer Nicholas Stuck Zone 6 Sarah Core Maria Dinkins Saree Doyle Dawn Hines Jason Johncock William Marrow Emily McKim Jennifer Moff Deborah Musiek Anna Panning Jennifer Perry Octavia Reid Paul Rusinko
Matt Saunders Nicholas Scheibelhood Jason Tidmore Zone 7 Amy Burzanko Chad DeAngelo Renee Foerster Pam Hutto Melissa Nething Kristina Sampson Artemus Scissom Julie Troman Charlene Walton Zone 8 Erik Beun Brandon Cobb Andrew Cocklin Virginia Hall Michele Minto Roger Morris Erica Mytinger Steven Nichols Dan Swisher Lynzee Taylor John Zucal Zone 9 Adam Brenner Erin Omen John Williams
Zone 10 Summer Anthony Latasha Bah Paula Baldwin Tonya Byrd Charmaine Campbell Micca Conley Emily Corbin Jessica Dorion LeAnna Ford Mark Fullen Rachel Gearhart Megan Hamilton Amber Hatcher Jennifer Maille Tracy Massey Ryan McLane Joshua McMillen Elizabeth McNally Vicki Moss Brianne Pannell Stephanie Patton Jay Poroda Amanda Reidenbaugh Chad Rice Rae Rooney Tyler Rush Brittany Smith Danita Turner Eric Valentine Sarah Wytzka
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Emotional rescue? Mission: accomplished.
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445 Hutchinson Ave. Suite 700 Columbus, OH 43235