Your Custom Text Here
Before Y.O.L.O., I.R.L., and F.O.M.O there was A.T.T.O.
Poet and teacher, Frank McCourt, wrote about All That Time Off (A.T.T.O.) in his book “Teacher Man.” He showed how teachers are awarded A.T.T.O. in exchange for 180 days of service on the academic calendar. That’s right. Vacation time, Baby!
Enjoy your summer and A.T.T.O. teachers! THANK YOU for all you do for students!!!
Louvre
McCourt, F. (2005). Teacher man. New York: Scribner.
It can be a challenge to get enough PLAY in your day when you feel overwhelmed, overextended, or overworked. Here are some indicators that you may need to play more.
Rocks from Puget Sound in Seattle, WA.
Top Ten Signs You Need More Play
The last pleasurable book you read was Facebook.
It is your parents’ anniversary. You order them a basket of fruits online from Harry & David, but don’t recognize you are in the bereavement section. When it gets delivered to them they receive their apples and oranges in a beautiful basket with a white ribbon that says the word: “Condolences.” Can’t wait to see what they get for the 50th wedding anniversary.
You try to make a phone call and realize you’re operating the remote control to the television.
You do not feel like “family” anymore at the Olive Garden.
You go to pick up your knitting to make your kid’s teacher a pair of socks for her birthday only to find you’re using #2 pencils instead of #2 knitting needles. Good thing the yarn is gray.
Your sweet tooth says “I wanna,” but your wisdom tooth says “no way.”
Your future tripping is so out of hand that your <fill in the blank> (fortune teller, therapist, hairdresser, barista, MOPS leader, other) asks if you want a punch card for future discounts. Boy she sure can be snarky!
Your best friend tells you a secret and asks you to keep it on the D.L. You thought she said “deal” and you congratulate her savvy shopping at T.J. Maxx.
You accidentally wear your partner’s underwear and discover while sitting at a light on your way to work that the Fruit of the Looms fit better than yours.
The Snapfish order has arrived in the mail. You complete several scrapbook pages before figuring out that it is not your family in the pictures. You’ve just scrapbooked your neighbor’s family.
What your score means
If you answered YES:
0 times = Wow, you really have things figured out. You are doing a fine job getting enough play in your life, and managing the whole work and life balance. Good for you!
1-2 times = You might be a little stressed out. But overall things are fine.
5 times or more = You might be overwhelmed with the balancing act thing that is life. Go get a massage! Now!
Just like children, we need play in our daily life. All work and no play…well you know. President Lincoln once said, “Whatever you are, be a good one.” Play can help you reach your best. Take time to play more! President’s orders! Oops, I meant doctors’ orders!
There are many things to do in Santa Fe if you are traveling with young children. Start your day at the Santa Fe Botanical Garden. There is a fabulous program called, “Garden Sprouts Pre-K Activities.” I visited in spring and the theme was nests. Before entering the children’s tent, a sensory table filled with bird seed and nature treats welcomed children to play. Ms. Lydia, the Sprouts leader, read the book Best Nest by P.D. Eastman. Children made a sash to hang on a tree filled with all sorts of objects birds could use to build a nest. Hummingbird and other types of nests were shown to the children followed by a nature walk in the garden to look for nests. The Botanical Garden is full of interesting New Mexican plants, trees, artwork, and has the Sangre de Cristo Mountains as a backdrop. It hailed and snowed the day we visited at the end of April, so bring layers of warm clothing. You never know what Mother Nature has in store for you.
Hummingbird's nest
Next stop is the Santa Fe Children’s Museum. This is a short drive from the Botanical Garden. The museum just reopened to the public in spring 2016. By now you might be hungry from your morning at the Botanical Garden. Have lunch at the Children’s Museum in their new café. The food is delicious. My preschooler and I split a Panini with pasta salad for $6. It was a generous portion and fresh. Lunch gave us energy to play for several hours in the museum. There were at least five areas in the museum to participate in activities facilitated by museum staff. We made snow cones, kites, painted rocks, and learned about the science of bubbles from Science Girl.
Shells under a microscope
If you have time before dinner, head over to the Plaza and go shopping. A popular destination for children is Toyopolis. This toy store has everything from Calico Critters to children’s clothing. They have toys set out for children (and adults) to play.
http://www.toyopolissantafe.com/
I surveyed several locals about their favorite places to eat. Everyone I talked to told me to go to Counter Culture Café at 930 Baca Street. The locals were right. The food at Counter Culture is fantastic! They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a family-friendly environment. The diverse menu at Counter Culture has something for everyone. Kids and adults alike are made to feel welcome in this laid back atmosphere. They have a section in the restaurant for kids to play with toys, children’s reading material, and other fun stuff for the little ones to do. End your day with some sweets to take back to your room from the Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s which are close by.
The thriving art community with all the wonderful galleries and museums may discourage adults from bringing children on a trip to Santa Fe, but there are a lot of things for children to do in this vibrant town. ¡Aprender divirtiéndose no puede hacerse mejor! Learning, while having fun, was never so easy!
Happy May Day
Like the swallows in Leo Politi’s 1948 classic, I find myself experiencing spring migration. My journey is different from the birds who return to San Juan Capistrano every spring. I feel drawn to Florida to attend Disney’s Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot. This event brings visitors from around the world to take in the gardening and floral extravaganza from the beginning of March to the end of May.
On my recent trip to the festival, I dreamed of ways I could bring the beauty and appreciation of Mother Nature home with me. One idea I had was to start a new tradition in my family of making May Day baskets.
When you were a kid did you ever… make a basket on May 1st, put it on a neighbor's door, and then leave?
Look out neighbors! Don’t be surprised if you find a basket of flowers on your front door on May 1st. Happy May Day!
Most teachers have only one student teaching experience. At the end of the semester, I had student teachers I supervised create a storyboard. Our last meeting was a celebration of the highs and lows of their student teaching experience. The storyboard is a creative way for student teachers to reflect on this time in their life. It’s a story unlike anyone else’s they are sure to remember for years to come.
I created the Storyboard Activity for my student teachers after a trip to Walt Disney World. There was an attraction called The Art of Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. I saw how the Disney Company and Imagineers created storyboards and thought, “We could do that!”
Student teachers complete the storyboard draft before our lastmeeting. This gives them time to think about each prompt instead of being put on the spot. They can illustrate or create a collage to accompany each cell of their storyboard. Each student teacher presents his or her storyboard during the final meeting. Student teachers can add or modify this list of prompts as needed:
Title
Actor or actress you would cast to play you
Cast of characters (may include a protagonist and a nemesis)
Actors to play your cooperating professional and students
Theme song
Develop a soundtrack of sounds and songs that help tell your student teaching story
Plot
Highpoint
Resolution
What are three important things you learned from your student teaching that you will remember many years from now?
Storyboarding
Young children do not beat around the bush when they invite others to play. “Play with me!” It doesn’t get more direct. The simple request is initiating interactions with others. Social play!
Some ideas to encourage social play:
Provide children opportunities during their day for child-directed playtime.
The play area and materials should be safe, inviting, clean, and enough space to move around freely.
Ensure children get positive adult attention, supervision, and interaction.
Respond to children’s communication.
Observe what motivates each child.
Get involved in the child-initiated play. Smile often. Use a positive tone of voice. Be enthusiastic about the activities.
Follow the child’s lead.
Use a child-directed approach, rather than adult-directed or didactic. During play we don’t like to be told what and how to do something. For example, the child is in the kitchen play area and grasps a broom. They are handling the broom safely and singing while they sweep. Avoid telling the child how to sweep or taking over by giving play directives. Instead observe what they are doing and respond to their communicative attempts during play. Continue to be attentive and interact during the play. They also do not require verbal praise like, “Good job sweeping.” They are intrinsically motivated to play and saying good job is unnecessary to encourage social play.
Respectful caregiving creates secure and trusting relationships with children. Watch as young children bloom in the nurturing play environment you produce for them.
Museum exhibits come alive in the movie, Night at the Museum. Ben Stiller and company show that museums can be more than what meets the eye. Come and discover your local museum! Ask your favorite kiddo to join you on an adventure worthy of memory making opportunities. Enjoying these public spaces may lead to a lifelong interest in museums. There are so many things for a child to experience at a museum. Here are a few:
#1- Interactive Exhibits
Children can take part in the diverse exhibits the museum has to offer. Follow the child’s lead and interests. They can examine, talk about, and learn from the museum displays. Encourage dialogue. If a docent is available, go on a guided tour.
#2- Events for Kids
Check out the special events that are designed for children. You can sign up to receive free newsletters, if available. Or view the museum’s calendar of events on the website. School field trips are a great way to introduce children to their local museum, encourage historical empathy, and communicate information to children in creative ways.
#3- Leave with a “Twinkle Think!”
Museums are places that keep, care for, and display a collection. Ask your child why the museum has chosen this collection. What is important about it? Do they like/dislike it? Why? As you and your child explore the museum, find a Twinkle Think. That is one thing you want to learn more about when you leave. A Twinkle Think gives the child a way to extend their experience and dive deeper into a topic.
Let your young explorer’s imagination take flight at the museum. Schedule future museum playdates with your child. Return often to see the ever-changing museum offerings.
Further reading:
Greene, J. P., Kisida, B, & Bowen, D. H. (2014). Why field trips matter. Museum, 33-41.
Moynihan, N., & Diamant-Cohen, B. (2012). It's all fun and games in "Tiny's Diner": Preschool programming in unusual exhibit spaces. Journal of Museum Education, 37(3), 91-98.
“Would I be bad parent if I threw this away?” If you are a parent, you may have asked yourself a question like this. Or maybe I’m the only one who has questioned myself when deciding what to keep and what to toss. I’m talking about artwork. Can or should we keep everything our children make? There are only so many things to do with kid artwork. Or is there?
Before tossing that masterpiece, see if one of these might work…
Frame the art to hang on the wall at your child’s eye level
Make a calendar of your child’s art
Put the art in a storage bin under the bed
Turn the art into a coffee mug
Make a scrapbook from the art
Use the art for your holiday cards to highlight your child’s work
Put it on the refrigerator to make an art gallery
Display 3D art (e.g., pottery, soap sculptures, etc.) in the home
Use the art to give a gift to someone
Collect the art for a portfolio
Take a digital photo of the art and make an e-portfolio
Tape art to the windows around the house
Make stationery out of your child’s art
Have an art show in your backyard where you celebrate the artist…all attendees can leave with some art
Do you have any ways you like to archive children's artwork? Please share. I’m starting to run out of ideas. Help!
Painting a wooden birdhouse
Decorations for a party can get expensive. Make your own works-of-art when you decorate for a party. You and your child can get your creative juices flowing and enjoy making a project together.
Here is a craft for a table centerpiece called, Fancy Cancy. All you need is a clean empty can, paint, glue, scraps of fabric, and ribbon. First, glue fabric scraps around the sharp part of the can for safety. Then paint the outside of a clean can. Add ribbon and any other embellishments when the paint is done drying. Glitter and beads can add a finishing touch. Once the Fancy Cancy is done you can fill the can with your favorite party items (e.g., cut flowers from the yard, candy like tall red vines, decorated chop sticks, name cards, etc.).
Facilitate your child’s creativity by noticing what s/he is interested in talking about while creating art. You can make the Fancy Cancy together, or each person can have their own can to decorate. Have a party preparing for the party!
Fancy Cancy
You don’t have to be Martha Stewart to have a little fun with scissors, ink, and shaving cream. If you are looking for a fun activity to do this month with children, why not try the ancient craft of marbling in celebration of National Craft Month!
The art of marbling goes back centuries. It was used for official purposes and documents, as well as for decorative purposes. Marbling can be done in so many different ways. Marbled designs can be applied to paper, fabric, three-dimensional surfaces and more. No two designs are alike. Here is an activity to get you started making marbled art.
Materials: pan, shaving cream (the white foamy kind), food coloring/dye, paper, and toothpicks
Create: Spray the shaving cream into the pan. Add the food coloring to the shaving cream. Use the toothpicks to create swirls in the white shaving cream. Next, gently lay your paper on the surface of the marbled design you made. Lift the paper and scrape off any excess foam. Voila! You have marbled paper! Let the paper dry for at least a day.
When your paper craft is done drying you can make all sorts of things out of your designs. Stationery, bookmarks, and wall art can result from your marbling. L’arte d’arrangiarsi is an Italian phrase that means to create something from nothing. Create something beautiful today!
Marbled Art
Imagine the frustration of starting a book you really want to read and then not being able to finish it. Some children begin reading a book and will abandon it before they get to the words “The End.” Finishing a book is similar to finishing a marathon. Both take endurance to complete.
In order to finish a marathon, an individual needs to be able to withstand the challenge of 26.2 miles of terrain. There are mile markers along the way to indicate location of the race. Readers can use book chapters in a similar fashion.
At the finish line, marathoners often feel a sense of accomplishment. They may receive artifacts, like a medal, indicating they just completed a marathon. Additionally, they may see the happy faces of friends and/or family who have been cheering them on. It is not uncommon for marathoners to talk about their next running challenge or goal at the end of a race.
Dharma would like to run a reading marathon and finish a good book, but there are obstacles in her way.
Dharma’s Story: As a fourth grader, Dharma is reading at grade level. She has been reading middle grade chapter books for over a year. Dharma checks out Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey on her weekly visit to the library. It is a 400-page book. Dharma gets frustrated and gives up reading the book after the third page. Here are some ideas to guide a young reader, like Dharma, who selects a challenging book.
#1 Conference- Sit down and have a one-on-one conversation with the reader and discover why they want to read the challenging text. Maybe it is the genre or main character that has sparked their interest. With your help, they can be guided to a similar text that is within their reading ability.
After conferencing with Dharma, I found out that she really wanted to read Gorillas in the Mist after a visit to the zoo. She was looking for a fictional text about gorillas. We talked about some other books that she might also like. She decided to read Good Morning, Gorillas by Mary Pope Osborne. This middle grade chapter book was a good match for Dharma. She enjoyed reading and finishing the book. Dharma also started reading more Magic Tree House books by this author.
#2 Sharing- If a reader is able to read with fluency but lacks the stamina to finish the book alone, they could share the reading experience with a partner. Dharma could pair up with another reader. She could share her book by reading a page, and then her partner could read a page. This format could be used until the dyad finishes reading the book together.
Another way to share the book is have the teacher or adult read the book aloud. Every day after lunch recess, my 5th/6th grade teacher Mr. Cecarelli would read a J.R. Tolkien book to my class for a half hour. It was a calming way for us to transition from playground to classroom by listening to a book that was interesting but probably too challenging for elementary school students to read independently.
#3 Activities- Incorporate authentic activities related to the text. Dharma could explore her interest in gorillas by reading magazines about animals, watching movie(s), singing songs, dance, art, reading board books (e.g., Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann) about gorillas to her baby brother, and more. A book club with other readers could introduce a social aspect of reading.
Part of the joy of reading is finishing a good book. Guide, coach, cheer, and support your child to becoming a 26.2 reader. Bumper stickers forthcoming….
I recently went to a professional conference. It was my state chapter of the International Literacy Association (ILA). The organization serves literacy teachers PreK to High School.
Teachers, families, and children kicked off the conference Friday evening with fun events. People of all ages enjoyed the art of storytelling by author Mr. Joe Hays. The reading conference had excellent sessions and workshops on Saturday. It was impressive to see large groups of teachers give up part of their weekend for professional development. It got me thinking….
Attending a work conference is a lot like going to a spa. Self-improvement is the focus of both endeavors. At a spa and conference (Spaco) you get pampered. Other people have considered personal comforts and attempted to create a pleasant experience.
There were so many details at my ILA conference the planning committee considered. Meals, decorations, schedule of activities, speakers, vendors, prizes, awards, clock hours/continuing education units, and more were coordinated for the comfort and enjoyment of participants. A special touch at my conference included the creative centerpieces on the tables. Floral vases with artistic flags that had state authors and illustrators were proudly displayed, and given away to participants at the end of the conference.
At a Spaco you get to focus on yourself. Your personal responsibilities related to children, pets, and/or significant other have been left behind so you can pay attention to numero uno.
At a Spaco you choose to go. Nobody is forcing you to attend. In fact, you probably moved heaven and earth to get this chance.
Enjoy your next Spaco experience. You deserve it!
Schools across the country are preparing students for standardized testing. Students participate in ongoing assessment linked to classroom teaching. Many students will be assessed to determine if they are eligible for a special education program.
With all this testing going on can children become too stressed to be assessed? Absolutely! Students may not perform up to their potential when their basic needs are neglected. Let us not lose sight of what students need.
Dear Teacher,
Today is not a good day to assess.
Some things have been happening with me, I confess.
My life is an abysmal mess.
I haven’t eaten, I’m tired, and need to convalesce.
What I really need today is a recess.
You are kind and great knowledge you possess.
My strengths and areas of need you address.
By rescheduling you will bring me happiness.
Please hear my plea—today I’m too stressed to be assessed!
Sincerely,
Your Student
It was Kevin’s birthday on the day his teacher was out and I stepped in to cover for her. This wasn’t my first time in "Ms. Cayman's" Kindergarten classroom. She requested me whenever she needed a substitute teacher.
Kevin arrived with a giant Tupperware container full of his Mom's homemade cupcakes. During lunch Kevin passed out his cupcakes to each of his classmates. When lunch was over all the kids went out to recess except for the birthday boy. He asked me if he could go to the office and pass out the remaining cupcakes. I said "yes" and off he went.
When he returned to the classroom, his container was empty. He placed it in his cubby and went out to the playground to join the rest of the kids for recess. I ate lunch in the classroom and finished getting everything ready for the afternoon. It was a wonderful class and I felt good about the note I left the teacher that evening when I was done. I locked up the classroom and went to the office to turn in my key and sign out.
The principal invited me into his office. I worried what could be wrong. This was unusual. He asked, “How did your day go?"
“Fine," I said. "I was teaching for Ms. Cayman today. The kids were great. Things went smoothly. Nothing out of the ordinary. Why do you ask?”
“Well because of a situation with Kevin during lunch,” answered the principal.
Oh dear did something bad happen? The principal began...
Kevin approached the secretary and asked if she would like a cupcake. The answer was yes and he gave her one.
Kevin then asked the secretary, “Can I give a cupcake to the vice principal?” She said yes and Kevin went to give one to the VP.
“Can I give a cupcake to the principal?” asked Kevin. The answer was yes and he gave me a cupcake.
“Can I give a cupcake to the nurse?" asked Kevin. When the answer was yes, he delivered a cupcake to the school nurse two doors down from the secretary’s desk. He had one cupcake left.
“Can I give the last cupcake to the cancel-er?”asked Kevin.
“The school counselor is out on the playground. He has recess duty. He will be back in the office later,” responded the secretary.
“No. Can I give a cupcake to the cancel-er?” requested Kevin.
“Kevin, honey, the counselor has recess duty,” she explained.
He clarified, “No, you don’t understand. Not the counselor. I want to give a cupcake to the cancel-er. You know...the one who cancels school when it snows outside. I want to give my last cupcake to the snow cancel-er.”
“Giddy up!” Kids have a field day at events that are novel for them. Getting out of the routine to do something different gives children unique experiences to talk about, as well as exposure to new concepts to expand their understanding about the world around them. New vocabulary and language opportunities are included.
The Future Farmers of America (FFA) organized an outdoor event for children in my area. It was a rodeo. No experience required! Children got to participate in activities like races with wooden stick horses. Navigating around barrels and other obstacles with their horse was a fun way for children to problem solve, get exercise, and breathe fresh air. Opportunities for social development occurred during horse play with peers.
National FFA week is Feb. 20-27, 2016. Check out your local FFA chapter to find fun activities you and your family might enjoy. No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle. ~Winston Churchill
Children's FFA Rodeo
School photographers have a tough job. Can you imagine how hard it is to get distractible children to sit still so pictures can be taken? “Say Cheese,” just doesn’t cut it anymore (if it ever did). How odd that we Americans choose to use a dairy product to get people to smile. The double e sound is supposed to help the corners of the mouth turn up. Wouldn’t ski or free also work? “Say free!” Not sure it has the same ring as cheese.
Why does the person in the picture need to “say” anything? It is not like we can hear them when we look at the picture. A more practical suggestion might be to tell the person who is having their picture taken: “do whatever you want to capture the look you are going for.” Maybe that is too long. Ready-set-SMILE! Other countries seem to participate in similar shenanigans when taking pictures. In Latin America, the word whiskey is used like our say cheese. In Korea it is kimchi. In Sweden it is omelet. I wonder what would happen if the word fig was used?
Fig grown near Puget Sound.
School photographers work hard for a smile. A smile is a universal expression of happiness. In the animal kingdom, “smiling” or showing teeth may indicate emotions other than happiness. Like a dog growling if you touch her bowl of food. The show of teeth is an unhappy warning to get away! But for us humans, a smile is an indication of pleasant feelings. Parents want to think their child is happy in school. The school picture proves it for years to come.
What do the school photographers do when a child is unresponsive to “Say Cheese?” There was a television show called Candid Camera and their tag line was “Smile, you’re on Candid Camera.” The hidden camera was set up to capture people’s reactions to practical jokes. Following this model, maybe school photographers could say or do something unexpected to get students’ attention and garner a smile. Jocose photographers were surely needed in the days before modern cameras.
People in black and white photographs rarely smiled. Why? Were they unhappy? Was it because of rotting teeth? I think there was a seriousness back then when sitting for a photo. Cameras were expensive and rare. It was an important event like a wedding that landed you in front of a camera.
The lack of smiles may have been due to the amount of time it took for a photo to be taken. Having to wait a long time for the camera may have made people annoyed and grumpy. The wait time may have resulted in a population of non-smilers in old photographs. But today we have quick point and shoot cameras that are faster. My “good” camera broke. I had to use my back up camera which took forrrrrrrrever to take a picture. By the time it finally captured the shot I was after, my human subjects were out of position, bored, or mad at me for making them wait. The result was the absence of a smile in most of the pictures I took with the back-up camera. Apparently, people don’t like to wait for their picture to be taken.
If those excuses were true for people in the past, why do models on the catwalk avoid smiling? Today, professional photographers use state-of-the-art technology to snap quick images. Are models miserable? Notorious non-smilers are supermodels, Victoria Beckham, Madonna, and Karl Lagerfeld. Some people say it is due to social superiority. Dr. Timothy Ketelaar and researchers at New Mexico State University (2012) found that smiling is related to lower social status in both models and football players. Another hypothesis for non-smiling might be so they don’t distract from the clothes or game. Whoever heard of such a thing! Maybe models and football players will get fined or fired if they smile?
New parents are on the look-out for their baby’s first smile. Parents might wonder if it is a “real” smile or just the baby passing gas. By about two months old, babies will begin to develop their social smile.
Their development occurs by mimicking the people in their environment. When they are born their eyesight is limited and can only see about 6-12 inches from their face. Caregivers hold babies close. Babies love to study the human face. Studies have shown that babies prefer the human face more than just about anything. They learn quickly to copy the facial expressions of those around them. The next time you hold a brand new baby try sticking your tongue out at them and watch what they do. The facial expressions of those around them has a big impact on babies. Post-partum depression and maternal mental illness can have a profound effect on a newborn.
“Your day will go the way the corners of your mouth go!” According to the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (I’m not making this up), the average adult laughs fewer than 20 times a day, whereas children laugh more than 300 times each day. Laughter can burn calories, is good for relationships, and can be contagious (just listen to Car Talk on NPR if you don’t believe me). So what happens to our funny-bone from child-hood to adult-hood? I wish I knew. Scientists have long known that attractive people are perceived as more intelligent and competent. What makes someone instantly more attractive could be a genuine smile where the mouth is upturned and the eyes twinkle. My resolution (or goal) for this new year is to smile and laugh more. It couldn’t hurt.
Literature cited:
Ketelaar, T., Koenig, B. L., Gambacorta, D., Dolgov, I., Hor, D., Zarzosa, J., Luna-Nevarez, C., Klungle, M. & Wells, L. (2012). Smiles as signals of lower status in football players and fashion models: Evidence that smiles are associated with lower dominance and lower prestige. Evolutionary Psychology, 10(3), 371-397.
Every year the United States Postal Service (U.S.P.S.) issues a collection of special stamps with diverse topics that range from soda fountain favorites to pick-up trucks. An educator who taught math is honored in 2016.
Mr. JAIME ESCALANTE (1930-2010) was from Bolivia and taught at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. When he started at Garfield, the school was in danger of losing their accreditation. There were other obstacles Mr. Escalante had to overcome to create a successful math department with his colleagues and administration. He held high expectations for his students who rose to the occasion by excelling in his advanced mathematics courses and on AP calculus exams.
When students said math was too hard Mr. Escalante replied, “Ganas! That’s all you need…ganas.” His students responded by showing they had the gana, or desire, by outperforming students in math from wealthier school districts.
Mr. Escalante was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in 1999. If you saw the 1988 movie “Stand and Deliver” you’ll remember how Mr. Escalante inspired inner city youth who were experiencing poverty. Mr. Edward James Olmos portrayed Escalante in the film that earned Olmos an Academy Award nomination for best actor in a leading role that year.
His postage stamp was designed by art director Mr. Greg Breeding and artist Mr. Jason Seiler. This stamp and others can be a fun way to learn about different topics with children. The U.S.P.S., the American Philatelic Society, and the Smithsonian National Postal Museum have learning kits that can be used to explore each stamp and topic. You do not have to be a stamp collector to appreciate the special issue stamps.
Escalante’s stamp is a small masterpiece with gigantic respect in honoring the work of teachers. Bravo U.S.P.S., Mr. Escalante, and students!
“Make it work,” says Tim Gunn each week as clothing designers on Project Runway compete for a coveted spot to present their designs at fashion week. Teachers are pros at making it work. Project Runway designers and special education teachers are cut from the same cloth, and have a lot in common.
Couture. The first common thread between designers and special education teachers is the project they create is one-of-a-kind. A designer creates a couture project which is chic, contemporary, and made to measure an individual rather than the masses. Up-to-date designs are fresh and modern. A designer will have a signature style, but they won’t create the exact same design more than once. Same with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) a special education teacher creates with a team—which includes the student’s family. IEPs are unique. No two are alike. Every time a special education teacher designs an IEP, s/he does so from a blank canvas just like a designer. No two children will have the same IEP. The same child will have a different and distinct IEP each time one is created.
Florentine Boutique
Individualized. Designers and special education teachers are creating a project for an individual person. The better they know the person, the better their design will be. The judges on the Lifetime show often ask, “Who is the woman you are designing for?” Special education teachers ask a similar question, “Who is the child/student you are designing for?” The better we can answer this question, the better the outcome will be. "In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different,” proclaimed Coco Chanel. Every student we design for is different, and their IEP is individualized to personalize for them what is important.
Use of assessment data. An IEP can be a masterpiece if created to fit the person perfectly. To do so, we need to be able to use assessment data to inform the development of goals and objectives on the student’s IEP. Assessment also helps us create customized interventions for each student, because we know what students need based on observations, direct testing, parental and professional report. Same with designers who use measurements for creating the right fit. Hubert de Givency said, “The dress must follow the body of a woman, not the body following the shape of the dress." Measurement is critical to accomplishing Givenchy’s ideal. In order to create a tailor-made IEP, accurate assessment data helps the team create a perfect fit.
Team. In sewing, a seam is the straight line where two pieces of fabric meet with thread. A seam brings two separate things together as one. So do teams. Designers, from Project Runway, work independently on many of their creations. However, they are still part of a team that may include: Tim Gunn their supervisor, Mood their provider of materials, and the panel of judges who give the designers feedback. There are some episodes of Project Runway where designers work on teams with other designers to collaborate on a single item or collection. An IEP team may consist of: the student and his/her family, general education teachers, special education teachers, a case manager, the lead educational agency (LEA) or school district representative, related service providers, social worker, physician, and/or other member(s) needed to create a meaningful IEP. The student’s IEP team co-creates the plan, and some but not all members will be involved in implementation of the IEP.
Limited resources. Special education teachers and designers on Project Runway both need to work with limited resources. Time allocated for designing is limited. Both are constrained by a limited budget. Specialized materials and equipment may be needed to design.
Creative. Both types of designers start by drafting their ideas. A clothing designer might use a pad of paper and drawing utensils to make a sketch of the garment they will later sew. An IEP comes together from a rough draft also. Designers of IEPs and garments may get their inspiration from a variety of sources. Input from parents is one source of creativity. For example, I once had a secondary student with an intellectual disability who loved wood working. He was born with four thumbs and was getting occupational therapy. His Dad owned a cabinet making business and he and his family wanted “Peter” to eventually have a major part in the family business. When we designed Peter’s secondary IEP, his parents provided input about vocational opportunities they dreamed of for their son. With the team working together, we designed a creative program for Peter with: job coaching and shadowing in a woodworking company, coursework in shop/carpentry, field work, and independent studies all aimed at his future dream of making kitchen cabinets in the family business. Project Runway designers use locations, buildings, and other environmental influences as inspiration for what they create. Environment and people may be sources of creativity.
Goals. "I don't design clothes. I design dreams," said Ralph Lauren. That is what we do when we design an IEP. We design dreams for students and their families. The goals are a way to achieve the dream. Dreams need deadlines. The goals we create may have short or long term objectives.
Every member of an IEP team is a designer. We design meaningful IEPs for students that are one-of-a-kind. Every student should be so lucky to have an IEP designed just for them. Can I have one?
Shopping for one-of-a-kind designs in Florence
I love shopping at Nordstrom. It is not because of the piano player perched next to the escalators. It is not because of the free samples of perfume. It is not even the cheap but delicious coffee, or the lime and chicken cilantro salad from the café. The reason I love shopping at Nordy’s is because of the way I get treated when I shop there.
The customer service practices keep me coming back again and again. Being able to return something that just didn’t quite work out is a fabulous feeling. I no longer have to suffer buyer’s remorse. Once I bought a pair of “Not Your Daughter’s Jeans” (NYDJ). I’m not kidding when I say NYDJ has some kind of miracle ingredient in the fabric. They stretch in a slimming way. I thought I won the trouser lottery when I bought my first pair. A few days later I got a card delivered to me. The envelope in the mail was addressed to me from Nordstrom. I was curious to see what was inside. A bill? No. A coupon? No. An advertisement? WRONG!
The salesperson who changed my life by introducing my bumper to these amazing pants wrote ME a thank you note. Her handwriting was beautiful (she must have had some great teachers who taught her cursive)! I should have been the one sending HER a thank you note.
The Nordstrom associate understood lagniappe in serving customers. Merriam Webster defines lagniappe as, “a small gift given a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase; something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure.”
I have been on the receiving end of lagniappe many times. My uncle Lorenzo took me with him to shop at an outdoor market near Naples. He did most of his shopping at outdoor markets and specialty shops. No super stores. Unlike in America, you don’t just “run” an errand. People there just didn’t seem to be in a hurry. I watched my relatives savor their meals, savor conversations, and savor the good life—vita bella! A shopper will no doubt see people they know at the market, and shopping for groceries is an event.
I wanted to buy some blood oranges. I’d never seen a blood orange before, and I was captivated by the vendor singing and trying to attract customers. It was fun being there and just observing his shenanigans. I handed the Tenor Vendor singing “O Sole Mio” a handful of lira (Italian currency before the Euro) and he gave me my purchase. In addition to what I bought, he gave me about two cups worth of hazelnuts. He also gave me and the other customers quite a show that even Luciano Pavarotti would envy. Now I have a word for it.... That’s LAGNIAPPE!
In the U.S. we have "gift with purchase" that is similar to what the Italian produce man did where he gave his customer a little something extra. Another company known for lagniappe is Disney. Every year, my husband and I take my daughter to Disney World for her birthday week. In 2015, we stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We checked in around 4pm. The person at the desk asked if we were celebrating anything special. "Our child's birthday," we said. We went up to the room to drop off our suitcases. Then we went to one of the parks.
When we got back to the room, we noticed a tray on our table. There were confetti sprinkles, a cloth napkin, and a note. “Check your fridge for your gift,” was written on the note. There sitting in the refrigerator was a round eight inch vanilla cake with two layers of strawberry filling. It said, “Happy Birthday” and even included our child’s name. Not just the generic Happy Birthday, but her name was written in frosting on the cake. Correct spelling and all.
I thought my husband was the cake fairy, and he thought it was me. We put our heads together to solve the cake mystery. A good working theory is needed anytime one tries to solve a mystery. After watching hundreds of Law & Order reruns, I have come up with my own theory about who the guilty party is. My theory is that it is usually the person least expected. The one character in the show you would never imagine is the suspect.
So, who could our cake fairy be? Who is the person least expected to send a cake for my daughter’s birthday week. I thought it was my in-laws. “Could it be Grandma and Grandpa?” I asked my husband. “No, I don’t think they know we’re here,” he replied.
“Could it be Nonno and Nonna?” I speculated. Then I realized, they too didn’t have the details of where we were staying. “Maybe it is Mickey Mouse… he’d be the one least expected to surprise you with a cake,” I said to my three year old. I called down to the main desk and they confirmed my theory. Eureka! It was Mickey Mouse! That is going the extra mile. That’s LAGNIAPPE!
Mickey Mouse knows lagniappe...
My theory works (almost) every time. Try it the next time you are perplexed. Another American company known for lagniappe is the Marriott. I took my daughter to Seattle to visit family when she was fifteen months old. We drove four hours from our house in central Pennsylvania to Philadelphia. Instead of getting on the flight the same day, I decided to break up the trip and stay over in Philly for the night. The trip to Washington would be about 6 hours and I didn’t think the 10+ hours of travel would be good for my baby.
We checked in and asked for a crib for my daughter. They sent someone up with a crib and crib sheet. The Marriott employee set up the crib for us. Then he gave us a teddy bear wearing a Marriott shirt. That’s LAGNIAPPE!
When I take my car in for an oil change, the dealership throws in a car wash. That’s LAGNIAPPE!
In all these scenarios, someone went above and beyond what was expected of them to make their customer happy. It was unnecessary, but greatly appreciated. I think it would be an amazing paradigm shift if we started treating families like they are cherished customers. Customer satisfaction should be an important goal in the delivery of services we provide our students and their families in educational settings. LAGNIAPPE!
Parents and familiar caregivers have a unique view into the window of their child’s learning and development.
The view from the Santa Maria del Fiore of Florence, Italy from inside Filippo Brunelleschi's dome.
We are usually the first one to notice when something does not seem right. A screening assessment is an initial step into verifying a concern. It is only a snapshot with a limited view. A more comprehensive evaluation may be warranted, depending on the results of the screen, where a bigger picture will be taken. Screening with meaning happens when we use the information obtained from parental/caregiver report and observations.
I just finished editing a special issue on promising practices, models, and research in the early identification of young children with delays and disabilities that will appear in the next issue of the Journal of Intellectual Disability - Diagnosis & Treatment. There are eleven journal articles written by experts from around the world in this collection with a wide range of topics related to early detection of delay or disability in early childhood. Three of the articles are international and show what early identification practices look like in Greece, Japan, and Sweden. Other topics range from improving ways to assess children with social emotional difficulties and behavioral challenges to innovative methods for screening young children in remote, hard to reach locations and communities. The innovative ideas in the articles can be applied to create useful meaning out of screening.
To get the most out of developmental-behavioral screening, here are some things parents can do to have a meaningful screening assessment experience.
Before the screening:
Locate free screening assessment. All states and outlying territories are required by law to offer services free of charge to parents.
Request alternate language if needed.
Reflect and jot down your concerns about your child’s development so that you can share them with the professional. Your notes will help you remember everything.
During the screening:
Participate in the screening assessment with your child.
Share information about your child with the professional. Explain what you notice him or her doing during: routines (e.g., meal times, sleep, brushing teeth, toileting, bathing, dressing, etc.), transitions, play, interactions with you, your family, peers, and others.
Bring someone to the screening assessment who can offer you support. Having a trusted and supportive person can help you and your child feel comfortable, and be an extra set of ears to listen to the information given to you by the professional.
Share your concerns with the professional.
Ask your questions.
After the screening:
Find out what the next steps are.
Implement positive and healthy coping strategies while you wait for the screening assessment results. Waiting for results can be scary. Don’t panic. Screening is an initial stage of gathering information and there will NOT be a diagnosis from this brief screening assessment. The results will either indicate further assessment is needed, or not.
Meaningful Screening in Action:
A friend of mine who I will call “Aurora” was concerned about her son. He was 15 months old and not walking. Aurora was worried about him. She contacted the early intervention program in her community, and found out they were hosting a screening clinic at her nearby shopping mall. Aurora arranged to have an interpreter because English is not her native language. She wrote down her concerns about her child’s development and brought them with her to the screening assessment.
The day of the screening assessment Aurora made sure her son was well rested and fed. He was comfortable and performed the way he usually does. Aurora shared information with the professional, asked questions, and explained concerns about her son not walking yet. Her best friend accompanied her to the screening assessment for support. When it was over, the professional explained what would happen next in the process.
While Aurora waited to hear back from the professional with results from the screening assessment, she implemented positive ways to cope with her anxiety. She called her brother who always makes her laugh. She went running. Aurora and her son did fun activities they both enjoy. Like going to the swimming pool.
Two days later Aurora got the call from the professional with results from the screening. Aurora’s intuition was right. Her son performed differently from his same-age peers in the area of gross motor. A team of professionals completed a comprehensive evaluation on her son. He qualified for therapeutic services called early intervention. He eventually started walking and getting stronger in all areas of his development. After a year, Aurora’s son exited early intervention services. The delay in his gross motor development was temporary. Today he has typical development. The meaningful screening assessment was instrumental in addressing Aurora’s concerns.
If you would like more information about screening, contact your local early intervention office. This book is also a helpful resource:
Bricker D, Macy M, Squires J, Marks K. Developmental screening in your community: An integrated approach for connecting children with services. Paul H Brookes Publishing, Baltimore, MD; 2013.
