Do you have Encouragers or Enforcers for paras?

When I am struggling to do something I know I should do, but I don't want to put out the effort to get it done, do I want a friend who is an enforcer or a friend who is an encourager?  I must admit, come at me as an enforcer and I will probably not do what you want, and our relationship will suffer as well.

I am seeing para/student interactions that (from an observers view) look like wheels spinning on ice.  I wonder if considering the roles of encouragers or enforcers can help us get on track for helping students. If you are a para supervisor, reflect on encouragement and enforcement, and think about whether your behaviors and expectations guide your paras on the path you want.

Imagine the "BEST paras ever"... you know, the ones that calm a kid with just a quiet reminder or a hug.  A student always leaves the presence of these paras in a better frame of mind.  When I think of these paras, I think of encouragers.  They are consistently giving quiet, calm encouragement throughout the day and in many settings.  They truly understand the golden power of having a 6+:1 positive to negative ratio and pile on the positives to offset any correction that might come to this student as he or she tries to navigate the school day. Without even thinking, they model for a student how to react when they are disappointed, how to keep trying when something is hard, how to use kind words when frustrated.

If you are struggling with a student, consider the hat you are wearing.  If you are wearing the "Enforcer" hat, you are trying to force a student to do something.  An enforcer is frequently heard calling a student's name, repeating directions over and over in a short time frame, tapping on a paper or on the table to signal that a student needs to be back on task.  An enforcer uses words with a student such as, "You can do better than this." "What is wrong with you  today?" "Your teacher (or friends) are going to be so unhappy with you." You know you will miss recess if you don't finish." "You won't like the consequences if you keep this up." An enforcer usually gives off an aura of being in a hurry.  If you are hearing these words come from your mouth, feeling the pressure of making your student comply and you are not seeing the compliance you are trying to force, take a step back.  Can you take off your enforcer hat and put on your encourager hat?

What does encouragement sound like?  "How can I help you get started?" "Thank you for waiting quietly. Were you able to think about how to get started?"  "I see you've gotten started.  How can I help with the next step."  "I'm seeing that you understand..... so let me explain.... again so you can move on." "Sometimes I am frustrated too.  I am going to ..... (a calming technique, which you model instead of telling them what to do.  They will mimic after a short time if you model and don't nag.)."  "Making mistakes shows me you are trying." "When you feel me touch your shoulder, you will know you are doing a good job." An encourager understands that time is on their side, and rushing will derail the progress.

I am sure you and your team can brainstorm many more examples of enforcement vs encouragement.  Think about how you would react differently to the enforcer or the encourager.  When you hear the words of the enforcer coming out of your mouth, think about taking that hat off.  Put on your encourager smile and step back in.

Sometimes we just need to LISTEN with ears wide open...

I am called on to prepare for and/ or facilitate Functional Behavior Analyses on a regular basis.  Often a team is feeling the pressure of finding a plan that works in a hurry, and in doing so perhaps we overlook some information that could lead to more success.  A week ago, I arrived at a school to work with a team on an FBA to learn that the meeting had been postponed.  As I reviewed the FBA form we use here in Cowley County with one of my new teachers, I was reminded that "student interview" is one of the ways to collect data, one we often overlook.  Within a few minutes, the teacher had the student (KF) in hand, and we proceeded to do a student interview.  Many interviews are available if you "Google it", and the one we used was very simple:
1. What about school works well for you?  What are the best parts of your day?
2. What about school does not work well for you? What are the worst parts of your day?
3. What could adults do to make your days better?
4. What could you do to make your days better?
5. The team is working on a plan to help you be more successful.  What do you want or not want to have in that plan?

K, a 5th grader, was a bit leery at first, wanting to know who would get to see his answers.  We put the power of disclosure in his hands, letting him know we needed honesty from him.  We would not share any answers without his permission.  His answers were very revealing, and the more he talked, the better we were able to envision his difficulty in class.  One surprising answer was that (using Zones language) he said he was almost frustrated in class, and when he slaps his hand on the dest he is moving into yellow.  If he holds his hand up for help at that point and does not get it right away, it makes him mad.  He will then have outbursts.  If an adult calls him down for the outburst, he will get quiet and put his head down, but inside he has moved into red, he is boiling.  When an adult approaches him at that stage, he will lash out physically and verbally.

Wow, what good information.  Adults were not interpreting his head down as a signal for the Red Zone, and would often give him redirects.  They were throwing gas on the fire and not even realizing it.  I am not sure what plan will evolve, but the effort to interview this student will surely result in more success.

Peer Power!

In considering the need for facilitating independence in our kids with special needs, and the tight-wire paras walk as they try to provide just the right amount of support, I was reminded of a time when I saw peer support at its best.

A.Z. was a 4th grader with significant needs, skills more typical of a 3 year old.  His parents wanted him in a general education classroom, so he had a 1:1 para and some direct pull out instruction for services.  Over 75% of his day was with his peers.  One day when I was at that school for a coaching visit and learned that his para left because she was ill.  The SPED teacher was working frantically to find someone to place in his room with him, so I went to the room to give her time to find someone.  I quietly told the teacher that the para was not coming back that day and asked what I could do to help.  She told me not to worry, that they had it covered.  I then watched as she turned to his group to tell them that they would not have the help of a para for their math task, and that they needed to determine as a group which of A's goals he would work on during math that day.  I looked on the wall close to them to see a small poster of "A's Goals", listing 1) recognize colors, 2) answer social questions with 2 or more words, 3) read environmental print, 4) listen to a story and answer 1 question about it.  They put their heads together, then one girl pulled a set of markers out of her box.  She gave them to A and told him that when they asked for a color, he needed to hand her the correct one.  The group then proceeded in creating a large graph of some data they had collected the day before.  A was very serious as he held the markers and selected one each time the group needed to change colors.  It was obvious that they did indeed "have this covered" and did not need me.

How much power do we leave on the table when we do not ask peers to support each other?  They have so much more flexibility in their problem solving than adults typically do, and the results can be amazing!

What’s a teacher to do???

When students seem “stuck”, making little to no progress ....

AMP IT UP!!

Amplify Intensity of instruction- Through diagnostic assessment and progress monitoring, become very focused on the barrier to the reading.  Mini-lessons and conferences can focus on guiding the student around the barrier.

Amplify Sensory input- Simultaneous multi-sensory review of skills is the only proven method for helping dyslexic students to learn to be automatic enough with sounds and words to overcome their difficulty with reading.  Students should learn written language through visual, auditory, and tactile/kinesthetic channels.  Spaced repetition should be used to help with memory.

Amplify Frequency of practice- Finding snippets of time for the practice of phonics skills, math facts, and sight words will lead to automaticity.  Motivation for practice at home will reap quicker results.

Notes on Dyslexia:

• Recent research indicates that as many as 1 in 5 children have a form of dyslexia.  This means every teacher will probably encounter several students in every class with this persistent barrier to reading success.
• The most successful approach to overcoming dyslexia is systematic phonics instruction paired with meaningful reading experiences.  The phonics instruction should have simultaneous multi-sensory instruction of new skills, such as letter/sound relationships, blending sounds, knowledge of irregular sight words, and syllabication.
• Dyslexics are often mistaken to have lower thinking skills than their reading peers.  Often this is not at all true.  These students are often the best problem solvers, inventors, and creators.  They need the chance to hear text on topics of interest, to read with support,  and to discuss higher levels of text than they can decode on their own.
• Students will not “outgrow” dyslexia.  They can learn strategies that will help them read, but they may never be good spellers, and fluency may remain out of reach.  However, they can learn to understand complex text and succeed in conquering classes even at the college level.  Some doctors are dyslexic, many entertainers and scientists are dyslexic.
• COLLABORATE with your academic coaches and your SPED staff, to include the Speech Pathologist.  They have many resources and strategies to help you with these students.

Source:  Shaywitz, S. (2003). Overcoming dyslexia: A new and complete science-based program for reading problems at any level (1st ed.). New York, NY: A.A. Knopf :.

PreK - Managing Littles with success!

When I see something that is transformative in classrooms, I love to share it!  Lately I have observed two strategies that are worth a shout out.  The first is the use of MAC with visuals.  If you are familiar with CHAMPS, you will understand MAC.  (If not, you can find out more info here: CHAMPS).  MAC is simply the M, A, C, from CHAMPS, so detailing the movement, activity, and conversation level for each task of the day.  With the help of our other Special Ed Instructional Coach, I saw several of our preschool teachers develop visual charts for each section of the day, such as lining up for recess, lesson at carpet, stations, etc.  Example: Stations, M= stay at your station; A= do your task;  C = 2, partner talk.  Template can be found here.  During the weeks between the holidays, I saw several teachers using the charts from the template as flip charts, reviewing their expectations with students.  The structure seemed to make the classes flow so smoothly.

The second strategy I've observed in action with Littles is implementation of restorative practices.  A teacher has made it a policy that when a Little needs correcting beyond a redirect, she asks her student to "take a moment" by selecting a spot to sit away from peers until he is ready to talk to her.  The conversation is simply what did you do? how can you make it right? How will you act now? Then she gives a hug and tells them to make it right and go back to peers.  Often making it right is cleaning something up or offering an apology.  We are 4 months into the school year and I am seeing these little folks admit readily what needs correcting, and immediately offering their "fix".

If you want more information on restorative discipline, try "Better Than Carrots or Sticks".  The first few chapters will make you rethink everything you've ever learned about behavior theory.  The last half of the book will give you hope for our students who seem to come to school in increasing numbers with traumatic experiences.  I also found this article that outlines the process with Littles. What to say to kids instead of "Say Sorry"...

The best part about spending time in the preK setting is that I get to spend time with little minds.  I hope all of you have times when you can do just that.

BUILDING BRIDGES....

LISTEN... just listen. 
A parent of some former students of mine reminded me today of
how sweet it is when "that kid" finds success in the real world.  As
I reflect on keys to that success, it reminds me of bridge building. As
teachers, we often feel rushed when dealing with students who are agitated.
We become agitated ourselves and don't think through our next steps.  When
I watch some of the "child whisperers" I know de-escalate an agitated student,
I see them listening, intently listening to what the student is saying.  We hear
about the importance of building relationships, and there are some great ideas
on how to do so, such as 2X10 - taking 2 minutes a day for 10 days to get to
know a student, or complimenting a student on something non-academic for a
month to make a connection.  But more importantly, take the time to listen
when they are upset. Every time we listen we put stones on the bridge...
cementing the relationship. Every time we must correct a child, a stone
comes off, but if we correct respectfully, it is just one stone.  If we also lose
control, it becomes a bridge bashing, and it is so hard to get the bridge
rebuilt. 

Back to those students who are now out in the real world... I remember
trusting them before they trusted me, telling them I did, and letting them know I
expected them to live up to that trust.  One example is when J told me he needed to
stand alone outside the school door to cool down.... I let him do so, just glancing
his way through a window,  and he always did. Another is when S told me he would
do work later if I gave him 20 minutes to finish reading, I said OK, and he always did. 

Ask how you can help a student, and really listen with an open heart.  They may
not be able to express their needs,  but they will know you care.  That will lead you to
a better path for them and you might even get an apology 5 years later... "Tell Mrs. Herndon
I'm sorry for all the times I gave her fits."  That brought a chuckle, but seeing
"that kid" graduate with honors.... warmed my heart.

Behavior Plan specifics

Behavior Intervention Plan specifics-

While working with a school team last week, we realized the importance
of getting very specific with behavior intervention plans,
especially for those persistent kids who want to challenge you with
“that’s not what you said”.... So following is an example of how
you can format those specifics.  
(note: I couldn't get a T-chart to work so you get just the text.)
FOR EXPECTED BEHAVIOR:
IF I am compliant with adult requests-- I will remain in the classroom
doing my work with peers.
IF I am working-- I will earn DoJo points.
IF I comply within one minute of being asked to do something-- I will earn DoJo points.
If I line up from recess and come inside with peers-- I will get my full BVX/drawing break.
If I line up and walk appropriately to specials-- I will get to participate in specials.  
FOR UNEXPECTED BEHAVIOR:
If I am disrupting others in class-- I will go to the IRC room to do my work.
If I am not working  but quiet-- Then I can set work aside and but will start work within  five minutes.
If I am not working in five minutes --Then I will go to the IRC until work is caught up to my peers.

If I don’t do my work all day-- Incomplete work goes home.

If I put my hands on my peers or adults inappropriately--Then I will be in ISS or

OSS according to the district discipline handbook.

If I choose to leave the classroom or building without permission-- Then I will go directly

to the IRC or a red box within one minute or Mom will be called.