Karen Fogle

Transformation through Personalization

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Creating Emotionally Safe Schools

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When we think about school safety we think about things like guns and bullying. The problem is so much greater in scope. Our children are showing signs of anxiety and depression at a very young age. The following passages are from the book  Creating Emotionally Safe Schools, by Jane Bluestein, PhD.

 “Safety in schools is about more than violence. It’s an issue for the student terrified of being called on in class or the child afraid of being harassed on the playground. It’s an issue for children who don’t test well, for children who learn by touching and moving, for children whose strengths lie in areas not assessed or valued in schools. It’s an issue for the child who is not noticed, the child nobody will play with, and for the child that looks different. We sacrifice safety when we fail to notice a child in distress or ignore hurtful behavior or when we use tests or grades to punish.

A safe environment is one that reduces these and other stressful occurrences. Under stress our bodies cannot function at their best. If students always have their defenses up to protect themselves there is very little energy left for schoolwork or any other meaningful activities. Stress and anxiety block learning. When responding to stress or a perceived threat, chemicals, such as cortisol, are released into the system. This causes mental static, sabotaging the prefrontal lobes, keeping them from maintaining working memory. You have probably experienced what it feels like to not be able to “think straight” when you are upset. Many other physiological symptoms may occur including dry mouth, increased heart rate, intestinal distress, and dizziness, just to name a few.

Daniel Goleman has stated that even one exposure to a traumatic incident can bring about a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Students with PTSD are constantly in a state of hyper vigilance. They are always surveying their environment for danger. Other symptoms may include lying, aggression, sleep problems, impulsivity, fear, confusion and unhappiness. It’s no wonder they are unable to concentrate on anything else.”

The Introverts Among Us

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My mom is the life of the party! She is fascinated by everyone she meets and is truly interested in knowing about their lives. She can become friends with perfect strangers in no time and finds meeting new people energizing. She is among the majority of people that we call “extroverts”. They are energized by interacting with others.

Did you know that “introverts” are energized by their inner world of ideas? Introverts are not necessarily shy people. They may be very outgoing and friendly. They enjoy people and activities almost as much as their extroverted friends. So what is the real difference? Introverts are refueled by being alone. They need quiet time, time to reflect and play with their ideas. When they are with people, they lose energy quickly; it flows out of them. Their more extroverted friends get their energy from people and activities. Without people and activities they feel lethargic and less fulfilled. It takes an introvert a long time to restore the energy they lost at a gathering, so they have to plan time to refuel for the next activity.

There are other ways introverts and extroverts differ. For introverts, fun from outside stimulation can end in a split second. All of a sudden their energy is gone and they are done, sometimes with little warning. When they are done, there is no energy left. Another difference is that introverts like depth in activities, subjects they are interested in, and in their relationships with people. They prefer to know a few people well. Extroverts look forward to meeting a lot of people and don’t need to know them well to call them friends. For extroverts, the variety is energizing.

Introverts are in the minority and often are made to feel that being alone or being exhausted by a lot of stimulation is somehow a character flaw or even a disability. Be assured that your introverted friends and family prefer to relax with a few friends or spend a quiet evening at home reading or thinking. They consider only deep relationships as friendships, talk in depth about topics you have in common, appear calm, like to observe, and don’t like feeling rushed. Respect their quiet time because they are refueling for tomorrow.

Reference: The Introvert Advantage, Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D.

 

Dyslexia: Reading is not Fun for Everyone

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During a recent conversation with a coworker, I was surprised to learn that she managed to graduate from high school and college without ever reading a book in its entirety. After sharing this information, I could tell that she was neither proud nor bragging but confessing a deep, dark secret of sorts. Additionally, she revealed that reading was about as painful to her as “taking a freezing, cold shower.” When Marge read, it felt as though her eyes were stuck in quicksand and often she found herself jumbling words on the page, losing her place, or even falling asleep. These events usually occurred within the first paragraph or page of the text so it’s no wonder that she has avoided reading for most of her life…

This intriguing exchange, along with a fascinating book I am currently reading, prompted me to blog about dyslexia and discuss some common misconceptions.

Dyslexia is a term used to describe a wide range of reading challenges.  We often assume that the term “dyslexic” only refers to someone who writes letters or see words backwards. Current brain research has a lot to offer and inform us on the subject of dyslexia and how it affects reading and learning.

“I know they are smart, why can’t they read?”

Able readers “read” in an area in the back of the brain called the occipital lobe. In this region, with enough practice, reading becomes automatic, almost like breathing does, taking little effort. Readers without this disorder enjoy and remember concepts, information, or story lines easily. Dyslexics are born without the neural pathways needed to connect to that part of the brain that strong readers use. As a result, dyslexics use a different part of their brain, an alternative pathway, to read. This part of their brain is unable to automate reading. It will always require a lot of effort, and reading occurs manually, although improvement can happen. This dynamic makes reading time-consuming and even emotionally and physically taxing.

Someone with dyslexia needs more time to access information. It is crucial for someone who has dyslexia to understand the big picture before they can access details. Many of us find spoken language innate and effortless. To read, we need to convert letters to sounds. Dyslexics are weak in phonological decoding, hearing the individual “sounds” in words. They tend to hear fewer sounds. A word like “bat” sounds like one sound, not three.  Sound and letter relationships (phonological processing or phonetics) are at the most fundamental level of the reading process.

If we look at the big picture of language there are many other skills needed to read. Dyslexics tend to be strong in higher-order thinking skills including: reasoning, concept formation, comprehension, general knowledge, problem solving, vocabulary and critical thinking. They are smart and have many strengths, they are just learning to read in an area of the brain that has difficulty processing sounds. For the first 3 years of school, children are learning to read. After that, they are reading to learn. Often this is when the difficulty begins to surface. We have two choices. One is to try and rewire the brain so it becomes more automatic or use the the manual system that has developed.

Dyslexics can develop more fluency (read more smoothly and quickly), by reading aloud, which improves comprehension. It’s important that they learn how to pronounce words. If a child can’t pronounce a word, they won’t have an accurate representation of it. They won’t build a model where meaning can become attached. Meaning is everything to a dyslexic”s ability to read and learn new information. They need meaning and the big picture to recall details.

How can you help?

To build fluency it is very important for dyslexics to get immediate feedback by reading aloud with someone. If you are their parent or teacher, have them start by reading lists of words or passages at an independent reading level. They need to be able to read 19 out of 20 words correctly on a page for the page to be at an independent reading level.  A goal for fluency is to read 60 words a minute from a list or paragraph at their independent level.

A good process for building fluency is guided reading. Reading to them first so they can listen to sounds is important. You can repeat any step that seems beneficial. The goal is automation. By the 5th step they should be able to read at least 60 words per minute with few, if any errors.

Guided Reading

1. Read a passage to the child.

2. Have the child read it aloud.

3. Have the child record themselves reading.

4. Have the child listen and follow along with the recording.

5. Have the child read to someone else once they have practiced.


Reading scripts, song lyrics or reading to someone younger are all great ways to practice reading for fluency. For younger students still learning to read, Dr. Seuss books are ideal practice.  For older students, use books on tape whenever possible and tape record assignments or essays to make the time spent on an assigned task more reasonable.

Reference: Overcoming Dyslexia, Sally Shaywitz, MD.

Supporting Learning Is Not Cheating

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Supporting Learning Is Not Cheating

We all have unique ways of learning, most often referred to as style. We have preferences for how we take in new information and how we relay that information to others. Sometimes a student’s struggle in a traditional school setting is a matter of style. Most students are flexible and can work and learn in a variety of styles. But it may be difficult to impossible to work in a style that is not the student’s natural style when under stress of any kind or because of a physical limitation.

It’s important that the child’s teacher understand the student’s unique style, build on the strengths of this style, and begin to stretch the student’s style when he/she is ready. Everyone has a unique way of gaining and processing information. Our brains have unique connections, memories and experiences that affect how we add new information. So how we do that is different for everyone. Some people have a lot of flexibility; no matter how information is presented to them, they find it easy to store it and retrieve it for others. Some lack that flexibility. There are many reasons that we lack flexibility and the reasons are unimportant. What is important is that we listen when a child tells us what they need. Some children need to talk things out. Some children need to run around in circles while they listen to you. Some children spend a lot of time thinking or writing.

If your child needed glasses to see the board to read, you would not hesitate to get the glasses. But if your child needed someone to help them write down their ideas, because it’s difficult for them to write and hold onto that idea at the same time, would that seem like cheating to you? However, that is exactly what should be done. It isn’t any different than wearing glasses to see the board. All of the assistance we give a student helps them achieve at a higher level, working harder than they would without it. Without the assistance, they give up and actually put forth less effort. Maybe the question we should be asking ourselves is, are we cheating them if we don’t help them?

I have found over the years that children are very clear about what their learning needs are. They demonstrate by moving when you read to them or asking you to be quiet while they’re concentrating or breaking pencils when trying to do a worksheet that’s too hard. They communicate in the ways that they know, to get adults to pay attention to what they need. We need to find a way to help them get their needs met. They desperately want to learn. They want to do what the adults around them want them to do. They want to grow up and do the things that you do. You only have to listen and pay attention.

Importance of Low Stress in School

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The Brain, Learning, and Stress

We have learned a tremendous amount about the brain and learning this past decade. Research shows that students can process information more effectively in a safe, low-stress environment. School performance can be improved with lowered stress.

Stress can come from a variety of sources. Young people can have traumatic life experiences that result in lowered school performance. This can include the death of a loved one, a divorce, a move, or other difficult life experiences that can cause a loss of concentration or concern about schoolwork. Students experiencing trauma often fall behind, compounding the problem. Another stress affecting school performance is school safety. Students often experience peer pressure, bullying and social isolation, making learning difficult.

We have learned through research that our brain cells are impacted by stressful events. We have learned that these brain cells are either in a constant state of growth or are working to protect themselves. If they are in a state of growth, they are replenishing themselves and creating new neural connections. If there is stress or a perceived threat, all neural energy is focused on protection. Our brain cells cannot protect themselves and grow at the same time. Think of the brain under stress as if it has caught on fire. You can’t put out the fire and learn math at the same time. The fire has to be extinguished first. If the learner is always busy putting out fires, they miss the learning opportunities that are going on around them.

Some brains are fragile and more susceptible to having fires. If the student has ADD, anxiety, sensory integration disorder, school failure, is being bullied, or has any number of neurological challenges, they will be more susceptible to fires in the brain. The fire must be put out before learning can take place. A fragile brain can be set on fire by any number of interactions in a day. A calming environment with an awareness of the challenges a fragile brain encounters, is more able to get the fire out quickly and help the learner grow neurologically.

Collaboration, small class size, and individualizing are all ways we can lower anxiety and stress. When students no longer have to perform in front of peers and are free to ask questions of their teachers privately, their anxiety is reduced and they understand more of what they are taught. A collaborate relationship with teachers and other students offers an environment that creates the greatest opportunity for every student to reach his/her potential.

Emotional safety needs to be the highest priority in school. We must have high standards for student behavior. We need to take great care to nurture a culture of acceptance and wellbeing for everyone in the school community. Students will respond to the modeling that they experience in their environment. As adults, we are responsible for providing a safe environment for children, both at home and at school.

See more about learning and the brain: www.Jensenlearning.com

What others say about stress in school:

Jane Bluestein, Ph.D., writes in her book, Creating Emotionally Safe Schools:

Safety in schools is about more than violence. It’s an issue for the student terrified of being called on in class or the child afraid of being harassed on the playground. It’s an issue for children who don’t test well, for children who learn by touching and moving, for children whose strengths lie in areas not assessed or valued in schools. It’s an issue for the child who is not noticed, the child nobody will play with, and for the child that looks different. We sacrifice safety when we fail to notice a child in distress or ignore hurtful behavior or when we use tests or grades to punish.

A safe environment is one that reduces these and other stressful occurrences. Under stress our bodies cannot function at their best. If students always have their defenses up to protect themselves there is very little energy left for schoolwork or any other meaningful activities. Stress and anxiety block learning. When responding to stress or a perceived threat, chemicals, such as cortisol, are released into the system. This causes mental static, sabotaging the prefrontal lobes, keeping them from maintaining working memory. You have probably experienced what it feels like to not be able to “think straight” when you are upset. Many other physiological symptoms may occur including dry mouth, increased heart rate, intestinal distress, and dizziness, just to name a few.

According to Daniel Goleman in his book, Social Intelligence, the brain reacts strongly to a perception of malice:

Cortisol levels rise if a contact is considered a negative social judgment, taking an hour to return to normal. The social brain makes a distinction between accidental and intentional harm and reacts differently. Natural disasters have less impact on PTSD than acts of maliciousness. The after effects of trauma are worse if the person feels more personally targeted.

One exposure to a traumatic incident can bring about a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Students with PTSD are constantly in a state of hyper vigilance. They are always surveying their environment for danger. Other symptoms may include lying, aggression, sleep problems, impulsivity, fear, confusion and unhappiness. It’s no wonder they are unable to concentrate on anything else.

Jenifer Fox states in her book, Discover Your Child’s Strengths:

Strong lives are those that are marked by a sense of purpose, connectedness, resilience and fulfillment…no matter what their personalities and characteristics children will not develop their true talents or discover their real strengths without a process of encouragement, nurturing and sustained approval.