Whole Child Education

Join author and educator Brian Mendler for a free webinar on setting students up for success. Brian is a certified K–12 and special education teacher with extensive experience working with challenging students in general ed, self-contained, and inclusion settings. As an adjunct professor at St. John Fisher College in New York, he teaches Behavior Management and Introduction to Special Education.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010, 3:00 p.m. ET
Register now!

Some students come to us already discouraged with negative baggage about their own potential, school in general, or the subjects we teach. How can we change that negativity to motivation? The keys are to connect with their curiosity, help them recognize incremental progress to appropriately achievable individualized challenge, and using other neurological strategies to reverse negativity and sustain a positive attitude by increasing interest, relevance, confidence, foundational knowledge, and active participation in a climate where students are not stressed by the fear of mistakes.

Connect with Brian on ASCD EDge and on his website, www.tlc-sems.com. Find upcoming and archived ASCD webinars at www.ascd.org/webinars.

With August just around the corner, educators, students, and parents are all beginning to gear up for the year ahead. Just as students return to school with a range of emotions, so too do educators. Some may be looking forward to returning to school, others a little bit apprehensive about how they'll meet so many challenges throughout the year.

Educators who start off the year with energy and enthusiasm often find that it fades gradually or dramatically. Teaching is one of the more stressful professions, and it can be one of the most rewarding when educators are able to strike a balance and schools create the conditions that allow them to thrive.

Join us Thursday, August 5, on the Whole Child Podcast to learn how educators and schools can work to create the conditions that allow teachers, and subsequently students, to thrive. You'll hear from

• Mike Anderson, author of the forthcoming book The Well-Balanced Teacher: How to Work Smarter and Stay Sane Inside the Classroom and Out, about how teachers can care for themselves so that they are happier, healthier, and more effective teachers.
• Nora Howley, manager of programs for the Health Information Network—the health and safety arm of the National Education Association (a Whole Child Partner)—about the importance of schools supporting teachers to maintain their balance and meet their own needs.
• Kate Quarfordt, art teacher at Bronx Preparatory Charter School, artist, theater maker, writer, and mother, about her experience balancing life in and outside the classroom.

Educators, are you struggling to manage stress, meet your basic needs, and find time for your own learning and development? What strategies have helped you to maintain your enthusiasm and balance between work and life?

Post submitted by Whole Child Blogger Ashley Magnifico

The debate rages on over Arizona Senate Bill 1070, which passed this April as the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act and is scheduled to go into effect tomorrow, July 29, barring any federal injunctions.

This state law holds the police responsible for making "a reasonable attempt ... to determine the immigration status" of persons involved in "any lawful contact made by a law enforcement official or agency." Further, "a law enforcement officer, without a warrant, may arrest a person" and transfer him or her to federal custody "if the officer has probable cause to believe that the person has committed any public offense that makes the person removable from the United States."

The intense controversy that has sprung up over SB 1070 has led many politicians, writers, and grassroots organizers to sound off loudly and often about immigration issues. However, many fail to mention the children of immigrants, who make up perhaps the largest group of stakeholders so routinely ignored in the debate.

According to a 2009 study by the Pew Hispanic Center, out of 5.5 million children of illegal immigrants, almost three-quarters were born in the United States. As American citizens, they have the same legal rights and protections as any other children. No one is as implicated in ensuring these rights as the public education system. But creating a learning environment where each child feels safe and supported can be quite a challenge amid the turmoil of immigrant deportations and raids.

A tearful 10-year old Catherine Figueroa testified at a congressional hearing in early June, saying,

Last year, both my parents were jailed for three long months. ... It was very hard for me every time when I went to school. I kept thinking that maybe I would see my parents when they got back home. I would also have bad dreams where the deputies would take my aunt, her family and me to jail. I am still afraid of the deputies. ... Please help us. Children don't know what to do without their parents.

A study published by the Urban Institute in February shows that Catherine's experience is typical for a child of detained immigrants. Participants of all ages and from several different regions demonstrated changes in eating and sleeping patterns, as well as symptoms of fearful, angry, and withdrawn behavior. For many children, these behaviors lingered from the short term (recorded at two months following parental arrests) to the long term (nine months after arrests).

Catherine's willingness to speak out against "the laws that are separating us from our parents" is also increasingly common among her peers. Kids from across the country are participating in civil disobedience prep classes, planning solidarity marches, even writing protest songs and demonstrating outside the White House.

The issue of American immigration reform is as old as this country itself and will surely last well into the future. But the increasing chaos, instability, and fear in the lives of children of immigrants is a tragedy that must be addressed today. Opinions on SB 1070 and other reform efforts may vary, but the thousands of students making their voices heard on this issue are an inspiration to us all.
For resources on student voice and student rights, visit Democratic Education on ASCD.org. Also, be sure to share your own ideas and experiences at the Democratic Education group on ASCD EDge.

On Thursday, July 29, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will take part in a live town hall meeting with the nation's teachers on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio's POTUS public affairs channel. The program will air from 11:00 a.m to noon eastern time and will feature a studio audience of teachers from a cross-section of public schools, drawing from a variety of districts, grade levels, and disciplines. Tim Farley, host of POTUS's The Morning Briefing, will moderate the event.

The purpose of this town hall is for teachers to voice their ideas and concerns directly to Duncan and to discuss the critical issues in education with the educators who work daily in U.S. classrooms. In addition to the studio audience, those listening to the program online or via radio will be able to call in free of charge with questions and comments.

The town hall will be broadcast on channel 110 on Sirius Radio and channel 130 on XM. Nonsubscribers may access the program free of charge through these live online feeds by signing up for a free online trial.

Do you know or work with exceptional teachers or administrators? Nominate them for the 2011 Outstanding Young Educator Award! We're accepting nominations for one more week—the deadline is August 1, 2010.

Effective teachers and education leaders are critical to raising student achievement, and today's increasingly competitive and global economy underscores the need for well-qualified educators in every classroom, school, and administrative office. ASCD is awarding $10,000 to young professional teachers and administrators who

• Educate the whole child, helping to ensure each child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.
• Demonstrate educational leadership in their classroom, school, district, and community.
• Show a positive impact on student achievement.
• Illustrate significant contributions to the education community.

All nominations must align with the Criteria for Consideration and eligibility requirements available at www.ascd.org/oyea.

Nominators of the winners will receive a complimentary one-year membership to ASCD. The OYEA winners will be honored at the 2011 ASCD Annual Conference in San Francisco, Calif., March 26–28, 2011. OYEA Winners and OYEA Honorees receive monetary awards and will also participate in a yearlong program of professional development and networking.

Students spend the majority of their time outside of school, yet bridging the school-community gap can seem too difficult or beyond the reach and purpose of education. How much involvement do educators really want? Critics say that education policy reflects this uneasiness in its general neglect of meaningful parental engagement. How can schools fill the silence?

Should parent involvement be mandatory, as this San Jose school district proposes? Or are schools better served, in the long run, by initiatives that foster engagement? Larry Ferlazzo parses this difference in this blog post and shares an example in this issue of ASCD Express.

Also in the issue are resources and profiles of programs that have taken the leap into community-school partnerships and are reaping returns from these new connections.

Located in an isolated, rural area, Des Moines Municipal School (DMMS) in Des Moines, N. Mex., offers health and wellness resources to the underserved local community. As part of the Rural Revitalization Initiative and ASCD's Healthy School Communities, DMMS provides school-based physical, dental, and mental health care for students, staff, and surrounding communities. Programs like the Fruit Wizard make daily classroom deliveries of fresh fruits and vegetables to compensate for limited access to fresh produce in Des Moines. At DMMS, "The school is the community, and the community is the school."

Post submitted by Whole Child Blogger Ashley Magnifico.

When you think about engaging your students in learning and motivating them to take these lessons home with them, do you think of democratic education as one model of a whole child approach to education?

The concept itself is not exactly new. Democracies throughout the world have always required such an educational system to keep the mission of their founders alive for each new generation. In fact, more than 60 years ago, 48 countries of the United Nations explicitly dedicated themselves to its ideals with the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This historic document states that "all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights," and "all peoples and all nations . . . shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms."

Actually implementing the democratic education model requires a lot more work and dedication than merely signing one's name to a piece of paper. Recent trends show that schools still have a long way to go. Though today's kids are remarkably open to new information and ways of thinking, few of them have the tools and support to translate their thoughts into action. Life in the Internet age gives young people practically endless opportunities to expand their knowledge of the world, which should translate easily into constructive discussions and community participation. However, compared to earlier generations, they are much less likely to vote, to follow politics, and to discuss political issues.

It is no coincidence that this corresponds with the demise of the traditional civics model. Rather than emphasizing active democratic citizenship, many school systems limit civics education to generic "government" classes that merely require memorizing a few key terms and major court decisions from decades, even centuries past.

Recognizing this, in 2001 ASCD and the First Amendment Center launched First Amendment Schools, a program dedicated to keeping the historical vision of American schools alive under the principles of democratic freedom, rights and responsibilities, community engagement, and active citizenship. First Amendment Schools yielded great successes and learning experiences within the project and affiliate school systems—and now it's time to expand the scope.

While the First Amendment freedoms have wide implications for the United States, we live in an increasingly global society, one in which a nation's progress depends on understanding the world beyond its borders. Democratic education provides opportunities for students all over the world to learn about and understand other perspectives, and to develop a commitment to protecting the inalienable rights of all. Educators should make sure students fully understand these rights and responsibilities, encourage thoughtful discussion of these issues, and motivate students toward community and political engagement.

But this raises the question of how to implement these concepts: What are good methods for educating about freedom and social responsibility? How do you build a constructive dialogue in the classroom—and better yet, encourage students to take their ideas beyond the schoolhouse gates?

Visit Democratic Education on ASCD.org for ideas on how to get started, and be sure to join the discussion at the Democratic Education group on ASCD EDge to share your own ideas and experiences.

Musician Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary explains why whole child education is best for students.

Join renowned author, neurologist, and teacher Judy Willis for an exciting webinar on how to motivate your students.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010, 3:00 p.m. ET
Register now!

Some students come to us already discouraged with negative baggage about their own potential, school in general, or the subjects we teach. How can we change that negativity to motivation? The keys are to connect with their curiosity, help them recognize incremental progress to appropriately achievable individualized challenge, and using other neurological strategies to reverse negativity and sustain a positive attitude by increasing interest, relevance, confidence, foundational knowledge, and active participation in a climate where students are not stressed by the fear of mistakes.

There will be descriptions and group participation about application of strategies that correlate to brain research and strategies that suit your needs, especially regarding strategies that work with the brain processing systems to enhance student engagement, responsiveness, and participation, while decreasing behavioral "problems" as students build confidence and resilience to persevere through challenges.

Connect with Judy on ASCD EDge and on her website, RADTeach.com. Find upcoming and archived ASCD webinars at www.ascd.org/webinars.

To compete in the 21st century job market, students need to be prepared for a career straight out of high school, not only after they go to college. More and more educators are calling for schools to provide better training and education that can ensure students who choose not to attend college have the skills to enter a competitive workforce.

ASCD Express looks at career education as a feasible alternative to higher education for students who want to begin a career right after high school. Learn more. In the video below, see how some classrooms are transforming to create an environment where students have access to tools that prepare them for school and beyond.