Archive for October, 2008
« Previous EntriesPositive Progress May Come in Small Steps
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Tuesday, October 28th, 2008
Thank you to Making Connections student Shelly, for allowing me to post this comment from our class discussion about the importance of a positive attitude when working to build relationships with (challenging and challenged) kids.
I am currently caring for a young boy with whom I have begun to build a solid relationship. He is a very loving child and for the most part well behaved. The problem both his teachers and I (his foster parent) are encountering is that he has an anger control problem. On the surface he does not appear angry but when he is teased or provoked in any way by other children his immediate reaction is to use physical attack to express his emotions of irritation. His teachers and I have focused on teaching him cognitive behavioral skills to help him re-train myself to react differently. We have been working with him for six months now and he is like a new child. The last three months there has been not one incident of anger at school or at home.
When we first began that journey there were days I thought to myself that I could not handle this boy and wondered if I could even help him. In those times I found it helpful to remind myself of even the smallest of victories in this boy’s progress. These attitudes and strategies helped me.
Positive Progress Points to View
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Counting the days, moments, or interactions between episodes helps to visually see the progress.
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Noticing and responding to non-verbal and verbal signals from the child letting you know hisneeds are fulfilled, for example, he feels safe, comfortable and accepted.
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Talking with others who have been in or are in the same or similar situations with children allows you to see that progress is possible and you’re not the only one dealing with such problems.
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Talk with teachers, daycare providers, and family about the child’s progress.
Topics: Creating a Positive, How to Help, Relationship Strategy | No Comments »
Drop out rates for Hillsboro School district
By dawnjgreen | Monday, October 27th, 2008
In the Hillsboro school districts the dropout rate for 2006-2007 was 1.5 percent. When comparing it state wide it’s 2.7 percent less than other school districts in Oregon. When looking at the other facts with in this area the average class size is 26;1. I was unable to find information to see if the dropout rate for the school districts increased or decreased. I did find the report card that gave information about the school districts dropout rate district wide. The schools that did not get a strong rating were the middle schools within the Hillsboro district. The information that I used to get the dropout rate was the annual report card for the school district.
Topics: Drop Out Rate | No Comments »
After-school success began with Mrs. B. (and Everybody Benefits)
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008
There was a great column by Andy Parker in today’s Metro Section. Parker writes about a mentoring program that has been making a profound difference in the lives of Clackamas County kids and families by offering after-school, summer and language programs to hundreds of families. Part of what makes this program work is the high school students that drop in one or twice a week to work with kids.
I am always on the lookout for stories that show how, when schools, families and the community work together, everybody benefits, and this story came with its own statistics. “The result, (of the afterschool mentoring program) measured by Portland State University, shows higher attendance, fewer behavior problems and rising academic performance for a majority of the 100 or so kids in the Lot Whitcomb program every year.”
The program, begun years ago, at a school “long considered Clackamas County’s poorest elementary school,” has been so successful, that the program is now expanding to four more schools in the North Clackamas School District. In fact, “on Tuesday, Susan Castillo, Oregon schools superintendent, came … to tell the educators and nonprofit leaders (who fund and run this program) they’d been chosen as one of seven outstanding school/community partnerships in the state.”“It proves,” said school counselor Ellen Baltus, who “has been running this program for years now”, “what can happen when we all just do our part. Everybody does a little bit, and it works.” Or, said another way, everybody benefits.
Topics: Community Service, Creating a Positive, In The News | No Comments »
warning signs
By mpulliam | Saturday, October 18th, 2008
After research and reading, I have complied the following list of warning signs that could lead students to drop out of high school. By no means is this list comprehensive, but more general…
- No strong role model, lack of emphasis on importance of education, low socioeconomic status, older friends who have dropped out, pregnant, drug use, having to work to support family, sick family member, experiencing various kinds of abuse, homeless, no money for supplies or clothes, uninterested in their future (college, career etc), moved from school to school, no friends at school, lack of connection with teachers or counselors, not engaged in any extracurricular activities such as sports or clubs.
Topics: Drop Out Rate, Uncategorized | No Comments »
warning signs
By kristendyan | Tuesday, October 14th, 2008
a list i compiled … i know there are probably many many more issues that contribute to dropping out.
warning signs:
- high risk peer group
- risky behavior
- typically low achievement
- retention- being over the typical age for the grade one is in
- poor attendance
- low educational expectations, from both individual and family
- low socioeconomic status
- family moves a lot
- family having little school contact
- learning disabilities
- emotional disturbance
- lack of effort
- does not finish assignments
- limited extracurricular participation
- misbehavior
- low education level of parents
- family issues
- siblings who have dropped out
- absenteeism
- being uprepared for class
- trouble setting goals
- substance abuse
- feels unsafe
- being a parent, or responsible for parenting siblings
- works a lot
Topics: Dropouts, Uncategorized | No Comments »
reasons for dropping out
By kristendyan | Tuesday, October 14th, 2008
i am working with high school students (and soon middle school students), in the vancouver/camas/battleground/ridgefield area.
based on what i hear the students i am working with say, there are NUMEROUS reasons for kids dropping out in this area, but some of the ones i hear most:
1. students and/or their families do not see the value in education. it is not as much of a priority as working for money, caring for family members, etc. some students don’t receive the support they need from their family; some students live on their own so they have to work 40+ hours a week, and have no energy left for school; many students do not plan on attending college, therefore don’t think a high school diploma is necessary for success; other students recognize that some careers do not require a high school diploma, and some of these fields are avenues for making enough money to survive.
2. truancy/excessive absences. once a student misses too many school days, it becomes almost impossible to catch up. while some students miss school because they don’t care for it, others have more valid reasons for missing school- needing to work, sickness, pregnancy, caring for family members, etc.
3. ‘typical’ school does not meet their needs. every student learns differently and has different needs when it comes to receiviing, retaining and reflecting information. some students come from schools or classrooms where this is not recognized or explored. they have trouble learning in these situations and eventually give up. in essence, some students just get ‘lost’ in the system.
4. some students get caught up in risky behavior- drugs, alcohol, partying- and school becomes less and less of a priority. this becomes extremely dangerous for students who do not have the support of anyone who truly values education.
5. students feel like nobody cares or notices if they aren’t in school. they find community outside of school. their need for acceptance is not met in school, so they find it elsewhere, and often replace school with these communities or groups.
Topics: Drop Out Rate, Dropouts | No Comments »
thoughts on dropping out ….
By kristendyan | Tuesday, October 14th, 2008
schools provide dropout statistics, but i am finding (through my work with dropout prevention and retention programs), that these numbers are not always accurate. sometimes communication between districts is limited, so if a student moves and does not notify his/her previous school, they are seen in the data as a dropout. in situations like these, dropout numbers may be larger than actual. however, it seems some schools find ways to reduce the dropout data as well. i’ve done quite a bit of research on alternative high schools in my area. some of them have excellent programs. it seems that sometimes, though, schools will send students who are doing poorly straight to the alternative school before really evaluating their needs and the causes for their struggling. for some students, an alternative school is a great fit, but for others, the issues at the root of their problems are too big to be fixed easily by switching schools. by quickly sending students who are struggling to another school, schools reduce their dropout data, but are they really helping all these students in the ways they need help?
in my research, i find that truancy (excessive unexcused absences) is the number one predictor for dropping out. i think this is connected to many other issues, such as lack of parental involvement, lack of motivation for or enjoyment of school, lack of accountability …. all these issues need to be explored in the lives of students who are at risk of dropping out, and the most fitting alternatives explored for each individual.
Topics: Dropouts | No Comments »
IS IT TOO LATE? A call for answers
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Tuesday, October 14th, 2008
As students in this course are exploring and considering the reasons why kids drop out, and how to recognize the signs - a question has been raised. IS IT TOO LATE to intervene once students start displaying signs that they are going to drop out?
What do you think? Please share your opinions based on your research and personal experience? Do you have a story about what worked? Experiences with failed efforts?
Simply click on comment below this post to add your thoughts, ideas and experiences with kids (and your own lives as well.)
Topics: Dropouts, How to Help | 10 Comments »
In Their Own Words: Poems to help you get to know your kids
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Wednesday, October 8th, 2008
As a 4th grade teacher I always had students write an ” I am” poem.
They write about who they are and things that are important to them in their lives, like their families, friends, and hobbies.
The poems usually start out something like this:
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I am from the brown brick apartment with the flowers in the yard.
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I am from the round wooden table in the kitchen where I do my homework.
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I am from the mom who works at Fred Meyer and the grandma who who works there, too.
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I am from riding bikes and skateboarding on Prescott.
And, so forth, like that. I think to make this a way for the kids to visually express who they are. To get them started, I give them a each big piece of white paper and put out magazines, colored pencils, and markers. This allows the kids to create a visual representation of who they are to go along with their poem. This also is a great way to show me and the other kids a lot about who they are and where they come from.
This idea is submitted by teacher, Emma Burcart
Topics: BACK TO SCHOOL, Creating a Positive | 1 Comment »
Understanding Students
By Shelly Brock | Wednesday, October 8th, 2008
Casual conversation and careful observation are some important factors in getting to know the kids you work with. Understanding that each child is an individual with learning skills and needs that are unique to their character allows teachers and mentors to approach the individual needs of each student at a one on one basis. Another method of getting to know your students is sending the students home with “parent homework”. For example, asking parents to write a paragraph or two about their child can help give teachers and mentors valuable insight into the characteristics of each student.
Topics: Creating a Positive | No Comments »
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