T

he issue of school violence continues to be one that resurfaces in many different forms. I can’t believe that it’s been more than five years since the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy took place. Being so close to this tragedy, both figuratively and literally, in that I grew up only 30 minutes north of this school and working as a public school teacher myself, I just can’t fathom that something like this can and has happened. The sad reality is that school shootings have continued to take place throughout America since then. Violence in our schools is still a major concern, most recently taking place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

It is apparent that in these types of horrific incidents, there are some deep-seated issues affecting students at our schools and causing them to react in violent behaviors toward others. Consider the telltale signs of mental illness, depression, and posts left on his social media accounts of guns and racial slurs left by a 19-year-old male who shot and killed 17 individuals and leaving 14 injured at a high school in Florida on Valentine’s Day 2018.

Then there was the locker room stabbing that took place back in November 2016 by a 16-year old high school student in Utah leaving five injured. This student was a straight A student and didn’t have any disciplinary record. There wasn’t even a history of bullying with the five victims.

In January 2017, a 17-year old high school student shot his 16-year old classmate. He went into a bathroom and assembled his gun and came out shooting not only his classmate, but also firing at a teacher and narrowly missing.

We’ve been down this road way too often trying to explain the motives of young people who display violence toward their classmates and/or teachers in this manner, wondering how we could have seen something like this coming. We’ve asked the questions:

• “How can someone do such a thing?”
• “What triggers someone to act aggressively?”
• “Do the parents see these behaviors with their children at home?”
• “Are there specific warning signs to be on the lookout for and if so, what are they?”
• “How can someone get access so easily to these kinds of weapons and how can we prevent this from happening?”

Issues such as violence in schools have become heightened among educators and policymakers across the U.S. Unfortunately, we continue to see disagreement and verbal lashing amidst Republicans and Democrats regarding their views on gun control. It is bad enough that kids today are exposed to violence all through the media – in movies they watch, lyrics to music they listen to and sing aloud, and things they see on the Internet.

Furthermore, we see a barrage of new video games with highly graphic and violent visuals that have been, and are soon to be, released to the public. A study published in JAMA Pediatrics has demonstrated that children who repeatedly play violent video games changes the way they think. I realize that all kids who play violent video games don’t end up as killers or violent human beings. However, the long-term exposure to violent video games can lead to changes in the way they learn to think. Young people can become more aggressive, which can lead them to saying or employing violence at school, and become desensitized to violence as a whole.

What appears to be inexplicable as to why a child would go to such lengths and extremes as to stab or shoot another student or teacher is rooted in their overall social and emotional well-being. It’s oftentimes the “tragic storm” of circumstances that culminate in events of this kind. And it is our job in society as adults to value a young person’s opinion, be on alert for their emotional needs and be a support and role model in any and all situations. No matter what our personal philosophies on life, or our political views may be, putting humanity first – through respect, kindness, understanding, forgiveness, and getting people the help they need right away – is critical for making a positive shift in our society, as a whole, and for future generations.

To Our Children and Our Future!

Sources:

Teen in Utah school stabbings of 5 classmates booked on attempted murder

Officials: Staff pinned down gunman in school shooting that injured student

Mediators and Moderators of Long-Term Effects of Video Games on Aggressive Behavior: Practice, Thinking, and Action

10 New Details About Florida School Shooter Nikolas Cruz’s Past, Mental Health Issues And Abuse Of His Ex-Girlfriend.

In a previous blog post, I talked about the discussions going on about the future of American education. It is clear that a nationwide reform is necessary here in the United States. However, in doing so, we must consider that whatever changes we make translate into creating happy, motivated and fulfilled children.

We are witnessing some great schools around the world doing amazing things with children. We hear about countries like Singapore, Japan, Taiwan and China that perennially rank among the top in international education achievement rankings. What is their secret to their success? How their teachers are trained and treated? Is it in how the students are assigned homework? How their time is spent in school? The technology infused into the classroom?

Another good example of a country who has demonstrated a high status in global education is Finland. Their claim to success is that their students receive little to no homework and have only one mandatory test at age 16. Their high school dropout rate is nearly zero percent, whereas in some areas of the U.S., the dropout is a staggering 60%. In surveys conducted, students in these higher achieving countries have shown to be happy and enjoy the learning experience, while teachers appeared satisfied and valued. So, what is at the heart of a high graduation rate, happier child, and high academic achievement for the Finnish children?

Secret #1 – Add More Play Time to a Child’s School Day

Going outside for recess shouldn’t be just an elementary school thing and only for 30 or so minutes. The American Heart Association recommends that children and adolescents get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. Research has shown that physical activity is essential for optimal cognitive, psychological, social, and physical well-being. The Finnish allow 15 minutes of free time, typically spent outdoors, for every 45 minutes of studies, which promotes an active, healthy lifestyle.

Secret #2 – Teach Ethics and the Importance of Giving Back

There are many kids around the world who grow up in families who struggle socioeconomically. Financially, it is difficult for them to come up with money to give to someone else in need. However, giving back through service to charitable causes is one of the most incredible acts of prosperity that we can teach our children. Many students around the world are taught ethics courses from primary grades and taught such values.

According to a study done by World Volunteer Web, “youth who volunteer are more likely to feel connected to their communities, and tend to do better in school.” Giving back ultimately serves to empower not only the receiver of the kindness, but also the giver. A child’s overall health and happiness can dramatically improve just by doing random acts of kindness.

What does giving back look like? It comes in many different forms and students around the world can experience firsthand the benefits of donating their time, resources, and money toward many different causes.

There are so many great ways that children can give back and express their appreciation for others, including:

• Contributing food and clothing to children in need around the winter holiday season,
• Writing letters of appreciation to people in different professions for their time and service to making this world a better place.
• Creating personalized cards for military veterans.
• Working with service dogs to help train them for individuals in need.
• Helping underprivileged students throughout the school day or during afterschool activities.

Secret #3 – Help Children Make Connections with the World Around Them

The classroom should be a place for discovery, collaboration, and interaction that promotes engagement and learning for all students. Some of my best lessons have been ones that are tied into how something can or does directly affect my students’ lives. The projects that I assign my students integrate science, technology, and society and focus on problem-solving. For instance, at the beginning of the school year, my students choose a science career to research and go on to present their project during our “Science Career Fair Day.” This is an exciting time for students to share their knowledge with others and discuss not only the exciting things about their profession, but how their field helps to improve the lives of others. They also examine the global issues, such as the biggest challenges associated with the profession and what skills are necessary to succeed in the profession.

Students also read current event articles in Science World magazine throughout the school year. This connects current science news with pertinent topics that are discussed in class. What is great is that the stories often feature kids around the age of my students, breaking barriers and achieving incredible feats in the world of science, despite facing obstacles in their quest to make a difference in the world. We follow up these lessons through group discussion, debates, and critical thinking activities, which provides students with multiple perspectives on various global issues and also reinforces their capability to have such a profound impact at a young age.

Furthermore, the students in my classroom regularly perform inquiry-based lab activities where they apply the engineering design process to create “functional products.” This allows them to connect this approach to problem-solving into real world science application that involves researching a problem, developing possible solutions, making designs, testing and evaluating them, getting feedback on their product’s efficiency, redesigning, and so on. Moreover, students receive cross-curricular connections of science concepts in technology education, mathematics, ELA and Social Studies and continuously apply prior knowledge to newly learned information throughout the school year.

The Single Ingredient for a Child’s Success

If I had to suggest one thing for all parents and educators to focus on to help a child succeed, it would go back to a basic human principle. The foundation upon which all learning is laid is by making connections. Being able to relate to and connect with children from all backgrounds and abilities in this manner has been highly rewarding for me as a teacher. By creating a safe, caring environment where students can explore different possibilities and discover their abilities and passions through engaging lessons, thought-provoking activities, collaboration among their peers, and authentic assessments, students are best able to “discover and experience their magic.” What I mean by that is that they are able to display their multiple intelligences and tap into their full potential.

This is just the beginning of an exciting journey for making connections with your child. In my book The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens, you will discover the necessary tools for opening lines of communication, making meaningful connections and helping children make wise choices for a bright future!

“Magic is the complete enjoyment of the process of life.”

For Children!

Sources:

Pisa tests: Singapore top in global education rankings

The AHA’s Recommendations for Physical Activity in Children

Happy Teaching, Happy Learning: 13 Secrets to Finland’s Success

Secrets to Raising Happy Successful Children

This past week, there has been a lot of talk about the confirmation of the new Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Those in favor of her position on school choice are excited about the possibilities of competition among schools to have better educational options for children and the voucher program. This would award families opportunities to spend money toward the school of their choice (public, private or homeschooling) for their child. Those who are not in favor of school choice fear that this may erode the public education system, diverting all taxpayer dollars to private schools, and encroach upon the separation of church and state in schools.

WHAT REALLY MATTERS IN EDUCATION

When you think about one school being a “school of excellence” over another, there are many factors to take into account. First, we must understand that education isn’t a one-sized fits all approach. Each child has their unique learning styles and abilities and should be given a multitude of opportunities to succeed at a high level. No matter where that is – in public or private education – developing a school climate where achievement and efforts are recognized is important to a child’s success.

A solid infrastructure needs to be put into place to ensure that a child gets the best education possible. What does that look like? This requires the educational institution to have the following:

• School policies imparted and reinforced for a safe and inclusive environment for all students.
• Having adequate professional development for educators to improve their instruction, assessments, and ability to connect with all learners.
• Having a school improvement plan that takes into account the needs of educators and the student body.
• Providing the necessary resources to accommodate all students to progress at their unique pace.
• Making available extracurricular activities and enrichment programs for students to explore beyond the scope of the general curriculum.

Whatever side of the fence you are on regarding school choice or not, I can tell you first hand as a teacher working in the classroom with teens and tweens for 17 years, the root of a child’s success is not based on legislation and passing a voucher program for families or instituting Common Core and more testing into the curriculum. At the end of the day, the real key factors to consider for a child’s education is the support of the community, support given to students and the teachers, and the school climate created for the social-emotional well-being of all children and educators.

THE 3 Cs

Connections, care, and compassion are at the cornerstone of my practice as an educator and the work that I do within my community. In speaking with so many teachers, they agree that the relationships they have with children are the driving force behind their love of teaching and what makes the difference for student motivation and achievement.

When students leave my classroom, I want to ensure that they have developed an understanding of gratitude and appreciation. It is important for young people to internalize respect and celebrate each person’s similarities and differences to help foster trust and strong, genuine connections with others and the world around them.

These are the kinds of discussions we should be having in education, public and private, and at all levels of administration and government, in order to appropriately address the root causes of lack of motivation, failure, dropouts, violence, bullying, and other issues affecting our youth.  From there, we can come up with viable solutions to ensure all students an excellent education and experience along the way.

I am excited to announce the launch of my new book The Ultimate Guide to Raising Teens and Tweens in which I discuss this topic of the right kind of education to choose for your child in more detail. 

For Children!