Best Musings of 2012

Well, it's that time of the year again... time for visits with family, relaxing and recharging over winter break, and eating so much that we dig for the baggiest dress pants/skirt come January 2nd. It's also time to revisit my best musings from the past year! 2012 was a big year for me, both personally and professionally--I got married, spent a killer week in the Dominican Republic, and became more involved within the field (1,000+ Facebook friends and being "published" can't be wrong). Here are the highlights from my bloggy year, as measured by most viewed, most comments, or my personal favorite:

January-- An uber mondo list of non-tangible reinforcement ideas, perfect for those kids you just really shouldn't be giving candy or sweet treats to... you know exactly who I mean. 

February-- A hard-edged, tough look at the challenges faced by professionals working in an urban education setting. This was written in response to a reader's question about commonly faced issues and necessary skill sets needed to work in urban education. Although it's not warm and fuzzy, this is one of my favorite posts because of how passionate I felt for my job when I was writing it. It's the heart of what I do. 

March-- A post about my school's monthly attendance breakfast, a school-wide incentive to increase overall attendance. Months later, I am a master pancake maker, worthy of song and world renown.

April--  An impressive collection of "Musings on Survival from School Psychologists," organized into categories. This post was compiled from entries to my giveaway of Dr. Rebecca Branstetter's book, "The School Psychologist's Survival Guide." This continues to be one of my most viewed posts, and with all the incredible advice and quips from readers and fans, how could it not be?

May-- My "a day in the life" series was a big hit, especially among grad students or new professionals in the field. I will definitely be continuing this... you know, when I have time during the day to make notes on my goings-on!

June-- An interesting case student on a preschooler I completed the transition reevaluation for to prepare him for kindergarten. He's a hearing child of two deaf parents who's native language was American Sign Language. Pair that with a lack of exposure to schooling and significant academic and language delays, and you've got one unique kiddo!

July-- A post where I reviewed my entire insane Committee on Special Education meeting list and assessment schedule from the year, and I realized two things--1) I accomplished an insane amount during the year and 2) It hadn't made me sprout gray hairs. I reiterate: I am psychologist. Hear me roar.

August-- no posts... I was too busy doing Zumba and wedding planning.

September-- My first day back to school for the 2012-2013 school year, where I was graciously gifted with a new nickname. It, thankfully, has gone by the wayside in the time since. 

October-- The compilation of the emotions/anger management small counseling group that I led in our first grade 6:1+1 Special Class, where we played with balloons, said adorable comments, learned "soup breathing," and tried not to make it 50 shades of cray.

November-- An informative post about families experiencing homelessness, and how the McKinney-Vento Act can provide services to them. 

December-- A large gathering of resources relating to grief, loss, crisis, and tragedy response that was posted in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shootings in Newton, CT. Not a pleasant topic or event to remember, but the information continues to be relevant.

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Grief, Crisis, and Tragedy Resources

There are no words to explain or rationalize what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary on December 14th, 2012. It is truly a tragedy, and moving forward, we must focus on the impact that it may have on the students we work with. As school psychologists, we need to continue the job that our fallen Sandy Hook colleague, Mary Sherlach, lost her life doing: helping our students. 

Below is a list of resources to help students and families cope with crisis and tragedies, and the feelings and fears that may arise from such events. This is by no means exhaustive--PLEASE share further resources that have been helpful to you in your practice.

Tips for Teachers and Parents Following School and Community Violence (PowerPoint; NASP)
School Shootings: How to Empower Kids in the Face of Armed School Violence (KidPower)
15 Ways to Help Your Child Through Crisis (KidsPeace)
Talking With Kids About News: Age-by-Age Insight (PBS Parents)
Helping Kids Cope: When the Unthinkable Happens in Your Backyard (NYU Child Study Center)
Caring For Kids After a School Shooting (Child Mind Institute)
Tips for School Administrators for Reinforcing School Safety (NASP)
The 12 Core Concepts: Concepts for Understanding Traumatic Stress Responses in Children and Families (National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
Crisis or Trauma Reactions (NASP)
Talking With Children About Difficult Subjects: Illness, Death, Violence, and Disaster (NYU Child Study Center)
Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers (NASP)
A National Tragedy: Helping Children Cope (NASP)
Kids May Ask Questions About the Newtown Shooting. Be Frank and Reassuring, Psychologist Says (WFPL)
How to Help Children Cope with a Crisis (Save the Children)
How to Talk to Your Kids About the Conn. Shootings (NPR)
Helping Youth and Children Recover From Traumatic Events (multiple links; Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools)
Talking with Students in Response to the Sandy Hook Shootings (School Counseling by Heart)
Tragedy and Disaster Response Resources (multiple links; School Counselor Blog)

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Awkward Conversations at School, Part 1

(because you know there will be more)

I love when I have experiences that are totally off the wall at work and give me gleeful bouts of laughter when I reflect on them. Yesterday, I got called down to have a conference with a student and the substitute principal, Mr. G. The student, who has never been a behavior problem and who I've never even seen before, was poking kids with a paper clip and pulled a chair out from under another student. Dangerous behaviors, and uncharacteristic, so we tried to figure out what was up. The student was tight-lipped, noncompliant, and full of crocodile tears, so it didn't go anywhere. The fun part came after the conference, when Mr. G said that he had a story to tell me. It went a little something like this (somewhat abbreviated for clarity and amusement):

Mr. G: "When I was the principal at XX Elementary, one of my kindergarten teachers brought a student into my office because the girl had punched the teacher in the stomach. I kept the girl in my office with me, talked to her, and sent her back to class after a half an hour. Not fifteen minutes later, the teacher was back because the girl had punched her again. Well, I knew this couldn't continue, so I had to suspend her. A kindergartener! When we were at the hearing for her suspension, I noticed she was acting strangely. Her eyes were looking up at the ceiling as she slouched and slid up and down in her chair. Now, I was a music teacher before I was a principal, and this girl was speaking in a voice that no child of her age and gender could naturally make. She kept groaning, 'I hate you, Miss Ray... I hate you, Miss Ray.' .... Now, I have to ask you... as a psychologist, do you believe in possession?"

Me: 0_o "Um."

Mr. G: "No, really. Do you believe in possession, do you have that faith? Because there's something wrong with that girl." [the one we had just conferenced with, who had thankfully left the room]

Ah... awkward, inappropriate conversations in the workplace. Needless to say, I booked it out of there before he started explaining any other uncomfortable and outlandish viewpoints that his music teacher expertise may have given him about behavior and mental health.

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Popcorn-y Goodbyes

Today was the last session of my first grade emotions/anger management group. Sad face... although without a doubt I haven't seen the last of those kiddos!

At the close of our previous session, the boys got to choose the treat that I would bring to our last group session, and the overwhelming choice was popcorn. Really? This was over cupcakes and ice cream sandwiches? Cool! (and since I was out sick this week and actually almost forgot, it's a good thing, since I had popcorn in the cabinet and didn't need to run to the store :) )

I brought Candy Land with me to play while we munched on our popcorn, and while fun and games it was, we were also learning! I'm sure I've said it 42 times, but I really enjoy playing simple board games with young kiddos to work on good sportsmanship, coping with losing, turn-taking, and other general social skills, plus counting/adding/subtracting, color recognition, etc for these little guys. With scaffolding and explicit modeling from me, it went really well. You can't help but feel silly saying, "G, it's now your turn, please pick your card. Everyone, what card did G draw? What color? How many? Let's count together, one purple, two purple. Great job, G please hand me your card. Okay, D, it's now your turn, please pick your card. Gentlemen, what card did D draw? ..." while playing Candy Land with four 6-7 year olds, but the continual, constant prompting and reminders really do help.

Hard to believe 8 weeks is over already! I'm going to buckle down and get some CSE work done before Christmas, with perhaps more group planning for the new year. Right now, my other colleagues are heading their own groups (4th and 5th grade girls groups focusing on bullying, 6th grade 6:1+1 group focusing on anger management and self-expression, and more!), so I'll take a breather and get my test on.

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The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Our group lesson this week was a continuation of problem solving with a touch of "accepting consequences," and once again, I dipped into Skillstreaming for my outline and ideas. The lesson was almost torn asunder by the fact that our library didn't have the picture book I needed, but my social worker came through in the 7th hour like a trooper.

I read The Tale of Peter Rabbit to prime the lesson, which, side note, I had no idea was written over 100 years ago. The more you know. Also, I really need to use bibliotherapy more in my counseling endeavours. Anyway, the boys were a little squirmy (surprised?), but it's amazing how fast the wiggliest of kiddos calms when a story is being read to them. Peter Rabbit is a great story about what happens when we make poor decisions. Peter's mother tells him not to go in Mr. MacGregor's garden, but that rascally rabbit does it anyway, and gets the fright of his life as a consequence.

After we finished the story, I took the opportunity to practice some reading comprehension with the boys. We reviewed that story in sequence and also answered literal "wh" questions, to make sure they had a grasp on the details. We also discussed the choice that Peter made (going into Mr. MacGregor's garden), why it was a poor choice, and what the consequences were for his decision. We talked about the choices he could have made instead that would have been better (i.e. going only where his mom said, playing with his three siblings, staying home, etc) and what the consequences of those might have been. Not a lot of "text to self" connections, but in this isolated story, the boys were spot on!

This was out last "teaching" session of group. Next time, we'll have a little party, but of course I'll bring some skills into it as well. The plan is, amongst our popcorn chomping and cupcake licking, to play some board games to work on social skills, turn-taking, sharing, and good sportsmanship. Every opportunity is one to learn something!

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Homeless, but not Helpless

Regardless of the kind of area you work in, homelessness is probably a bigger problem than you think. In urban settings, it's even more pronounced. I recently attended a training on the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and the services available to families experiencing homelessness, and it was so informative and helpful. It was one of those trainings where I could use the information immediately the next day-- and did.

The biggest misconception about homeless is that the family is living on the streets, but it's actually living without a permanent home (specifically, a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence). "Homelessness," per the McKinney-Vento Act, can look like one of the following:

• Sharing housing.
• Living in a motel, hotel, trailer with wheels, or campground.
• Emergency or transitional shelters.
• Awaiting a foster care placement.
• Cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, standard housing, bus or train stations.
• A nighttime residence not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation (i.e. park bench).

The biggest qualifier I see in my school is families sharing housing. It's actually astounding the amount of my kiddos who would qualify for McKinney-Vento now that I know this is considered a form of homelessness, because they do not have their own permanent residence. We also see a lot of families living in hotels.

How do you know if a family might be homeless? Watch the students closely. Are they wearing the same clothes every day, or don't have clothing appropriate to the weather conditions? Do they hoard food, ask for seconds, etc? Do they have working telephone numbers? Are they evasive about their living situation when asked? 

The McKinney-Vento removes the barriers impeding homeless children from attending school. It ensures homeless children transportation to and from school free of charge, allowing them to attend their school of origin (the last school they were enrolled at or the school they attended at their last permanent residence), regardless of what district the family resides in. It also requires schools to register homeless children immediately, even if they lack normally required documents, such as immunization records or proof of residence. Even after finding permanent housing, a family can access McKinney-Vento services for a year afterwards.

One thing that concerned me was how little I knew about the McKinney-Vento act. As an educator, I didn't know about a vital act that ensures proper education for disadvantaged students? And if I didn't know much about these resources, what about the parents?

Just a few days after the training, we were notified of a family who had experienced a house fire and has been living in a hotel for the past two months. The five kiddos in the family were wearing the same clothes every day, didn't have coats (good ol' Western NY weather is unkind), and always seemed hungry. Mom came into school looking for support, and we were able to provide her with quite a lot immediately. We gave the students extra uniform pants and shirts and also enrolled them in our school's Backpack Program, which provides a backpack of nonperishable food from the local food bank to students for the weekend. I also notified our district's McKinney-Vento liaison, who will contact mom for further support.

As school psychologists, we may seem to be primarily responsible for the appropriate education of special education students. However, we need to be mindful of the resources and tools that will lead to the proper instruction of ALL students. Investigate the McKinney-Vento act, find out who your district's liaison is, and refer families. You never know who might be in need. 

Here is the full text of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Asisstance Act, for those ambitious folks out there.

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A Day Without Accomplishing a Thing in Group is a Day Wasted

Today in group, the lesson was on problem-solving! Last time, we reviewed all the steps we've learned to identify how we're feeling, know how our body feels, and ways to calm down--all of which the kiddos have to do first before they can problem solve. Today's lesson was mostly based off of Skill #30 in Skillstreaming in Early Childhood. The boys would be thinking of different choices they could make in a certain situation, picking a "good" choice, then talking about how they would carry that out. Sounds great, right?

I felt like this, only with clothes and
without the sweet hat.

Wrong. Group was pretty much a waste.

Today was the class's first day with a new student who is going to be very challenging. He is brand new to our building and his grandma and mom came in before he arrived to let us know what a terror he is. Awesome, you know things are going to be stellar when you get the "he's terrible" talk two weeks before he arrives. Well, little L arrived in a wind storm of crazy, and swept all the other boys into his tornado of nuts.

Pretty much all we were able to accomplish today was talking out different choices we could make in the situations in the Skillstreaming book. L was so off-task and distracting (crawling on the floor, playing in the sink, pulling math manipulatives off the shelves, playing with a yard stick), the other munchkins couldn't focus for very long. We'll have to chock this one up to experience and work harder next time. To stay in line with School Psychology Awareness Week, my strength for today was knowing when to walk away.

And I did... really quickly.



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Putting the Group Pieces Together

Today's 1st grade group counseling session was very productive! I grabbed Mr. S, another colleague, to come up and assist, as I had role-plays planned and knew that one of me and four of them wouldn't be productive. Our lesson today was putting together the skills we've been learning, so that we can look towards problem-solving (that'll come next time).

We reviewed and reinforced ad nauseum how to identify a feeling and practiced showing with our bodies what different emotions looked like. We mostly focus on "anger" in this group, because that's what these little kiddos with Emotional Disturbances are most troubled by, but we also were able to work on "sad" and "excited," too. After we reviewed the emotional side of things, we reviewed all the different ways to relax when upset, and practiced a few all together, like deep breathing and counting backwards.

After we finished our review, Mr. S and I each took two kiddos to break up and work through scenarios from the Skillstreaming in Early Childhood manual, Skill #28. We gave each boy a scenario or two and had them go through the steps we've been learning:

• Identify the feeling
• Notice how the body feels
• Relax and calm down
• Stop
• (next we'll add "Think" and "Problem Solve")

While they acted out the steps, Mr. S and I helped their partner identified each one. For instance, as each kiddo was modeling how their body felt, the partner pointed out different things the body was doing that meant they were angry or sad (i.e. growling, clenched hands, arms crossed, stomping feet, red face). Then as a trio, we would pick a calming down strategy and practice it together. J came up with a great strategy all on his own--singing the alphabet slowly. I praised him up and down for that good idea, and of course, we all sang it together (his teacher was also impressed, because the class is missing a lot of foundational skills needed for first grade, like letter recognition and sound-symbol correspondence). After we practiced in pairs, we came back to the large group and had J and D, the more put together kiddos of the day, model for everyone. 

The biggest challenge with these kiddos is getting them to sit after our activity or lesson to process. Even with Mr. S's help, the boys had a lot of trouble sitting back down on the rug and listening for a few minutes of talking about what we did today and what we learned. They were under tables, standing by bulletin boards, rolling/laying on the floor, etc. The processing at the end of a lesson is important to me to sum things up and set up the next lesson, but I feel like I leave group lately with things hanging unfinished. On the upside, this was a worthwhile lesson, and it seems like at least the kiddos are remembering what we talk about in group--even if they can't always practice it!

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