Talking to Children about Marijuana

 

Photo from MJ Dispensaries of Southern California

 A few days ago, the Associated Press released a story on how families in Washington and Colorado are having a difficult time explaining marijuana to their children, especially with more liberal laws which naturally bring about a great prevalence of medical marijuana dispensaries in their states.  It was a fairly captivating and even-handed article on the dilemma that some of these parent feel they have.  This prompted the NORML to come out with a response, insisting that it doesn't have to be a complicated matter to talk about pot with your children:

Education gives children the tools and understanding to help them cope with the challenges they have already experienced, and will continue to face further down the road.  Creating a government regulated system for marijuana legalization, which will include everything from age limits to promotional and advertising restrictions (and obviously impaired driving regulations), will actually help parents address this issue with their kids.  Several studies have already shown that states with regulated marijuana programs have not seen an increase in teen use.  Some have even seen a decrease in pot use among their youth population.

The prohibition of marijuana sends the message “marijuana is morally wrong” and implies that there is no such thing as a responsible marijuana consumer.  This ignorant policy improperly allows the government to interfere in the parent’s job of teaching their kids about moderation and responsibility.  Scare tactics and rhetoric are disingenuous and do not help children understand the realities of the world we live in.

I understand why parents may nervous about having the marijuana talk with their child, especially given our country's long history of looking down upon cannabis and it's users.  But as the facts about marijuana become more understood, and the laws for marijuana become more lenient, these conversations should not only become easier, the tone and direction of the conversation should look different than it has in the past.  I personally think the best way to approach such a conversation can be found by the Cannabis Consumers Campaign website article entitled "Talk to Your Kids About Pot: JUST SAY 'WAIT UNTIL YOU GROW UP.'"   Here is an exert:

Many adult cannabis consumers are put in an awkward position with regard to their children. When they were younger, many hid their use from their parents. Now they are hiding it from their kids. Some people feel that it's easier just to keep their use separate from their children, in order to avoid dealing with the subject until the children are older. Others are quite open and honest about it, hoping to "normalize" their use, and teach responsible use by example -- like people who would have a drink of alcohol in front of their children. Regardless of which path you take in this matter, it's important to be involved in your kids' lives and to keep the lines of communication open with them.

Parents and other adults are role models to their children. If you are open about your use, be conscious of the values, ethics and behavior you are teaching your children. Show them what responsible use means. Don't use cannabis as an excuse for not upholding your personal responsibilities or for acting carelessly. One thing that must be taught to your children is that this activity is currently illegal and the social and legal consequences can be quite severe for the entire family. They need to know that cannabis choice is a private, family matter that should not be discussed outside the home, as some people don't like it and want to punish people who use it, just like some people hate others for being of a different race. It's not right, but there are people who are intolerant and mean. Tell them that you think the laws against cannabis are wrong, and it should be legally controlled, like alcohol. If they see you actively working to reform the laws, they will learn that cannabis laws need to be fixed, and its consumers should be held to the same social and legal standards as alcohol or tobacco users.

If you don't consume cannabis -- at least not in front of the children -- it is still important to talk to them about marijuana. You may want to wait for the subject to arise, but be prepared when it does. If you think they are using marijuana, you should bring it up right away, not as an attack but as a topic of mutual concern. Otherwise, bring the subject up whenever you find it appropriate; but since many kids go through DARE or a similar propaganda class at age 10 or 11, you should not wait too much longer than that age, and you should definitely bring up the subject by age 16. Be factual and direct. Don't get into things that are above the heads of your child and their age group. If they are being subjected to the DARE program, take the opportunity to review their class materials with them, correct the lies, and have an honest discussion with them.

Be up front, but keep it simple. Be cautious in discussing your own history, because it can backfire on you (example: "How would you know if you've never tried it" or "Well, you did it, so why shouldn't I?"). Don't try to squeeze this talk into a tight time slot; allow enough time to thoroughly discuss the issues that come up in the discussion.

The article is worth a read, especially for parents who feel they do face a "pot talk dilemma".  And while I haven't talked to my wife about it yet, I would like to think we will have a similar cannabis conversation with our children when the time comes.

On a side note about pot, this clip of Congressman Jared Polis questioning DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart is making the rounds on the web.  Ms. Leonhart could not answer whether heroin and meth were dangerous or more addictive than pot, which defies common sense.  

Back Again With Some Good News

Greetings, I have decided to come back AGAIN after another one of those unannounced hiatuses of mine (Jesus, I am such a bad blogger).

Since September, I have been working as a paraprofessional at for teenagers with behavior disorders for a school in Kansas.  In addition, I have had an evening job working as a tutor for reading and math skills.  I have worked these jobs with near-complete enjoyment, but always with the main goal of obtaining another full-time teaching position.

The reason for this most recent hiatus, quite honestly, was the stress of looking for a new teaching job was getting to me (again).  I slipped into that unhealthy, depressed state that I had last year while looking for a job.  Self-doubt became my closest frienemy.  I started smoking again, I was not sleeping very well and all I could obsess on nearly every minute of every day was whether or not I would ever teach again.

Before I go any further on that issue, I would first like to give an update on a student I spent a lot of time with, and blogged about during my paraprofessional work experience.  I continued to work with this particular student throughout the school year, but with a month or two left, the student was getting in trouble so often that his parents were afraid at some point, he may end up getting himself in trouble with the law at school.  He exited our program, and entered another program with less emphasis on academics, and more on behavior treatment.  As unfortunate as it was that he reached this point, I know it was the right thing for this young man.  I can look back on my work with him, and know I did the best I could.  I do question whether he got anything academically out of this program, but I know for a fact that both he and his parents were satisfied with job that I and the other staff members did in working with him. 

The other, much more positive news I wanted to share is that I WILL BE TEACHING AGAIN!



A small school district on the Missouri side of the Kansas City border has hired me to work with middle school students who have behavior disorders.  In addition to an impressive interview, I can also give credit to this most recent employment news to the experience I obtained this past year as a paraprofessional.  Even after I accepted the offer, I continued to receive phone calls for other job interviews.  All of these were with fine school districts, but I knew the opportunities afforded to me with this position were too numerous to turn down.  The administrators of the school informed me that I would be given a lot of freedom and responsibility for what happens with my students at school.  In addition, I am in charge of only a half-dozen students, I have very little paperwork, and I can set my schedule as I please for most of the day.  Translation: I get to spend more time actually helping students.

This, as well as some other things going on in my life, has me feeling more optimistic about my future than I probably have ever felt in my entire life.  What better time than now to start up my blog again? 

For readers of this blog (what few of you currently exist), let me reiterate (as I have in the past) that this may not be the last hiatus my blog ever encounters.  Ongoing events in my life - both personal and professional - will dictate the volume of activity this blog will see.  In the meantime, I hope you will read and enjoy.

Thanksgiving, 2011

Tomorrow, I will be going to Iowa to celebrate Thanksgiving with some of my wife's family.  It is a tradition that we have done every year since we were engaged, and one I have grown to love dearly.  It is a wonderful time to see members of her family I don't get to see very often.  It is also a time to relax and unwind. I get a few days off to stuff my face with food, shop, and otherwise, take it easy (I usually catch up on a lot of reading on this trip).  

 Photo from holidaywallpapers.org

So I am definitely thankful for that.  But there are plenty of other things I am thankful for this year:

• I am thankful for the fact that my wife and I are both now working.  While I would certainly prefer to have an actual teaching job, I am just glad to still be working at all (especially given what a tough year we have had).  I feel very confident that my current position will lead to something better, and we are so fortunate to have the jobs we do given the our economic situation.   Speaking of which . . .
• I am thankful that we are in a decent spot financially.  No, not great; not even that good; but decent.  As I said, we are both working, and we are able to make ends meet.  We are making enough that we are somewhat financially secure from month-to-month.  Hopefully, we can get to a point where we can afford a house, as well as afford to have a child.  Mentally and emotionally, we are ready for both.  But we have to be patent for now.  We are, however, a lot more financially secure than we were when we first got married.  We were basically broke, but we have been able to save since then.  And as with out job situation, we could be a lot worse off given how so many other people are doing in our country.  While we are discussing economics . . .
• I am thankful for the Occupy Wall Street movement.  I won't say I agree with everything they are doing, and I sometimes wish they had more specific ideas (like these).  But it is long overdue that a movement such as this exists.  By that, I mean people actually marching in the streets and bringing attention to all of the damage done by the excesses and deregulation of our economic system.  I don't know what reforms will ultimately come of this movement, but I know that there are a lot of dedicated people who will keep it going. 

Photo from http://weheartit.com/

• I am thankful for Weight Watchers.  That's right, Weight Watchers  I've been on the diet 2 months, and have almost lost 10 pounds.  I am sure I would have lost a lot more if I exercised more than 3 times a week.  I have tried for years off and on to lose weight, but this is the only thing that has really worked so far.  I won't say it's for everyone.
• I am thankful that an old fraternity brother and one of my best friends became a father yesterday.  I mean this especially because I know he has had some of his own personal struggles in recent years, but now seems more focused and at peace than he ever has.  I can't wait to visit him and see the baby.
• I am thankful that after months of going back and forth between a physical rehabilitation program and the hospital, my grandmother has finally settled into a proper nursing home.  And she seems happy about being in the nursing home, which is a pleasant surprise.
• I am thankful for books (especially my new Kindle), video games, and movies.  OK, that is the lazy, materialistic American side of me.
• I am thankful that I decided not to give up on this blog. 
• I am thankful for Missouri Tigers football.  So this hasn't been our best year for football.   But we've got one more game: our final border showdown with Kansas  before we go to the SEC.  M-I-Z . . .

Photo from The Boston 'Zou

• I am thankful that in a month from now, I will get to spend Christmas with my parents and my childhood friends in Central Missouri.
• I am thankful for my dog, and for all of the progress we have made in improving his behavior this year.  It wasn't that long ago he was barking at every little noise he heard, and trying to bite my hand when I reached over his head.  But my in-laws were gracious enough to pay for us to take him to a behavior specialist (you heard me right).  I love you, you crazy little mutt!
• I am thankful for this . . .

 . . . and this . . .

• I am thankful for my wife!  I love you more than anything in the world!

Work Update

Recently, I have been rather hesitant to write new "Highlight of the Day" segments of my blog. This is something that is supposed to force me to update my blog on a near-daily basis by talking about an interesting or funny story from work.  Currently, my work is being a one-on-one with a young man who has autism.  These days, my job consists mostly of the same schedule everyday.

In the morning, my student comes to school, and we spend the first few hours of school dealing with bad behavior.  These includes inappropriate language and topics of conversation, violent and threatening language, hitting and kicking objects, and throwing objects.  When he get's angry and aggressive (and there isn't always a reason why he gets angry), I become the primary target of his aggression because I spend the most time with him.  So far, I have been kicked, spit on, and had various objects thrown at me.  Some of this behavior is work avoidance, and some of it is his Torette's.  Depending on the day, there is little or any school work that gets done by lunch.  He goes to lunch, and usually takes a nap (a product of the different types of medicine he is on).  By the time he wakes up, he has time to do maybe one or two assignments.  There are usually less than 2 hours left by the time we reach this point in the school day.  With maybe an occasional exception here and there, my student's schedule goes like this everyday.

I guess I have been hesitant to write about my job because, frankly, I haven't felt like writing about it.  At times, my job is fascinating and silly (he can be a really funny and sweet kid).  At other times, it is frustrating and downright depressing.  I feel so bad for the emotional roller coaster that his mind takes him on from hour-to-hour.  A lot of nights, the last thing I want to do is sit down and write about these difficult days in an internet post.  I hope readers will understand where I am coming from.

That doesn't mean I won't ever share any stories.  For instance, my student was talking about Monty Python yesterday, and he did his impression of the monks who hit themselves from The Holy Grail.  I don't think I have laughed that hard in a long time, and I know the other adults in the room thought it was funny too (by the way, he didn't actually hit himself).  For those of you who have never seen The Hold Grail and don't know what I'm talking about: first of all, SHAME ON YOU FOR NOT SEEING IT.  Go rent it right now.  Secondly, here are the monks who hit themselves.

It Gets Better

Photo of Mitchell Wilson from Huffington Post

Over the past year or so, the "It Get's Better" has garnered much attention to the issue of GLBT teens committing suicide after they were bullied in school.  It started out as a project to GLBT teens, but has seemed to morphed into a message for all teens who are bullied, regardless of their sexual orientation.  It is a wonderful message that more teens need to hear.

Above is a picture of Mitchell Wilson.  Mitchell was an 11-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy in Ontario, Canada who committed suicide after being beaten up and robbed by another student.  Mitchell was the previous recipient of bullying, and after the assault, he was so terrified of going back to school and running into that student that he took his own life.  More details on Mitchell's death can be found here, but there is so much to be disturbed about this story on so many levels.  It is more than just the fact that he was a young man who was bullied, and committed suicide.  It is the fact that Mitchell was so young (not even a teenager), the fact that he was physically disabled, and the fact he wasn't merely teased or pushed around, but violently assaulted.  There have been very few stories in my life that have made me as sick as this one. 

Certainly, bullying is an all too frequent part of school growing up.  Traditionally, adults have taken a nonchalance attitude towards it.  Some will say it's merely a case of "kids being kids".  Others see it almost as a right of passage, or it will make someone a stronger person in the long run.  I can't say there isn't a hint of truth in any of those assertions, but it doesn't mean that bullying is harmless, and it certainly shouldn't be tolerated by anyone (especially adults).  Fortunately, times have changed, and people are not starting to wise up to how damaging bullying can be.  Since I started my career as an educator a couple of years ago, I have always had a zero tolerance attitude towards bullying in my classroom.  Mitchell's story has only renewed my commitment to stand up to bullying.

Like so many others, I was bullied growing up.  I wasn't bullied or assaulted in the same fashion that Mitchell was (although I did take my share of physical abuse from peers).  And I am straight, so I was not picked on for my sexual orientation (although I was called words like a "queer" and a "faggot" on several occasions).  I was simply a social awkward young man who was trying to fit in where I could.  Middle school was the most miserable three years of my life because of bullying.  I remember it being a good day at school when I was only called a "faggot" once, and maybe flicked in the ear a couple of times.

Oddly enough, a number of the students who bullied me I considered friends for the longest time.  For a while, I thought that beating each other up and calling each other hurtful names were how friends treated each other.  By the time I left middle school, I figured out that wasn't how friends treat each other, and I had almost no self-esteem left.  Suicide never crossed my mind, although I was probably really close to that becoming an option in my mind.  I do remember thinking that no one would ever love me and my life would never amount to anything.  There was very little I felt I could do about my own bullying at the time, although if I had to do it again, I would have probably tried to seek out help from school counselors. 

When I entered high school, I decided I would keep my mind and energy focused on getting good grades so I could go to college, and get a fresh start.  The bullying situation, for the most part, got better for me as high school went on, although I know that for so many others, the torment of bullying gets only worse.  One major regret I do have is not standing up whenever I saw other students get bullied.  I didn't stand up because I didn't want to get singled out myself.  I was afraid I would somehow divert the attention of bullying to myself.  I now wish I would have stood up and said something.

I ended up graduating high school and going to college.  I have done so much with my life since then.  This includes graduating college, starting my career, having lots of great friends, and getting married to a wonderful wife.  While I won't say I don't ever think about all those years I was tormented with bullying, I now know that my teenage years, as hard as they were, are only a small part of my life.  For anyone reading this post who happens to be in school now and is being bullied (regardless why you are being bullied), I want to let you know that IT DOES GET BETTER.  Know that no matter how hard it feels right now, it will not always be like this. 

I would like to add something else, and I know this may be hard for you to do if you are being bullied.  Do not look at your bully with hate.  At my current position, I work with students who have sever behavior and conduct disorders.  The students I work with frequently bully other students.  One thing I can tell you about such students is that they aren't bad people, and they aren't naturally prone bullying others.  Often times, they come from broken homes, and lives of dysfunction.  They may even be the products of bullying themselves, except the bullies in their lives may not be peers, but members of their own family.  By no means am I trying to justify their actions, and I would not go as far to say that you shouldn't take it personally.  Just know that generally, bullying comes from a place of pain and torment on the part of the bullier.

If you are having trouble dealing with bullying, there are a number of great outlets that you can go to and get help.  For starters, there is your school counselor, but there is also the National Suicide Prevention Hot line (1-800-273-8255), as well as stopbullying.gov.  Please, don't hesitate to get help if you need it. 

Highlight of the Day: 9/23/2011

OK, so this is a day late.  Sorry, I couldn't help that.

Yesterday was a workday for staff, and teachers had meetings and parent-teacher conferences.  We did have a staff meeting in between, and the staff got to talking about classroom safety issues.  My supervising teacher volunteered to work on a committee to come up with new ideas for classroom safety.  Because the last school I worked at was so safety intensive, I though I might be able to help out, so I quietly volunteered my name to her.  She then volunteered my name to the committee in front of the whole program staff (including the program director).  So in less than a month at my para job, I have become part of my first school committee.  It feels pretty good to be helping out, it makes me look good to my superiors, and I get to put that down on my resume. 

Highlight of the Day: 9/13/2011

Today went really well with the kids.  So far, the kids seem to enjoy my company, or at least tolerate me being there.  I talked with my supervising teacher about my long terms.  I told her that my goal for next year is to be hired as a teacher and to have my own classroom again, which she completely understood, and said she would try to support me in that goal in anyway she can.  And even though the teacher-to-student ratio in this program is small, she is still in need of drastic support in some of the class periods.  Too many students bunched together into a classroom who really shouldn't be with each other.  Because I have classroom experience, she has informed me that starting tomorrow, she would start giving me some classroom instruction responsibilities with parts of the class.  I'm a little nervous, but mostly excited.  I'm starting to feel like a true teacher again (I just wished I was being paid like one).

On This Day 10 Years Ago (Part 1 of 9/11 essays)

Image from Sacred Monkeys

I was a college student in the middle of Missouri.  I had just come back from eating breakfast at the dining hall, and I had some time to kill before I needed to go to class, so I turned the TV on.  The first thing that came on the TV were live images of both World Trade Center Towers on fire.  Kate Couric was on TV explaining that not just one, but two planes flew into the towers in New York City. My roommate, who was also at the dining hall, walked in a few minutes later and asked "what the hell is going on in New York?  All of the cafeteria staff are gathered around the TV."  I told him what I knew so far.  News reports started coming out that a plane had hit the Pentagon.  At this point, it was more than clear that the United States was under attack.

As I was getting ready for class, the South Tower collapsed.  At this point, I figured my professor would cancel class so everyone could go back to their dorms and watch what was going on.  I decided to go to the classroom and at least find out what my next assignment would be, thinking that is all that would happen.  But when he came into the classroom, made a comment about how crazy the events are, and proceeded with his lesson.

I couldn't believe he wanted to continue class.  I remember thinking that our nation was in the middle of being under attacked, planes were being hijacked all around the country and flown into landmarks, and this guy wanted to do was continue his statistical probability lecture.  Needless to say, my mind was not on statistical probability.  On September 10, 2001, if you had told me such attacks would take place, I would have called you crazy.  I though these things could only happened in movies. I started asking myself various questions. "How many more hijacked planes would be crashed?" "Are we going to be hit with a chemical or nuclear weapon?" 

I got back to my dorm room, where my roommate informed me the North Tower had collapsed, and that a fourth plane had crashed in Pennsylvania.  For the next several hours, I watched as the news and images continued to be broadcast from New York and Washington, D.C.  Like everyone else in American, and around the world that day, I was shocked by the unfolding events.  My roommate and others in our dorm were wondering who did it, and what would happen now.  The government and terrorism experts were pretty sure Osama Bin Laden were behind these attacks, but no one knew for sure yet.  If it wasn't this Bin Laden guy, then who would have done such a thing?  Was it spies from another country?  Was it right-wing extremists like the Timothy McVeigh in Oklahoma City?  Were we going to invade another country?  Would there be a draft?  Who the hell were we going to have to kill because of this?

Everyone on campus (like the rest of America) was scared.  We didn't know if there would be more attacks after this or not.  Lots of students went to the college chapel for an impromptu memorial service.  I was still a Christian then, but even some nonbelievers attended so they could be with others in this time of tragedy.   The president of the college, a former military man, gave a speech on overcoming fear.  It became a cliche later, but emphasized the need to stay strong and not to hastily look for retribution, or the terrorists would win.  I remember finding that very comforting, and tried to take his words to heart in the days and weeks to come.  I wish more people in our country could have done the same.

My roommate and I were glued to the news on TV for the next couple of days.  We barely left the dorm except to go to class and eat.  I did not let fear overcome me as it did so many others, but I do remember feeling an immense amount of grief.  I would especially choke up whenever I saw the images of people walking around New York with pictures of their missing loved ones, asking to be contact if someone saw them.  I knew, and I think most other people knew that they would probably never see their loved ones again.  And no one knew what the number of casualties would end up being?  No one would know for another year, that it would be a little bit over 3,000 lives lost.  But at the time, people were speculating as high as tens of thousands of dead.



Part 2 , which will emphasize the aftermath of 9/11, will come either tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime, here is a video I found on Andrew Sullivan's The Daily Dish.  It is a video that features John Vigiano Sr. who lost both of his sons in the 9/11 attacks.  One was a firefighter, one was a police officer.

My New Job

Tomorrow, I start my new job as a paraprofessional.  As I have mentioned before, I will be working with teenagers who primarily have Behavior Disorders.  For those who are not involved with public education, you may be asking yourself a couple of questions: First, what is a "Paraprofessional"?  Second, what constitutes a "Behavior Disorder"?

To begin with, a paraprofessional is similar to an aid or a teacher's assistant. Often times, they work with individual students or in small groups with students who have special needs (legally, those who have an IEP). 

While not always the most reliable source for information, Wikipedia has a pretty good description of the typical duties of a paraprofessional (or "para" for short):

Paraprofessional educators generally assist teachers in the classroom, supervise students outside of the classroom, or provide administrative support for teaching.^[2] Job duties range from filling teaching positions to supplementing regular classroom curriculum with additional enrichment activities for students. Other positions include classroom aides, special education aides, school library technical assistants, and tutors.
Some paraprofessionals work directly with students, in which case they may listen to students practice reading aloud, help students understand and complete their assignments, or assist students with special needs.^[2]
Many paraprofessionals are assigned to supervise groups of students who are eating, playing outside, or on field trips. They may be assigned to perform clerical work for a teacher, in which case they may grade assignments, type up records for attendance or grades, set up equipment, and help prepare materials for instruction, e.g., by making photocopies of worksheets.^[2]
Many teacher assistants work primarily or exclusively with students who have special educational needs. Their duties vary according to the needs of the student, and may include physical care for students who are unable to care for themselves (such as feeding, lifting, moving, or cleaning), behavioral management, or academic assistance.^[2]
The role of the Paraprofessional Educator is constantly evolving. Today, more than ever, paraprofessionals are teaching lessons, working with small groups for remediation, leading extracurricular clubs/sports and are no longer simply the "Teacher's Aide" of the past.

As for students with Behavior Disorders, there are a couple of ways to look at it.  First, there is the official definition of IDEA (the official federal law outlining what special education is).  It is technically called "Emotional Disturbances":

"(i) The term means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance:

(A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors
(B) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.
(C) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.
(D) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.
(E) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

(ii) The term includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance" (CFR §300.7 (a) 9).

Secondly, there is the broader version of students who have "behavior disorders".  To the best of my understanding, I will be working with more than just students who fall under the legal definition under IDEA.  They can have any other disability (or multiple disabilities) outlined in IDEA, but they have difficulty functioning in a regular classroom.  For more information on Behavior Disorders, I found education.com has a solid and thorough overview.

By the way, if you stumble across this blog and find that I misstated something about the nature of behavior disorders (or paraprofessionals for that matter), or that I should add something, please don't hesitate to comment or contact me on Twitter.  I want to make sure I am as accurate as possible.  In addition, I will let you know more specific details of my job in the next couple of days once I have actually started working.  I'm ready to go!

Being a Teacher During These Times

Here comes another post where I blab about my personal problems, as well as re-post comments I made on another blog.  I don't intentionally do it, it just keeps happening.

I read this amazing blog post by Political Kick blog about the, uh, joys being married to a public school teacher.  It broke my heart reading it, because I know my wife has stated similar stuff before about being married to me.  An excerpt:

It is hardest for me to be married to a teacher because if you have the privilege of knowing one like my wife, you know that it will be hard to ever live up to the fierce dedication, commitment, and love that keeps them going. That despite the salary cuts and the hate, the misrepresentation of their work and the impossibility of the demands, they will push on. 

What I know is that I am married to a woman who loves what she does and her students so much that that she would gladly break herself for them. This breaks my heart: Not because of how much it hurts her to keep trying, but from the sheer pride I feel to stand with her every step of the way. 

Here is what I posted in the comments section.  I started writing it, and felt it deserved it's own post about halfway through:

I was a special education teacher for the past 2 years. I know exactly the cost, hours, and struggles you are writing about. And so does my wife. She married me a few weeks before I began my first year as a teacher. It was often a very difficult and trying first year of our marriage. Not only because of the extra hours I worked, but also because of the financial burden we were under. Things got a little better as time went on, but this past year, my contract was not renewed (not tenured, budget cuts). I tried not to take it too personally, but it definitely felt like all the hours and hard work I put in were unappreciated by my school. 

I have a new job as a paraprofessional. While it doesn't pay nearly what a teacher's salary is (which is not much to begin with), I am still glad to have a job in education. It is what I love to do more than anything in the world.  


What I find interesting is that a few years ago, teachers were considered overworked and underpaid by almost every politician in America. Now, in this economy, and budgets being what they are, many consider teachers having it easy. To some extent, we do have it easy when comparing how teachers are doing to so many others in this economy. 

But rather than helping those who are in need, politicians pick on teachers, and insist they need to have it hard too (when it is already a difficult job). Rather than raising taxes on the wealthy to help the poor and unemployed, we make cuts to services (including education) for those who need it the most. I know that one day, I will be teaching in a public school again. I can only hope that the climate for teachers changes for the better by them (but we may have to fight for it). 

A Video for Sunday

One of the things I have missed posting the most since my hiatus were my Sunday videos.  Allow me to explain why I post videos for Sunday, because I'm not sure I ever have.

 I am an Atheist, but I grew up in a Christian Protestant denomination.  I no longer have a belief in God or the supernatural because, as rational individual, belief in such things does not make sense.  However, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of church growing up.  I would be lying if I said I didn't miss it a little bit.  In addition to a sense of community that church provided, I enjoyed the lessons and stories that I learned, as well as the opportunities for mediation on life that my church provided.  I could never get past the superstitions and a lot of the Christian dogma of Christianity or any religion (hence, me becoming an Atheist).  But I took away so many other life lessons from my church. This included the importance of treating people with love and compassion (even those you may not like), the importance for standing up for the poor and weak, and standing up for what is just and right.  These are values and simple traditions I have tried my best to hold onto, even though I am no longer a person of faith.  Sunday videos are my own attempts to recapture those traditions and lessons of life that I received growing up, but in a more secular (and hopefully, entertaining) fashion.  Sometimes, my videos may deal with helping others.  Sometimes they may deal with issues of social justice.  Sometimes they may deal with the origins of existence and our place as human beings in the world.  Sometimes it may be just a fun video that hopefully gives you something to think about.

This week's video comes from Carl Sagan's series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.  Over the past year, I have grown to be a huge Carl Sagan fan, and am currently in the middle of watching the whole Cosmos series on YouTube.  This particular clip has to do with the evolution of human beings. The special effects are far from spectacular by today's standards, but the video still gives viewers something amazing to ponder.



I am happy that they are making a new Cosmos series, produced by Seth MacFarlane, and hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson (perfect Choice).

Looking though old posts and . . .

I found this one from early March:

Reviewed my teacher evaluation with a principal today.  I definitely improved since the last time I was evaluated.  While I still have some improvements to make, I am definitely proud of how I did.  Now I just have to wait to hear from the powers that be about whether or not they want to renew my contract for next year.  Keeping my fingers crossed.

I laugh at this now, but little did I know then . . .  

Back for Good (for now anyways)

Photo from NewsLetterTree

The last time I published anything on this blog, I had recently found out I lost my high school teaching job, and I was starting to look for a new teaching position.  I promised that I would try to keep my blog going, but given that my last blog post was five months ago, I guess that didn't quite work out.  I can tell you that the last time I posted, I was feeling pretty optimistic about my future. 

But I can only spend so much time feeling sorry for myself.  A short period of self-pity is quite necessary, but overdoing it is not going to help me be a better teacher, or find me a new job.  So, I dove headfirst into the job hunt, and I have been there ever since. 

Turns out the job hunt was more difficult that I thought it would be.  I had numerous job interviews in the past five months, all of which got my hopes up, but only to lead to disappointment when I didn't get it.  Sometimes, I didn't interview as well as I would have liked to.  Sometimes, I gave a good interview, but someone else did better.  I even had one interview at a charter school in Kansas City that was combative and quite bizarre (I will share that story another day).  The point is, with education cuts being what they are in these times, the amount of teachers looking for new jobs is pretty astonishing, and makes for a difficult job hunt (even in special education where there is always a need). That new teaching job never came.

Not only did my self-pity return, but it became a chronic condition.  At times, I grew quite bitter and depressed.  I was already out of shape with little to no exercise, a poor diet, and constantly stressed before my job loss.  I added the habit of smoking to my "healthy" lifestyle (I have now mostly quit).  I was not only worried about my future financially, I began to wonder whether I wasted my time and money going back to school a few years back to become a teacher.  I knew I love what I did, but was all this an indication that I'm not a good teacher, or that I don't deserve to teach?  

When I talked to one of my supervisors shortly after hearing the news about my non-renewal, I promised that I would try to stay positive and not let this effect my job.  She said that while I had a good attitude, that would probably not last.  At some point, the reality of the news would hit me, and I might need to take a day for myself.  To some extent, she was incorrect.  I never "took a day for myself", and there wasn't an exact moment where the news "hit me".  As for the work in my remaining time at the High School, I never really faltered in my duties as a teacher or case manager.  I knew the responsibilities of my job (and to my students) were too important.  However, I got very lax in some of the ways I approached different rules set out for teachers (dress code, showing up late, leaving early, etc.)  I always told myself the same thing: "what are they going to do, fire me?" For the most part, the point my supervisor was trying to make was correct.  Slowly, the reality of my situation did get to me. 

I decided shortly after my last blog post, whenever the feelings of depression and self-pity started occurring more, I did not want to continue posting for a while (certainly while I didn't have a new job lined up).  I did not want my personal problems and negative attitude to be the focus this blog, which it would have been.  I started using my Twitter account again a couple of months back, and expressed some of my frustrations there (in the form of 140 characters or less).  But that is not what I want this blog to be about.  I vowed to myself that I would stop blogging until things in my life were a little more in order.  I made no announcement of this, I just stopped.

Well, as this post indicates, I'm starting again.  About a month ago, I started doing math and reading tutoring  at a company in Overland Park, KS a couple nights a week.  It doesn't pay much, but the fact they wanted me to work there gave me a major boost of confidence that I hadn't felt in months.  Then, a couple of days ago, a technical center in Northeast Kansas hired me as a paraprofessional.  I start next week, and I will be working with high school students who have Behavior Disorders.

Granted, I would much rather have a regular teaching job, but for now, I am happy with this job.  For starters, I get to work in a really excellent school district that could lead to something better in the future.  Plus, since I don't have to plan lessons or work on IEPs, I have more time to do other things I like (exercising, reading, hanging out with my wife, and blogging of course).  More importantly, I will continue to do what I love: educate and help young people with special needs (just in a different capacity).  Financially, things are still up in the air.  The pay cut I get with this job is pretty significant.  However, my wife recently interviewed with a company that pays pretty well, and will hopefully be hired there pretty soon.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

These past few months have been some of the most difficult and stressful months of my life.  This whole experience has probably been as demoralizing as anything I have ever gone through.  Sometimes, an experience like mine provides some type of life lesson, but I haven't found any yet.  All I know is that I am as positive about life and the future as I have been in months.  As far as this blog goes, I hope to continue to write about a variety of issues surrounding education, politics, and other topics of interest.  There is so much I have missed writing about these past few months that I regret not writing about.  These include the SOS March, the GOP Presidential Campaign, the death of Osama Bin Laden, and the continuous uprisings in the Arab World. I can't promise I won't ever go on hiatus again, but for right now, it feels good to be back and writing.

By the way, I want to update you on a student that I talked about in March who I was trying to help graduate.

One student, in particular, will make me especially proud if he can get to graduation.  He has spent the past year largely absent from school.  He comes from a very at-risk background full of poverty and crime.  Our biggest worry at school was that he was doomed to drop out and eventually go to prison.  Now, after a couple of times going through juvenile imprisonment, he has had a sudden change of heart.  He is coming to his classes, doing all of his work, and taking extra courses through credit recovery.  Suddenly, he is on track to graduate in May.  He has promised to get back on track before, only to fall right back off track.  But it does feels different this time: his attitude is more motivated, and his positive behavior is more consistent.  I just hope he can keep doing what he is doing for a couple more months.  A high school diploma will by no means ensure a secure future for him, but it does significantly increase his chances.  If he walks across that stage with his gown and gap, and receives his diploma, it will certainly be one of the proudest moments of my career. 

For a while, he missed a few classes, and started slacking again.  But in the final few weeks of school, he got his butt in gear, brought his grades up, and I am proud to say he walked out with his diploma in May.  What happens from here on out is up to him, and I do worry that he may fall into a lifestyle that will wind up with negative consequences.  But I also know that a student like him, without the support he received from myself and others, would likely have dropped out at other schools.  I am so proud that I got to leave my job with that accomplishment.  It is something I will never forget.  I will end this post with the words I ended in that post.

These are the reasons why I love what I do.  I can only hope that my next job will provide these same types of opportunities.

So, I have been going through some things lately . . .

Yes, I have been absent from my blog for a couple of weeks, which is a lot longer that I would have liked to.  I have missed the opportunity of writing on a lot of unfolding events in our world (e.g. Japan, Libya, the newest events in Wisconsin).  I won't promise that this will be the last time I ever do that, but I am going to try and start writing more frequently again.  Was there a reason for my absence?  Was I too busy, or did I just get lazy?  Well, perhaps a little of both.

The main reason for my absence is that a couple weeks ago, the school that I work for informed me that they will not be renewing my contract for next year.  I have spent the past couple of weeks preoccupied with searching for job opportunities and filling out applications.  I have not had any calls for job interviews yet, but I do  feel very confident about finding another job next year.  There are plenty of special education job openings, and I check the internet everyday for new openings.

I always knew that loosing my job was a very real possibility due to the fact that a) states and local districts are making lots of cuts due to the budget, b) I do not have tenure, and c) the number of projected students that I teach is expected to significantly drop in the next 1-3 years.  I am quite upset that the school cannot come out and say "We are cutting your job because of budget cuts".  Although that is what it most likely is, they don't have to tell you a damn thing why they are cutting your job. This is a job I absolutely love to do, and a job I have spent hundreds of hours putting hard work into (hours that do not include the actual classroom time I am teaching).  Now, the school I work for has informed me that I am not good enough to do it anymore for them.   This is the thing that hurts me the most.

But I can only spend so much time feeling sorry for myself.  A short period of self-pity is quite necessary, but overdoing it is not going to help me be a better teacher, or find me a new job.  So, I dove headfirst into the job hunt, and I have been there ever since.  Fortunately, I have been promised very good references by my supervisor and co-workers, and was reassured by those around me of the importance of the work I do.    That helped my confidence greatly. 

Also, I still have responsibilities at my current job that cannot be neglected.  I promised my administrator that I will not let my non-renewal get in the way of what I need to do as a teacher.  So far, I have not.  If anything, I somehow feel I have become a better teacher.  While I am little nervous about my future, I feel a certain freedom in the way approach my current job and teach my students.  I worry less about what the school might think, and just focus helping the kids.  That is one hell of a feeling!  I still have a lot to look forward to before the year is over.  My kids are training for the Job Olympics put on at Johnson County Community College, I have several other activities I will be doing with my students, and I have a few more IEPs left. 

In addition, this will be the first year I participate in High School Graduation ceremonies since I earned my Master's degree.  This means I get to wear a cool sash at graduation.  I cannot tell you how much I look forward to graduation this year.  I have several students I have grown close to over these past couple of years who are expected to walk. 

One student, in particular, will make me especially proud if he can get to graduation.  He has spent the past year largely absent from school.  He comes from a very at-risk background full of poverty and crime.  Our biggest worry at school was that he was doomed to drop out and eventually go to prison.  Now, after a couple of times going through juvenile imprisonment, he has had a sudden change of heart.  He is coming to his classes, doing all of his work, and taking extra courses through credit recovery.  Suddenly, he is on track to graduate in May.  He has promised to get back on track before, only to fall right back off track.  But it does feels different this time: his attitude is more motivated, and his positive behavior is more consistent.  I just hope he can keep doing what he is doing for a couple more months.  A high school diploma will by no means ensure a secure future for him, but it does significantly increase his chances.  If he walks across that stage with his gown and gap, and receives his diploma, it will certainly be one of the proudest moments of my career. 

These are the reasons why I love what I do.  I can only hope that my next job will provide these same types of opportunities.

A Video for Sunday . . . I mean, Monday

Yep, I forgot my Video for Sunday while on vacation.  But as I said in my previous post, I have been dealing with some personal things going on lately (and I do plan on writing about it eventually).  So, I am doing my video a day late, and it is on something that I have been trying to do a lot of lately.  This week's video comes from the greatest comedy troop of all time (and I am a big fan of comedy troops).  Just remember, when life gets you down . . .

Life Goes On

I have been MIA from blogging, internet, and education chat for the past few days.  I was having a pretty good week until a couple of days ago.  I can't really talk about what happened, but I promise I will eventually.  I just started my spring break, and will be off of school for the next week.  Right now, I am back in Central Missouri enjoying the company of my family and childhood friends for the next few days. I don't know if I will blog anymore this weekend (other than the Video for Sunday),  but I promise to do a fair amount next week.

As I said, I am not going to talk about what happened to me right now.  While I have been feeling kind of gloomy, I will say that at this current time, I am feeling optimistic about what the future has in store for me.   The way I look at it, I can continue to sit around and feel sorry for myself, or I can stay positive, and do what I need to do.  I choose the latter. 

Highlight of the Day: 3/7/2011

Reviewed my teacher evaluation with a principal today.  I definitely improved since the last time I was evaluated.  While I still have some improvements to make, I am definitely proud of how I did.  Now I just have to wait to hear from the powers that be about whether or not they want to renew my contract for next year.  Keeping my fingers crossed.

Thank You, Jon Stewart!

Teacher bashing is nothing new, but since the events is Wisconsin started two weeks ago, it has seemed to reach an all time high by many in the media.  In the clips below, Jon Stewart takes a look at this phenomenon.  Not only are teachers being blamed for the budget crisis that affects nearly every state across the country, but some of the oldest, most overused and unnecessary put downs of teachers are being used by pundits who feel most teachers have it easy.  As The Daily Show played clips of these pundits talking about what a cushy job teachers have, I sat in cold silence with a smirk on my face, while my wife yelled at the TV because they clearly didn't know what the hell they were talking about.

Jon Stewart, certainly out of a love for his mother who is a teacher, takes on these pundits, and defends teachers against these charges.  Anyone who is a teacher or who has a loved-one who is a teacher knows that teaching is anything but cushy (with the exception of the Fox News pundit in the first video below whose Mom is a teacher).  There are many long hours outside of their work day where they are grading papers, planning lessons, or talking to parents.  Chances are, if a teacher isn't spending time outside of their 8-hour contract period doing work, they aren't very good at their job.  Yes, there are summer breaks, but many teachers teach summer school, tutor, take a second job to earn extra income, or spend time coming up with new lesson ideas and getting ready for the upcoming year.  Often times, they are doing a combination of these.

Finally, there is the issue of teachers having a cushy pay in comparison to those in the private-sector workforce.  I will admit that in today's economy, the pay of a teacher probably looks pretty good compared to the many jobs people are now forced to get because of hard times.  But five years ago, when I decided to become a teacher, this was not the case.  While teachers have always had their detractors, it was widely agreed that teachers were overworked and underpaid.  One woman I knew growing up who is a now-retired professor of education joked that whenever I get married, I will know that girl is not marrying me because of the money I make (and I can honestly say that is true).  But times have changed, and suddenly teachers have it easy, they are overpaid, and are living off the the hard-earned money of the taxpayer (how dare we do that).  Fortunately, Jon Stewart challenges this thinking, and brings in some much-needed reality to this debate.

Here is Part 1:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Crisis in Dairyland - Angry Curds
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

Here is Part 2, a message to the teachers from Jon Stewart:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Crisis in Dairyland - Message for Teachers
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

What is an IEP?

 

Photo from SenseAbillities, LLC

As a special education teacher, I really have two jobs. One job is everything that goes along with being a teacher (lesson plans, grading papers, actual teaching, etc.). The other job is being a case manager for students who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). And while I personally enjoy the "teaching" job more than I do the case manager job, being an IEP case manager is just as important (if not more so) than the actual teaching job. So what exactly is an IEP?  The Special Education Advisor website explains:

An IEP is an Individualized Education Program for children who qualify for special education services by their local public school district.  It is not an Individual Education Plan.  Why isn’t it a Plan?  As the old saying goes, “plans are made to be broken!”  A program on the other hand must be followed!!  Congress in their infinite wisdom got this one right.  It is a legally binding document that must be followed to the letter of the law and tailored to meet your child’s unique needs.

  The article goes into further detail on what is included in the IEP.  I would say this is a pretty good summary.  However, I will respectfully disagree with one statement they make:

While no one member of the IEP team is the most important, and the process works the best when it’s a collaborative effort, parent participation is considered crucial.

I would actually say that parents and students are the most important part of an IEP team.  Parents and students (if they are old enough) are the ones who will end up having the final say as far as what goes into an IEP. 

Medicine and ADHD

Picture from American Family Rights

I have been having a friendly debate with Lisa Nielsen over at the Innovative Educator blog recently about the use of medicine in children in ADHD. To paraphrase Nielsen's position the best way I can: pharmaceutical companies and doctors sponsored by big pharma are promoting the use of drugging children with ADHD, and profiting off of it. It is not that ADHD isn't a real disorder, but Nielsen believes that the real problem besides the influence of big pharma are that schools are too boring to keep the interest of students who have ADHD. So, rather than change the way lessons are taught, schools encourage parents to go to doctors, who will then put them on medication. Although I don't recall her saying anything like "medicine should NEVER be used on children with ADHD", that is what she seems to imply from everything I read from her on this subject. If I am incorrect in stating her position, I am sure Lisa Nielsen will correct me, as she should.

This debate of ours first started when I shared a story on a Ken Livingston video about changing the paradigm of education in America. I originally saw the video on Ms. Nielsen's website.   I said that while I agreed with Livingston's general arguments, I disagreed with the proposition that giving ADHD medication to children was one of society's more serious problems (I probably should have worded that with a little more detail and clarification). We debated this subject on Twitter, which inspired her to respond with a post dedicated to this subject. She has recently discussed this subject again on her blog here. Nielsen readily admits she is not a medical expert, but she does cite several medical experts who do say ADHD medication prescription to children is a serious problem. Nielsen herself says she either has ADHD, or likely has it, and has personal experience to draw upon.

I will admit I do not have the list of resources and articles that she does. I am sure if I took enough time to do the research, I could find lots support for the position that ADHD medication is a safe and effective option for treatment of ADHD in youth. All I am going to do is draw upon my own personal experience as someone who as ADHD practically his whole life.

I do not remember what age I was diagnosed with ADHD, nor do I remember when I started taking medication. The likely cause of my ADHD came from a series of seizures I had as a baby which were the result of negative reactions my body had from a particular childhood vaccination. I get the irony that I used one type of medication to help treat a medical condition that I received from another type of medication, but I digress. It wasn't just "boring schools" that my ADHD negatively effected, though it most certainly had an negative effect there.

My parents were often afraid to take me out in public because I might run around, decide to fiddle around or break expensive items in stores, or get lost. While listening to directions from adults can be difficult for any group of children, it was especially difficult for me. I am not referring to directions at school, but at fun, social events where instructions are often quite clear for most children. Instructions were often given in short, simple steps in subjects that were interesting to the children there (including myself), and often involved using one's hands or engaging in physical activity (day camps, scouting activities, athletics, etc).  Even then, my ADHD got in the way, and I would end up being confused with what I was supposed to do.  I would look quite foolish to my peers, and a great feeling ashamed happened because of this.

ADHD also effected my social upbringing. I was a very socially awkward child and had trouble making friends as a kids. There could be a number of other explanations for this, and I won't delve into most of those here (I don't want to use this blog as a personal therapy session more than I already am). But one reason for my social awkwardness was certainly my ADHD.  My impulsivity would cause me to instantly blurt things out whenever they came to my head.  What I said would often come out at inappropriate times, and the content of what I said could range from completely off-topic, to incredibly embarrassing statements and revelations.

As I said above, I don't remember when I took medication, but I know it was at a very young age (I am guessing around 6 years old or so).  I realize that all kids have a low attention span at that age, but mine was unusually poor for my age.  So much so, that it cause all of the problems I described in the preceding paragraphs.  And I know that growing up, medication did not stop all of my problems with ADHD.  It was not panacea for treating my ADHD.  I did received plenty of help and support from my parents, my special education teachers, and the few friends I had who were willing to look past my socially awkward behavior.  As I got into my teenage years, my parents and I wondered if it weren't perhaps time to go off of the medication.  We consulted with a physician, and I tried life without it.  I gave myself enough time to see if it could work, and it was a mess without the medication.  I soon went back on medication, and my problems immediately subsided

At this point in my life, I have full confidence that ADHD medication has been a positive factor in treating my ADHD, and I am better off because of it.  As I just metioned, it was not a panacea, and I also benefited greatly from lots of help and support from others.  However, I believe that my ADHD was so severe in my childhood that I would have been lost.  Not only would I have done more poorly in schools, but I believe my social skills, and capacity to do everyday life skills would have greatly suffered without the aid of medication.  I would rather not think about how my life could have turned out.

Now that I have gotten my story out the way, let me clarify some positions that I have on this subject.  Let me be clear: not every child that ADHD should be treated with medication.  Indeed, oftentimes, there aren't differences (in either behavior or academics) between ADHD children who take medicine and those who don't.  In fact, there are even times that children who take medication cannot handle the side effects of said medicine, and are better off without it.

I also worry greatly about the over-diagnosis of ADHD by physicians and psychologists, and the influence that pharmaceutical companies have had in promoting these drugs.  There is no doubt that for all of the good these companies can do with their medicine, they also benefit from profiteering and corruption.  This has lead to a major increase in the pushing of pill prescriptions that are either unnecessary, dangerous, or both. 

Finally, American schools are boring, and do not suit well for students with low-attention spans.  In fact, they don't even suit that well for students who don't fit into the traditional setting and methods of public schooling (pencil/paper/lecture/book/etc).  I am guilty of sometimes teaching in such a manner in my classroom, and I wish that we had more of a teaching culture that would look beyond such traditional methods.  It not as if we don't have good places to start.

When it comes to treating ADHD, I just don't believe that medication should be off the table.  It all comes down to having options.  The use of medication should be made by parents and their children if they are old enough to make reasonable decisions (with the advice and input of doctors).  I have benefited from the use of childhood medication as a treatment, and I know others who have as well.