The Agency Fund’s Post

Understanding Children: A Conversation https://a.co/d/98SmLe1

We rarely get to meet our students later in life when they become adults. We are playing one small role in their overall development. But know that every session, every eval, every progress note, every goal, is contributing to something greater. To a person who can use the knowledge we are imparting to change the world. #speechpathology #speechtherapy

Educators, read The Coddling of the American Mind to learn how to spot "cognitive distortions" (according to Cognitive Behavior Therapy) in your thinking/teaching and even in your school's overall culture, curriculum, practice, etc. https://lnkd.in/gsRaa6ZA

In the vast theatrical realm of education, where desks are the stage and students the actors, a tale has emerged that perhaps feels more Shakespearean tragedy than literary comedy. Enter Rosalinda Torres, the former drama director of the halls of Leona Libby Middle School, whose recent action reads like a surprise twist in a play none wished to attend: imprisonment of a mere teenager within this institution designed to nurture and grow. - Was this an ill-conceived improvisation or a grand miscalculation of acting the role of disciplinarian? As we ponder this scenario, we are reminiscent of a misguided gardener who placed a plant back into its ceramic cocoon, convinced it would regulate its chaotic sprawl. Perhaps intending to stifle wayward branches, the gardener inadvertently quashed the very growth intended to be cultivated. Thus, Torres' actions serve as a harsh reminder of when educational nurturing crosses over into uncharted punitive territories. A skeptical voice whispers questions: - Is this a surprising revelation in the broader script of educational miscues? - Might we foresee more unscripted acts within this domain, hidden behind the closed red curtain of systemic failures? While the unsettling melody of humanity's failings crescendos in this incident, one must ponder the future overtures yet to be composed and played. Might we one day return to an age where nurturing and guiding young minds seem not juxtaposed to imprisonment but aligned with liberty and growth? In a labyrinth of bricks and bureaucracies, adults are torchbearing guides for adolescents aspiring to emerge as torchbearers themselves. One misguided episode does not foretell the story's ending. Instead, the script awaits rewrites imbued with fresh perspectives, compassionate dialogue, and wiser councils. Ultimately, this tale is but a snapshot—a single picture amidst a sprawling gallery of life's narrative—a reminder that each chapter, each decision, veers our path towards either an unpredictable purge or prolonged illumination. Stay curious, stay bold, remain incensed by injustice, but always feel the tang of truth. As society hoists metaphorical lanterns against dark shadows in the pursuit of creating safer havens for growth, let's ensure they burn bright amidst all growing storms. https://lnkd.in/emdgfXDV #Education #Incarceration #Curiosity #LifeLessons #ChangeTheStory #CompassionateLeadership

🧡 I grew up in the small town of Fort Frances, ON, which occupies the grounds of Couchiching First Nation where St. Margaret’s Residential School once operated. Since being able to grapple with the uncomfortable truth that represents these grounds today, it has driven a sense of responsibility to continue educating myself as a scholar in recognizing this history and promote healing through my ongoing committment to justice. As we observe The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I reaffirm my commitment as a scholar to examine the multifaceted ways in which the ongoing legacy of colonialism continues to affect the lived experiences of Indigenous communities intergenerationally. This commitment manifests in academia through the integration of frameworks that prioritize Indigenous perspectives. Eve Tuck (2009) advocates for a desire-based approach that centers Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing in all facets of scholarship. This approach emphasizes resilience and strength, countering narratives that focus solely on trauma and damage, serving as an integral framework for my mental health research. I am dedicated to a future of academia engaging with Indigenous-based scholarship and embracing Tuck’s vision of Indigenous collaboration which will ongoingly shape the direction of my work. By integrating these knowledges, I aim to contribute to the development of equitable and culturally sensitive services for all youth seeking mental health support. #NDTR #TruthAndReconciliation #EveryChildMatters Eve Tuck’s Suspending Damage: https://lnkd.in/gMyPZk9p

This is a GREAT listen for special educator admins & district leaders: https://lnkd.in/eFfwCHTf Biggest take-aways include: ➡ The number of students in special education is increasing; Schools must address this and prepare for it to continue to increase. ❗ ➡ The stigma around special education and special needs is lowering! ❤️ ➡ Co-teaching increases the success of inclusion. ✅ ➡ Some students with particular needs or disabilities don't always benefit from mainstream settings. 💡 ➡ Resources of the mainstream/inclusion settings impact the success of this environment on students. 💡 ➡ Districts need to take workload of special educators into account when allocating resources 💰 #inclusion #specialeducation #k12 #specialneeds #dyslexia #adhd #inclusiveeducation #teachers

Quantitatively, 76% of the highly-profoundly gifted children and adolescents had 3 or more "high" overexcitabilities. As stakeholders responsible for the education, development, and well-being of our students, we MUST include an assessment of overexcitabilities (emotional, intellectual, imaginational, psychomotor, sensual), in addition to cognitive ability, for the holistic and inclusive identification and support of our K-12 highly-profoundly gifted individuals. https://lnkd.in/gV9vSweU

Are children's imaginations as boundless as we think? Explore the latest research by Deena Skolnick Weisberg and David M. Sobel, which challenges the notion that children naturally prefer fantastical fiction. Discover why kids might lean towards realistic stories and what this means for their cognitive development and understanding of the world. Read More: https://shorturl.at/ofoTY #ChildDevelopment #Imagination #CognitiveDevelopment

So this was published today….If you are interested in making micro-accommodations a thing at your institution or place of business, the Humanities 101 Foundation can help.

Dr. Jocelyn Dautel from QUB School of Psychology and Dr. Bethany Corbett from Ulster University are investigating how polarization persists among young people in the historically divided society of Northern Ireland. Watch the full Stories of Impact video to learn: ➡️ How differences in systematic exposure to historical narrative may "create fertile grounds for polarization" among young people in the region. ➡️ How epistemic vigilance - a skillset akin to critical thinking - may help foster knowledge and reduce polarization for this and other divided societies. ➡️ Insights from participants in an innovative program called "Shared Education," a curriculum that brings students from a Catholic school and a Protestant school together to learn alongside and about each other. ▶️ https://lnkd.in/eu6cMdaA