July 2020 – Special Educator e-Journal

Table of Contents

• Special Education Legal Alert. By Perry A. Zirkel
• Buzz from the Hub
• Replacing the “Special” in Special Education. By Steven Benson, Ed.D.
• Children with an Intellectual Disability in an Inclusive Setting. By Keishla Candelario
• Visual Supports for Students with Disabilities: A Review of Literature. By Krystal Fernandez
• Masters of Morphology: Explicit Multisensory Structured Metacognitive Language Strategies to Foster Adolescent Learners’ Content Vocabulary. By Samantha Ashley Forrest
• An Analysis of the Interactions between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, and Conduct Disorder, and Implications with Juvenile Delinquency. By Justin M. Tarradell
• Book Reviews
  • Hacking Leadership: 10 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Learning That Teachers, Students, and Parents Love. By Bridget Barahona
  • Lead Like a Pirate. By Demetria C Johnson
  • The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You (10th Anniversary Edition). By Bryanna Nunez
• Acknowledgements

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Special Education Legal Alert

By Perry A. Zirkel

© June 2020

This month’s update concerns two issues that were subject to recent court decisions of general significance: (a) FAPE in a dyslexia methodology case, and (b) parents who proceed in due process hearings without an attorney.  For further examination of such issues, see Publications section at perryzirkel.com

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Buzz from the Hub

All articles below can be accessed through the following links:

https://www.parentcenterhub.org/buzz-from-the-hub/

For Parent Centers and Other Nonprofits

Comparison Guide: Video Conferencing Tools for Your Nonprofit
As nonprofits continue to do their work remotely, the need for a solid video conferencing tool has never been greater. TechSoup created this at-a-glance guide to help nonprofits make informed decisions about choosing what’s right for their organization.

Tech Soup Courses for Free!
TechSoup has also created a free track of courses to provide information and tools as nonprofits scale up the work they do remotely, including having necessary tech tools, how to boost collaboration, and how to ensure information security.

For Families

Camp Kinda
(In English and Spanish) | Here’s a free, virtual summer camp experience designed to keep kids engaged, asking questions, and having fun even while they’re stuck at home. “Open” each weekday starting June 1 to September 1. On any given day, kids may be exploring the art of graphic novels, unlocking the mysteries of history, or jumping into the world’s craziest sports. Also available in Spanish.

How to Support Your Unique, Quirky Child
(In English and Spanish) | When your child behaves differently from others, it’s endearing—but is it OK? Read this Great Schools article to find ways to celebrate your child’s unique nature. A version in Spanish is also available: Cómo apoyar las características únicas de tu hijo.

Looking Forward and Planning Ahead

Video | The CDC Guidance on Reopening Schools, Explained
CDC recently released guidance on reopening schools. Its recommendations, which are voluntary, give parents and teachers their first detailed glimpse of how schools might change their operations to contain COVID-19. How much these recommendations will influence schools’ operations depends on the decisions of state and local leaders. Watch Education Week’s 4-minute video for an explanation of several key points.

SAVE the DATE | Webinar on Monday, June 8th @ 3 pm EDT
Safeguarding Back to School: Principles to Guide a Healthy Opening to Classrooms During COVID-19
The transition back to school this year will be unlike any in history. How do we safely reopen? In this edWebinar, leaders of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and Brooklyn Laboratory Charter Schools will discuss key questions we must all consider as we begin the journey back to school–from the school bus ride to the dismissal bell. Register here. If you’d like to receive an email with a link to the recording afterwards, add your name to the list at: https://forms.gle/V6mgSp8n8fqxjv318

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Replacing the “Special” in Special Education

By Steven Benson, Ed.D.

Abstract

The use of language and words describing students with the advent of disabilities has changed over time with new medical, clinical, social advancement, and contextual circumstances.  Replacing “special” education with the current emphasis on individual educational minimizes a cookie-cutter entitlement for teaching strategies, supports services, and accommodations.  The Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) still remains as the cornerstone of a quality education for each student identified with a disability.  A more responsive learning environment is predicated on the diversification of educational experiences.  There is no abandonment of legal mandates for equity, accountability, or excellence in education for students with disabilities established by federal acts.  The philosophy follows that every student, regardless of his/her disabilities, has the right to be incorporated fully into the educational practices of the school, as well as being included into the fabric of society.

Replacing the Special in Special Education

“Education innovations are often due to the initiative of one person or a very few individuals.  As long as that individual or group keeps working on it, the innovation survives.  When they stop, it dies.” (Taylor et al., 1972)

Isn’t it time to replace the moniker “special” education to a more wide-ranging concept of individualized education?  Individualized education equates to customized teaching strategies, support services, and accommodations that are determined through the development of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).  Therefore, calling services and accommodations “special needs” links to saying “handicapped” – an antiquated, inapplicable term that Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2019) deems a disability.  Historically, handicapped indicated a condition that markedly restricted a student’s ability to function physically, mentally, or socially.  Pejorative and disparaging language can make students feel excluded and can be a barrier to full participation in the educational processes.  Fortunately, the use of language and words describing students with the advent of disabilities has changed over time with new medical, clinical, social advancement, and contextual circumstances. 

For example, idiot was formerly a legal and psychiatric category of profound intellectual disability.  The student’s mental age was two years or less, indicating the student could not guard against common dangers. Idiot, along with terms like moron, imbecile, and cretin is now archaic and offensive (World History, n.d.).  Idiot was replaced by profound mental retardation which was  replaced by intellectual disability (ID), characterized by significant limitations in reasoning, learning, and problem solving, as well as adaptive behavior, which involves a range of everyday social and practical skills.

Individualized education relies on the IEP as the cornerstone of a quality education for each student identified with a disability.  Program development becomes the essence of confirming a student with a disability to receive individualized instruction and related services that enhance educational, social, and emotional stability.  “Diversification of educational experiences for all students leads to a more responsive learning environment” (Benson, p. 31).  The end result of an IEP encourages the “conceptualization of the whole child with a map of interventions individually designed [for] better educational outcomes (Geller, n.d.). 

To accept unquestionably that special education cannot be changed to individualized education is a myth.  Although there are statues derived from court cases which use the term special education, changing the wording to individualized education is not insurmountable.  Even though laws and statues exist that coin special education, they may have become ideologically at odds with current convictions about teaching strategies, support services, and accommodations.  There is not a faceless structure of forces that can prevent change (Weir, 2007).  Change makes an essential adjustment in practice that covers a wide range of directions, accepting, however, immediate and/or revolutionary change may signal rejection.

Principled acts of courage and self-sacrifice categorize heroes and heroines from our cultural heritage.  Their actions humanized the conditions of our existence (Zais, p. 503).  History reveals that individuals who had the philosophical and ethical mindsets, as well as the tenacity and courage to take on previous constructs, prevail.  Heroes and heroines for social change are historically abundant.  Under the leadership of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and other women’s rights pioneers, suffragists circulated petitions and lobbied Congress to pass a constitutional amendment to enfranchise women to vote.  The premise for enfranchisement of all American women lasted almost 100 years through speeches, signed petitions, marches, and parades.  Following a suffrage parade during President Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration, Wilson supported a constitutional amendment that gave women the right to vote, with passage of the 19^th Amendment in 1920.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is the most well-known figure of the civil rights movement that used nonviolent civil disobedience to push for social change.  Following the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era, Jim Crow Laws laid the groundwork for segregation.  For the next two decades, countless black men and women mobilized, organizing boycotts, sit-ins, and nonviolent protests, resulting in jail time, beatings, and, in some cases, death (Witter, 2019).  The 1961 Freedom Rides and the 1963 March on Washington are prototypical examples of the efforts to counter against systematic oppression.  Efforts were not fruitless.  Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ending segregation in public places and banning employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. One year later, U.S. lawmakers also passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, another ground-breaking piece of civil rights legislation.

 “The individual who consistently subordinates all other values to self-interested expedience in the decision making process is a person with whom it is patently unwise to entrust one’s welfare.” (Zais, p. 505).  The values inherent in one’s decisions do not reside with others.  One can judge, and be judged, exclusively on one’s decisions.  Who among us will call for eliminating “special” and replacing it with “individualized” education?  After all, it bears upon each of us who holds our students who need exceptional educational opportunities to engage in a courageous conversation about dignity, respect, and individualized educational opportunities to become contributing citizens of an inclusive society.

There is no suggestion for changing the identification of students with individual needs, the processes, nor the laws for granting individual services.  These have worked successfully for decades for fulfilling the educational obligations and rights for students with individual needs.  Changes in laws and educational practices have been modified throughout the years, based on scientific research and educational practices that provide adequate educational advancement for students with individual needs.  The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142) required public schools to evaluate students with disabilities and to create an educational plan with parent input that would imitate as closely as possible the educational experience of non-disabled students.The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, was created in 1990 and is a modification of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act.  The need for a free appropriate public education, appropriate evaluation, an individualized education plan, a least restrictive environment, parent participation, and procedural safeguards remain as the six principles of IDEA and should never be minimized. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) mandates equity, accountability, and excellence in education for students with disabilities.

The initial and final premise of this article is to change the word special to individual education.  The replacement of “special” does not invalidate the principle of inclusion, theeducational practice whereby students with individual needs are fully integrated into the general education classrooms.  Inclusion comprehends the philosophy that every student, regardless of his/her disabilities, has the right to be incorporated fully into the educational practices of the school, as wells as being included into the fabric of society.  It is the substance of assimilation, the absorption of a new idea into an existing cognitive structure, i.e., the mandates of IDEA upon whom one can rely.  Reiterating the foreword: “Education innovations are often due to the initiative of one person or a very few individuals.  As long as that individual or group keeps working on it, the innovation survives.  When they stop, it dies.” (Taylor et al., 1972).

Reference Page

Benson, B. S. (2019).  Increasing proficiency levels for support and services administrators. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation).  American College of Education.  Indianapolis,   Indiana.

Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, 20 U.S.C. § 1401 et seq.  Retrieved from www.gpo.gov/fdys/pkg/STATUE-89-Pg773.pdf 

Geller, N. J.  (n.d.)  DSM-5 and IDEA:  From prescription pad to the classroom [PowerPointSlides]. Retrieved from www.amchp.org/…/projects/spharc/peer-to-peer-exchange/Documents/DSM-5_and_IDEA.pdf.www.amchp.org › spharc › peer-to-peer-exchange › Documents › DS…

Giddens, A.  (2007). In Class in America:  An Encyclopedia.  Volume 1: A-G.   Weir, R. E.  (Ed.)   (pp 1-376).  Westport, Connecticut:  Greenwood Press. History.com Editors.  (2020).  Women who fought for the vote.  A&E Television Networks. Retrieved fromhttps://www.history.com/topics/womens-history/women-who-fought-for-the-vote-1

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990.  20 U.S.C. § 1400 (1990).  Retrieved form https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/20/1400

Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004).  Retrieved from https://sites.ed.gov/idea/

Taylor, E. F., Halfman, R. L., MacVicar, M. A., Martin, W. T., Zacharias, J. R.  (1972). Tactics for change.  1-11.  Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved from http://www.eftaylor.com/pub/TacticsForChange.pdf

“The clinical history” of ‘moron,’ ‘idiot,’ and ‘imbecile’. The words have less-than savory past. (n.d.).  Merriam-Webster.  Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at play/moron-idiot-offensive-history        

Thousand, J. S., Udvari-Solner, A., & Villa, R. A.  (2016).  Differentiated instruction: Access to the general education curriculum for all.  In R. A. Villa and J.S. Thousand (Eds.). Leading an inclusive school: Access and success for all students.  117-143. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Witter, B.  (2019).  Martin Luther King Jr and 8 Black Activists who led the Civil Rights Movement.  Retrieved fromhttps://www.biography.com/news/martin-luther-king-jr-black-activists-civil-rights-movement

Zais, R. S.  (1976). Curriculum Principles and Foundations.  Harper & Row, Publishers: New York, NY.

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Visual Supports for Students with Disabilities: A Review of Literature

By Krystal Fernandez

Abstract

This literature review seeks to study and evaluate the beneficial effects of visual supports and students with disabilities. Students with disabilities encounter struggles in understanding, communication, and expression. These struggles put a strain on a student’s learning process, evidently a student’s education. Studies have shown implementing these visual supports rather than the use of written or auditorial methods, facilitates understanding and communicative expression.

More recent than not, there has been a number increase in special education students sitting in a modern-day classroom. Today, students with disabilities are learning in the same classroom with typical students and it is important to support students’ exceptional needs while inside the classroom. Students with disabilities may be diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Dyslexia, Speech and Language delays, Intellectual Disabilities (IND) and/or Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Students with these exceptionalities can be affected in the way a student processes, understands and communicates, which makes it challenging inside the classroom for the student. Students with disabilities, as well as typical students, all learn differently from the student sitting next to them. Some students learn through audio, kinesthetics, reinforcement and finally, visually. The following literature review was conducted based on peer-reviewed studies and research on the topic of visual supports. Do visual supports benefit students with disabilities? The articles chosen correlate to the topic of visual supports and their benefit to students with disabilities.

This topic is important because students living with disabilities often experience challenges in keeping in normal classroom contexts and require special assistance to enable them to realize their academic potential. Among the most challenging disabilities is autism. According to the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (2016), one in very fifty-four children is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  These statistics indicate that many students that attend public schools have a learning challenge. Visual aid is among the strategies that educators use to assist those with communication difficulties to improve their understanding and expression skills. Visual support is designed to aids learners that have a better response to visual input as compared to auditory input. In most cases, visual support works better for children with autism and includes visual tools that facilitate the learning of language. While the use of this strategy is improving the learning ability of students with autism, Hayes et al. (2010) argue that this approach is time-consuming and very challenging to implement. A review of literature provides insights on how this strategy of teaching facilitates understanding as compared to auditory learning and the challenges that are currently being experienced in visual learning contexts.

Visual support involves the use of visual aids such as pictures, photographs, videos, graphs, and keywords charts to facilitate the learning process among students with communication difficulties (cited in Seprotto, 2016).  According to Spriggs, Dijk, and Mims (2015), the use of visual activities is one of the most successful strategies that facilitate cognitive learning with students living with disabilities. This alternative teaching strategy was introduced as an intervention for aiding children with special needs who experience challenges in class when standard teaching and assessment approaches are used (Seprotto, 2016). The adoption of this teaching approach is backed by empirical evidence that illustrates the difference in the learning abilities of autistic students when visual approaches are employed and when auditory approaches are used. Bobek and Tversky (2016) argue that teaching is characterized by a myriad of challenges that require educators to devise means and strategies that will enhance students understanding. Additionally, these authors point out that cognitive psychology is about discovering cognitive principles that facilitate learning and teaching processes. To this end, educators and researchers have experimented with various approaches to enhancing understanding among children with disabilities and agreed that visuals play a different role in the learning process. One of the cases that demonstrates the effectiveness of visual aid in teaching intellectually challenged or those leaving with autism is the case cited in Seprotto (2016). In this case, a student with autism was given a similar task that was to be completed in written and verbal forms. While the student scored maximum points in the written assignment, she failed the entire assignment presented orally. In this sense, the visual teaching strategy was more effective for this student as compared to auditory strategy implying that students with special needs must be given special instructions to achieve their potential. 

The adoption of visual aid in the classroom is a scientific concept that is informed by the role that visuals play in people’s lives. According to Bobek and Tversky (2016), visual explanations are more effective as compared to verbal explanation irrespective of whether the learner is living with disabilities or not. This assertion is based on the observation that contrary to verbal explanations, visual explanations are more coherent, explicit, and complete (Bobek & Tversky, 2016). Given the advantages associated with visual explanation, research has found them more effective in facilitating learning among children with autism or communication challenges. As noted by Hayes et al. (2010), people with autism are offered supportive interventions immediately after diagnosis that occurs during their early stages of life. Among these interventions include the visual tools of different kinds that may include objects or drawings that enable them to understand their environment. These tools reduce the challenges of communication that are common among persons with autism (Hayes et al., 2010). The use of visual tools to facilitate communication in are extended to learning contexts where students possess varying capabilities. According to Khan et al. (2017), communication skills comprise listening, speaking, writing, and reading.  Additionally, this author argues that communication is very vital in the learning process in the sense that teachers who are incapable of communicating to the students cannot achieve positive outcomes. To this end, learning begins effective teacher-student communication. For this reason, Spriggs, Dijk, and Mims (2015); Hayes et al. (2010); and Seprotto (2016) agree that the use of visual tools in teaching students with autism contributes to positive learning outcomes. Thus, educators should focus on communication during the teaching-learning process.

According to Spriggs, Dijk, and Mims (2015), visual aid is useful for both autistic learners and their educators. These authors opine that students with difficulties in organizing their work, following routines, and memory challenges benefit greatly when this strategy is employed. In the same vein, Sperotto (2016) points out that visual prompts play an important role when learning new skills or developing further on existing knowledge. In classroom contexts, such prompts act as a reminder of previously learned content when it is revisited later. Additionally, Shabiralyani et al.  (2015) argue that visual aids also makes the learning process interesting and easy hence encouraging children with learning difficulties to be more active. For this reason, visual activity schedules have been used for several years to aid learning among children with disabilities (Spriggs, Dijk, & Mims, 2015). This teaching strategy is preferred because of the structured nature of the environment that supports scheduled activities. Further, these authors assert that juts the way visual aid is used in different contexts to achieve a specific objective, the same concept applies in educational settings to assist students with memory challenges to accomplish tasks as required. With the aid of visual schedules, students with autism have been able to complete tasks according to schedule, learn new skills that apply to day to day living such as using debit cards (Spriggs, Dijk, & Mims, 2015). These skills are critical determinants of students’ school outcomes as well as independence that is very important after completing school.

Although the use of visual tools has been an effective strategy for aiding learning among children with autism for decades, there have been challenges associated with their fragile nature that required parents and teachers to replace them more regularly (Hayes et al., 2010). Additionally, Hayes et al. (2010) content that the available material does not offer enough opportunities for learners to grow their communication beyond the available tools. These difficulties are as a result of the slow integration of technology in visual aid. For instance, augmentative communication devices have not been introduced to learning contexts because they are expensive and difficult to customize. Thus, such tools have not been given priority by educators and are often treated as secondary support devices that do not assist students with disabilities to make progress (Hayes et al., 2010). Therefore, future developments in visual aid should focus on how to assist learners to progress from one level to another. To achieve this, the visual aids must be faded and replaced with more advanced ones as the students make progress. The technology-aided tools must be customized and affordable by parents with average wages to facilitate consistency in skills acquisition during holiday. Hayes et al. (2010) suggest that supporting and scaffolding roles can be enhanced simultaneously if novel ubicomp technologies are developed. Flexibility and simplicity are another factor that must be considered when developing tangible digital support tools that will increase the level of interaction and communication among students with disabilities. These adjustments can greatly improve educational outcomes and levels of independence among students living with disabilities.

As the literature indicates, students living with disabilities require special attention since they are unable to cope with normal teaching and assessment approaches that are used in normal classrooms. Autism or other disabilities may sometime interfere with the ability to communicate verbally. With the aid of visual activities, students with challenges in oral communication find it easy to transition from one activity to the other and can easily learn life skills that are essential in their day to day lives. Therefore, the uses of visual tools visual learning facilitate student-teacher communication which is required for understanding of concepts. Although significant progress has been made in this sector, there is a need for further improvement to facilitate the integration of technology to visual support learning. Customized, affordable, and flexible digital visual support tools are needed to boost the communication potentials of students with disabilities. The current visuals support tools should also be designed to gradually improve students’ communication skills from one level to the other though fading of the initial simpler ones to the more complex ones as the student progresses.

References

Bobek, E., & Tversky, B. (2016). Creating visual explanations improves learning. Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 1(1), 27. Retrieved from doi.org/10.1186/s41235-016-0031-6.

 Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html

Hayes, G.R., Hirano, S., Marcu, G., Monibi, M., Nguyen, D., &Yeganyan, M. (2010). Interactive visual supports for children with autism. Pers Ubiquit Comput, 14,663-680. Retrieved from doi.org/10.1007/s00779-010-0294-8

 Khan, A., Khan, S., Zia-Ul-Islam, S., & Khan, M. (2017). Communication skills of a teacher and its role in the development of the students’ academic success. Journal of Education and Practice, 8(1), 18-21.

Shabiralyani, G., Hasa, K., Hamad, N., & Iqbal, N. (2015). Impact of visual aids in enhancing the learning process case research: District Dera Ghazi Khan. Journal of Education and Practice ,6(19), 226-233. Retrieved from files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1079541.pdf

Sperotto, L. (2016). The visual support for adults with moderate learning communication disabilities: How visual aids support learning. International Journal of Disability, Development, and Education, 63(2), 260-263.

Spriggs, D., Dijk, W., & Mims, J. (2015). How to implement visual activity schedules for students with disabilities. DADD Online Journal: Research to Practice, 2, 21-34. Retrieved from dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi

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An Analysis of the Interactions between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, and Conduct Disorder, and Implications with Juvenile Delinquency

By Justin M. Tarradell

Abstract

This review analyzes characteristics of ADHD and environmental factors/stressors and evaluates whether these characteristics are predictors for future juvenile trouble. This review will also analyze the relationship between ADHD and Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) and draw conclusions/predictor variables to future juvenile issues. The results of the research generally agree upon the fact that adolescents with ADHD generally have issues with executive functioning skills that may/could last into adulthood, including but not limited to poor planning, poor impulse control, and emotional dysregulation. The results of the research also agree upon ODD being an important steppingstone in differentiating ADHD without comorbidity and ADHD with CD. The results of the research generally agree that any combination of the three disabilities covered in this review (ADHD, ODD, and CD) may lead to an increased risk of juvenile issues and misbehavior. This review is not aimed at generalizing the entire ADHD population automatically becoming delinquents. On the contrary, this review exists to establish relationships between ADHD, ODD, CD and several environmental factors that may lead to juvenile delinquency.

Introduction

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological condition that is characterized by having symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattentiveness. ADHD is typically categorized into three types: predominantly hyperactive/impulsive type (ADHD-HI), predominantly inattentive type (ADHD-I), and combined type (ADHD-C). ADHD is one of the more common disorders in child psychiatry, ranging from about 3 to 9 percent of children being diagnosed with ADHD (Biederman et al. 1993; Wender 1995; Spencer et al. 2002) Children with ADHD-HI type often display symptoms of motor hyperactivity, fidgety or repetitive behaviors/actions, inability to remain seated for an extended period of time, inability to focus on one task for an extended period of time, poor impulse control, increased risk of impulsive decisions, and much more. ADHD-I type often display symptoms of being easily distracted, bouncing among tasks/activities frequently, poor concentration, poor organizational skills, clumsy behaviors, and much more. ADHD-C type sport a mix of all of these symptoms.

Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) is a neurobiological condition that is characterized by anger issues, argumentative behaviors, and vindictive character traits. Symptoms of ODD can include easily losing one’s temper, easily annoyed by others, often angry and resentful towards others, argues with adults or people of authority, deliberately annoys others, spiteful behavior, and much more. Symptoms vary significantly in severity, mainly defined by setting(s) that the behavior takes place in. Mild symptoms may only occur in one setting, like home or school, whereas severe symptoms may occur in multiple settings. Some risk factors for the development of ODD include the child’s temperament, emotion regulation capacity, parenting or family issues. ODD, alongside ADHD, is among the more common childhood disorders, affecting about 10% of children (Bloom, Jones, Freeman, 2013)

Conduct Disorder (CD) is a vast disorder that consists of patterns of destructive, dangerous, aggressive, and deceitful behaviors. Because this disorder houses such a wide variety of behavior, no two cases will be the same. However, symptoms may generally include physical/verbal aggression directed towards humans or animals, heightened sexual activity/misconduct, theft, destruction of property, vandalism, truancy, and much more. ODD is a common precursor to CD but does not need to be present for a diagnosis of CD. Like ODD, common risk factors are environmental (parental abuse, neglect) and biological (differences/disturbances in brain structure). CD is often comorbid with other neurological conditions such as ODD and ADHD.

Comorbidity between ADHD and ODD is rather high, with about one-third to one-half of children with one disorder will also qualify for the other (Nock et al., 2007; Waschbusch, 2002). Children with a combination of two or more of these conditions often experience more severe symptoms. For example, lower impulse control is a common symptom of ADHD which may lead to higher rates of impulsive behavior, like robbery or theft (a common behavior observed in CD). More of these interactions and implications for these interactions will be explored throughout this review.

Environmental Factors / Stressors

Findings show that ADHD persists because of both genetic and environmental factors (Biederman & Faraone, 2005) and that the condition has a heritability rate at about 76% according to the same study. According to another study, “The ADHD, ODD, and CD are polygenic and some genes may have pleiotropic influences in different traits of these disorders. (Azeredo, Moreira, Barbosa, 2017 p. 2). That is, ADHD, ODD, and CD all share a common gene that influences the individuals’ response to environmental stressors. Environmental stressors play huge roles to the different observable and non-observable symptoms and behaviors of these three conditions.

ADHD observed behaviors typically include fidgety or repetitive movements, twitches, and the inability to remain seated or in one spot for an extended period of time. Non-observed behaviors typically include their inability to focus on one activity, phasing out or zoning out of the task, and absent-minded thinking. These behaviors are inherent but may be exaggerated or exasperated by outside factors and stressors. Some examples of stressors include unwanted tasks or responsibilities (a homework assignment), boredom (a student sitting through a lecture), and unwanted social situations (being forced to socialize with people the child may not like).

ODD and CD observed behaviors are typically more severe. Behaviors for ADHD are typically self-stimulated and doesn’t include another person, object, or animal, which could be the  opposite for ODD and CD. Observed behaviors for ODD include argumentative behavior towards adults or people of authority, spiteful behavior, negative remarks, and rude behavior. Observed behaviors for CD are vastly more severe and can range anywhere from petty theft to first degree murder. Stressors for ODD typically stem from being told what to do from people in charge, being reprimanded by an adult or person of authority, and/or yelling/aversive situations from the adult to the child. Many children with ODD may have an authority complex and have difficulties when others, “challenge,” their own authority, making them lose sense of logic and reasoning and instead placing their mind and instincts into fight mode. Stressors for CD can range vastly but include peer pressure (such as gang-related activities), insecurity (e.g. being, “manly,” to cover a teenage boy’s insecurities), authority complexes, family neglect or abuse, and substance abuse (both in the family and amongst the individuals themselves). It is important to note that some of the stressors for CD, such as substance abuse, can work as both a stressor and as an observed behavior. That is, a teenager with CD may abuse substances because they grew up in a household in which other members of the house abused substances. That same substance abuse from the teenager could then cause more severe behaviors because of their lack of judgement/psychoactive effects from said substances. It can result in a vicious loop where the causes and effects are blurred to the point where the child with CD may not know what came first.

The covariation among ADHD, ODD, and CD is mostly attributed to genetic influences (Dick et al., 2005; Martin, Levy, Pieka, and Hay, 2006) and to a lesser extent, non-shared environmental factors with no significant correlation with shared environmental factors. The behaviors observed in ADHD lead to a greater predisposition to ODD and CD, as these behaviors are typically disruptive and/or antisocial in nature (Azeredo, Moreira, Barbosa, 2017). These conditions play into each other and can increase the severity and frequency of observable behaviors exponentially in some cases.

Implications on Juvenile Delinquency

As discussed, ADHD, ODD, and CD can play a huge part into likelihood that children affected enter juvenile delinquent centers or detention centers. That’s not to say that having one of these three conditions makes it likely for those children to enter trouble. However, it is certainly an observable possibility that makes sense, considering the way that these three conditions interact with each other.

There was a study conducted by Sibley et. al in 2010 that analyzed age of initiation, severity, and variety of delinquent acts among four groups: a control group, a group who had ADHD, a group who had ADHD + ODD, and a group who had ADHD + CD. The participants were 288 male juveniles aged 5.0 – 12.83 years old. These groups were subdivided into severities: mild, moderate, and severe. Age of initiation for the mild severity subgroup include: 11.42 for ADHD only, 10.96 for ADHD + ODD, 10.36 for ADHD + CD, and 12.46 for the control group. The combination of ADHD and ODD or CD generally reduced the year of initiation by about one full year as compared to the ADHD only group and by about two years as compared to the control group. For moderate delinquency, the average age of initiation includes: 13.36 for ADHD only, 13.43 for ADHD + ODD, 11.99 for ADHD + CD, and 14.50 for the control group. The ADHD + CDD subgroup initiated delinquency much earlier than the control group at about a two-and-a-half-year difference. For severe delinquency, the average of initiation includes: 13.99 for ADHD only, 14.59 for ADHD + ODD, 12.87 for ADHD + CD, and 13.76 for the control group. Among the severe group, only the ADHD + CD subgroup initiated delinquency at a significantly earlier age than the control group at about a full year earlier.

For the severity variable, participants were given a severity score that was predetermined by several metrics and predefined barometers. For the mild severity, all four subgroups showed a similar prevalence of mild offending with no significant variations. For moderate delinquency, only the ADHD + CD subgroup varied significantly from the comparison participants. For severe delinquency, the ADHD + ODD and ADHD + CD subgroups displayed behavior that was significantly more severe as compared to the rest of the participants in the comparison groups. ADHD-only subgroups across the different severities did not engage in behavior that was significantly different than their own respective groups

For the variety variable, number of different delinquent acts were counted and compared among the subgroups and the average mean values are as follows: 6.19 different acts for the ADHD only subgroup, 6.72 for the ADHD + ODD subgroup, 8.69 for the ADHD + CD subgroup, and 5.37 for the control group. Across the board, all ADHD groups committed more different delinquent acts as compared with the control group. The ADHD + CD subgroup, however, was significantly higher than the other ADHD groups as well as the control group, with over three more different acts as compared with the control group and about 2 more than the other ADHD groups.

This specific study shows us that, in general, across all severities and subgroups, the ADHD + CD group committed more delinquent acts, committed those acts at an earlier age, and committed more severe acts as compared to the other groups. This study demonstrates, above all else, that the combination of any of the three disabilities in this review (ADHD, ODD, and CD) could lead to an increased risk of juvenile trouble and misbehavior as compared to neurotypical peers if not properly identified and addressed at an early age.

Evaluation and Conclusion

Upon reading the various research articles presented, my suspicions were proven correct that the combination of ADHD and either ODD or CD would present a higher likelihood in getting into juvenile trouble. The interactions between ADHD and the other disabilities is an unfortunate loop where each disability affects the other. The most prevalent example of this would be the decreased impulsive control as a result of ADHD leading to more impulsive behaviors that are observed in ODD and CD. Environmental stressors also go hand in hand with both increased frequency of observable behaviors as well as severity of those behaviors. The research articles I chose did an effective job at comparing disabilities and establishing connections between juvenile likelihood and ADHD, ODD and CD.

My perspectives for potential solutions to these issues mainly lie in increased awareness for ADHD, ODD, CD and its implications on behavior. As previously mentioned, research shows that these conditions can be observed as early as preschool. These behaviors need to be addressed as they are happening, not when the children affected are already in juvenile detention. As society advances, general awareness for mental health and disabilities has increased, but it is nowhere where it needs to be yet.

My perspectives for researchers of these articles and other articles mainly lie with gaining an increased knowledge base with the correlation of specific environmental stressors with specific, observable behaviors. There may be existence of this type of research, however this review was only based on the interactions amongst the three disabilities and its implications with juvenile trouble and was intended to serve as foundational knowledge to be explored deeper. I would like to know more information perhaps on the specific types of ADHD and its relations with ODD and CD. For example, I’d like to know if ADHD-HI has an increased number of observable behaviors and severity of behaviors if combined with ODD or CD.  I’d like to know which specific environmental stressors impact specific ADHD types more or less severely. I’d assume children that come from a household of negligence would seek more companionship, which may end up leading them to latch onto the wrong people and increasing the likelihood that they get peer pressured into committing juvenile crimes. I suppose what I am looking for is more of a micro-view of specific relationships between specific environmental stressors and specific disabilities.

References

Azeredo, A., Moreira, D., & Barbosa, F. (2018). ADHD, CD, and ODD: Systematic review of genetic and environmental risk factors. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 82, 10–19. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2017.12.010

Harvey, E. A., Breaux, R. P., & Lugo-Candelas, C. I. (2016). Early development of comorbidity between symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 125(2), 154–167. doi: 10.1037/abn0000090

Reale, L., Bartoli, B., Cartabia, M., Zanetti, M., Costantino, M. A., Canevini, M. P., … Bonati, M. (2017). Comorbidity prevalence and treatment outcome in children and adolescents with ADHD. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 26(12), 1443–1457. doi: 10.1007/s00787-017-1005-z

Retz, W., Retz-Junginger, P., Hengesch, G., Schneider, M., Thome, J., Pajonk, F.-G., … RSler, M. (2004). Psychometric and psychopathological characterization of young male prison inmates with and without attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 254(4). doi: 10.1007/s00406-004-0470-9

Rösler, M., Retz, W., Retz-Junginger, P., Hengesch, G., Schneider, M., Supprian, T., … Thome, J. (2004). Prevalence of attention deficit–/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid disorders in young male prison inmates*. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 254(6), 365–371. doi: 10.1007/s00406-004-0516-z

Sibley, M. H., Pelham, W. E., Molina, B. S. G., Gnagy, E. M., Waschbusch, D. A., Biswas, A., … Karch, K. M. (2010). The Delinquency Outcomes of Boys with ADHD with and Without Comorbidity. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 39(1), 21–32. doi: 10.1007/s10802-010-9443-9

Taskiran, S., Mutluer, T., Tufan, A. E., & Semerci, B. (2017). Understanding the associations between psychosocial factors and severity of crime in juvenile delinquency: a cross-sectional study. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, Volume 13, 1359–1366. doi: 10.2147/ndt.s129517

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Book Review: Hacking Leadership: 10 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Learning That Teachers, Students, and Parents Love

By Bridget Barahona

Abstract

To be a leader is to be the example, one cannot do it all. What does it take for a leader to get his team to be plugged in to the vision? The book Hacking Leadership by Joe Sanfelippo and Tony Sinanis covers ten ways a great leader inspires learning. Joe Sanfelippo and Tony Sinanis speak on the importance of a leader being supportive and knowing that being a leader is not always being the front runner but the central plug which fosters new ideas and grit. 

Hacking Leadership Book Review

Solutions… Many Leaders are followed because they are viewed as the solution to many problems. This book is the fifth book in a Hacking Leadership series which involves many different authors. This particular book covers ten problems wrestling in the education community. The purpose of this book is driven by what worked for other leaders and specific examples of how they handled solving common problems in education. The central topic covered in this book is how leadership is not always being the front runner but the central plug.

Both authors are in different levels of educational leadership and bring insight to the ten solutions presented in the book. The book fosters collaboration for success by pushing leaders to understand that leading takes more than being an administrator. Leading is defined throughout the book as being a model to transformative practices that bring forth innovation and new principles are worked on through collaborated efforts.

In addition, the book has an “out of the office” prospective and stands with leaders needing to be out and about, and not focused on policies, mandates, and test scores. Leaders are to be focused on authentic and personalized interactions to create strong relationships within the kingdom of education. Aside from relationship the book speaks on different ways to lead from the heart and covers the importance of healthy relationship.

Furthermore, the book wants the hacking mentally to be the key to culture change. The book described the hacking mentality as tinkerers and fixers (pg. 10). Having this mentality is viewed as seeing solutions to problems in perspectives that others are not able to view. According to the Hacker’s books series and this specific serie, all problems can have a solution but it takes a selfless leader with a heart, meaningful relationships, and interactions to bring forth solutions in the education system.

Main Themes and Key Quotes

This book has ten main topics which are broken down with supportive solutions by both author’s experiences in education as students, parents, and now leaders. It is repeatedly expressed how two main themes will bring fourth solutions. One is having a strong relationship with staff and the school community, and the other is leading with heart and purpose.

These ten topics support both themes throughout the book. The first topic in the book is being present and bringing engagement in the work place. This section specifies how leaders are visible in the work place and need to have a leader viewpoint and not a manager perspective. “To make genuine leadership the new norm in our schools, school leaders need to invest in relationships.” (pg. 19) The best outcome to improving this area was describe as listening more, asking questions, lunch time with students, celebrating in public, and spending enough time out of the office and in the school community. “Be intentional about every conversation and exchange.” (pg. 30).

 The second topic correlates with the first because in order to create a positive culture in the school, a leader must be visible. “Culture feels so entrenched in tradition that no change seems possible.” (pg.34). The solution to bland culture norms is described in the book by highlighting the importance of how staff feel and perceptions they experience. The one who can best model these practices is the leader himself (pg. 33). This chapter’s solution to creating a positive culture is  C. U. L.T. U.R.E “communication uncovers learning, transparency ultimately reveals everything.” (pg. 34).  A leader must feed into the people, define a proper status, share communication with families, name interns of the week, and celebrate the small things (pg. 36-37).  This opens communication for the school community and brings parental involvement.

Topics three and four also merge into similarities three being building relationships and four being partnership with the community. The authors in this book repeatedly emphasizes how building relationships with staff members is important. In these two chapters they cover the importance of relationships with students and those in the community which include parents and families of students. The book speaks on collaborating with teachers to get to know the students. Simply asking questions or asking teachers to share great efforts students have made. The book stated a simple way to engage with staff, students, and parents is shining light and communicating the best works of students to their families. This brings staff engagement by showing support to their teaching success but it also engages with the families and students (pg.57). The book also speaks on the importance of attending events. The authors share viewpoints on participating in events and how being present can show support and bring community engagement.

Following, the next two hacks being five and six were centered in the importance of connecting and the community. “Being proactive in all aspects of schooling should be the default, but addressing the community’s hot button topics can get people moving in the right direction.” (pg.73-74). Hack five focused on student voices and the importance of hearing their opinion with topics which are never really brought from students. The book mentions options like google forms and using social media to bring the community to participate in conversations and in a way bring guilt to through postings to have them be more active in the school. Another way the book prompted meaningful interaction was social media shining and honoring students through social media norms. The book on page 70 stated that little raffles like t-shirt giveaways and gift certificates will bring communication and engagement and keep school conversations continuous on social media.  Hack six falls right into this because it covers how to create a school that works for kids and not only the adults. This chapter spoke on how students can have a voice by having a say in curriculum and participating in committees.  The solution presented to help students stay focused and motivated was allowing them to be part of the learning process. Also giving them time to have a say in their learning and allowing them to develop new learning strategies which work for them.

Continuing, hack seven covers content on hiring the superstars needed to implement best practices of community and relationship building. “Hiring excellent staff is one of the most important things we can do for students.” (pg.105) Part of bringing great staff ties with the two main themes of this book. On page 99 the book has a section on less questions and more conversations when hiring new teachers for the team. The goal of having and holding conversations and avoiding common interview questions are to allow flexible and judicious thinking (pg. 99). The authors also emphasize the importance of intergrading new staff members and getting them involved. Part of getting staffed members involved falls into hack eight where the book covers the importance pushing teachers to engage in their own learning. Repeatedly the book covers the importance of community in various aspects. This hack focused on the educators and how they can be encouraged to push for new ideas and stay connected in methods of teaching while working together and building a teacher community. 

Additionally, the last two topics bring the common themes in the book to conclusion. Hack nine being collaborate and learn, which covered common way to collaborate with staff members during professional developments. The authors brought insight on how teachers can collectively learn together and from one another by not having a one size fits all professional development (pg. 121). “All educators should have the power to personalize the professional development they participate in, even when it is collaborative and individualize in nature.” (pg.121).The last hack covered changing the mindset of all educators, both authors expressed how this can be done by being supportive. Following the two themes of the book they concluded that involving the parents thinking and student thinking will allow for the deficit mindset to be changed into positive thoughts, which later brings problem solving solutions into the school environment.

Finally, the book merges the themes under an element of being like water. “When we reach the goal where the water has perfectly permeated the space for optimal growth and nourishment, we create schools that students, staff, and parents love…”. (pg.150) The authors concluded with building relationships by opening streams that channel meaningful relationships.  They also finalize with making sure leaders understand to build a sense of community by nourishing parties to lead with heart and conversation (pg. 149).

Strengths and Weaknesses 

This book allows for perfect implementation of important topics in education. There are three strengths that stood out the most. One being that it gives teacher perspectives from different viewpoints, two it brings examples, and three it gives tips and steps on how to implement the suggested methods immediately.

This leadership book brings innovative and modern solutions to common problems in education. It also supports the different ‘Hacking’ series previous to this fifth addition. I do not think this book lacks information covered in the specific topics spoken on, but the book did not cover a wide range of themes. Instead it covered ten specific topics the authors used to culture their schools with the same reoccurring themes. It gave great examples, but if one weakness had to be pointed out, it would be getting parents to comment on some of the topics from the book. The book had many teacher examples and perspectives but having student and parent perspectives would give some strategies extra support.

“Comparison to Fullan’s “Leading In A Culture of Change”

Both of these books had similar content of conversations, but different ways of presenting the information. Some of the similarities both books had were great examples, both promoted culture change, and both gave specific details to create a strong community. The books were both similar and focused on relationships and having open conversations.

Although Fullan’s book was centralized on breaking down the framework of leadership to equip teachers and staff members. Sanfelippo’s and Sinanis’ book was focused on empowering teachers, students, and parents. Both books could be said to have covered similar content but Sanfelippo’s and Sinanis’ included the community outside the school walls.

Both books covered the importance of professional development, Sanfelippo’s and Sinanis focused on collaborative work and allowing teachers to give input on what content to cover, and Fullan’s like Sanfelippo’s and Sinanis book focused on allowing teachers to share what works and what doesn’t work. Both of these books had great content which helps support leaders in schools and outside of school settings.

References

Fullan, M. (2009). The challenge of change: start school improvement now! Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Sanfelippo, J., & Sinanis, T. (2016). Hacking leadership: 10 ways great leaders inspire learning that teachers, students, and parents love. Cleveland, OH: Times 10 Publications.

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Book Review: Lead Like a Pirate

By Demetria C Johnson

According to dictionary.com, synonyms for a pirate are adventurer, daredevil, hero, heroine, opportunist and voyager. Being a leader in the education arena you must be a daredevil and an opportunist, ready to steer through the many changes that comes with leading. A leader must be ready to navigate through policies, procedures, behaviors and people to service one of our greatest commodities, students. Each part of being a Pirate leader has a compass to guide you. Also, there are cannonballs to avoid along the way. This book gives leader a guide on how to navigate leadership in a manner that requires guts and will. PIRATE leader lets sail out and be ready to ANCHOR our conversation.

Passion

Being passionate about a thing or person can become contagious and infectious. A leader must have their own passion and willing to share it with their professional environment. A leader who brings their passion for their students to succeed and their teachers to be their best will infect the entire environment and bring excitement to building. Once a leader knows their passion, they must be willing to help others identify and tap into their passion. Sharing your passion with your staff will build relationship and connection. The compass of passion is the commitment of being completely and totally into the mission. The cannonball to avoid in passion is being complaint of just doing what you are told without deep understanding. 

Immersion

Being immerse in a task requires diving deep into a task whole heartedly. Continuing to learn a skill and never feeling you know it all. Also, being immerse in the staff and students requires spending time with them. Taking time to eat lunch with the staff or going to recess with the students will allow you opportunities to learn them on a more personal level. Immersion yourself in the content of the curriculum requires a leader to know all they can about the standards and curriculum. This will help you understand the requirements of being a teacher as well as expectations of the students. Time is a precious commodity in the education world. Leaders must learn to delegate and allow others to assist in the daily running of the school.  The compass to guide a leader in immersion is credibility. A leader must have a deep understanding and continues to grow deeper. The cannonballs to avoid is being a counterfeit. Presenting a dog and pony show as if you understand and believe in a process but don’t and have not commitment.

Rapport

Trust is instrumental to the success of any organization. Having rapport with people is building a healthy relationship. Health relationships requires trust at its core. How do you build trust with people who do not know you or not happy that you are coming to their organization? A leader must take the time to get to know the staff and allow the staff to get to know them. In the education world time is valuable. The leader has to be creative and use the resources available to them; the staff and the students. Simply conversations with everyone that is involved with the running of a school. Having conversations with the custodians, parents, cafeteria staff, students, bus drivers, teachers, paraprofessionals, office staff and especially the students. Using technology is a safe way is a great way to continue to build trust. Simple things as having an app that everyone can use that will show the happenings of the school to sending home a newsletter monthly that includes birthdays, anniversaries and special events of stakeholders. The compass to guide a leader with rapport are having true empathy and understanding for everyone and being dedicated to the mission of the crew. The cannonballs to avoid are being callous, not caring for the members of your crew and competition, only wanting to win and not care about the mission.

Transformation

If you want different you have to think differently and act differently. Transformation take courage and creativity, thinking outside of tradition. A leader cannot be satisfied with mediocre or status quo. Setting the tone at the beginning of the school year is vital. A leadership team must have a “whatever it takes” mentality to transform from the traditional ways to something new and exciting. During this transformation, involving everyone allows people to feel valuable and apart. When a person feels they are valuable, they will go above and beyond the status quo. Allowing students to express their needs and desires helps them to buy in to the transformation that is happening. When Pirate leaders transform their practices there is a ripple effect throughout. The compass to guide you in transformation is courage. A leader must be willing to take risk for growth and make a stand in order to make the environment better. The cannonballs to avoid is being a coward. A leader must be willing to fight for what is right.

Enthusiasm

Fun is ok! Fun is encouraged. Fun is a must. A leader sets the tone for the building. Every day and every event make not be “fun,” however with a little imagination and creativity you can make it fun and enjoyable. The leader is responsible for the positivity in the building. A leader must have enthusiasm about every detail of the school even when its difficult and boring. Being silly is ok and the students will appreciate you and respect you the same. Enthusiasm shows the teachers and students that school can be fun and exciting. If you enjoy your workplace, you will go to work and be more productive. The compass to guide you is be captivating or willing to step outside the box. Throw away the box and enjoy and have fun. The cannonballs to avoid is being clinical or overanalyzing every detail, situation and decision. Do not be afraid to try something new.

Coach Like Pirate: Anchor Conversation

According to dictionary.com anchor is someone or something that provides strength and support. Conversation is the anchor in healthy relationships. In order for anchor conversation to be effective and work, a leader must believe that each member of their staff is capable of making magic in their classroom. Not have cookie cutter, pretending, dog and pony show work but authentic and unique magic. ANCHOR conversation is

A: Appreciation

N: Notice the Impact

C: Collaborative Conversations/Captain-Directed Conversations

H: Honor Voice and Choice

O: Offer Support

R: Reflection

Each part of ANCHOR conversation is important. Words are powerful. Words matter and words change people for better or worse. Exploring each part of ANCHOR will help leaders better understand how to improve their conversations with staff and peers. The three goals of an Anchor conversation are the staff knows they are valued, they each add value to the team, and they are willing to push practice forward.

Appreciation

A simple “thank you,” can brightening a person day and give them a little push to continue. A leader must be intentional with their appreciation to the staff. Also, a leader should be specific in their appreciation. With the specific praise give a why and attach it to best practices, school goals, and student learning. Use positive body language with a smile to convey your message of appreciation. Avoid being fake. Do not use judgemental language or tones when conveying your appreciation. Appreciate everyone in some way. Do not stay focus on the same people and forgetting others who may not be as outspoken or visual.

Notice of Impact

Noticing allows a leader to point out the decisions a teacher makes that impacts learning in a positive way. Helping a teacher articulate why they taught a lesson in a particular manner makes them cognizant of their decisions. A leader must share the specifics that they noticed a teacher do and then share the impact of the decision. It is important to link the decision to the student learning and school goals. Be encouraging to continue the use of the decision. Remember to use positive body language, enthusiasm and upbeat word. “Thank you” goes a long way, even when a teacher is just doing their job. Avoid being general on the noticing. Do not give false and fake praise. Always avoid judgmental language and tones.

Collaborative Conversations

Collaboration is when there is a dialoged, sharing of ideas and brainstorming. No one person is an expert in teaching all students in a building. However, everyone as a team that have ideas that can reach majority if not all students. Having a collaborative conversation are opportunities to talk about good teaching. A good collaboration starts with appreciation. Begin asking questions to foster reflection and learning from the staff. Actively listening to the response of the teacher and ask more clarifying questions for complete understanding. Provide new ideas with encouragement to try them with an open mind and observations to reflect. Always close with a thank you. Avoid assuming what it may have looked like, this is why questioning is important. The teacher should be talking equally or more than the leader, this is true collaboration. Lastly, do not try to mask criticism as question. Leaders are building healthy relationships and trust.

Captain-Directed Conversations

There are times when collaboration is not helpful, and the leader needs to direct the conversation. There are times when a teacher needs teaching. During this conversation the leader must define the practice that was missing. Giving the teacher a specific explanation not just use education jargon. Show examples of the practice. Teachers are visual learners as well. Also, practice helps make a concept concrete and understandable. Justify the change or new concept by explaining how it impacts student’s learning. Make sure the teacher understands the change by allow practice and examples with a follow-up visit for reflection. Remember to say, “thank you.” During the captain-directed conversation make sure its based on practices that needs improvement not something a leader doesn’t like. Also, do not allow the captain-directed conversation be evaluative. Building a relationship requires trust. The teacher must understand that these conversations are to help them grow not deflate them.

Honor Voice and Choice

Allowing teachers to teach has been a teacher’s dream. Many teacher’s creativity has been snuffed out because of unrealistic timelines created. Also, wanted every class to be on the same topic, on the same day, at the same time is unrealistic and closed-minded thinking. Honoring the voice and the choice of the teacher allows the teacher the opportunity to evaluate the feedback and unleash their creativity and talent to effectively deliver the lesson. Giving teachers this power provides them an opportunity to grow. The teacher will feel a sense of belonging and will go above and beyond to better themselves for the sake of their students. A leader must be open to all ideas event the ones that are different from theirs. Also, a leader should not fake liking a decision of a teacher when they don’t. It is always best practice to be honest with reasons to maintain an honest and healthy relationship.

Offer Support

What is perfection? Perfection is not for teaching students. Consistency and constant learning are how an effective teacher continues to improve their craft of teaching. Allowing teachers to think outside of the box and provide them with support opens the door for amazing growth.  Leaders should be a resource to the staff. Teachers, parents and students should feel comfortable enough to bring ideas and brainstorm current practices to the leadership with out any hesitation. Leaders should be careful not to offer support they are unable to provide. Also, a leader must follow through their commitment.

Reflection

            After each coaching session, conversation, a leader should reflect on the three goals;’1. Did the teacher feel valued?

Did the teacher find value in the conversation?

Did the conversation push the teacher’s thinking to push their practice forward?

If there is not a resounding yes, then recognize the cannonball and be read to adjust before the next conversation. Self-reflection is critical in being an effective leader. As a leader we must take the time to slow down and improve our own practice as we are helping others improve theirs.

“Lead Like a Pirate” is a guide to help; any person in leadership or inspiring to reevaluate their thinking about leadership. The guide allows simple practices that can change the atmosphere of a building from drab to excitement. Being a captain of a crew requires constant growing and building of self as you build others. If you are ready for a voyage of a lifetime, hoist your sale, pull up your anchor, grab your map and set sail for an adventure.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The theme of a pirate and crew allows this book to be an easy read and follow. The comparison allows for the reader to relate and put themselves as a captain. The idea of helping a leader navigate through leadership using terms that are easy to understand helps the reader follow the format laid out before them. Acronyms are an easy way to remember information. PIRATE and ANCHOR are two sets of acronyms the author uses to allow the reader to remember key lessons being shared.

Another strength is the relevant examples the authors gave. These examples are not far fetched or unobtainable. The authors gave examples that one can follow and use today. This allowed the book to read with ease and understandability.

A weakness in the book is the practices are spread throughout the book. Having one section for the practices for easy reference could be helpful. This will allow the leader to refer to certain activities that can implemented through the school year.

Comparison

Leading in a Culture of Change by Michael Fullan, has some similar theories on administration and leadership. Fullan gives five components to leadership for reinforcing positive change. Moral purpose, understanding change, building relationship, knowledge and creation sharing and coherence making are the five components of his Framework for Leadership. Included in his framework he discusses personal traits a leader must possess are energy, enthusiasm, and hopefulness. When leaders possess the five components and stay the course, they inspire others to operate in the five components. Both books share the ideology that the leader sets the tone of the building. Even in challenging moments of change, how the leader responds to the change and delivers the information to the staff determines how the staff reacts. Enthusiasm is a common theme between the authors. Leaders have to be passionate about leading and the people they are leading. The purpose of being a leader needs to be defined within that person prior to becoming a leader. Positive, healthy relationships is imperative for a leader to be success.

Written differently, both books are conveying the same message. A leader must be willing to continue to grow themselves. They must be assessible, approachable ad relatable. A leader must be willing to share their knowledge as well as be teachable. Leaders must provide an atmosphere of excitement, fun and community.

References

Burgess, S., Houf. B., (2017). Lead Like a Pirate. San Diego: Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.

Fullan, M., (2001). Leading in a Culture of Change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

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* Academic Resource Center Math Specialist/Teacher – Academic Resource Center (ARC) Mathematics Specialist/Teacher is a teacher leader who is responsible for supporting effective Grade 9 through 12 mathematics instruction and student learning with a particular focus on students with service plans and exceptional needs. To learn more – Click here

* Diverse Learner Teacher – We are seeking experienced full-time Diverse Learner Teachers (K-8 Grades) to join CICS Avalon, CICS Basil, and CICS Washington Park Campuses for the 2020-2021 school year. A Diverse Learner Teacher holds primary responsibility for providing academic, emotional, and physical services for students who require additional support to thrive within the school’s core academic program. To learn more – Click here

* Special Education Teacher – We are looking for highly motivated and skilled Special Education teachers to join our team at District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). DCPS serves more than 51,000 students through the e?orts of approximately 4,000 educators in 117 schools. DCPS intends to have the highest-performing, best paid, most satis?ed, and most honored educator force in the nation and a distinctive central o?ce sta? whose work supports and drives instructional excellence and signi?cant achievement gains for DCPS students. To learn more- Click here

* Special Education Teacher – Environmental Charter Schools is seeking a talented and dynamic Special Education Teacher who is passionate about preparing low-income students of color for college success. The mission of the Environmental Charter Schools (ECS) is to reimagine public education in low-income communities of color to prepare conscious, critical thinkers who are equipped to graduate from college and create a more equitable and sustainable world. To learn more – Click here

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Acknowledgements

Portions of this or previous month’s NASET’s Special Educator e-Journal were excerpted from:

• Center for Parent Information and Resources
• Committee on Education and the Workforce
• FirstGov.gov-The Official U.S. Government Web Portal
• Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals (JAASEP)
• National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
• National Institute of Health
• National Organization on Disability
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• U.S. Department of Education
• U.S. Department of Education-The Achiever
• U.S. Department of Education-The Education Innovator
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• U.S. Department of Labor
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• U.S. Office of Special Education

The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) thanks all of the above for the information provided for this or prior editions of the Special Educator e-Journal

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