The End

As you begin your journey into the lives of adolescents, remember this:  we were once that age - and we were just as bad.  Students these days have so much going on in their daily lives that it's hard to pay attention to any one thing.  It's nearly impossible for adolescents to see the repercussions of their actions nor the long lasting consequences.  We didn't either.  We do now, hopefully.  However, we were exactly like them at their age.  Please remember, too, their young brains do NOT care how many degrees we have, what we did when we were 'their' age, or how much money we make.  They will continue to make decisions in their lives same as we did.  But hopefully they will make the wise decision because they will have you, as their teacher, to be supportive, unwavering, and tough as nails...by any means necessary.

Parents

One of the biggest challenges I face in my daily job is having to deal with parents.  There are few parents in my line of work, that are 'normal'.  As Dolgin suggests, a lot of the issues that students deal with often stem from the family units.  Not often is it that I have a normally functioning family.  Typically, there are bitter divorces, absent fathers, siblings in prison, parent drug use, parent mental health issues or a combination of all of them. The apple doesn't fall far, sadly.  One needs to keep this in mind when trying to reach out to the family for support for their child.  Please don't get me wrong, there are some families who want nothing but the best for their child, however, there are those few that simply don't.  The parents I am referring to are those who get high with their kids, steal their medication for their own use, allow abuse by outsiders, or those who are just too busy to pay any attention.  I hope against hope you won't have to run into these kinds of parents; but I bet you will.  If you do, here's what I suggest:
1.  Keep calling the parent.  You never know what they are dealing with.
2.  As a mandated report, it is your obligation to contact the appropriate authorities when it is necessary.  That's a hard call to make but you must do it if it is in the best interest of the child.
3.  Remember, you're not the bad guy.  Hopefully you will have a supportive administration that will back your decisions.
4.  Find your own positive outlets.  Our job is not an easy one and we are constantly bombarded with issues that we, as children, may never have faced.  It's imperative that you maintain your own sanity.
5.  Don't give up.

Digital Natives

I love telling stories.  I always have.  Once I had a professor who gave us an assignment to “tell a story”.  Jackpot.  That professor believed that to be an effective teacher, you had to be a good story teller.  I loved that assignment.  I told about how the airport “O’Hare” got its name and how it was tied to Al Capone.  Fascinating.  I’ve never forgotten that story.  I tell it often.  Most people don’t know how it got its name or who O’Hare was.  He was a hero in WWII, and his dad was a hero too, although he was Al Capone’s lawyer.  Easy Eddie O’Hare ultimately gave information to the federal government that sent Capone to the slammer.   Then he was whacked.  Or so the story goes… I read an article that isn’t quite as violent or mysterious; however it is just as fascinating.  A young lady, Kim, a 6th grader, decided to do a digital story of her family and how they emigrated from rural China.  She digitized a picture of the family and their internal struggles between their work ethic and her need to assimilate to the United States way of life.  Then the fire came.  She memorialized a fire that destroyed her family’s home they had struggled so hard to build.  There were scanned before and after pictures.  There was somber and then uplifting music.  She created a digital symphony while all the while telling the story of not the fire but the realization that the perception of one another changed throughout their struggle and their rebuilding.  As did their house, they broke down and rebuilt their relationship.  I wonder if she would have been able to capture the story simply by using basic human language. The basis of this article is not Kim’s story but the fact that she created the story, first.  The author explains while digital media is powerful, the story itself must be composed first, much like a symphony.  Bach and Mozart didn’t simply sit down and play their masterpieces.  They were created, developed, erased, rewritten, and scripted.  This is the essences of the article.  The author states, “Writing is key.  Even though the students’ final products are media-based, the most important tool used in the creation of the digital story is writing scripts and story treatments.” (Ohler, 2005).  He also states, “Oral storytelling is a powerful way for students to develop their own voices and discover what events and details are essential to their story.” (Ohler, 2005).   What can an educator take from this?  Use what you have but don’t forget what’s important.  The story is what’s important; how it’s told is just a means to an end.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not opposed to technology.  In fact, I embrace it wholeheartedly.  I’m writing this on my laptop, using my mifi, while half-screening my own typing and viewing the internet at the same time, while my IPod plays music that I have downloaded onto my ITunes, and subsequently synced it to ICloud.  Prensky is right.  “It’s very serious, because the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.” (Prensky, 2001).   Imagine the same assignment being given by an inflexible digital immigrant.  The assignment would be an oral presentation in front of the class, first writing an outline using bullet points, then a graphic organizer, then a rough draft having to use the dictionary for definitions and spelling, then a final draft using your best penmanship.  Would Kim have told the same story?  Would her struggle and ultimate self-awareness have come across?  Maybe, maybe not. “Not-so-smart (or not-so-flexible) immigrants spend most of their time grousing about how good things were in the “old country.” (Prensky, 2001) I’m proud to be a digital native.  I’m not only skilled at the ways of the computer world for my own personal use, but I proudly use it and encourage it with my students.  How often do I hear about a student who is a ‘trouble maker’ because he is always texting in class?  Well, no kidding.  That’s what they do.  Why not harness that need for the technology instant gratification into something educational?  What about message boards for high school algebra?  What about instant messaging for communications class?  What about a type of Facebook for Physics?  I’m certain that I would post lots of questions on that board for physics!  Who says the teacher is the only person with the answer?  Peer coaching or tutoring is powerful. Both Prensky and Ohler are absolutely correct.  Media is powerful.  Learn it. Use it.  But don’t forget it’s the story that’s important.  Every student has a story.  Just give them the tools to create their own symphony. Let me tell you about a conversation I recently had.  “Hey, Mom!  Watch this!  Hey, Mom!  Can you tape this on your IPhone and then upload it to YouTube and then email it to Grandma?”  This conversation took place with my daughter…who is SIX.  My little six year old, princess in training who was dancing around in her Cinderella costume while doing her own version of ballet.   I may be a digital native, but I’m definitely a first generation native who will easily be outdated by my kids who are 5 and 6 and can navigate the internet almost as well as I can.   If digital immigrants don’t get on the digital media train, it’s going to run right over them.  Then they will be stuck waiting for letters on the Pony Express from their grandkids to come in the mail with a stamp while sitting in their retirement homes not knowing to how to work the remote for their DVR satellite cable box and romanticizing about the good ole’ days.  By the way, Grandma, that letter’s not coming.  Your grandkids are too busy creating the next generation IPad in the garage.     Ohler, J. (2005). The world of digital storytelling.Educational Leadership, 63(4), 44-47. Retrieved from http://imoberg.com/files/World_of_Digital_Storytelling Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On The Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.

Steve Update

In a previous post I wrote about Steve, a young man who I could not have been more proud of for graduating high school, which was no small feat for Steve.  I am heartbroken to report that Steve took his own life on Saturday, June 30...two weeks shy of his 18th birthday, 3 short weeks after his graduation.  While keeping the details private, there are several indications that it was intentional.  Sadly, there was one last Facebook posting.

I could easily get angry with his Facebook friends...Why didn't they do anything?  How come they didn't call someone?  Well, the fact is, Steve felt he didn't have any friends and his last posting, while riddled with despair, didn't specifically say what was about to happen.

What about his mom?  Steve's mom had, quite frankly, been a pain in my ass.  She called me often, for good or for bad.  She would call to thank me one day, and then complain about a teacher the next day.  She would call for advice, for guidance, or sometimes just to talk, it seemed.  You know what made her a unique parent?  She cared.  She tried.  She called for help, for advice, for guidance.  When Steve wouldn't want to come to school one day, she would call me to say "What am I supposed to do?  He won't get out of bed?".  In one of our many tear-filled conversations over the past few days, I told her that she can take comfort in knowing she tried everything she could.  Steve chose to continue to use drugs. 

One thing (of many) that I have learned over the past few days is this:  It is HARD to be the boss, when really all I want to be is a person.  I had to say out loud to myself, "Hold it together Lori.  You're the boss." before making the initial phone calls to the staff.  I had to remain as professional as possible when informing mom of the final Facebook post.  Mom has asked that I give a eulogy at the funeral.  Man, am I struggling with that.  I am doing it because I am humbled and honored that she would think so much of me.  I'm terrified that I won't due Steve or his mom justice in my speech.  I'll keep you posted.....as life does indeed go on.

Technology

My electricity went out the other evening around 7:15 pm.  No one knew what happened and it only effected 87 households in my neighborhood. I panicked!   What was I going to do without the TV, IPhone (which was about drained of power), and internet??!!  I sat outside for a while, until it got dark.  I actually listened to the birds and the sounds of the neighbors.  Then, when it got dark, I went to bed.  'What else was there to do?', I thought.  How quickly I have forgotten what it was like before the internet and smart phone.

Imagine telling a high-schooler who has never known what it was like to go outside and play flashlight tag,catch fireflies, or actually use their imagination to entertain themselves to turn off their electronics for 7 hours a day and listen to someone lecture.  LET THEM USE THEIR TECHNOLOGY!!  Now, I'm not saying that all students should be given unfettered access to the open internet without filters in school (or home for that matter).  But let them use what they know.  No longer are the days where you have to go to the library to do research.  Gone is the phrase "get a dictionary" when trying to find the correct spelling of a word.  Harness how smart these kids are and let them use their tools they are accustom to.  “It’s very serious, because the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.” (Prensky, 2001).  A digital immigrate is someone who has not embraced the technology that is available to them and incorporated that technology into their daily living.  

We have a rule at our schools:  No electronics allowed.  You want to know what I think of that rule?  Control-Alt-Delete.  I simply ignore it.  It's important for our students to learn how to use technology for educational growth, instead of just..."OMG, did u c what she rote on FB?".  You get my point.

TIPS:

1.  Let them use what they know.

2.  Learn what it is they know.  They can teach you fantastic things with this technology that you would rarely learn on your own.

3.  Don't be scared of it.  

Physical Health

The majority of our students are teen-aged boys. At this stage in life, these kids are going through the physical fight of their lives, they just don't know it. These kids not only have to deal with hormones, they have to deal with the medication that they have been taking (hopefully), not working as well anymore. It is not uncommon for a student to have to change up types and/or doses of medications several times throughout adolescence. 

What I have noticed is a lot of our boys and girls are severely overweight; which leads to self-esteem issues, which leads to poor choices outside of school including drugs, alcohol, and very poor diet. 

This year, one of our therapeutic day schools started a Wii fit pilot program. We were testing the hypothesis that if students with mental health issues got some physical activity throughout the day, their moods would be better, therefore increasing their PBIS points they earn, in turn helping improve their grades. What did we find? It's interesting...the students figured out a way to be the least active as possible. For example, if they were doing skiing, they figured out how to move your hand with the wand to make the avatar move, all the while sitting in a chair. Honestly, that's fantastic. Their intelligence never ceases to amaze me. However, the students who took the games seriously did indeed increase their PBIS earned points as well as dropping a few pounds. "Exercise promotes psychological and mental health." (Dolgin, 2011).

We have also tried to limit their junk food. I can recall one school we had in Pennsylvania that was simply out of control. The kids were disrespectful, often walking around the building with very little care about the rules or their education. You know what the district gave the students every morning for breakfast? Donuts. Greasy, glazed donuts. After witnessing this, I made a concerted effort to provide healthy snacks as incentives for the kids. Granola instead of chips, popcorn instead of Pop-tarts, white milk instead of chocolate.

TIPS:

1. Feed the kids breakfast. But not donuts. 

2. Increase the students physical activity.

3. Never underestimate their ability to find a loop hole.

Self Medicating

This terminology is a fancy way of saying “using”. It my opinion, drug usage has increased to an alarming level among teens. I’m not talking about the social pot smoker; I’m talking about the users of such drugs that I have had to look some of them up to find out what they were. To name of few, my students use pills, cocaine, marijuana laced with heroine, DMT, and often a combination of them all. There are a couple things that surprise me about how I know this information. They tell me. Simple as that. They come to school obviously under the influence, and don’t deny what they have done. One time we had to call the paramedics due to the student’s inability to stand or breathe normally, I’ll speak more about this young man in a minute. 

Bill 

I have had the great pleasure of knowing 16 year old “Bill” for a few years now. He came to one of my therapeutic day schools due to inappropriate social behaviors at school. Basically, he told the security guard to ‘fuck off’ one too many times. This student has an IEP with a diagnosis of ED (emotionally disturbed). Frankly, knowing some of these security guards, I may have been ED when I was in high school a million years ago too. Anyway, Bill is an angry young man and I don’t blame him. What Security Guard Joe didn’t know about Eric is that his brother is serving a life sentence in prison for beating his girlfriend to death with a baseball bat. Imagine having THAT as your pedigree. Anyway, Bill came to me angry and tough as nails. It took a LOT of work with me and the social workers to get him to open up to us. Then, his behavior got weird. That’s the only way to describe it. He would chest bump the walls, pace around like a caged animal in the room, and then sometimes explode and punch a hole in the wall, all unprovoked. He would come to school high after smoking pot before getting on the bus. Since we are an alternative school, I’m happy he has come at all. I didn't send him home for a couple reasons. One, I knew that’s what he wanted, and two, I knew he was safer with me at school than doing God knows what with God know who. He was getting something from school that he needed but we just couldn't figure it out. 

I called and called and called the mom. Every time I expressed my growing concern about his drug use, her answer was simply, “OK”. There was no follow through at home. Rumor has it, she would provide the ‘munchies’ to him when he got done getting high.

On days where Bill didn't show up to school, I often found me and my social worker doing friendly home visits, driving around the neighborhood to houses we thought he may be, and basically playing Charlie’s Angels. We would go so far as to stake out the home high school 10th period to make sure that when he got there for his one course he actually went to school instead of ditching to get high. 

Somehow, this kid became my special project. We had staff meetings to discuss options on how to help. We contacted the school district asking for help. We had the high school’s drug counselor come over to do an in-service. Knowing Bill wants to go into the Marines, we had the military come in and do a presentation to all the kids hoping this would get through to him. We found a drug rehabilitation program that would come out to our school and do a free drug assessment on him. However, mom wouldn't consent. Nope, nothing, nada. He told us that on his 17th birthday, he was going to have one final blowout and then stop using all together. 

Exactly two days after his 17th birthday, he asked for help. Bill realized that he was having a lot of trouble staying away from the party. This was IT! This is what we needed to get our plan in motion. We called the rehab, set up an appointment the very next day, called mom to let her know that Bill reached out to us for help, got mom’s consent, and prayed. The rehab came out to talk with all of us first, Bill included. Bill admitted to taking Ecstasy, pills (mostly Xanax), DMT which I have learned is similar to LSD, pot, bath salts and cocaine. He’s barely 17. 

The Rehab accepted him quickly; he checked in within 3 days. I drove 2 hours out to see him, to let him know we didn't forget about him. I have never seen him look better. We talked for about two hours. He still is struggling with his demons and at times. I cried. I am so excited to say that today he will be having his exit meeting from rehab and will be returning to summer school tomorrow. I believe that Bill will always struggle with his demons, but this path he is on has a bright future and I look forward to fighting to keep him on this path. Hoo-rah Bill! 

Steve 

Steve was a 17 year old boy who also has been with our school for about 3 years. Steve has a diagnosis of OHI (other health impaired). However he was sent to use due to inability to be successful at his home school. I have come to learn that he was difficult to handle in class and didn't do any work. This is a fancy way of saying the teachers didn't like him and wanted him gone.

Let me go back and tell you some background on Steve. He was left at a grocery store in Germany when he was 3 months old. He was sent to a German Orphanage until he was adopted by his mom here in the states.  He was reported to have fetal alcohol syndrome. His US dad dropped dead of a heart attack when Steve was 14.  "Of all the risk factors that contribute to substance abuse, familial factors may be most important" (Dolgin, 2011).   "Overall, research has found that the family relationship of adolescents who abuse drugs are similar to those of adolescents who are emotionally disturbed." (Dolgin, 2011). 

Steve was not as much trouble as Bill however Steve loved to talk about his drugs. He was often over -heard talking with the kids about what he was getting, when, and from whom. He didn't often open up to the staff about his drug use. When he did, he said he just drank sometimes and smoked cigarettes. Yeah, right. One of the most powerful tools a teacher has in finding out about the lives of the kids is to eavesdrop. That’s how we found out that Steve was our resident ‘dealer’. Not in school but after school. You name it, he could get it. 

Steve came to school last summer with claw marks that stated at his forehead down to his chin. Apparently, he had taken meth and this made him think he had bugs on his face. We called mom and told her what he shared with us. She came to get him and had him hospitalize for a few days. We came up with an emergency action plan at school if he came to school with marks on him again and if he was ‘tripping’. 

After this incident and when returning from the hospital, Steve was better; sort of. Anyway, Steve has a borderline IQ on paper but he is one of the smartest kids I've met. He heard that the pill Xanax could get you ‘really messed up’. Know what he did? He looked up online what to say to a physician on how to get prescribed Xanax. The buzz word is “Anxiety”. He used the buzzword and he got the pills; simple as that. Well, after school one day he went home on the bus and decided to take 11 pills. I guess after ingesting 11 Xanax, he got scared. He got on his bike and rode back up to the school asking for help. We immediately called the ambulance. He technically OD’d but I’m happy to say he survived and I’m even more happy to say he graduated high school 2 weeks ago.

TIPS:
1.  Call the parents.   Call early and often.  Call until they get the point.  I do NOT care if they get upset with you.  Keep calling.

2.  Use your resources.  Find out what programs there are in the schools and communities.  Reach out to anyone you can.