Monday Morning Message 2018-2019

Tips for Teaching Students With ODD Oppositional defiant disorder, otherwise known as ODD, is a condition in which children regularly demonstrate anger, opposition and defiance, especially toward those in authority. It can be a challenging issue to manage in the classroom, and recently in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group, teacher Whitney N. asked for tips on working with students who are diagnosed with this disorder. Here’s what our experienced teachers had to say: 1. Avoid Power Struggles Most of our teachers agreed: Stay out of those winless power struggles. As Kris W. said, “Pick your battles. A student of mine corrects me all the time, whether I am wrong or not. I answer back, ‘OK, let’s double-check that.’ If I made a mistake, I correct it and we move on; if he’s wrong, I silently let him to figure it out.” Often children with ODD need a safe space to go for a five-minute break when they notice themselves getting overwhelmed and ready to challenge. “Put out books, col...

My Kid With a Disability Deserves to Be in the Same Classroom as Your Kid, Because His Future Depends on It September 27, 2018 by JILLIAN BENFIELD As I walked through the lobby of my doctor's office in a dreamlike state, my mind was hyper aware of the unfolding events, but everything around me was blurry. "Benfield . . . Benfield . . . Benfield?" I snapped out of it and walked to the front desk where I found a receptionist whose eyes were heavy with pity. It was clear everyone in the small-town office knew, but what did they know? I'd received a call an hour prior from my doctor saying that our noninvasive prenatal screening results were back, the results were not good, and we needed to come see him right away. My 20-week pregnant body fell on the kitchen floor, the words, "Oh no, oh no, oh no" poured out of my mouth, matched by rapid tears that streamed down my face. My husband and I walked into the doctor's office knowing the NIPT screening ca...