| Course Number: | EDU 5515 C02 |
| Instructor: | Kate Kardashian |
| Location: | In-person at Woodstock Union High School & Online |
| Dates and Times: | January 12 – April 6, 2023 |
| Credits: | 3 graduate credits |
| Tuition: | $1,195 |
This course is called Building Belonging because belonging is the foundation for inclusion in school and society. Kids feel included when they feel seen, understood, appreciated and celebrated for who they are and who they might become. When we understand where kids are in their development, we can make informed and strategic decisions about their educational needs. Therefore, this course will adhere to a developmentally based educational approach that builds belonging via the design and implementation of instructional and program development practices and content for children in Pre-K through age 21 with and without disabilities. This course will examine the mindset that ethical teachers hold when they assess, lead, and teach in real time. We will look at a variety of research-based practices that a professional special educator and general educator will need to have in their toolkit if they want to be proficient at teaching and supporting students with moderate to severe behavioral, academic, and social challenges in a continuum of educational settings.
The central questions that this course will examine through readings, discussions, and writing assignments are: How can we be team leaders who hold building belonging as our core value for all students? And, if we can build belonging for all students, how can we have the courage to listen carefully to students who present acute difficulties in our educational settings where and when they challenge our assumptions about how students should behave, communicate, think, and relate? Furthermore, how can we use theoretical understanding and our collective experiences and expertise to build systems of belonging for all students so they get the help they need, when they need it?
We will apply various developmental frameworks to understand students so that when we collaborate with families and educational teams we can hold essential conversations that acknowledge and attend to where the student "is at." We will consider how by grounding our work in a developmental teaching approach we can lead our educational team to see what is most essential for the student in the here and now. Finally, we will examine how we can use the special educator's tools of the trade: An Individual Education Plan and Educational Assessment so that we can both build bridges to belonging and close gaps academically.
What universal factors must be in place for a person to feel and know that they belong?
If I only had five questions I could ask to help me build belonging for a student, what would they be and why?
What do we do, as special educators, when we don't know what to do as special educators?
How will turning the following verb phrases in the following order into a personal habit and practice make me a super teacher: recognizing my emotions, understanding my emotions, labeling my emotions, expressing my emotions, and regulating my emotions?
How do we get past mindset-barriers in education? How do we respond to "shoulding"?
How are special educators different from general education teachers? How are they the same?
How does knowing a developmental progression in the areas of: communication, socialization, behavioral regulation, and cognition make me an effective interventionist/teacher who can build belonging for my students?
How do my students need me to show up for their parents and/ or guardians?
Building on a deep understanding of developmental frameworks for thinking, behaving, relating, and communicating, we'll consider how we can understand student's present levels of performance, work within collaborative teams to formulate short term and long term goals, and determine and devise appropriate programs and interventions to support student belonging where we close academic gaps.
Through this lens we will focus heavily on universally recognized theoretical foundations to social and emotional competencies that are necessary for students to progress within their educational pathways. We'll also explore best practices in writing Individualized Education Plans (IEP); the importance of context when writing effective IEPS; and the value of building belonging for all students so that their programs are equitable and effective.
Format: In-person + online format
Books
Greene, R. W. (2016). Lost and Found: Helping Behaviorally Challenging Students (and, While You're At It, All the Others) (J-B Ed: Reach and Teach). New York: Scribner.
Lawrence-Lightfoot, S. (2003). The Essential Conversation: What Parents and Teachers Can Learn from Each Other New York: Ballantine Books
Siegel, D. J., & Bryson, T. P. (2014). No-drama discipline: the whole-brain way to calm the chaos and nurture your child's developing mind. First edition. New York: Bantam.
Wood, M. M., Quirk, C. A., & Swindle, F. H. (2007). Teaching Responsible Behavior: Developmental Therapy-Developmental Teaching, 4th ed. . Austin, TX: PRO.ED.
Book Club Book Selections (pick one)
Brackett, M. (2019). Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive [Kindle iOS version].
Desautels, L., & McKnight, M. (2019). Eyes Are Never Quiet: Listening Beneath the Behaviors of Our Most Troubled Students [Kindle iOS version].
Kaufman, S. (2013). Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined [Kindle iOS version].
Journal Articles
Adalbjarnardottir, S., & Selman, R. (1997). “I feel I have received a new vision:” An analysis of teachers’ professional development as they work with students on interpersonal issues. Teaching and Teacher Education, 13(4), 409–428. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0742-051X(96)00036-4
802-779-2179
Center for Schools Team
(802) 468-1325