Sherlock Washington, Speaker for Visually Impaired

A few weeks ago our friend, Sherlock Washington, visited the kindergarten class at Tower Hill School. Always a popular visitor to the school, Sherlock came loaded down with his "tools" to show the kids that although he cannot see, he CAN do many things. Thanks in part to the technology we have today, he can live a relatively independent life. This year he brought his "beep ball" which is used in his games of softball. The kids loved hearing about how he and his visually impaired friends play ball every week. He explained that the pitcher and catcher are sighted and the beep ball allows the other players to hear the ball when it is coming! There is a pin in the ball and when it is released, a piercing sound is made. Just imagine the kid's reaction when Sherlock pulled the pin. He also has a device that tells the color of his clothing when he presses it on the piece of clothing. But, most importantly, Mr. Washington has a great sense of humor and is very engaging with the students. They always talk about him and I know they think of him now as a friend not just a man who is blind. That's what it is all about!

R for Respect

Hanging in my classroom, is a large R decorated by a former student. The first day of school I refer to it as the good R because everything we do for ourselves and others should be about Respect. It's amazing how quickly this message is accepted. Some examples:

From a student - It is 4 year old Will's first school experience so his Mom has been asking him every day to talk about school. Will said it was fine and that's all he would contribute until last week. Then he said, "I went to the It's OK to be Different class today and we talked about Respect and being kind to one another."

From a teacher - "When school starts, I spend several weeks on listening skills, consideration of others and cooperation before I delve into the curriculum. Without Respect for ourselves and others, we cannot learn."

Susan deBrigard, Director of Tower Hill School reflects on the It's OK program

"It's OK to be Different teaches children at an early age about respect for others but more importantly, respect for themselves. It strengthens their self concept and expands their social world. It takes the fear away when meeting someone in a wheelchair, someone who speaks differently or looks different than you. It allows children to explore their true feelings and emotions and share them with others, especially their parents. It teaches children to stop a minute to think about the words they say to others and understand the hurt that bullying causes. It also teaches them the hurt you feel when you are being bullied and how to stand up for yourself and say the right words.
It's OK to be Different has changed the children and families lives who attend Tower Hill School by making it comfortable to speak about topics that are generally avoided.I am PROUD to have the program touch the lives of our children, staff and families at Tower Hill School. It has changed each one of us who has participated in the program, for the better."

Reflections from Harriett Hinton, Volunteer and Friend

"I was fortunate to be a part of the It's OK to be Different program when it was implemented in the Fair Haven school district by founder Laraine Gaunt. During that time, we introduced the Understanding Disabilities portion of the curriculum. As a parent, it was a wonderful experience to help in the clasroom and see the reaction of the children to our many role-playing activities and the guest speakers. Being involved on that level allowed me to continue the teaching at home with my own children. Now, 30 years later, I am still involved in the program as a guest speaker or a visiting reader in the classroom. The addition of the Celebrating Cultures and the Anti-Bullying crriculum to It's OK make it such an attractive teaching tool which addresses many issues that young people face today. I am grateful for the opportunity I have had over the years to work with this wonderful program and its founder!"

Teacher, Fran Gorski's Reflections of The Be a Buddy - not a Bully program

"The more I am involved with the program, the better it gets. I was most impressed with the children carrying the message of the program back into the classroom and "using" it. Sure, during the It's OK sessions, there is constant reference to being kind, co-operative, sharing and accepting, but, it is a whole different "ballgame" putting the program into practice. I just love the following example and outcome:
On one occasion, the children were asked to wear red, white and blue on a certain day. When one little girl did not, I asked, "Why?" Her response was, "Mrs. Gorski, it's OK to be different, ya know." She was very secure with herself, very confident so who was I to argue. She taught me a lesson of acceptance that day. The total outcome was even better. The children picked up on it and used it on different occasions while doing class work or while speaking to other children on the playground. They remembered their friends' feelings, included other children in games and even reminded each other that secrets cause hurt feelings. They got the concept of acceptance and kindness - at least most of the time!
Ther was one incident when the program was used as a tool while talking to parents regarding their child's behavior. We, the staff, put into practice what we preach in school. Because the parents assist in the It's OK program, they were able to teach their children at home the same concepts. It is not a once a week lesson to be used only then. It is a lesson for a lifetime!
I think it is important that the program be introduced at an early age and used yearly as the children develop so does the level of presentation. The more widespread the program, the quicker the word will spread that it is OK to be different."

Refection from Chris Halpin, Principal

"As a principal of an elementary school, I can't think of a more valuable program. It is obvious that the development of empathy should be at the heart of any character education. The dramatic call for anti-bullying programs by politicians, parents, students and educators is sufficient evidence. The essence of It's OK to be Different is the development of empathy by targeting stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination. I know of no other program that does this so well.

Besides involving various segments of the community in implementation, the program avoids the usual charge of 'just one more thing' in the overloaded curriculum. Because of the involvement of all the language arts components - reading, writing, listening, speaking and viewing - the teacher can readily use the program to supplement instruction.

However, the most important contribution of the program to the elementary school is the establishment of a common language of empathy. As a principal, I was able to use the concepts of It's OK to resolve conflicts, establish an atmosphere of acceptance and understanding and create programs of community involvement.

We had a wonderful school, renowned throughout the area, and, I believe, it was because of this program."

Reflection from Laura Richdale, teacher

I have recently requested reflections from people involved with the It's OK to be Different program. I am looking for responses from teachers, parents and administrators. The first is from Laura Richdale, teacher and friend.

"The It's OK to be Different program became a support that I used throughout my teaching days. Whenever a child made a negative remark aimed at a classmate or friend (present or not) I would wait to see if another nearby child would react in a positive manner. The more experience the class had had with the program, the more often I would overhear someone speak up on his/her own, to offer a solution to the conflict. If not, I would simply begin a discussion about the time they focused on understanding then accepting differences in others. I would try to jog their memories, getting them to relate what had just transpired to what they had experienced when talking about respecting personal feelings. More often than not, the children were able to connect the events and instead of the incident at hand taking on a very negative tone, everyone would see that we all need to remind each other that it is indeed okay to be different.

itgetsbetter.org

Freedom Riders

Most of my posts lately have related to the anti-bullying and disabilities sections for It's OK to be Different because of my current involvement with these programs this year. However, I am always interested in keeping current with issues that relate to the other two programs, Celebrating Cultures and Courage to Care. One in particular is the 50th anniversary of the historic Freedom Rides.

The Freedom Riders were Civil Rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated South to challenge the laws. In addition to the excellent PBS special that aired this week in honor of the anniversary, there is a childrens' book I highly recommend, Freedom Riders by Ann Bausum. It tells the story of John Lewis and Jim Zwerg, 2 young men who believed in a cause. Their idealism and courage brought them together. They were badly beaten because they sat next to one another on the bus. John was black. Jim was white.

Our children need to know about these heroes who believed in justice for all.

The Garden

Ingrid and Sarah - fighting Rett Stdrome

April is Autism Awareness Month and Rett Syndrome is the most severe form of autism. It is a debilitating neurological disorder that primarily affects girls.

Ingrid Love Harding, whose beautiful daughter, Sarah, suffers from Rett syndrome, founded an organization to promote awareness and raise money for research called, Girl Power2 Cure, Inc. So impressed by the warmth and understanding Sarah received from the girls in her kindergarten class the first day of school, Ingrid realized that it would be this powerful generation of girls that would help her raise awareness and find a cure, thus Girl Power 2 Cure was begun.

I admire Ingrid's strength and tenacity as she devotes her time and energy to bring about awareness and foster positive change. She is a role model for other parents who have a child with a disability, but she is also a leader in promoting and creating programs to find a cure.

Please visit the website and learn more about Rett Syndrome and discover ways you can help as a individual or a group. We will be planting a Garden of Hope at Tower Hill School. Hopefully you can do the same. Visit:www.girlpower2cure.org

Bully Busters

As I have said many times before, children need to learn at an early age that it's okay to let others know that they need help when confronted with a bully. They also need to learn skills to stand up to the bully and how to become active bystanders.

At Tower Hill School the children are learning this by being Bully Busters. Thanks to some of my favorite resources, Teaching Tolerance magazine from the Southern Poverty Law Center and Peter Yarrow's Don't Laugh At Me, as well as some great literature, the kids are learning some important tools to hopefully help them defuse situations they may encounter.

This week after reading the book, Bullies Never Win by Margery Ceyler, we created a "bully buster" machine. This involved 2 lines and someone had to role play the bully and go through the middle of our machine. Another student had to be the bully buster by saying something to stop the bully. It was inspiring to me to see how comfortable these young kids were with the role playing but also that they seemed to really care about defending their friends.

I will continue to post resources and the responses from the kids as we progress, but I am very excited that these young children are showing us that it is not too early to teach these necessary skills. Hopefully they will help us break this current cycle of aggressive behaviors.

Children Will Listen

Children Will Listen

Careful the things you say,
Children will listen.
Careful the things you do,
Children will see.
And learn.
Children may not obey,
But children will listen.
Children will look to you
For which way to turn,
To learn what to be.
Careful before you say,
"Listen to me."
Children will listen.

Careful the wish you make,
Wishes are children.
Careful the path they take-
Wishes come true,
Not free.
Careful the spell you cast,
Not just on children.
Sometimes the spell may last
Past what you can see
And turn against you...

Careful the tale you tell,
That is the spell.
Children will listen.

"Children Will Listen" was written by Stephen Sondheim for the Broadway play, "Into the Woods." It speaks to the message that as teachers and parents, our words and actions are always noted. We can me models of tolerance and understanding.

Perfect Duo, William's Doll and My Princess Boy

As part of the anti-bulling program, Be a Buddy, not a Bully, we read two books to the students, William's Doll by Charlotte Zolotow and My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis. Each book is about a child's choice of a toy or what to wear. Interestingly, William's Doll was written over 30 years ago and My Princess Boy was published recently. However, the message is the same: toys and clothes do not need to be gender specific and it is the child's choice. Our message to the students was that we all like to play with different toys or dress up in different clothing, but if someone chooses something different, it is important not to tease or make fun. We followed the reading with a game, "What's in the bag?" Each student reached in the bag without looking and picked a toy or something to wear. They told us whether or not they would wear it or play with the item. One little boy picked a hard hat and announced he did NOT like to build things! Once again, the children seemed to recognize the repeated message of It's OK to be Different, respect for differences.

Proud Grandmother

The dedication page of the curriculum for It's OK to be Different is for my five grandchildren with the hope that they will grow up with understanding, empathy and tolerance. This special drawing was given to me by my oldest grandson, Sawyer. I am not only proud of his creative talents but I am very pleased that he knows how much this means to me. Although neither my children nor my grandchildren have had the program, I believe they emulate the philosophy.

Speaker for Physical Disabilities

"How do you make breakfast?" " Can you tie your shoes?" "How do you drive a car?"
These were some of the questions the kindergarten class asked yesterday when they met our speaker for physical disabilities, Keven Calleren or "Mr. Kevin" as he asked us to call him. Kevin is missing most of his left arm and hand and related to the kids all he CAN do despite his disability. Some of the activities included, golf, baseball, skiing, push-ups (which he demonstrated) and changing a diaper!
Kevin was a perfect speaker for the program because he's a dad at the school and he openly shared his experiences. His warm sense of humor helped the students be comfortable. He talked to the children about not being afraid to engage in a conversation with someone with a disability and to realize they are just the same but just happen to have a disability.
What transpired yesterday is the most important goal of It's OK to be Different. The children learned that both the disability and the person who has it are very real. In this process, a friendship is developed. Thanks "Mr. Kevin" for being a friend to the kindergarten class at Tower Hill School.

2011 - Year of Acceptance

The author of My Princess Boy, Cheryl Kilodavis, has declared that 2011 should be a year of acceptance. I applaud her efforts to promote tolerance and acceptance and join her in this pledge. People fear what they don't know so we continue to remind everyone that we must begin with children and explore differences with them. I will continue to post literature that is dedicated to this purpose and My Princess Boy is one of them. Thanks go out to Ms. Kilodavis for her courage.