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The Dark Side of Rewards, Part 1: Why Incentives Do More Harm Than Good in the Classroom
The use of rewards in the classroom has been a topic of debate for decades. While some argue they can be effective in promoting positive behavior and academic achievement, others believe they can be detrimental to a student’s intrinsic motivation and overall well-being.
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First, do no harm: “Unschooling” a Neurodivergent Child (Part 4)
Homeschooling always raises questions about socialization. Many of my children’s friends were other homeschooled students they met through group activities and summer camps. One of my children played varsity sport for her local high school while homeschooling, which meant she made many friends on her team. My children weren’t lonely.
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Seclusion and Restraint in Schools: Michigan is Ready for Change
My name is Cassie Atallah, and I’m the founder and director of Michigan Advocates to End Seclusion and Restraint (EndSaR). After my son experienced seclusion and restraint in kindergarten and 1st grade, he started exhibiting trauma symptoms, including hypervigilance, nightmares, school refusal, distorted memories of the events, and saying he wanted to die. He inspired…
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First, do no harm: “Unschooling” a Neurodivergent Child (Part 3)
Unschooling and using standard educational materials are not mutually exclusive if the child chooses to engage with the subject matter. My family has experimented with a wide spectrum of learning tools, and different approaches seemed to work well for different children at different times. Many years ago, when I began homeschooling my children, few virtual…
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HUUSD, Yes, You Can and Should Ban Seclusion
About a year ago, an educator began raising concerns about the use of prone restraint and seclusion in the Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD). It was pretty shocking at the time to learn that Vermont still allowed young disabled children to be forced to the ground and held in a prone restraint, a practice…
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First, do no harm: “Unschooling” a Neurodivergent Child (Part 2)
Unschooling can work very well for people on the spectrum. Autistic people often have intense “special interests” that lead to deep and comprehensive learning. In my daughter’s case, I often found it most productive to provide her with educational materials in subjects that fascinated her and then to get out of her way.
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An Open Letter to Harwood Unified Union School District from an Educator
The only reason I have heard from the administration and board for keeping seclusion is “advice from legal counsel” and “liability.” These reasons only protect the adults. What about the students? Are hypothetical scenarios about the district being held liable really worth secluding children? I would say protecting students with disability’s civil rights is worth…
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Children in Connecticut Need Your Help!
If you are a Connecticut resident concerned and outraged by these practices, lawmakers need to hear from you. If you or your child has been affected by these practices, lawmakers need to hear from you. It does not matter if you have any direct connection to these practices; if you are a Connecticut resident who…
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Bal-A-Vis X…Using Rhythm and Connection for Regulation
Balance Auditory Vision Exercises is a series of about 300 exercises created by Bill Hubert, a long-time American educator, that are deeply rooted in rhythm and based on precise physical techniques that anyone can learn and implement with their students and clients immediately.
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First, do no harm: “Unschooling” a Neurodivergent Child (Part 1)
A Breach of Trust Today’s guest author is Ann Gaydos. Ann worked in the software industry in a former life, but she decided to homeschool her four children after her daughter Paige was abused by a teacher within the Cupertino Union School District in California, and she could get no help from the administration or…
