A World of Difference

No kids at school today but the staff was here learning more about how to support all students. This morning we were in training with Kathy Johnson from A World of Difference, AWOD. AWOD is the education segment of the Anti Defamation League.  The Anti Defamation League, "Aims to stop the defamation of the Jewish people, and secure justice and fair treatment to all peoples." ADL.org  ADL helps all people.  

AWOD takes action against bullying, cyberbullying, and bias; promotes respect; and motivates to help others.  Students volunteer for this program and work with students throughout the year.  

Here are some things we worked on today:

• 4 words and definitions were discussed:  bias, prejudice, discrimination, and stereotype.
• They pyramid of hate: acts of bias, acts of prejudice and bigotry, acts of discrimination, acts of violence, life-threatening acts.
• Self-identity.
• Freedom of speech has limitations on it in the school setting.

In the classroom, we will start discussing the Civil Rights Movement by reading the book, Freedom Riders, John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement.  

This afternoon we learned more about how traumatic stress affects children in the classroom. Samantha Thomas, NCSS's Children's Initial Response Leader, worked with us. 
Stress can be predictable, moderate, and controlled which allows us to build resilience. It also can be unpredictable, severe, and prolonged which causes vulnerability.  Trauma, like all experience, shapes the course of development.  Self-regulatory skills were discussed. It is important for teachers to model these skills.  Our yoga breathing is a skill we often use in our room.  We saw this video that describes the brain in very simple terms.

It was a good day!  The rest of this week will be devoted to taking the SBAC Interim Assessments that help the students prepare for the SBAC test.