Julia Hale - Teacher

First book review: Growth Mindset by Carol S. Dweck. This book has become recommended reading in our school board. In fact, after I ordered a copy with the TLLP money I found out that the school already had 4 copies.  The first bit of informational gold which I took away from this wonderful book was a piece of educational history. Did you know that, when Alfred Binet designed his IQ test in 1908, it was meant to identify students at risk for interventions? I feel that we have missed the mark on that one, and continue to. While I do think we have grown a lot in education, honouring many different pathways and accommodating students at risk, I don't think that we have done a great job at real interventions. Students who score low overall score on the WISC (current version of IQ) test in grade 3 will, generally, score the same or lower when we retest them in high school. I guess this is the root of growth mindset and the reappearing theme of this book. Are we born "hardwired...

Our summer reading books are all here. Staff members are going to volunteer to read one over the fall and then meet up in September to talk about them. Looking forward to it!

 It's hard to tell when "first steps" really begin. As with most of us involved in TLLP this idea has been brewing for quite some time. But.. now, with funding and support, it is ready to really get off the ground... I think. There is always a sense of expectfulness (not a work I know)  at the beginning of something like this, will it really take off or will it fizzle and die. They only way to find out is to jump in.  Check-list: □ Find assessment tools - I have spoken to our clinical person here in the board and she is going to look and see. It's tricky because we can't use the clinical measures/tests - they can not be done by laymen and can only be administrated intermittently. However, if we are going to be able to really prove success we need to show some kind of consistent measure.  If anyone else has some suggestions I love to have them! We are thinking of starting by trying to measure attention and working memory . □ Choose classes who...

Day Three of our TLLP Kick-Off is drawing to a close. Besides a VERY full belly (soooo much good food!) I feel tired, overwhelmed and very hopeful and satisfied. It was been wonderful to have colleagues as a sounding board and to have them say "yes, that makes sense, good work!". I have an outline of what needs to be done to start. I have some clear, measurable goals. I have the emails and contacts for some interesting, and interested professionals. And.. I have an end game. Keep in mind that the end game is bigger than this project - I know that… but… eyes on the prize.

Well, I am on the train on my way to Toronto for a conference to kick off the TLLP grant. We have gotten some money to try out some "retrain your brain" programs in the school. I feel like this might be the real beginning of a pretty special journey.   I am so hopeful...could we facilitate real, long term changes for kids who struggle with learning? At the very least can we really talk about growth mindset as a real and "actionable" thing and not a vague theory?   You know, we never say to a stroke patient: We are sorry for you, you will never use the left side of your body again, but we will "accommodate" you with a wheel chair and a nurse. Instead we say things like: It will be hard work and take a long time but your brain can learn to move your body again. How is it any different for students who struggle with learning? If part of your brain is weak can it not be exercised and strengthened ? Can the neural functions that are slow n...

I spent some time this week applying for the Master's in Education Program at Queen's University. I have been reading over the last couple of years about Brain Plasticity and exploring therapies that can be done with children (and adults) to improve weak neurological connections which are associated with Learning Disabilities. I find it infuriating that in 10 years as a Special Education teacher I had to find out about these possibilities for myself and somewhat by accident.  Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists have been helping students with strengthening particular pathways for years - but through direct one on one therapies - often expensive and out of reach for most families. In schools we only talk about accommodation.  In an educational age when growth mindset is all the "rage" - I would like the challenge various assumptions:  -First: I wish we would talk about Learning Differences - instead of Disabilities. In my experience studen...