A Bright Future

Throughout this term, I've slowly become better acquainted with the types of exceptionalities that will appear in my future classes.

I've made my way through countless made-up (and real) scenarios and learned the best way to react in many different situations. I've presented to the class a particular exceptionality, and enjoyed presentations about other ones given by my peers and prof. I've become more sensitive to the needs of others, discovered my own weaknesses and I now have a renewed respect for teachers who do this effectively on a regular, daily basis.

 

But I think that all of this information has affected me in a somewhat different way than what was perhaps the original goal. I mean, I see how all of these skills are very transferable in the classroom, and how being open-minded to the types of students in our classes will help us to best accommodate them. But I've come to a realization based off of these main ideas that points in a direction other than the classroom setting we usually visualize.

A typical "classroom" setting

I often talk with a close friend of mine who's studying education about our futures as educators. Recently, we began talking about specifics of where we see ourselves in 10 or 15 years.  I asked my cousin over the Christmas break for any advice when choosing a career path, and she prompted questions that I later discussed with my friend. What kinds of clothes do I see myself wearing? What kinds of people do I see myself working with? What kind of city/town/village do I see myself working in? What days of the week do I see myself going to work? As I answered these questions, I found myself in a very different setting than a classroom as we know it, and consequently I found myself pushing the boundaries of "education" as I know it now.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy being in the classroom, and the idea of having a job where I have such a high potential of having a positive impact on young minds is tremendously exciting to me. But I'm not sure that working within the typical high school classroom walls is really the place for me. I've thought about going into special education for a while now (I still haven't ruled it out); I've also considered music therapy and doing work in the field of music cognition.  All of these ideas are new and exciting to me, and each would allow me to interact with others while using the skills I have in an area that highly interests me. However, this new idea that has come into my head really excites me, even more than all of these things. I've never set a real long-term career goal or had something that I'm so enthusiastic about.  

I think that I could be a good high school teacher, and that yes, I'd probably enjoy it. But I just feel like I'm being called to do something else.

This course has taught me to open my mind. Open my mind to the possibilities of the different kinds of people that I will interact with in my life (in or out of the high school setting); open my mind to ways of thinking and dealing with issues; open my mind to new ways of delivering material. By learning to think outside the box, and by means of a chat with the friend mentioned above and the following video, this past week I came to a revelation. I decided what it is that I want to pursue in my life. I've been searching for this passion and trying to think so hard about what could possibly make me want to wake up and go to work EVERY SINGLE MORNING. And I think, or at least I hope, that I'm onto something.

I need to have a career that I'm passionate about, right?  And what I KNOW I'm passionate about is learning. Learning music, sure, but just learning in general. I love thinking about how the brain works, especially how the brains of different individuals work. And as I got thinking about my thinking, I decided that differences in learning styles are something that really interests me, and at the same time, it's something that is a big hurdle in our education system. This brings me to this video I watched from TED.com (actually this link was sent to me from the same friend in con-ed who I mentioned above!). It's about Sir Ken Robinson, discussing how schools nurture academic intelligence and squander creativity, a dangerous move in a world with such an unknown future. A few quotes I found really interesting from the 20-minute video are as follows:

"If you're not afraid to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original."

"We're educating people out of their creative capacities"

"As a kid, you were probably benignly steered away from things you liked on the grounds you would never get a job doing that."

"...academic ability, which has really come to dominate our view of intelligence, because the universities design their systems in their image. If you think of it, the whole system of public education around the world is a retracted process of university entrance. And the consequence is that many highly talented, brilliant, creative people think they're not."

So what is it? What's this great idea I've been going on and on about? 

Basically, what I'm getting at, is that I want to be involved in a change. A huge idea, with an even huger potential for positive outcome. Yes, that's right. I want to be involved in a change in the education system. I know it's ambitious, and I know it's a massive project, but ever since I dreamed up the idea last week, I can't stop thinking about it. Clearly, as in the video above with Ken Robinson, there are people who are already thinking this way. There must be an ongoing project somewhere that I can contribute to. There must be other people like me who want to make sure that EVERY KID has the chance to learn the BEST WAY POSSIBLE for THEM. 

In my opinion, there are so many kids in high schools that just shouldn't be there. There are so many brilliant children who will never discover their talent, and never feel like they're good enough, because it doesn't fit the "university mold". What I want to do is create a school where everyone can learn in their own way. I know that this is what we're striving to do in schools, but realistically, is it happening? In my opinion, the administration in most schools is so rigid that a radical change in delivery of material might be seen as a bad thing. That's why I'm interested in starting up a new kind of institution, that could deliver the same curriculum, just in a radically different way.

It would basically be like differentiated instruction to the max. I want to create a school institution where children can learn in an area that interests them, in an area where they're talented, with the goal of eventually discovering something they're passionate about, and to find a career in that field. We need forward-thinking individuals in our world, and by breeding them to follow guidelines, and making them believe that university is the only way to be successful, we are throwing away our/their future, in my opinion.  I understand fully that this course and our curriculum teach us to use universal design and differentiated instruction so that each child gets to have a chance to learn some of the course in a fashion that is tapered to their learning style. But the truth is, very often (at least in my experience), this doesn't actually happen. And even if it did, what about the other 90% of the course? A teacher can't incorporate EVERY learning style into EVERY lesson, can they? Yes, it's true that we'll always need doctors and optometrists and policemen, etc. And for the jobs that require professionals to write tests and receive assignments and do them by a deadline, that's fine. But there's lots of other ways to get to the same goal that don't involve hours hunched over a textbook. There's so much learning that occurs in the real, hands-on world.

I also watched a video/did some research on another idea  brought to me by one of the ted talks. It's called Green School, built in Bali; a school in which children are taught in a completely environmentally-friendly, non-traditional classroom. It teaches them skills they need in a nurturing environment, and the kids do practical exploration of their newly-formed skills. The only reason I'm not too keen on this particular project is that it was created by a Canadian and is based in Bali, a culture that I'm sure is very different from the Canadian education system. I'm not sure how I feel about the founder going to another country and creating an institution that incorporates what we think is a great idea there. I think that we need to reform our own education first before imposing our ideas on others (whether or not they are effective). It's very likely that this school is helping students in Bali, but like I said, I think this change needs to start HERE.

The entire school is built of bamboo!

Classrooms are set up in a more friendly-teaching space. Desks are round, and 

the space is suitable for discussion and activities

The school is also surrounded by fertile land, where the children grow their own  foods, learn how to grow organic rice, and pick their lunch each day, which is prepared by local volunteers.

I haven't thought too much about this future goal yet, but all I know for sure is that I want to help children/youth. I want to create a place that is an alternative (but NOT subordinate) option to high school.  For people like me, for whom high school worked just fine, this new type of school wouldn't be necessary.  I'm not suggesting a complete reform in which children go to these types of schools INSTEAD of high school. Rather, this school would simply be an alternative for those who might not learn best in a classroom setting. I want this school to be welcoming to people of all intelligence levels, from students who are gifted in a certain area, to those having, say, a learning disability or a physical disability that appropriates them better to a new setting.  For most students, I would want learning to be student-lead. This would nurture creativity, take away the spoon-feeding nature of elementary school (and even high school) and allow students to explore what they find interesting. I understand that there are, indeed, schools that do this already to a certain degree, but I only found out about them this year, so I feel as though they're not very well-known to the general public as an option for children. 

Fact: If a child is interested in something, he or she is curious about it; he or she wants to know about it.  And I think that's one of the biggest mountains in education nowadays. How do we inspire our students to learn? When was the last time a high school student was excited to work on a project? Speaking from experience, I can't even think of ONE project that I was as excited about as I am about this one.  It kills me to think that so many students are only learning because we're making them learn.  (And when I say they're "learning", I do know that often this "learning" is simply memorization and long-term retention is low). Only in the odd case, when students are actually interested in the material, do they remember information.

I want my students to have passion; Inspiration; A vigor and spirit for learning.

My dream is that there will be a place for students to learn the basics of education (math, english, basic science) like they must in high school (I do believe these skills are necessary for functioning properly in society) in a way that is more exciting for them. On top of this base of skills, I also would like them to find what they excel in, or what they'd like to excel in, and to pursue it.

The big problems that arise with this new institution right off the bat would be

 1) Teacher-student ratio. If learning was to be so individualized, how would we get a learning scheme that works for every single student? This might be aided by the idea that learning is student-lead, but there would also have to be a fair number of teacher supervisors to guide their learning.

2) Sooner or later, they're going to have to learn how to learn in a classroom environment, if they are to go to university. Unfortunately in today's world, you really can't do much without a university degree. My hope would be that if students are taught at this school how to learn and how to ask questions and think critically and creatively, then this transition would be easier than imagined.

I know that I have to do much more research before I start taking steps to achieve this goal, but it's something I'm really passionate about and would love to get my hands dirty with and experience change first-hand. I know that there will be lots of resistance (people don't seem to like change), but I just really feel like there's something more out there than what most students experience, and I want to be a part of helping them find whatever it is.

This course has been absolutely instrumental in truly discovering the spectrum of learners in the world, and I truly believe with every ounce of my heart, that I can make a difference for them.

Born This Way

Gender identity and gender issues are something that have been around forever. In my opinion, it's still something that is largely misunderstood.  It's so forced into us that the "right" thing to do is for masculine men to marry feminine women, and to reproduce and have children, if they so desire.  In elementary school, we never talked about being homosexual, bisexual, transsexual, or any other orientation/gender identity/gender expression other than heterosexual for that matter.  So then, naturally, we were bred to think that this heterosexual, masculine male or feminine female identification is the 'norm', and anything outside of this category is not right. That doesn't even make SENSE to me! How confusing and frightening and intimidating would it be for a student who doesn't fall into this "norm"? How scary must it be for them to think "I'm not normal", and for that to be a bad thing? 

It kills me to think what our education system is doing to children and youth. On and on we talk about equal education for all, including students with learning exceptionalities, and accommodating curriculum to the needs of our classes.  In my opinion, gender issues is something that is ignored by many teachers, perhaps because it can be a tough subject to talk about.  But why are teachers so afraid to address these issues? The fact that they're ignoring it only gives students the impression that it's not important to talk about, or that it's a very taboo subject that isn't appropriate for school. But the truth is, issues around gender can have very serious implications in the school community: on students, colleagues, and family members.  Students need to know that it's okay to be who you are, and for everyone else to be who they are, regardless of gender identity.

I remember growing up when calling someone or something "gay" gave it a negative connotation.  The worst part is, I'd hear this kind of talk and I knew that it meant something bad, but I never made the connection between homosexuality and the negative usage of the label "gay" to mean something bad.  I'm sure that teachers knew that this kind of language was flying around at school. Why did they never tell us that it was wrong?  Like Kelly told us in her presentation, we as teachers CANNOT just ignore these things that happen. If this language was heard in the halls or at recess, it needs to be addressed immediately.

I remember the day when I made the connection, when my older cousin who I looked up to was telling off his little brother for using the term. My older cousin isn't that much older than me, but he was enough older to know that it was wrong and to make sure we knew it was.  He told us to think about how bad we'd feel if the word "gay" was actually "brunette". If there was something gross or stupid, and someone said "Oh my gosh, that's sooooOOOOOOoo brunette! Nasty!", how would I feel? I can't control the fact that I'm a brunette. I can hide my natural hair, by dyeing it if I want, or curl it or highlight it, but no matter what, I still know that I'm naturally a brunette and that will never change. And every time someone equates a part of ME with something that is disgusting, it makes me feel that I'm disgusting too. If I had dyed my hair blonde and then heard people talking about how "brunette" something was, I'd be afraid to let my roots show. 

Now compare those feelings to someone who is gay. They can hide their true gender identity, but the more people equate their true identity with horrible things, the more difficult and embarrassing it is for them to come out. Since that day when I realized what it meant to call something "gay", I've expelled it from my vocabulary and I have been sure to react to it when other people use it.

In my first year practicum, I was put in a very difficult situation, probably the most difficult one I've been in yet. There was one little boy in the room who kept bringing in a doll that he liked to dress up.  One day, the teacher took the doll from the boy and told him he couldn't play with it at school. Then she turned to me and said something along the lines of "I refuse to let him be criticized by his peers for who he is. Gay children get picked on all the time, and I won't allow it to happen in my classroom". 

And I had no idea what to do. Forcing this child to hide his gender identity isn't going to help him in any way. I didn't know what to do. I knew it wasn't right, but I didn't know what to do about it. I wish that I could go back and reach out to that child and somehow show that teacher that her actions were wrong. Like the group last week mentioned in their presentation, I think times are changing, and that as a society we slowly are becoming more accepting of LGBT students. Often the people who are not accepting are the ones who are older, hold authoritarian roles, go to church, and are not educated in the field.

I think a great way to help all students feel comfortable with their sexuality/gender/gender identity, is to give them role models that they can look up to. Lady Gaga, for example, is a proud member of the LGBT community and her immense value of self-worth makes her a prime candidate for a positive role model. Not only in sexual orientation, but also in other aspects of her life (ie fashion), she is a strong individual, who will not hide who she is.  She truly takes good with the bad, stands up for herself and gives all members of the LGBT community a strong voice.  Her newly-released single, Born This Way is a positive message for ALL people, to be proud of who they are.  I think her values could be a great way to introduce the topic of gender issues into our classes.

 

P.S. I just came across something that I thought was interesting: http://i.imgur.com/OBTQD.png

Just goes to show the misunderstanding and non-acceptance of people who fall under any category other than heterosexual. It's good to know that there are parents, friends and many others who support those who may be dealing with persecution at school for who they are.

You caught me "MID"thought...

"Mild Intellectual Disability".

To me, the term "mild" sounds like something that isn't too bold or serious. You get mild cheddar cheese when you don't like a bold taste. You get mild hot chicken wings when you don't like it spicy. You cure a mild headache with some advil. 

Mild Intellectual Disabilities, however, NEED to be taken seriously, as does any exceptionality in the classroom. MID cannot be cured by a one-step system like advil or a change in wing sauce spiciness. 

Mild Intellectual Disabilities covers a wide spectrum, and the only way to accommodate for students with MID is to try to understand them individually and assist them on a daily basis.  In the same way that all students without exceptionalities are unique, so too are students with MID. I don't agree with grouping students into a category of learners for the sole purpose that students under this umbrella of MID will require different tools, be unique learners from each other, and will not benefit from living life under a label. I do acknowledge the fact that these categories help educators to assist students with MID by suggesting teaching strategies that might work. However, I hold strong to my belief that learning is largely individual, and we need to keep this in mind at all times.

MID is definitely a condition that requires extra attention, extra aid, and extra resources, however again, I'd like to reference my previous blog and state that this should not be viewed as a burden. Accommodating students with MID in our classrooms is no easy task, and it's crucial that future teachers be informed about it in order to provide the best possible learning environment for them.

It's astounding to me that in the past, MID was seen as something that the individual possessing it is responsible for.  I was pleased to hear that since then, the finger of blame has been turned away from the individuals with MID and towards the rest of us.  What makes learning difficult for those students? A large part of the time, it's burdens that society places on these individuals that makes functioning difficult. We need to know what it is that we're doing to limit students with MID and take active steps to avoid this and/or to accommodate our actions to include them as much as possible. 

I think working with students with intellectual disabilities would be a very challenging job.  Often, since students with MID have problems communicating,  there'd be a barrier between the student and the teacher.  This is a large part of the issue that arose between the cases of Ashley Treatment and the Rick Hoyt - if a student with MID can understand but not communicate that they understand, life can get pretty frustrating for both parties quickly. Special Education teachers who work with students with MID must be able to assess the needs of the student quickly and adapt to a case-by-case basis with each individual.  I bet that some days are really tough, but these angels in our school are unsung heroes for continuing on in the face of difficulty.  To know that they are making a difference in the life of even ONE exceptional learner is motivation enough to keep on working towards positive change in the future. I admire their willpower and dedication, and I can really see myself working in special education sometime in my career. 

The video linked below (although a bit dated) is a quick view into the life of a special needs teacher.  I realize that this video includes teaching students with a wide variety different physical and mental disabilities, however I believe that much of my discussion of intellectual disabilities transfers well to other areas of exceptionalities as well.

Special Education Video

ASD - a "Taboo" topic?

Last week's presentation on Autism was very informative for me.

I'm a bit ashamed to admit it, but before that day, I really didn't know much about autism at all. I've never really had to deal with it before, and none of my family or close friends have been affected by it. I have a few friends with siblings who are classified somewhere along the autism spectrum, but I never felt comfortable enough to ask the questions that really needed asking.

When I say that I didn't  know much about autism, I mean that I really didn't know anything about it.  I think the reason I was afraid to ask questions was because I didn't know anything about it, and I didn't want to offend anyone by asking a misinformed question. That's why I was so glad that Susan and Greg did their presentation in Q&A format.  It's been a long time since we did the question box (maybe as far back as elementary school), but it's a great way to get the class involved. I was able to ask a fundamental question without having to feel embarrassed for not knowing much about it. 

I think what struck me right off the bat was that Autism covers such a wide range of functionality.  There were really only a few characteristics that categorizes a person as being autistic: that is, difficulties with social interactions (ie lack of eye contact, little interest in making friends), communication (deficiency or lack of speech) and repetitive behaviours (ie shaking wrists a lot, etc). The rest of it is very personalized and largely variable.  I began to think of one of my favourite shows right now, Community, in which one of the main characters has Asperger's.  It's very clear that he is high-functioning, as he notices nuances and is very educated about very specific things. He often has trouble knowing how to act appropriately in social situations and has difficultly making lots of friends. I brought this fact up to my housemate, who was surprised when I told her that the character had Asperger's. She must have missed the episode where his Autism was discussed, and had been assuming this whole time that he was just a "bit of an odd character", as she put it. 

                                          Abed, from the show Community

The main character  in Adam, a recent film about a man with Asperger's.

I thought that was actually a really interesting reaction! In our classrooms, a lot of students won't see other students with exceptionalities as being exceptional.  My question is, would it be better or worse for them to have the label stuck onto them? Is it important for peers to know about the exceptionalities of their classmates so they can act appropriately with them? Or is the assignment of the exceptionality only going to alienate the student? At first, my reaction was to say that definitely, it's important that all students be aware of their classmates, so that they can understand each other and work together in the best way possible. But then I realized that perhaps I am being a bit naive.  As much as I hate to admit it, students aren't always looking out for the betterment of each other. Sometimes, students can be really mean. And by an autistic student having that label so well known by the rest of the class, could mean that they are an easy target for bullies.

How should we get around this problem in our classrooms? As stated before, I have never been educated at all about autism, and I'm SURE I must have been in classes with some autistic peers (whether they were high or low functioning). Why did my teachers never talk to us about it? Is this a confidentiality issue? I think that if a student is high-functioning enough to understand their condition and to be willing to talk about it, it'd be a great discussion to have with the class. Inclusion, equity and exceptionalities are all issues that occur in every classroom, and what better way to understand your classmates (and students, for us as teachers) than for them to explain it to us?

I think it's great that autism is slowly working its way into media, so that people are becoming more aware of it. I realize that above I only targeted 2 examples, and both Abed and Adam are characters with Asperger's, only one type of Autism (and a very high-functioning type, at at that). But I say, we'll take what we can get. Hopefully with the slow integration of characters with exceptionalities into the media, sooner or later all students with exceptionalities will have someone to represent them on the big screen!

The thing that's the most difficult about learning about all of these exceptionalities is that I feel like I was so shaded from them during my elementary and high school career.  I never experienced special treatment myself, so it's often hard for me to imagine now what that high school experience would have been like. 

For this reason, I really liked the taboo activity that we did in class.  Because each group thought up the best descriptors for each word possible, it was extremely difficult to think of a new way to describe those words. I contributed 2 out of the 4 words to describe our keyword, 'transition', and agreed strongly with the other 2 contributions. Since that was the way my mind worked, when I was asked to describe 'transition' without using those 4 words, it was really tough. I know it was just a game, but I made special note of my emotions afterwards, and was really surprised at how I felt. As I was giving clues, I was hesitating and struggling quite obviously. A player on the guessing team was being quite competitive, saying things like "come on, give us something else!" and "Honestly, I just don't know what you're saying. Say something else!" After we lost the point (time ran out), I found myself getting quite angry at the critical person on the other team.  I was legitimately really trying hard to think of a good description word, and it was frustrating to be yelled at for trying. I knew what transition meant, but I just couldn't think of a proper way to describe it given the limitations. I think it's imperative that we put ourselves into these kinds of situations so that we are able to experience first hand, even just a taste of what our students experience every day. It's so easy (and so damaging) to forget this.

So how can we incorporate autistic students into our classrooms then? I do realize that oftentimes, autistic students will be placed in separate classes or change locations to participate in activities such as spending time in a Snoezelen room or learning life skills. But when they are able to be in the classroom, integrated with the other students (which I believe is very important to the development of any student), there are a few things I learned that a teacher can do to help that student feel more comfortable:

-Assign groups, so that they don't have to worry about being chosen last

-Assign roles within the group clearly so that each student has a particular role and is contributing to the group

-Assign visual, repetitive work

-Have a clock nearby

I'm sure there's many other small acts that a teacher can do to accommodate autistic students. I'm very interested in this field and am looking forward to learning even more about this in the future. It's truly fascinating to me to know about how everyone works differently, and I see it as a challenge; even better: a puzzle, to ensure that each student has the best learning environment possible, whatever that is.

Grief

The lecture on grief, depression and suicide was difficult for a lot of people in class, including myself. I imagine it was because we have all encountered these on some level throughout our lives, and it's difficult to return to the feelings and memories.  Today's blog will focus on grief in particular, as I have experienced this myself on a greater level than the other two topics. I was fortunate enough not to lose any close members of my family or friends during elementary or high school, however I know many, many classmates who did.  It's a horrible thing at any stage, but in my opinion, the instability of youth makes them one of the most vulnerable demographics to deal with these life occurrences.

Unfortunately, it's a well-known fact that grief is a part of our lives. It's not something we'd ever wish for; it's not something that's easy; and it's not something that can be dealt with and then simply forgotten.

Grief affects us all at some point or another, and we're rarely ready for it. That's why I think grief is so important to be prepared for as teachers. So often, death, loss, or other events occur outside of school which strongly affects a student.  However, because these incidents often happen outside of the classroom, it's important to be aware of the signs of these things so to be able to help our students get through the mournful period. 

It's difficult to always know what's going on at home or in the social lives of your students, so that's why it's important to take steps to understand them.  For example, I think it's a good idea to stay up-to-date with events in the community that could affect our students (by reading the newspaper, listening to the radio, etc), as well as international or cultural events that could be affecting students' families and loved ones (ie military events, wars, etc). Being informed of these events and being sensitive to the possibility of the impact on students helps teachers to be more empathetic towards our students' lives outside of the classroom walls.

Speaking of walls, I really liked the analogy that we went over in class about "breaking down the wall" that students dealing with grief, depression or suicide often put up. I truly believe that there's no such thing as a bad kid. I think that sometimes things happen that make us act a certain way, or react badly to situations.  So when a student is acting in a certain way, there's often an anterior motive.  The tough part about identifying students who are grieving is that a lot of the signals can be seen as other things. For example, loss of interest in activities, refusal to attend school and fear of being alone are all signals that could be misunderstood as simply being bored, unmotivated, or even rebellious.  Since recognition is the first step to helping a student, it's important for teachers to note these differences in behaviour and define what kind of "wall" they're dealing with.  Although not always identified, studies have shown that grief is prevalent in many, perhaps even all, of our classes.  It can occur as a response to a number of different things including death, divorce of their parents, loss of a friend, separation from a boyfriend/girlfriend, the student or a close relative/friend moving to a new city, or any other form of loss or void in his or her life.

I know that I'm on the path to teaching high school, so the differences between the way students grieve and the way adults grieve might not be as different as we were discussing  in class; however, I do think that there still are differences. While a child might say  “I want to be with _____” instead of saying “I’m sad”; a teenager might react to those same feelings in a very different way such as withdrawl or rebellion; and an adult in yet another way. It's important to keep in mind that grieving is necessary to deal with loss, and sometimes the best thing you can do is just be there for the student and listen.  I remember when I lost my grandfather a few years ago, friends were offering their condolences, and I accepted them. But sometimes I just wanted to talk about it, and just have someone there with me even if I wasn't talking. I think that relating to our students like this in their time of need is important to understanding what they're going through, even if it wasn't the exact same situation.

Grief, depression, and suicide are all VERY serious issues that need to be reported as soon as they are expected in students. There is a team of specialists in every school that can work with students dealing with these issues to help them get through it and provide them with resources to be successful.  I just think that too often these specialists, student counselors and support staff are seen as people responsible for taking care of these individuals. But these staff members don't see the students in the same way that a teacher would. We have the benefit of seeing each of our students every day, and being able to gauge a change in character, if we are alert enough to notice it.   Thus, I believe that connecting to our students and being able to notice these changes is a huge responsibility of the teacher, as recognition is the first step to identification and help.

Finally, I'd also like to raise the point that teachers also need to be aware of grief among their colleagues. Grief knows no age limit and so by being aware of the signals given by others in our every day lives, we are able to help those around us, whether they be colleagues, students, peers, family members, or community members. 

Teaching is a profession full of transferable skills, of which I believe sympathy, compassion and the ability to recognize behavioural changes are some of the most important. 

Body Image

In an occidental world constantly surrounded by media featuring 00-sized female and beach-bodied males, it's no wonder that so many of the rest of us are self-conscious. Who decided that thin is beautiful?  What happened to the days where beauty was defined by Marilyn Monroe and curvaceous was synonymous with beauty? How often in the media do we see beautiful acts by people instead of outer beauty? What makes a man a man and a woman a woman?

These are the types of questions that need to be addressed in high schools to make students really think about what is "accepted" as beautiful, and to change this generation's view of beauty before it's too late.  Body image is a very important issue to address in high schools, especially, as adolescents are experiencing a huge amount of physical change and have a particularly large need to feel accepted by their peers.

Having just been out of high school for a few years, I can clearly remember the pressures there were to look a certain way. I knew then, and I know even more now, that it's not okay to make students feel like they have to fit a cookie cutter mold to be accepted. Because in reality, everyone is different, and everyone, absolutely everyone, is beautiful in their own way - and I fully believe that. Students are being bombarded with these negative body image issues every day while watching tv, on billboards on the way to school, in magazines at the doctor's office, and in countless other ways, to the point where it's virtually inescapable.

How, then, can we as teachers overcome this massive collection of messages being sent to our students almost 24/7, when we only have them for a 60-minute class, 5 times a week?

We discussed some options in class this week, and I agree with all of those, but for me personally, I found it a bit tougher to incorporate this into my music classroom.  After class, I started brainstorming ways that might be able to help students understand that beauty exists in every one of them.  One of the ideas I thought of was to give students a role model of a professional player on their instrument. There's lots of professional musicians that are not typically what we'd see as 'beautiful' in today's society, yet they're still seen as not only popular, talented, and outstanding performers, but also beautiful. Take a look at Aretha Franklin. She wasn't by any means a small woman, but when she opened her mouth to sing, people listened. Dizzy Gillespie was a larger man, but he played trumpet like an angel. Or take Beethoven, for example, who was only 5 foot 3, and he's considered one of the greatest composers of all time. The list goes on and on. 

In music classes, I also feel like there's often a stigma surrounding instrument choice. In my high school, for example, I played trombone, a typically male instrument, and of 9 of us, there was only me and one other girl. The one male clarinet player was often teased for picking a 'girly' instrument and the opposite was true for my female friend who played tuba. Most of the time, the teasing was in good fun, and the players laughed it off, but after a while, the comments must have been discouraging, to say the least. So then, by providing the clarinet player with male role models like Benny Goodman, perhaps one of the best clarinet players the world has ever seen, students would be able to see that a good musician can look like anything. It's what comes out of the instrument/voice that makes great music. A parallel can be drawn between instruments and people, then: It's not what they look like, but what 'music' comes out of them that determines their beauty- their actions and words are larger factors in determining who they are than their outwards appearance.

I find it so disheartening that teens are so often very willing to change who they are in order to be accepted by a certain group of individuals. I hate to admit it, but it seems like every school has the "Mean Girls" who dress the same, wear the same makeup, talk the same way and are admired by the rest of the student body.  

Body image media affects us in to many ways, by assigning an hierarchy of beautiful based on age, skin colour, gender, size, hair/eye colour and more. When this affects students negatively and forces them to believe that if they don't fit this description, they are not beautiful, it is the start of a downward spiral. As soon as they begin to believe that they're not beautiful, their self-esteem lowers, and they become less confident. Lower self-esteem has been directly related to doing more poorly academically, and may lead to all sorts of other personal and psychological problems.  I think there needs to be some kind of program put into schools (or maybe there is already?) to address the many issues surrounding body image in high schools. I know there have been programs implemented that advocate healthy eating habits and physical activity, but what about being mentally happy? Students need to know that they are meant to be the way they are, and they are beautiful that way.