Right Response Training

Yesterday, I attended a training provided by one of the school districts I work in. Right Response is the method of interacting with special needs children, or students in general, in the classroom. The especially applies to special needs children who escalate very easily or quickly to an agitated emotional state.

"Right Response is proactive, holistic, and immediately effective.

The three guiding principles of this philosophy are:

- The intervention must meet the needs of our client.
- We must constantly reflect respect on the client.
- The safety of everyone in the environment is our highest priority."

The training provides information on prevention of, de-escalation of, and 'postvention' of stressful outbursts.

Yesterday, we were instructed in physical safety and taught how to perform release moves. Here is a list of our 'moves':
- basic position (standing tall, well balanced with hands up, palms facing forward, keeping your fingers and thumbs together, elbows in at the side) which you may often say "Safe Hands" to the agressive student
- pivot step
- back pedal
- lateral step
- avoidance
- repelling (blows with hands)
- protection (head neck, torso, groin)
- releases from pinches, grabs, scratches, bites, hair pulls, fill body grabs, and chokes

And one of the most important things to remember regarding using your hands to avoid aggressive behavior is being careful not to use the students joints to deflect or repel their attacks. So much work to avoid a lawsuit!

In the process of learning how to release myself from the half-nelson choke hold, I strained my neck. I think I may be scaring the students today in library because I keep grimacing when I turn to look at them!

I'm glad, none the less, that I've had the opportunity to practice these. Good self defense moves without injuring a student.

I mentioned 'postvention' above. This deals a lot of with recuperating from an attack. They remind teachers and other adults to take some 'me' time afterward. I think a lot of people in care giving positions forget to do that. You've got to take care of yourself to care for others; even if that 'me' is getting on your knees and finding comfort in the Lord, something must be done! Sometimes it's hard to remember that, "people's needs are met by people whose needs are met."

Oh, boy, I could go into a lot with this training session!

We discussed cognitive distortions and a balanced wellness wheel. The wellness wheel includes physical, spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, and occupational wellness.

What do I need to get into balance? How to do it? That, my dears, will be the next blog. :-)

Now it's time to read to 2nd graders.

My Classroom

Three years ago, my life included racing between Northwest University, Curves, and Lakeview Elementary. I imagined that at this point in my life, I would be doing something similar, Northwest University for my master's, Curves to keep me sane, and XXXXX Elementary. I managed to keep one of those - Curves.

Somehow, I managed to slip through the fingers and minds of the interviews at various public and private educational institutions. As a result, I traveled from classroom to classroom from September 2006 to February 2007 before taking on a position as a toddler nanny. I learned many things about my tolerance level and patience during that time. I find myself traveling again, from classroom to classroom, between districts and private schools. I still have yet to find one school to settle in to, but I do have my own classroom. Well, God's classroom.

God has given me the gift of a growing youth population at my home parish. This gift also comes with a responsibility - to educate the children of the parish about the life of the church and it's relationship to their lives. It has taken me a long time to realize that this is my own classroom, however small it may be.

I expected to be somewhere in the district where I performed my practicum teaching. Things have not yet happened that way. My classroom is in my church and I thank God for that.

For the past few weeks, I have been planning a Vacation Church School for the children in my parish who spring break during a certain week. The joy of planning and organizing instruction with such detail has long been hidden, but recently I have remembered. I have a classroom. And just because I only have the opportunity to teach in it on Sundays (except for a week from now), that does not minimize the significance of my role and duties as teacher. This was not the classroom I envisioned, but it is my outlet, my joy, and my home.

Glory to God for all things, great and small.

Popped the blog cherry!

So, I'm not much of a blogger, or a journaler, but I will venture out and make an attempt here.

Most of you know me as Christine, but the students with whom I work know me as Mrs. Adam (although, this often comes out as Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Admam(s)). Apparently changing my name when I got married did not make things easier on people who say my last name before I tell them my last name. Well, actually, telling them doesn't make a difference. I'm still Christine Adams to about 50% of the people I meet. Or rather, Christina, Christin, or Christy Adams.

Chances are you will read about crafting with Stampin' Up, getting ethnic with pysanky, or the adventures of Mrs. Adam who roves from school to school and district to district. I won't promise a daily, weekly, or any other time frame of regular blog entries. Just be pleased with what you get. :-)

Well, that will conclude this post. Enjoy and good night.