Rick Overton's CU

An overarching theme for my goals as a teacher stems from the following deeply felt aspiration: I strongly desire to invest my time, energy, and talents in such a manner that students are positively motivated and impacted both academically and behaviorally. This is a lofty goal, and yet, an honest declaration of self-expression. Teaching is a second career move for me, and I chose this change so that I can give back some of the generosity that has been afforded me over the years.

In teaching a self-contained class, I attempt to cover several subjects such as language arts, science, math, social studies, and health, etc. In his research, John Maag confirms the gut instinct I have that teachers should commit seventy percent of the day towards students being academically engaged. In addition to these core subjects, I also incorporate teachings on social skills and behavior management. In the aforementioned, the core subjects appear to be primary and the behavior areas secondary, yet, the reverse is true. My primary goal is to generate, infuse, instruct upon, and promote social and emotional intelligence. Helping students recognize the myriad of thoughts, feelings, and judgments they have as well as to evaluate their motivations, impulses, and desires before they act are of paramount importance.

My secondary goals for my students regard academics and are twofold. First, if the student is behind in their grade level of subject matter, then my hope is to help them gain at least one grade level during their year with me. Secondly, if the student is academically on par, then my goal is to help them increase their knowledge of the subject matter so as not to lag behind when they enter their general education classes.

I am a teacher at McKinley Middle School. Our school demographics range from lower fixed income to middle and upper-middle incomes. There are approximately 850 students attending McKinley. The student population is as follows: 50% Hispanic, 35% Anglo, 7% Native American, 6% African American, 1% Asian, and 1% "other."

I teach a self-contained "D" level class of emotionally/behaviorally-disturbed students, which is the audience focused on in this curriculum unit. Heretofore, behaviorally disordered students were included under the grouping of emotionally disturbed students. However, recent (1999-2000) special education qualification standards now prevent students who exhibit only behavior disorders from qualifying for special education services. Since the revision, students with behavior disorders who had been receiving special education services are simply grandfathered in under the new standards. All of my current students have been receiving special education services for their disabilities since early or middle elementary school.

The above revision of who qualifies for special education services is an important distinction. A simplified definition for behaviorally disturbed students would be children who, in many respects, are socially maladjusted: i.e. a current and/or future juvenile delinquent. The term "emotional disturbance" does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted. Rather, these children tend to be more fragile, usually develop various physical symptoms associated with interpersonal relationships and/or school problems, as well as exhibit inappropriate behaviors, which have marked effects upon satisfactory school performance.

The young men and women in my class are middle school students and come from all three grade-levels. They are classified as having emotional/behavior disorders and many also have learning disabilities as well. As mentioned earlier, all of my students have been receiving special education services since the second or third grades. The abilities of my students range from a second grade level to a tenth grade level in reading and reading comprehension.

Culturally, the students I work with are from the three major backgrounds in New Mexico: Hispanic, Anglo-American, and Native American. In regards to gender, I currently have an all male class. Socio-economically, several of my students are on a free lunch program along with Medicaid services; a few are from lower-middle income families and one is from an upper middle income family. As you can readily ascertain, my students are a microcosm of the diversity we find in our state. This diversity brings both challenges and, at the same time, a varied richness.

Any system of behavior enhancement entails beliefs regarding classroom management. I’m discovering in quick fashion that classroom management is the soil from which all seeds of decent and effective instruction/modeling can grow. I believe in clear, meaningful standards of behavior and natural consequences for disregard or violation of those standards. I believe that standards or norms need to be of significant import and not a merely contrived set of norms or trivial rules. In addition, the consequences need to be specific, without bias and delivered contingently.

While the clear standards and firm consequences are two primary and necessary ingredients for a highly motivated and academically achieving classroom, they are not the only ingredients. I believe that acceptance, respect, empathy, caring, active listening, and forgiveness accompanied with a fresh start are necessary in the classroom. Having all the important ingredients needed for an excellent classroom can be compared to making homemade ice cream without the use of rock salt: in the end you merely have a sweet concoction, which lacks any real substance or solidity. Without standards or consequences you invite chaos, likewise, without empathy and caring you inflict needless pain.

I teach 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade EBD students in a divided portable. This has turned out to be a great classroom environment for the Educational Assistant, the students, and me. We use half of the portable for group work and computer usage, and the other portion of the portable for individual work because that side has the chalkboard (there is only one). Also on this side are my desk and the trapezoid tables for each student.

In order to minimize disruptions and frustrations while I am teaching, I will walk around the room or sit on a bar stool in front of the class. I rarely sit behind my desk. When we use the group table for a project, I am either standing or sitting at the table with the students. Regarding the individual trapezoid tables for the students, I change the seating arrangement numerous times. Those with behavior difficulties sit closer to the front and those who have done well have the chance to sit in the back. If disruptions or frustration arise, then I either glance over in the direction of the student so that we make eye contact or I merely disregard the disruption and see if it will subside. Other times I will verbally acknowledge the student and ask him to cease whatever he is doing. If all my efforts fail then I go to "plan B."

Directly behind our portable are bleachers, a football field, and a track which circles around the gridiron. This is great for me because students and I take a walk around the track if they need time to cool off or just need an opportunity to work large muscle groups and expand their lungs. They have no idea this is what I am doing; they merely think they get a chance to go around the track and that is great for them. In our room we do have a place for "time out." I rarely use it because I much prefer the student sitting outside on the bleachers or taking a walk on the track with an E.A. or myself - something to get them out of the room, breath in some fresh air, take in the immense sky and work off some tension. Obviously, when we have inclement weather then I have to utilize the "time out" desk.

As previously stated, classroom management is the soil that the seeds of teaching need in order to bear good fruit in due season. Also I stated that students need the greater portion of each day devoted towards being engaged academically - they need to be focused.

Secondly, I need to be proactive in that students seating arrangements need to be conducive to the classroom functioning with the least amount of contrived disruption. This entails not just good seating arrangement, but also me walking around the classroom and monitoring the student’s behavior, all the while providing subtle reinforcements.

Being a teacher is challenging and requires immense courage. And being a teacher of emotionally/behaviorally challenged students is a very daunting role! Most of my days are filled with the adage, "Two steps forward, three steps (sometimes five – seven steps) back." Yet, I am finding that as I am firm in my expectations and fair in meting out rewards and natural consequences; that when I am respectful in approach taken and caring in my attitude; and that when I am consistent in resolve coupled with a willingness to actively listen, I experience those golden apples affectionately called, "teachable moments." And those priceless moments occur with increasing impact and greater frequency! In my mind and heart this is a winning combination in that I am better able to reach out and influence for the better both the minds (academics) and hearts (social/emotional intelligence) of these young people.

The purpose of this section is to briefly discuss the current social milieu of schools, suggest whether punitive measures are a worthwhile endeavor, propose a reasonable approach to the misbehavior dilemma; and sketch a practical plan for teaching emotional intelligence in our schools.

Youthful offending is without doubt a most pertinent topic. During the past two decades our society has experienced cultural, demographic, economic, and social changes that are both profound and radical. Many of the changes that my students and their peers are encountering are unfortunately negative. I am speaking of drugs, violence, domestic abuse, and neglect and social conflict. As a direct result of these and many other factors we are experiencing high rates of juvenile crime, school failure, and high drop out rates.

In the United States students are daily immersed in a "society of violence," so much so that in the mid 1990’s the U.S. Centers for Disease Control declared violence the most pressing health issue facing our society. Also, during this same time period the American Psychological Society published an extensive study, which shows that children and youth are becoming involved in violent behavior at ever younger ages. The students I am privileged to encounter on a daily basis are born into, reared within, and daily grappling with this "society of violence." Violence in our society at large, and the after effects of violence and youth offending in particular, is extensive, destructive, and ever prevalent in our society and schools each and every day.

Our society, especially educators, is painfully aware of the increasing student detentions, suspensions, expulsions, and legally reportable offenses occurring in our schools. Bodine and Crawford suggest that the trend is increasing for student discipline problems; also, analysis reveals that as grade level increases so does the frequency and severity of discipline problems. Discipline has been a high priority for years, yet escalating and pervasive behavior problems still exist in our schools. So much so, that educators in the classrooms are crying out for administrators, parents, the community, anyone to do something. By and large, teachers are either clamoring loudly, or working quietly behind the scenes, for greater punitive consequences or removal of difficult students from the classroom, and even the school.

Many of the "how to" books and articles I have perused during my years of earning three degrees, and much of the advice given me by fellow teachers, promote the use of reward/punitive measures. Yet, research shows that the practice of more stringent, punitive measures "...may exacerbate student discipline problems". In addition, educational scholars state that:

It is disconcerting to me that society at large, and far too many educators in particular, continue to believe that punitive measures are the answer for the misbehavior dilemma occurring in our schools.

I believe our children are exhibiting, with the force of a percussion instrument, their lack of emotional self-awareness and control. As the drum of emotional self-awareness and control continues to beat, some of us educators and parents can also hear the still, small voice of our children crying out in quiet desperation for someone to help guide them towards emotional well-being.

Unfortunately, far too many schools disregard the development of emotional intelligence. Most schools rarely take into account, much less attempt to integrate, emotional intelligent curriculum so that our children are better equipped with life skills. These life skills include self-awareness, self-control, empathy, active listening, resolving conflicts, and cooperating.

In today’s society educators have a critical window of opportunity for influencing the lives of children. The most seized upon opportunity has been teaching cognitive subjects such as math, language arts, science, and health. However, there is also a critical window of opportunity for shaping and influencing the basic emotional skills and habits of our children. Socially and emotionally intelligent classrooms are a vision of motivation, enthusiasm, and peaceable schools:

I have remarked that behavior management programs that utilize reward/punishment approaches have not proven effective. If they were effective, I believe we would not be facing the current social/behavioral demise in our schools. Unless the tide of misbehavior is reversed, our youth will, in all probability, be unable to function as adults in a healthy and constructive manner. I fully concur with the education professionals who purport that, "to turn students into informed and involved members of our democratic society, educators need to create schools and classrooms with cooperation, participation, and support as the cornerstones." (Bodine, 1998).

Simplistic and counter-productive approaches will not serve us or the children we are called to teach. Eleanor Roosevelt said, "I would rather light one single candle than merely curse the darkness." If, as an educator, I merely stand at arms length to this behavior dilemma and wait for things to either get better or for a better set of students to arrive on the scene, I will have done my students a disservice. The students are here to stay; a better group will not replace them. Furthermore, it will behoove us all to approach the behavior dilemma from a proactive and multifaceted approach. It is worthwhile to remember that society, parents, and I are not the only ones crying out for help. The "other" voices I am speaking of are our youth:

Maybe these are some of the reasons our children are willing to risk detentions, suspensions, expulsions, failing grades, and low test scores on national exams. It is imperative that I not passively wait for a better solution and let this present generation pass into adulthood without adequate preparation for life. Therefore, I have concluded that for me it is unacceptable to punish my students for not having learned behaviors that I have not taken the time to teach, model and instill. I have a clear and certain conviction that what I have just stated is a central truth. In addition, current research supports my quest to be proactive in my approach in addressing the behavioral dilemma – the dearth of social/emotional intelligence.

If we believe it is important that our children learn to constructively resolve everyday conflicts, and have any real hope that they fully and responsibly participate in our democratic society, then it is of paramount importance that we make our classrooms a teaching center and laboratory in which they learn, try out and practice appropriate and emotionally informed behavior.

A working definition of emotional intelligence was pioneered by Peter Salovey and John Mayer. The working model they espouse is: knowing one’s emotions, managing emotions, motivating oneself, recognizing emotions in others, and handling relationships. My readings have shown me that one of the central themes of emotional intelligence is balance. In the daily venue of everyday life, children’s emotions can vary widely. Balancing these emotions is a primary key to well being. I believe a practical plan is to teach students the necessary skills for dealing with emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, anxiety, frustration, hurt, inadequacy, etc…

The themes I am proposing for this curriculum unit are not set forth as typical lesson plans. Certainly I will have class time set aside for didactic instruction yet; the majority of my proposal for promoting social/emotional intelligence is weaving "teachable moments" in and out of the normal, daily activities of students. It is my firm belief that the development of emotional intelligence is our best source for behavior management and conflict resolution in our schools.

I will be conducting several didactic sessions consisting of basic needs awareness, multi-sensory awareness, and effective communication skills, in addition to group discussion sessions, and several field trips. However, I do not believe that major emphasis for assimilating social/emotional skills such as caring, empathy, compassion, active listening, etc... is primarily through didactic activity.

Also, as I set forth and expound on "techniques" I am beginning to master I wish to add that even though these techniques do not disappear, neither are they the sum total of good teaching. A teacher’s ability to connect one on one with students and to help them connect with a subject depends less on methods or technique and more upon a sense of personal identity, and a knowledge of self, which includes a deep connection between intellect and emotion. This is a continuous journey that requires an ongoing self-discovery each and every day. I fully concur with Parker Palmer who states that ". . . as we learn more about who we are, we can learn techniques that reveal rather than conceal the personhood from which good teaching comes." This is precisely why good teaching can result from different teachers who each bring diverse gifts and use widely divergent methods.

As a precursor to presenting my lesson plans, what follows is a brief discussion of the primary elements of the Rogerian person-centered approach. Granted, the intended audience for Carl Rogers was the therapist/client, yet I believe essentials for establishing a trusting and caring relationship in any "helping/teaching" profession can be found in his work.

My weaving of "teachable moments" is more of a Rogerian approach in that it is very person centered. Carl Rogers (1961) viewed persons as being basically trustworthy and having an innate desire to grow. Another key factor is the therapists (teachers) relationship with the client (student) as opposed to the techniques employed.

A person’s experiences are what make up his or her phenomenological world. Briefly stated, phenomenology is becoming aware of the client’s (student’s) world and how the client (student) perceives his or her world. However, Rogers went a step further in that he accepted as truth what clients disclosed to him about their world. Although it is never complete, therapists (teachers) can come to a better understanding of how their clients (students) perceive themselves and their world. This process is usually accomplished by means of empathic understanding – a trait that is woefully needed by our students and one that we teachers would do well to utilize and model ourselves.

All persons, according to Rogers, have an innate desire to survive, grow, and enhance themselves. This generation of youth who are "at risk" certainly have a penchant for survival and enhancement, albeit, maybe not enhancement toward what mature adults believe is acceptable. Yet, I believe that as teachers, the presuppositions we have regarding students’ motivations and future possibilities is directly tied to how we interact with them in the present.

It is precisely this presupposition that caused Rogers to believe that all persons are basically good and that they have a tendency toward fulfillment, maintenance, enhancement, and ultimately, self-actualization. Rogers believed that persons have

" . . . one motivating force – the self-actualizing drive and one single goal in life – to become self-actualized" (Hall). Self-actualization is defined as " . . . the need to develop and make use of one’s capacities and talents and to understand and accept oneself." L. Pervin writes, "Self-actualization involves continuous openness to experience and the ability to integrate experiences into expanded, more differentiated sense of self."

This force, known as self-actualizing drive, compels persons to keep going forward in life and to continue improving themselves. It is this driving force upon which the therapist (teacher) capitalizes in order to help clients (students). Persons must be able to differentiate between choices which lead to progress and those which impede progress. For this reason Rogers believed that:

According to Rogers congruence has taken place when the "interpretations" and "perceptions of reality" of an individual parallels that same reality as "interpreted" and "perceived" by others (Hall). When this does not transpire, then the organism (which consists of both physical and psychological faculties) and the self (a person’s current and ideal self) are seen as being incongruent. When incongruency occurs, problems arise of which Hall and Lindzey (1985) state that

" . . .in such situations, people feel threatened and anxious, behave defensively and think in rigid and constricted ways." Pervin, writes, "The state of incongruence is one of tension and internal confusion." Therefore, Rogers believed that "It is congruence or incongruence between the self and the organism that determines maturity, adjustment, and mental health." (Hall).

However, there are two other possible meanings that can be derived from Roger’s concept of incongruency and that may be helpful in working with youth who are at risk. One manner of viewing incongruency is when persons no longer use their own actualizing tendency (valuing process) to evaluate their experiences. Rather, they use the values of significant others to judge themselves. The second derived meaning of incongruency can be explained as when an individual feels or believes something, yet his or her actions convey something different. That is to say there is "A discrepancy between the perceived self and the actual experience." (Pervin).

Rogerian therapy has a broader perspective in regard to therapeutic goals than do most other therapies. For instance, one goal of Rogerian therapy is not so much to solve client’s problems, but rather to help them undergo a continuous process of growth. My hope as a teacher, coach, and facilitator in the classroom is that in the future when problems arise the student, in adulthood will be able to handle them adequately with little outside intervention. A second perspective, broader than most other approaches, is that the focus of the therapist (teacher/administration) is on the client (student) rather than on the problem being presented.

Rogers described four characteristics of progression. The first is "openness to experience," which implies the opposite of rigid and set beliefs as well as being " . . the opposite of defensiveness." Persons who are open become more aware of themselves, others, and the surrounding environment. Also, a crucial benefit is that persons "can remain open to further knowledge and growth and can tolerate ambiguity." (Corey). These are key characteristics for our society at large and especially for our youth.

The second characteristic is "trust in one’s organism." From Rogers’ understanding of persons he concluded that persons do not fully trust themselves; that is, they tend to depend upon the advice and direction of others. If conflict arises between persons and what significant others perceive to be best, then persons generally choose the advice of others over their own. Building a sense of trust in self as a student becomes more mature and has openness to learning from experiences is important because one of the hallmarks of emergence from our teenage years is individuation.

The third in the list of Rogers’ goals is an "internal locus of evaluation." This characteristic closely mirrors the second goal and closely parallels the goal teachers have for students to self monitor their decisions, behaviors, and the results of their choices. For Rogers the main objective is for persons to become less dependent upon others for value judgments and direction. According to Rogers one of the most important questions that can be asked for creative persons is

" . . . am I living in a way which is deeply satisfying to me and which truly expresses me" The resulting evidences of our youth’s ill choices are quite evident. Yet, are adults in general and teachers in particular, looking beyond the obvious and peering into the heart, soul, and mind of our youth to discover the true underlying motivations for their ill decisions and actions? If and when we take a deeper look I believe that which we find will belie the surface words of our youth who are at risk. When offending youth’s outward professing of happiness and contentment are unmasked then we will see their quiet desperation and longing for an inward and outward congruency that is truly at peace with self and others.

The final characteristic is a "willingness to be a process." Clients in therapy and often times, students in classrooms engage adults with a specific problem they want solved. And in the teaching profession our first responses tend more often than not to be prescriptive in nature. Roger’s, and I as a teacher, wants persons to see the need for continuous growth, rather than problem solving, and to view such as a lifelong process.

Some concluding remarks I have regarding Carl Rogers ideas are as follows. Active listening, attending, understanding, accurate empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness are essentials in any helping/teaching profession. Even though Rogers does not list a set of precise techniques or procedures to follow (that would have been very un-Rogerian) in including the essentials above, he did a considerable amount of work in offering the basic principles needed to do such. It would behoove us all as life long learners and helpers to incorporate these ideas as often as possible.

While a person-centered approach is foundational for establishing a trusting and caring relationship with students I also believe that a more directive style is also called for. Again, the core competencies of Rogers are necessary and foundational yet I also see the need as a teacher for knowledge and skills to be applied in a more directive manner. Secondly, I would not advocate for a "student-centered" classroom. In fact, I would venture so far as to state that the classroom should be neither student-centered nor teacher-centered but subject-centered. I believe a subject-centered approach can assimilate the best features of a student/teacher-centered approach so that the teacher does not reign supreme nor are the students the center of attention. Passion for a subject keeps a classroom from becoming narcissistic if students/teacher are at the center of attention. Also, having a subject at the pedagogical center gives a better standard from which to ascertain if good teaching and learning are taking place.

Knowledge is much needed and necessary, yet knowledge is just the first step in adequately acquiring any skills. Modeling, role-play, discussions, and opportunities for real life experiences are also necessary.

I developed the above "wheel of learning" model, which is not meant to be linear. Basic pedagogy teaches us that a firm footing and acquisition of any skill requires continuous opportunities for "re-learning" and gaining greater understanding, more observation, continued

discussion, further role play and ample experiences in real life circumstances.

Since this unit is not entirely content oriented I will not be connecting my work with academic district and/or state performance standards. However, I do believe this unit is an excellent foundation for building upon the APS Profile of the Graduate and the "Character Counts" emphasis that Albuquerque Public Schools has adopted. The "Character Counts" themes include:

The first step (goalsone and two) is self-awareness of the problems that trigger our emotions. It is mindfulness of our inner feelings that aids us in our ability to monitor and manage our emotions. I plan on helping students put a name to and prioritize who and what are important to them. In so doing, they can better determine what they want and why they want it. If they can discern the feelings that accompany their wants and desires, they will be one step closer to being able to better manage their behavior.

Having laid the foundation for greater understanding and self-awareness, the next step is mood management and impulse control (goals one, two and three). Teaching students how to successfully use emotional awareness to turn situations to their benefit and to create opportunities that meet their basic needs for deep connection, acceptable power, cooperative freedom, and joy or delight is a significant step in the right direction. Daniel Goleman states "… emotional intelligence is a master aptitude, a capacity that profoundly affects all other abilities, either facilitating or interfering with them." Therefore, I conclude from this statement that in the process of taking responsibility (goal two) for their emotions, students will determine how well they succeed in life by becoming persons who exhibit a life of caring, trustworthy, fair, respectful, and responsible citizenship.

As mentioned earlier, self-motivation is the third step in this process. Self-motivation and self-responsibility can be seen as opposite sides of the same coin because they entail channeling or directing our emotions towards an acceptable end. M. Seligman asserts two necessary aspects in life that motivate and propel us onward include hope and optimism. Hopeful people can easily summon the willpower needed for accomplishment and achievement, especially in the face of difficulties and setbacks (goals three, four and six). With hope, optimism is a powerful ally that helps get us through the frustrations of daily living and the apathy or depression that sometimes accompanies those setbacks. Also, throughout the unit we will work on trust building (goal five), recognizing the emotions of others, or perception (goals two, four and six); and interpersonal communication, or conflict resolution (goal three). These critical thinking abilities are the bedrock of emotional intelligence, and these abilities call for our classrooms to become laboratories for exploration and practice. Lastly, I aim to conduct seminars and practice sessions in the area of silence and solitude (goal four).

For many years the perplexing questions for me have been, "How do we create life-enhancing opportunities within our curriculums that address the void, emptiness, confusion, and general malaise that permeates a generation of youth who are at risk?" Secondly, "How do we adequately respond to questions about meaning, identity, responsibility, and purpose?" I believe the foundational groundwork, which addresses the above, is found by providing students with didactic insight regarding social/emotional intelligence and generous opportunities for collaboration and guided exploration into these bedrock themes of life are essential if we ever hope to guide youth towards balance, meaning, connection and maturity.

On the following pages I present a Curriculum Unit Organizational Matrix that will identify each of the goals of this unit. Also, I address the necessary components of each goal such as concepts taught, time frame, materials needed, and the character emphasis each goal is tied towards.

Goals	Concepts to be Taught	Time Frame	Materials Needed	Assignments Given	Character Emphasis
1 Didactic Learning of basic needs	Self awareness of the basic needs of love, power, acceptance, and control	One class period per day for one week	Overhead projector, transparencies / markers, butcher paper	Note taking Quizzes	Responsibility Fairness
2 Individual/Group Learning by weaving "teachable moments"	Self-awareness, impulse control, self-responsibility, conflict resolution, interpersonal communication, and empathy	On going during the school year	This "teachable moments" goal includes any and all class periods and activities be they individual or group – indoor or outdoor	Readings in class Journaling Role Playing Class Writing	Trust Respect Responsibility Fairness Caring Citizenship
3 Group Learning through reflection upon self-generated questions anonymously put in the "QB" – Question Box	Inter-personal communication skills in small group format as well as trust building and empathy	One or two class periods per week that is on-going during the school year	Throw bags or big pillows or comfortable seating so students can choose to sit on the floor or on chairs, throw bags etc.	Think about and write out anonymously questions you have about self, others, life in general and put in the "QB" - Question Box	Trust Respect Caring Responsibility
4 Didactic Learning for Sensory Self-Awareness coupled with silence and stillness	Sensory integration and self-regulation as well as introducing the practice of silence and solitude	Didactic is one class period per week for 4 weeks. Silence/solitude is on-going for the school year	"Therapy Works, Inc" materials Overhead projector, Transparencies / markers,	Note taking Journaling Readings on silence and solitude Chess sets	Respect Caring Responsibility
Goals	Concepts to be Taught	Time Frame	Materials Needed	Assignments Given	Character Emphasis
5 Self-expression and Trust Building by way of "Symbolic Expression"	Self-expression skills and trust building	One class period per day for three or four days depending on time needed	Personal objects/drawings of student’s choosing that have personal meaning	Personal objects/drawing Journaling	Trust Respect Caring Responsibility
6 Enhance Communication Skills	Improving interpersonal communication skills such as refusal i.e.the art of saying "no"	One class period per day for one week or longer if needed	Television and VCR Instructional videos on communication	Written assignments Journaling Role Playing	Trust Respect Responsibility Caring Fairness Citizenship
7 Deep connections with environment and others	Connection with peers, community, nature & culture	Sports / Arts activities several times per week. Bi-monthly visits to elder care center for readings. Field trips to the zoo, bio-park, fair	Art supplies Chess boards Sports equipment Permission slips for outings Transportation	Reading Journaling Written work Discussions	Trust Responsibility Caring Fairness Citizenship Respect

In this next section, I provide elements from the District Core Curriculum and Scope and Sequence grades 6-8, and the Albuquerque Public Schools "Profile of the Graduate" as a performance standard that can compliment the character emphasis documented in the organizational matrix. The "Profile of the Graduate" seems to me more appropriate than academic standards given the subject matter and target audience.

As stated by APS, the "Profile of the Graduate" reflects the culmination of the PreK-12 educational process. The "Profile" serves as the focal point for continued review and development of the PreK-12 district core curriculum. It supports the District and New Mexico Board of Education goals and policies to provide quality education for all students.

In the following section I present the common learning experiences as they pertaining to human relations and personal effectiveness.

Uses interpersonal techniques that foster collaboration with individuals and groups; participates and facilitates working cooperatively in diverse groups; applies problem solving techniques by identifying and selecting appropriate alternatives to resolve issues; exercises individual freedoms while demonstrating respect for property and the rights of others.

Exercises individual freedoms while exhibiting social responsibility to family, community, and society; demonstrates citizenship by contributing to the community; exercises rights and responsibilities guaranteed by the constitution and law; acknowledges and respects individual and group differences.

Exhibits a positive self-concept; identifies and builds upon personal strengths and qualities; practices self-discipline; maintains a positive attitude.

Exhibits the ability to cope effectively with personal challenges; frustrations, and stressors; makes choices to promote good health.

Displays perseverance; sets high standards; accepts new or changed responsibilities.

Develops a personal values system; accepts responsibility for own actions; chooses ethical courses of action.

I begin the unit by laying some instructional groundwork and thereby giving the students a foundation from which to gauge themselves and others. Centuries of time and experience have proven that all humans have basic needs such as love, power, acceptance, and control.

At the start of this activity I would ask students to individually write out their ideas about one of the above basic needs (i.e. power). What definition would they give to this theme? I want to know their perceptions of this word. Next, I would like them to give personal examples and life experiences of this theme. What does power look and feel like to them. The eight students I work with may write and/or draw some of their impressions.

I would then ask that we take the information they have regarding that one basic need and, on butcher paper, write out what each person wrote regarding a definition and examples. I would also have students look up the dictionary definitions of this basic need and look up what an encyclopedia or internet site would say about this theme and include such on the butcher paper. I expect this culminating activity to take the better part of a class period. As the students are working, I will gather the main themes they are writing and write these out on a transparency for later use.

We would repeat the above assignment each day until we have gathered ideas/information for each of the basic needs. After concluding the entire assignment we would gather in a circle and look at the butcher paper and overheads. This would be a time for open discussion and idea clarification. No ideas are wrong, yet they may be expanded upon and thereby increase students’ knowledge. We want to personalize this as much as possible and, therefore, allow for a lot of open-ended discussion. Sometimes, given the students are middle school age the discussions will gravitate towards silliness, yet laughter can be a great ice-breaker when discussing such personal and powerful topics as these basic needs. I would also find moments where I as the facilitator can share laughing episodes of my experiences as well as serious moments of learning that I have gained over the years of education and experience.

Lastly, I would want them to take notes of the findings they come up with regarding basic needs. These notes can be reviewed and quizzes given so as to reinforce recognition of terminology and definitions. Also, I would encourage each student to keep a private journal in which they can make notes for their own future use.

The above goal, concepts to be taught, and time frame are very general and large in scope. This is intentional because what I have in mind is learning in the "here and now," or "in the present," while the opportunity presents itself. I work with a self-contained class of students and while, academic subject matter is very important, it is paramount that self-contained students have greater emphasis placed on self-awareness, attitude, and behavior. If the latter can be successfully addressed then the student will have opportunity for mainstreaming and, therefore, can receive primary emphasis on the academic subject matter.

Individualization is very important for teenagers who have either misguided notions of mature behavior, due to poor role modeling in their community, or simply choose to behave in an unacceptable manner. My hope is that I can engage them one on one and share how I experience their behavior and how others or myself feel when words and behaviors are inappropriate and/or hurtful.

Secondly, when conflicts arise between students my desire is to weave opportunities for discussion/learning in the midst of the chaos that is transpiring. What are the effects of conflict and poor communication? Students need to know. What is required for effective communication to occur? Students (hopefully students with inquiring minds) want, or at least, need to know.

When communication is effective and when mature behavior is displayed I want to affirm these actions and make it known that I am observing and very proud of the choices they are making. My comments about the commendable efforts and not so commendable choices need to be made in the context of the moment that they occur. That is what I mean when I say, "weaving teachable moments."

I do have some suggested readings in novels that can help generate debate and/or discussion. Those readings would include Spite Fences, Down River, To Kill A Mockingbird, Fallen Angels, and A Day No Pigs Would Die. The characters in these books model for students the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of personalities, and the noble and not so noble choices along with the rewards and/or consequences they paid for their behaviors. The reading can be done in a group, and the ensuing discussions can be springboards from which to generate more in-depth classroom teaching and learning.

Goal	Concepts to be Taught	Time Frame	Materials Needed	Assignments Given	Character Emphasis
Group Learning through reflection upon self-generated questions anonymously put in the "QB" – Question Box	Inter-personal communication skills in small group format as well as trust building and empathy	One or two class periods per week that is on-going during the school year	Throw bags or big pillows or comfortable seating so students can choose to sit on the floor or on chairs, throw bags etc.	Think about and write out anonymously questions you have about self, others, life in general and put in the "QB" - Question Box	Trust Respect Caring Responsibility

Everyone in life has questions and students usually have lots of questions, yet they often times feel self-conscious about asking them in front of their peers. The idea behind the "QB" or Question Box is to allow students an anonymous avenue by which they can write out their question(s) and place the paper in a sealed box. No names need be on the paper, and if they wish, they can even type out the question(s) so that the teacher and other students cannot recognize the handwriting.

Most teenagers are not apt to come up with thought provoking questions at the beginning of the discussion. The "ground rules" have not been established as to what kinds of questions are acceptable and how much depth should be sought. Therefore, to help this process get off the ground it would be helpful for the teacher to come up with questions he or she had when they were this age. Some ideas are:

This will start out slow in order for the group to build trust and be able to feel comfortable in a setting that tests one’s ability to be vulnerable and transparent. Start out slow and in the beginning generate "generic" ideas for questions that focus on others. For example, "Do people live on other planets?" Or, "Does it hurt when people die?" And, "What is it like to be old?" As the group begins to bond and experience a level of trust with one another they can proceed with questions that are more personal and tend to "hit home."

Open-ended discussion and the sharing of ideas are more of what is being learned. Most of what is discussed will not call for prescriptive answers. I am hoping to engender trust by way of bonding that entails wonder, questioning, and curiosity.

Goal 4 – A) Sensory Integration and Self-Regulation
and
B) Learning from Silence/Solitude

Goal A	Concepts to be Taught	Time Frame	Materials Needed	Assignments Given	Character Emphasis
Didactic Learning for Sensory Self-Awareness and regulation coupled with silence and solitude	Sensory integration and self-regulation as well as introducing the practice of silence and solitude	Didactic is one class period per week for 4 weeks. Silence/solitude is on-going for the school year	"Therapy Works, Inc" materials Overhead projector, Transparencies / markers,	Note taking Journaling Readings on silence and solitude Chess sets	Respect Caring Responsibility

As I mentioned earlier in the narrative section of this unit, there is usually a deep-seated and meaningful reason for the behavior and actions of students. Merely meting out verbal and/or punitive measures for wrong or inappropriate actions/responses, such as lack of alertness or disturbances, does not get to the "heart" of what is taking place. Furthermore, these "scratching the surface" responses on the part of adults, more times than not exacerbates the difficulty even more.

Teenagers in general, and especially those with Emotional Disturbances and Behavior Disorders, need to have a working awareness of their arousal (sensory motor) states so as to better deal with the difficulty of attaining, maintaining, and/or changing their level of alertness. An example is the amount of sensory-motor input needed by a teenager, as compared with an adult, to stay focused, alert, and maintain these disciplines throughout a fifty-minute or an hour and a half long lecture (many schools are on a block schedule which is 90 minutes).

Students (and adults who interact regularly with teenagers) need to know creative and acceptable techniques that can help them gain, maintain, or even change their sensory-motor experience so that they can achieve the level of acceptable behavior in any setting. This in turn greatly enhances the possibilities of building self-esteem and self-confidence in the child, not to mention making it far more pleasurable for parents, guardians, and teachers to work with the teenager.

The best source I have found for teaching a program on sensory integration and self-regulation is "How Does Your Engine Run?" through Therapy Works, Inc., which is based here in Albuquerque, NM. Their website is www.AlertProgram.com. Therapy Works, Inc., in collaboration with Albuquerque Public Schools, routinely (two or three times a year) offers a two-day workshop. Participants in the workshop receive a Leader’s Guide and program implementation materials. I would refer you to their excellent materials and the superb workshop for teaching a self-regulation program. I have participated in the two-day seminar, and have used the program materials. I can personally vouch for the excellence of both the workshop, the excellent materials, and the overall effectiveness of the program itself. (Note: another excellent resource person is Maryann Trott at the Albuquerque Public Schools Montgomery Complex.)

Goal 4 – A) Sensory Integration and Self-Regulation
and
B) Learning from Silence/Stillness

Goal B	Concepts to be Taught	Time Frame	Materials Needed	Assignments Given	Character Emphasis
Didactic Learning for Sensory Self-Awareness coupled with silence and stillness	Sensory integration and self-regulation as well as introducing the practice of silence and solitude	Didactic is one class period per week for 4 weeks. Silence/solitude is on-going for the school year	"Therapy Works, Inc" materials Overhead projector, Transparencies / markers,	Note taking Journaling Readings on silence and solitude Chess sets	Respect Caring Responsibility

To be quiet, still, or hushed was referred to by the Greeks as silencio. Silence is rare. It is especially rare in our society with all the noise, music, and words. Add to that all the devices in our homes, places of work, entertainment, and schools where we have the chattering and talking of people along with the buzzing and whirring of machines.

Parker Palmer states that " . . . in authentic education, silence is treated as a trustworthy matrix for the inner work students must do, a medium for learning of the deepest sort." Yet, the overall attitude of our youth culture today is one of hostility towards the dimensions of silence and stillness. The norm for our youth is over-stimulation. It starts at a very young age. Watch carefully the segments from Sesame Street and you will see that motion, color, and sound change very rapidly throughout the program. Then watch a segment of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood and you will see the slow, methodical, and physical and auditory movements that are gradual and purposeful. Thomas Moore reflected, "Soul cannot thrive in a fast paced life because being affected, taking things in and chewing on them, requires time." In our fast paced culture one has to purposely choose to slow down, be still, and rest in quietness.

The nervous system needs the opportunity for rest and quiet. Yet, it is a paradox that even though our children and teenagers have an unconscious hunger for quiet and stillness, when they do come into such an opportunity for restful quiet they are afraid of the void of noise and motion. I suppose this uncomfortable "emptiness" arises because our youth have been so underexposed to silence and stillness in their formative years. Our nervous system gains a portion of its "rest" when afforded periods of silence. In addition, a sense of balance or equilibrium between our inner and outward selves is restored through periods of stillness and silence.

Silence can also be frightening and unnerving in that persons sometimes encounter the stark reality of turmoil within themselves. Yet, as mentioned earlier, one of the foundational tenants of emotional intelligence is the ability to identify our own feelings. One of the most common desires among teachers is for their students to stay focused and on task. I believe that silence and stillness are avenues by which students can enhance their abilities for concentration. In my life, I practice the disciplines of silence, stillness, deep breathing exercises, yoga and muscle relaxation. Over the years, these strategies have helped me further develop my concentration, manage my emotions, and

reduce stress.

I propose to introduce my students to the value of silence and stillness. We will start out slowly with one minute of silence at the beginning of each period. On occasion I will play serene music, such as classical, for a few minutes. Some of my students are diagnosed with attention-deficit disorder (ADD) and attention-deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD). Research has shown that certain types of music helps students who are ADD and ADHD display "better focus and mood control, diminished impulsivity, and improved social skills." (Campbell). My hope is that over time we will build up to three or four minutes before each period, and then after lunch we will build up to a period of silence and stillness that lasts for ten minutes.

During these one to four minute durations of silence/stillness students will be encouraged to allow their minds to relax, to explore the recesses of their imagination, experience their patterns of breathing, and take a reflective moment and pay attention to their current set of emotions and notice what they are thinking and feeling at that very moment.

During the ten minute opportunity for silence/stillness after lunch students will be led in a short (three minutes) exercise of body awareness and relaxation. We will take two minutes and, starting with our feet and working our way up, we will enact a sequence of tensing and then relaxing our muscles. We will tense/relax our feet, calves and thighs, our stomach muscles, our arms, hands, neck and facial muscles. After we have finished we will take a few moments and take in deep breaths and slowly release the air. This will have taken about four minutes. The remaining five or six minutes will be used simply being still and quiet. Sometimes I will play classical music in the background, and other times we will simply surround ourselves with absolute quiet. Students may close their eyes, may lay their head on their desk, or simply look out a window and daydream. Rachael Kessler writes, "In a world filled with ready-made, fast paced, and highly stimulating electronic images, silence, for many students, provides a fertile ground for imagination to have its play."

Again, we will start out slow at the beginning of the year – one minute before each period and a few minutes after lunch. By the school years’ end I hope our journey of stillness and silence will have progressed and that students will be experiencing a creative and life giving relaxation.

Students are encouraged to bring three objects in a bag which can easily contain them. These objects, of their choosing, will have importance and meaning for them. If they do not know of any objects, they can draw or sketch three pictures and share the meaning and importance of these drawings. The meanings may be funny, intriguing, memorable, or playful, sad or even painful. It can be objects that have symbolic meaning from the past, the present, and/or sometime into the future.

The purpose of this segment is to afford students an opportunity and a medium by which they can experience emotional expression in a safe environment. It is hoped that this journey of emotional expression will engender trust, caring, and respect for self and one another.

As a precursor to this exercise I will gather the class and talk with them about the delicate nature of being transparent and vulnerable. I will share my hope that we will each share, listen, and participate in such a manner that it is a positive experience for all of us. Then I will ask for student-generated suggestions and discussion regarding some ground rules for this activity. I will write every suggestion given on the board. Then we will discuss the positive and not so positive aspects of each suggestion. Afterward, I will put these suggestions up for a vote from the students and they will select the ground rules they want for this symbolic exercise. Once the rules are decided then we will proceed with our journey.

All the bags of objects will be brought into class in a grocery sack so that no one will know what objects, or type of bag, were brought to class. Each day I will select two grocery sacks which contain a bag. I will pull one bag out of a sack and at this time only the owner of the bag will know to whom it belongs. The owner will not let it be known it is theirs and the class will then guess from the bag and its contents who the owner is. After guessing the rightful owner, he or she will take their objects and, one by one, will share the meanings and experiences behind these carefully chosen items. Afterward, the other students can ask for more detail or clarification in order to better know about the student’s emotions, feelings and experiences their objects represent. The above scenario will be repeated until each student and the teacher have had an opportunity for sharing.

For teenagers, finding their way on the path of adulthood can be a confusing maze of social norms, societal rules, peer pressure, expectations and the ever elusive and changing self-image. A useful tool for students is communication skills and more specifically, refusal skills that answer the question, "How do I say no?"

Thus far in this unit I have often mentioned that empathy is a much-needed attribute and character trait. In this section of the unit I explore with students the positive traits of assertiveness and, more specifically, refusal skills. The purpose behind this section is to help students learn the attitudinal and verbal skills necessary when saying "no" and do so in a manner that lessens the possibility of alienating others. The popular slogan, "Just Say No" is not that simple. Therefore, this section will help address the tools necessary for saying "no."

The best resource I have found on assertiveness and refusal skills is the video "For Teens: The Gentle Art Of Refusal." In this video packet they have a teacher’s guide that includes:

The above suggested questions, activities, and role plays that are found in the teacher’s guide are very well written and will provide an excellent resource. The video itself is twenty minutes long, and I would suggest viewing small segments at a time (two or three minutes) and then stopping the video for further discussion, clarification, and questions.

After the week or ten days of working with this training students will obviously encounter situations in which they do not handle themselves as well as could be hoped. Refresher training by way of discussions, role-plays etc can help students further embrace and better utilize the ideas and suggestions.

The three primary avenues for fostering meaningful connection with peers are field sports, such as football; basketball, kickball, etc..; chess and checkers; and group artwork. My reasoning for choosing such a varied list is that nearly everyone has some activity in which they excel. Some do well in physical arenas, others in mind domain activities, and still others in the arts venue. The activities are group oriented and as such they will call upon such skills as trust building, communication, and conflict resolution just to name a few. The ultimate goal is to foster deeper bonds with one another by means of shared activities.

I stated earlier that learning needs opportunities for silence and stillness. The paradox is that learning also demands community. My desire for this portion of the unit is to further intergenerational learning, service, and friendship. To accomplish a "connecting of generations" I am working in conjunction with Palo Duro Senior Center in producing meaningful programs. My intention is that youth will provide service to older adults in the following manner:

In regard to the reading program several books were graciously suggested to me by a fellow teacher who has worked for a number of years at APS in the area of intergenerational learning. They are listed at the end of this unit’s bibliographies.

Connecting with our outer senses and our inner selves is my hope with this program. My plan is to go on field trips in which we hike trails on Sandia Peak; take fishing trips to Fenton Lake; enjoy visits at the zoo, bio park and aquarium; visit the Albuquerque Nature Center, the new Hispanic Cultural Center, as well as the Native American Center; and enjoy the fun, rides, experiences and exhibits at the New Mexico State Fair.

I believe these field trips will provide a wealth of visual and hands on opportunities as well as an enchanting and engaging form of learning. For some of my students their first time to visit some of the above places will be these field trips.

Bodine, R. J., Crawford, D. K., & Schrumpf, F (1994). Creating the Peaceable School: a Comprehensive Program for Teaching Conflict Resolution. Champagne, IL: Research Press.

Bodine, R. J., Crawford, D. K. (1998). The Handbook of Conflict Resolution Education: a Guide to Building Quality Programs in Schools. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.

Corey, G. (1982). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (2^nd ed.).

Crawford, D. K., Bodine, R. J., & Hoglund, R. G. (1993). The School for Quality

Fisher, R. Ury, W. & Patton, B. (1991). Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreements Without Giving In. New York, NY: Penguin.

Hall, C. & Lindzey, G. (1985). Introduction to Theories of Personality. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Kessler, R., (2000). The Soul of Education: Helping Students Find Connection, Compassion, and Character at School. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Maag, J. W., (2001). Rewarded by punishment: reflections on the disuse of positive reinforcement. Exceptional Children, 67, 2, 173-186.

Moore, T., (1992). Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Palmer, P. (1998).The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Salovey, P. & Mayer, J. (1990). "Emotional intelligence." Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 9, 189.

Seligman, M. (1990). Learned optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life. New York, NY: Alfred Knopf.

Williams, M. & Shellenberger, S. (1996). "How Does Your Engine Run?". Albuquerque, NM: Therapy Works, Inc.

Weisinger, H. (1998). Emotional Intelligence at Work. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.

Wormser, R. (1991). For Teens: The Gentle Art of Refusal. Pleasantville, NY: Sunburst Communications.

	Knowledge/Information
Real Life Experiences		Knowledge/ Understanding
Role Play
		Modeling

	Discussion