Blog

Since my last note, we have celebrated Juneteenth and the Fourth of July. Coming up on July 29th, we will celebrate the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, National Disability Independence Day, which guarantees access to economic and civil rights to Americans with impairments. With these celebrations of independence, let’s think about what independence means for schools. Imagine a school where expert teachers empower all ...

Developing independent learning skills is the best way to ensure that our students will become lifelong learners. Independent learners can make their own choices, complete tasks on their own and set their own goals. This creates a dynamic of teacher as coach and guide, giving extra help where it is needed. What are some techniques we can use in the classroom to support students as they develop these skills? It may seem counterintuitive, but on...

Many of the barriers to participation within schools exist because of a lack of awareness of differing needs. Barriers can be removed, and access can be increased by first exploring what some of these barriers are and how we can learn to notice them in the behaviors of ourselves and others. A barrier is an obstacle that prevents an individual or group from accessing certain services or opportunities. A barrier can be physical (e.g., s...

This year was hard. The media announced that schools were “back to normal,” but we know better. All of us, educators, students and families have endured unprecedented traumas. And just when the school year was ending, we were emotionally assaulted by school murders in Uvalde, Texas and two shootings at high school graduations here in Louisiana. Now we are facing summer, many of us separated from our school community where we can share...