I work in a Title 1 school in a high poverty area in the heart of Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was the first school built in Fort Wayne after World War II. Within its walls are my students, a generation of young people that will impact society in a big way. They have a strong desire to learn and I look forward to guiding them in the right direction towards their personal and academic goals.
Many students who come into my classroom have experienced childhood trauma, which makes it difficult for them to monitor and regulate their own behavior, as well as express their feelings and emotions in appropriate and effective ways.
Research shows that students who experience childhood adversity have three types of responses: fight, flight, or freeze. To the untrained eye, this may look like a student who is exhibiting poor behavior and couldn't care less about his or her education. However, nothing could be further from the truth, because behind every behavior is a valid reason.
Ultimately, I know my students are resilient and capable of overcoming childhood adversity and will be valuable contributions to society given the right resources to be successful.
My Project
Julia Cook and Howard Binkow are two well known children's authors who created a series of books that help students solve their own problems, identify ways to manage their own behavior, and develop healthy relationships. I believe that when students grow in their capacity to control and manage their own behaviors, it further expands their capacity to learn academic content such as reading, math, writing, etc.
I believe that these books will greatly impact my students' readiness to learn ability and further expand their success for their academic goals for the future.
The following books will greatly impact the culture and climate of our classroom by helping students make positive, appropriate choices:
Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns It's OK to Back Away: A Story About Managing Anger
Howard B. Wigglebottom and the Monkey on His Back: A Tale About Telling the Truth
Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Bullies
Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns about Sportsmanship:Winning Isn't Everything
Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen
It's Hard To Be a Verb!
Making Friends Is an Art!
Personal Space Camp
Tease Monster: A Book About Teasing Vs. Bullying (Building Relationships)
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