With their hands resting on the piece of paper in front
of them, everyone closed their eyes and awaited instructions. Tara Lawyer, a School-Based
Behavior Consultant (SBBC) from Northwestern Counseling & Support Services
(NCSS), delivered sloppy and ambiguous directions, quickly moving from one ask
to another, while eyeing the hesitant participants. They folded and unfolded,
creased and pressed.
Some giggled at their gross misunderstanding of the task;
others sighed in exasperation and quit folding their papers altogether. Murmurs
could be heard throughout the room.
“I can’t follow along.”
“What did she say?”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“Okay, open your eyes,” said Lawyer.
With raised eyebrows, one participant reviewed his
amorphous creation. “What is it?”
“You were making a frog!” Lawyer said. She proudly
displayed her cute little frog, perched on the palm of her hand. The point of
the exercise was to understand what a student might be feeling in a classroom
when they don’t understand the directions, can’t follow along or they feel
their work is all wrong.
Even for those working with kids every day, it can be
easy to forget what it feels like to be a student in a classroom, muddled and
diffident. Many of us—as adults—have vast experience with frustration and
failure, but it’s countered by years of success, collaboration, and support; we
know what it feels like to come out on the other side.
“I knew it wasn’t important, but I felt anxiety anyway,”
said one of the participants whose folded paper looked more like a crumpled
ball than a frog. “I wanted to get it right.”
Others said they would have done better if the directions
were repeated, if Lawyer spoke more slowly, or if people around them were
quiet. Lawyer and her presenting partner, Colleen Pastina, both SBBC at
Enosburg and Swanton Elementary respectively, nodded their heads in agreement
to the participants’ frustrations.
This particular training, attended by para-educators,
administrators and special educators and titled Effective Communication, was
one of several trainings offered on October 19, 2017. In total, there
were eight trainings ranging from an introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis,
Trauma, Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder, the Impact of a Disability
on Families, to specific strategies for working with students in public schools.
In all, 155 individuals from 13 schools engaged in learning activities with their
professional peers. “The community response to these free trainings was so
tremendous, we had to split the trainings into three separate locations,” says
Amy Irish, team leader for the School-Based Behavior Consultant Team at NCSS.
“Discussion has already begun with school administrators for how to continue to
broaden the scope of this type of collaboration in the near future.”
The presentations were facilitated by NCSS employees from
the School Based Behavior Consultant Team, School Based Autism team, and the
Collaborative Achievement Team, all teams that are integrated in schools across
Franklin and Grand Isle Counties. The 2017-2018 school year marks the seventeenth
year that NCSS has partnered with schools in the area. “The partnership that
has developed between NCSS and the schools in Franklin Northeast is something
we feel is making a real difference for our students and families,” says Lynn
Cota, superintendent of Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union. “We are living
and working in a time when children and families need more support than ever,”
she says.
As a SBBC, Lawyer may provide behavior consultation to
both classroom teachers and support staff. She acts as a resource in a variety
of ways, whether it is a minor adjustment or a long term intervention with a
learner. A behavior plan may be created by a SBBC like Lawyer when particular needs
of a student are identified. A student may need to work toward sitting still in
the classroom, entering the classroom appropriately, or using a respectful tone
of voice and staying safe. Teachers, parents, administration, support staff and
the guidance department then collaborate to assure the best possible outcome.
“This position allows me to share knowledge with others and build capacity of
social and emotional development in an ever-changing learning environment,”
says Lawyer.
Ginger Miles works in an alternative kindergarten
classroom for a couple hours of the day, then moves on to small group
instruction for third and fifth grade. A few times a week, she works one-on-one
with a third grader on specific skills. In her position, she has come to
appreciate and rely on Lawyer at Enosburg Elementary. “Tara is very much a part
of the Hornet culture,” says Miles. “She is out and about in the school, always
checking in with students and staff.” Miles says Enosburg has always been incredibly
supportive; the behavior plans created by Lawyer add another layer of support
and consistency.
“These interactions have fostered inclusion for me within
the school. I appreciate being a part of a tight knit community,” says Lawyer.
“One of the many things that I love at Enosburg is the staff’s desire to learn
and support each student in the best way possible. There are so many
opportunities for success and small victories every single day.”
 |
|
From left to right, top to bottom: Dan Bebernitz, SBBC at Swanton Elementary; Amy Irish, Team
Leader for the School-Based Behavior Consultant Team; Carrie Hatch, SBBC at
Sheldon Elementary; Tara Lawyer, SBBC at Enosburg Elementary; Sarah Tebbetts,
SBBC at Berkshire Elementary; Sierra Smith, SBBC at Highgate Elementary;
Colleen Pastina, SBBC at Swanton Elementary
|
Irish commends Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union for
being such an innovative community partner, continually pushing NCSS to evolve
in the relationships with partners and in the supports to children and
families. “This partnership has resulted in the development of new and creative
initiatives that focus on prevention and resiliency for all students,” says
Irish. While NCSS employees are based within school settings, the ultimate goal
is for those staff to become truly integrated as part of the school team.
“Not only does NCSS provide high quality support for
children demonstrating extraordinary levels of need within the school setting,”
says Cota, “they also provide our faculty and staff with training and resources
to help us all better understand how best to support children with behavioral and
mental health needs in the classroom.” The partnership that NCSS shares
with local schools represents an understanding of the importance of academics
as well as behavioral and mental health needs, notes Lawyer. Many students have
experienced trauma or have mental health needs; it is important to emphasize
the significance of social and emotional learning in the academic setting.
The common goal for NCSS and for our local schools is to
provide the best possible outcomes for local students. Working together,
through integrated partnerships, allows for everyone’s expertise to be utilized
in difficult situations. “It’s not fair to ask one person to be responsible for
raising a child, to make sure their experiences are positive and healthy,” says
Riley Benway, CAT Behavior Consultant and a presenter at the October 19th
trainings. Through partnerships with agencies like NCSS and our local schools,
we are a bit closer to assuring local students have the best opportunities
possible.
“It’s up to all of us,” says Benway.
NCSS values all the partnerships in our community. Below
are the schools NCSS has partnered with in a variety of capacities:
Alburgh Elementary
Bakersfield Elementary
Berkshire Elementary
BFA Fairfax (Elementary)
BFA Fairfax (Middle/High)
BFA St. Albans
Enosburg Elementary/Middle/High School
Fairfax Elementary
Fairfield Elementary
Georgia Elementary
Highgate Elementary
Montgomery Elementary
MVU
Richford Elementary/Middle/High School
Sheldon Elementary
St. Albans Town (SATEC)
Swanton Elementary
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