When Unkindness Creeps In

Written by Ms. Corey Foster

Indoor recess can bring about a range of activities, including games invented by students that attract everyone’s attention. In my classroom, during all indoor breaks or recess times, students from both second grade classes convene in the open space to play one of these games. It’s always intense and filled with all the competition, drama, and emotions that you can expect from a group of competitive 7- and 8-year-olds. On one occasion, the degree of conflict surrounding the game caused the entire class to lose game time, so they had to find another activity for the last few minutes. This always comes with a reminder that they can try again later.

One of the many indoor recess games these students have created is a sitting version of four-square which involves rolling, bouncing, and the same competitive nature to get to the top square.

On this particular day, students left the game with a lot of emotions and started to place unwarranted blame on one another. The atmosphere of the room was one of negativity and unkindness. It crept in during a time that is typically characterized by joy. Students embraced the feelings of frustration and hurt that come when being treated unkindly, and they held onto them tightly.

After watching a few students exchange harsh glances and a couple “don’t talk to me” comments were spoken, I stopped the class and made them consider the type of character they were displaying. I sent them to complete their end-of-the-day chores while they thought through their behavior.

As the students worked to organize their physical environment, I prayed that God would guide me to help them work towards the same type of harmony on a social level in the classroom and that God would touch their hearts.

Students returned to the floor for wrap up quietly, not engaged in conversation and laughter like they usually are. We needed God’s presence to get through the range of emotions being displayed, so I asked the students whose image they were created in. They responded that they were each created in God’s image. I asked if they valued the people in the room around them, if they are thankful for them, and if they too are created in God’s image with the same value from God’s perspective. They all agreed.

From there, students slowly began to lift their faces and look around the room. Since cutting each other down had been the response that led to the negative spirit of the classroom, I had students pair up with another several different times: once with another student from the opposite class, then a student of the opposite gender, then a student in their own class, and eventually with a student they had had a conflict with during the week.

While paired up, they were asked to look the other person in the eyes and tell them something they love about them. As students talked with one another, I heard heartfelt comments and wonderful words being exchanged. They were trading in their frustration and negativity for loving and positive words of encouragement.

Students at the Academy learn that when they experience conflict with their friends, forgiveness and prayer brings restoration to their relationship with one another.

The spirit of the classroom began to change. Faces began to lift even more—those that were once filled with sadness and even tears were now filled with smiles and laughter. They hugged each other as they worked to restore their friendships by remembering that they were created in God’s image and they are valuable to one another.

As students finished encouraging each other, we turned to look through the verses that hang on our classroom wall—the verses that these students have worked to commit to memory for an entire school year. I asked the students to look specifically for the verses that would help them remember how to treat their friends according to God’s Word.

They grew louder and louder as they shouted out the truths they’ve learned from God’s Word that show how they are to respond to the friends that God has given them. Verses like, “Love is patient.” (1 Corinthians 13:4a), It’s good to get along like family.” (Psalm 133:1), “Love your neighbor.” (Law 2), "The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness." (Psalm 145:17), and “Don’t be mean to your family.” (Law 7).

I shared with them that the value of these verses goes beyond memorization and moves into action. I shared that these verses are an opportunity to learn how God would respond and that they have the same opportunity to respond. I challenged the class to take a moment to pray out loud through these verses and for the friends around them. As they prayed with sincere hearts, I too prayed that God would mold them into the type of people who respond to those around them with kindness and love in a world that so strongly values individualism and self-preservation.

As the prayers of each student ended, faces were glowing, and it was clear that God’s presence was with us. Before the bell rang to end the day, one student suggested we sing the song “Lean On Me” to remember this time together and the lessons they learned. In true Academy for G.O.D. fashion, students engaged in a laughter-filled game of freeze dance using “Lean On Me” as the song of choice. The day ended with a giant class hug and smiles all around. Everyone could attest to their spirits being lifted by the Lord and to full hearts. A student led us in one last prayer of thanksgiving before everyone left for the day.

Unkindness was removed from our midst by focusing on the truths of God’s word. God is good. He is close to the hearts of our students. They displayed soft hearts to receive his word and for that I am thankful.

Friendship: A Gold Mine

BRETT MADRON REFLECTS ON ACADEMY FOR G.O.D. CULTURE TOWARDS CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

If you haven’t seen the movie WONDER, you should.  It tells the inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream middle school for the first time. As a father of a son with special needs, I related to the movie on many levels, but particularly the way in which August’s differences affect his social integration into the school system. My son Levi is 7 years old and has apraxia of speech, an acquired oral motor speech disorder affecting his ability to translate conscious speech plans into motor plans, which has resulted in his inability to speak. For now, he uses an alternative communication device (aka his ‘talker’) to express himself.  

Having a child with special needs like Levi, I think one of the main concerns for my wife, Michelle, and I has been how he will fit in socially in the world. What would it look like for him to have good friends? How do we help him begin to develop friendships? In darker moments wondering, will he be damaged as a person because his speech isn't typical, by people ignoring him, by not being able to express emotions in a healthy manner? Just real questions that sort of linger...but that are finding some relief thanks to the gift of the community which we feel so blessed to be a part of.

The marked difference in the narrative of WONDER and my own narrative is the gift my family has in being surrounded by a community of people and a K-12 Academy that are teaching children at a young age to befriend, accommodate and include children with special needs.

Levi presents about his new pet guinea pig during share time at the Academy for G.O.D.

Some highlight moments have been: 

Levi's kindergarten teacher asked students where their favorite place was to go and Levi used his talker to say ‘airport.’ From across the room, Liam Bennecker shouted, “The airport is my favorite place too Levi!” It may seem small, but Levi’s participation and connection with another student are the small steps that we are so glad to see taking place. 

Sometimes Levi struggles to keep up in line when the class is going different places. A few students have naturally started holding his hand to help him stay focused and better balanced. This has been fun to watch. 

A few girls were on the playground playing ‘Choo choo’ where they line up and put their hands on each other’s shoulders and move around. Levi found a train on his talker and communicated that he wanted to play and they were so welcoming to him joining in.

One day, Levi needed help opening something. And he was just grunting to ask for help. Two girls in his class leaned over and used the sign for ‘open’ to tell Levi to use his signs. It showed that they have paid attention to his signs and have showed the care to want to connect with him. 

Again, it’s these small moments and so many more that we are grateful for.

Academy students after their Buddy Break training.

But the same kindness is felt all throughout the Academy, not just in Levi's class. For the past six months, high school students have been volunteering with a program called Buddy Break.  Buddy Break is a non-profit organization that provides a once-a-month children’s program for families with special needs. The program allows parents to go out and relax for three hours in the evening while their children are cared for.  Every child in the family, special needs or not, is assigned to a volunteer at a 1:1 ratio and they spend the evening playing games and doing activities.

After working with Buddy Break, Academy ninth grader Jack Jeffries reflected on his experience, “It’s been great. During my time there, I've made a bunch of fantastic new friends and just have gotten to do what I love, which is having a good time hangin' with kids!  One thing I loved most was witnessing the overall joy of the room. I absolutely love when a kid walks into the room and sees their friend, and their face lights up. It just makes me happy.”

While limitations for sociability do often exist for individuals with special needs, those limitations often get exaggerated because people don’t quite know how to make the step into accommodating and befriending kids like August or Levi. Programs like Buddy Break allow volunteers take this next step, long before adulthood when they might fulfill roles like teacher, counselor or principal.  

Merci Warren, Academy for G.O.D. freshman, helps with an arts and crafts activity during Buddy Break. She says, "I've loved serving kids and giving them a great time!"

Academy vice principal Meg Mathews commented, “Our high schoolers have really enjoyed serving at Buddy Break. As a school, we really prioritize getting students the opportunity to serve in the community and live out the education that they are receiving. We hope this experience shows them how they can meet needs that are right before their eyes. The organizers of the Buddy Break Program told us that our students are some of the most enthusiastic, talented and compassionate kids they have on their team.”

As Levi’s Dad, I couldn’t feel more thankful and blessed to be part of such a wonderful thing taking place at the Academy. More than being on par with their peers academically or the latest in therapy technology, kids need friends and good, caring people around them to love them. In that regard, as hard as some days are, I feel like we hit a gold mine.

Academy Students Explore Careers

STUDENTS GAIN INSIGHTS INTO POTENTIAL CAREER PATHS

If you went to college you are likely familiar with the dreaded prospect of “declaring a major.” As an 18 or 19 year old, you are suddenly forced into a choice of pursuing an education focused more specifically on what you will do “for the rest of your life.” If you are like me, that decision was predicated upon what seemed most likable (“should I teach, do professional ministry, work as a missionary?”) or what seemed most economically sound (“computer programming...what is computer programming?!”). The sudden choice of declaring your future-and-forever career is a challenging one for most college students. A study by the U.S. Department of Education found that 1 in 3 college students change their major by their third year of college. 1 in 10 college students make the change two or more times.

Beyond the burden of choosing a major, there is a dilemma as college graduates enter the workplace. Almost half of college graduates report that their first career choice was in a field unrelated to their degree, while nearly one-third report that they never work in a field related to their college major (1). Worse still is recent data showing that when graduates do enter a field they have a degree in, employers find them unprepared for their jobs, lacking both the hard and soft skills necessary for the careers their degrees represent training in (2).

Acknowledging the difficulty a young person has knowing what “they want to do,” yet striving to avoid the problem of graduates being unprepared for the workplace, the Academy for G.O.D. created the Directed Studies course for high school students. Directed Studies is a program that gives students the opportunity to experience a career field that interests them hands-on. The course emphasizes discovery, exposure, practice, and evaluation - all of which are necessary for students to leave high school prepared to pursue an occupation that they can claim, with confidence, they are suited for.

Genesis Garner, 15, shadows Jaimeé Arroyo, Family Nurse Practitioner, BC. "Being able to shadow at HFC gave me an incredible hands-on, real life opportunity to use my compassion for the sick" Genesis says.

Simon Liley was given the opportunity to shadow Academy elementary teacher, Craig Duffy in the classroom. Simon shared his thoughts on the day, “I've really enjoyed teaching. It’s something I've wanted to do for a long time, and [shadowing Mr. Duffy] in the classes has been a blast. I've learned a lot from it.

Directed Studies adds a dose of reality to student interest, supplementing enjoyment with research and practice. This experience is not just theoretical, as students gain practical experience shadowing professionals in their fields of interest. For an entire school day, students observed their mentors in a professional setting: a student that wants a future in medicine shadowed a nurse practitioner. Another, interested in electrical engineering, worked on the job-site with a professional installing and programming ‘smart homes.’ A girl that wants to run her own bakery observes a small business owner, learning what it takes to start and manage your own company.

All together, the high school class shadowed professional counselors and psychiatrists, veterinarians, mechanics, electricians, business owners, journalists, photographers, elementary teachers, non-profit youth workers, and nurse practitioners. The lessons were tangible: “I learned the importance of knowing how and when to say ‘No’ to the customer.” “I experienced what journalism was like in terms of due dates, scheduling, policies, privacy, and time management.” “Working with a photographer allowed me to use what I was learning about a camera instead of keeping my knowledge idle.” “I saw the value in employees working together to solve problems on site.” “My mentor encouraged me to ‘follow my dreams’, but to do so understanding it would be five times harder than I expect now.”

Merci Warren is interested in pursuing journalism as a career. On the Directed Studies shadow day, she practiced her documentation skills through video and writing.

The passions and interests of young people need to be encouraged, nurtured, and honed. Paul claims that, “We are [God’s] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Eph. 2:10). Who we are, then, is the result of God’s involvement, and, like any project, must be developed until we are capable of doing the “good works” Paul speaks of. The Directed Studies course is another step in the development of young people, giving them the opportunity to know a little better who they are and what they can do. For each student it is a gift to know better what they like and do not like, what they can and cannot do, and how to best direct their energy into pursuing an occupation that synthesizes what they enjoy with the reality of work, all in the context of participating in those “good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life” (Eph. 2:10).

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1. Leu, Katherine, RTI International (author), presented by National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). "Beginning College Students Who Change their Majors within 3 Years of Enrollment," Data Point, US Department of Education, December 2017. 
https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2018/2018434.pdf

2. O'Shaughnessy, Lynn. "New Study Shows Careers and College Majors Often Don't Match." CBS News. November 15, 2013. Accessed April 05, 2018. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-study-shows-careers-and-college-majors-often-dont-match/.

3. 60% of employers surveyed found that college graduates lack the critical thinking skills necessary for their job. 44% found shortcomings in writing ability, and 39% in public speaking. "Which Job Skills Make the Most Money? Infographics | PayScale." Cardiovascular Technologist Salary. Accessed April 05, 2018. https://www.payscale.com/data-packages/job-skills.

New Year, Big Growth

An Interview With Academy Principal Betsy Johnson

After another year of record growth in enrollment, I sat down with Academy for G.O.D. principal, Betsy Johnson, as she shared some thoughts after a full week of classes.

CAN YOU GIVE US THE QUICK VERSION OF THE GROWTH ARC FOR THE ACADEMY? 

In the Academy's first year, the entire student body could fit on the stage. Here, they performed for the first supporter/grandparent event, titled "Come and See," referencing Jesus' words that demanded the faith to come and experience something before it was widely known. 

The Lord has been so good, it's really amazing. The Academy started in Fall 2013, we had 23 students in a K-6 program. This fall we have nearly 200 in a K-12 program! 

At the end of our 4th year, last spring, we had 110 students, so it’s consistent with the growth pattern of nearly doubling each year. We’ve seen a lot of growth and interest. 

THIS YEAR MARKS A BIG JUMP IN ENROLLMENT. CAN YOU TELL ME SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR

This picture shows just a portion of our student body this fall as they engaged in a school-wide dodgeball game on the first day of school! 

Well, an interesting point to note is that we haven’t spent a single dollar marketing our school. Instead, it is a lot of word of mouth. People tell their friends and family, the word continues to circulate. This year we’ve been able to accommodate for many of the new applicants. 

IN WHAT WAYS IS THE ACADEMY ACCOMMODATING FOR SO MUCH GROWTH?

A lot of our effort goes toward developing our teachers. They are our greatest resource, in terms of making our school what it is.  They are in the classrooms,inspiring and educating, while also attending to the social and emotional needs of the students. So, we can only accommodate an influx of students if our teachers love their jobs, are competently performing, and are ready for growth. We believe they are. Our teachers really are the ones carrying out the mission and vision of the Academy on the day-to-day.

Over the summer we spent hours each week with our teachers, investing into them so that they can invest well into our students. They are really incredible people, but to be able to encourage them and push them to even develop further is a privilege. One thing that is unique is that at the Academy, you won’t see teachers finding their identity in their specific classroom, and that leaks over to the students as well. So, we emphasize students finding identity in their social groups. Those social groups are what stay in tact whether they are in the garden, on the soccer field, performing on a stage or learning in a traditional classroom. Our teachers work to create those strong social bonds among the students, while at the same time modeling that same cooperation with other teachers. Our staff is all great friends. 

CAN YOU SHARE A FEW RECENT TESTIMONIES FROM ACADEMY FAMILIES?

At the Academy, 8 out of 14 of our lead teachers are male. In fact, both our Junior High and High School classes are lead by male teachers, Mr. Reese (here) and Mr. Dailey. 

I’ve been really thankful because parents have been really outspoken about their experiences by reaching out to call, or write an email, or talk with me at the back-to-school party, about their experience. I have two testimonies that come to mind right now, one is from a returning family. The mom sent me an email saying how notably different their summer was because of the way that their sons were able to interact together, with their cousins, and others, over the summer. Their extended family members could see the growth, and their home was much more peaceful. This mom expressed her gratitude to the Academy staff for working together to educate her children in the things that even affect their social relationships.

Also, over this past week, just a few days into their time with the Academy, new parents whose children have only been with us a few days have noted enthusiasm for school from their children that they’ve never seen before. Multiple parents have told us that they don't have to struggle to wake kids up out of bed anymore. They're ready to go! Still more parents of tutorial students (a homeschool 1-2 day program) are asking about enrolling in the 5 day program. 

I’m so thankful for all of these testimonies. It's what we want for all of our kids. 

IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU SEE THE VISION FOR THE ACADEMY BEING ENACTED ON A DAILY BASIS?

It really goes back to the mission statement: ”Holistically educating children to become responsible, kind and ethical neighbors; competent persons, globally conscious, and historically relevant.” This is not just one person’s responsibility, it’s everyone's: lead teachers, course teachers who teach specialty classes, administration. As a Category IV school, we are able to create our own curriculum, which gives us the freedom to emphasize their moral education, and learning the Bible. But these values aren’t just relegated to Bible classes, but the principles and ethics carry throughout the students’ Academy experience. The social and emotional learning is so important... and we train our teachers in how to do that appropriate to the age level, so we have 6-7 year olds having classes called “My Emotions” and our High Schoolers taking “Emotional Intelligence.” They are able to navigate intrapersonally how they are feeling and also interpersonally with the people around them, in a healthy way. Perspective taking and asking for forgiveness all contribute to a holistic education that will result in healthy adults. We really believe these kids are going to change the world.

Coach Joel Olson runs the first volleyball practice for "The Phoenix," a joint team with another Christian school in the area. We are excited to offer competitive sports to our students, knowing they'll learn so many life lessons in the process!

WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON?

Our high school program has grown and is continuing to grow! We had 3 students last year and now have 12. We are excited to be able to offer sports to our older students by partnering with another local private school--we are starting with volleyball in the fall, then soccer in the spring. There are great skills to be learned there. There is a High School mission to El Salvador slated for December. We’re also implementing a “Buddy Break” program that facilitates time within the school week for our Jr and Sr high students to work with students that have special needs. We're excited to see our older students continue to implement the values they've learned in order to strengthen others. That is what responsible, kind, ethical neighbors are all about. 

Throughout the interview, Principal Johnson exuded thankfulness as she recalled and recounted the unfolding story being written at the Academy for G.O.D. It was clear that she could have continued sharing stories of the Lord’s faithfulness for quite a while longer, and that she was truly energized by the process of remembering and sharing. The Academy is surely growing, and it’s in more than just the number of students.

Equipping Teachers for Group Success

On July 3, Aquatic Public School (APS) kicked off its second school year after their summer break. Like any school in its first years, there are many new systems that need to be implemented in order for the day to day to function well and for students to receive a quality education. 

Corey Foster, a lead teacher at the Academy for G.O.D., explains a rubric for enhancing student behavior in the classroom to the teachers at APS.  This produced much dialogue amongst the staff.

 The teachers at APS had requested training on behavioral management in the classroom, so this week, we held a three-part teacher training seminar. One of our goals was to teach them about motivating positive behavior, rather than just punishing the negative. We also emphasized group incentives in addition to the individualized awards that the school already has in place.

We also provided opportunities for the teachers to let us know what issues that seeing arise in the classroom, as our partnership with the school is still relatively new. By the second day of the seminar, we could barely stop the teachers from sharing about their classroom experiences, and we were thrilled to recognize a genuine desire to offer quality education amongst the APS staff.

The day after the seminar, we saw that the customizable charts were already being utilized in their classrooms and that teachers and students were already enjoying the celebration of good behavior!

In India, education functions off of competition. As students make their way through the education system to the university level there are limited seats available. With these factors, much of their educational approach is individualistic to the point of creating hostility between students when working to obtain those seats. In contrast, much of our seminar emphasized the need for students to work together and to build one another up so that all could receive a healthy education that would then go on to meet the needs of their communities. While competition can be a good thing, we also emphasized the team dynamic of competition and how it should result in students being lifted up. We challenged teachers to think about the jobs that these students will someday hold and families that they will someday raise--that they will need to know how to work together with their co-workers and neighbors in order be of benefit to their society.

In an exercise to teach how positive reinforcement and group rewards can promote good behavior in students, these teachers won prizes of their own that they can use in the classroom.

 We began our second session by creating a point system based off of positive participation, discussion and everything we would also hope for their classrooms. The teachers were divided into teams, created team names, and learned our expectations as well as the incentives to participate (winners would get to choose between a new game for their classroom and colorful dry erase markers). They jumped right in and were extremely enthusiastic about participating.

From this model, we focused solely on positive behavior and working together- rather than just getting the ‘correct’ answer. This competition allowed them to begin freely talking about the situations they experience in their classrooms and brought a variety of healthy questions to the surface. We wanted them to experience a classroom full of questions and dialogue that resulted from giving them a goal to work towards. The excitement in the room was profound.

We offered the teachers simple tools to chart positive class points, which could be used in a variety of ways based upon their classroom needs and age levels. Initially as we explained these systems, there was a lot of confusion from the teachers as they so quickly wanted this system to be individualistic and celebrate the “good students.” We showed them the benefit of a whole group working to achieve points and how when one student is weak their whole class will come around them and encourage them to do well so that all can succeed. The teachers asked so many questions and our time together was filled with healthy discussion as we all worked towards possible solutions together.

As we have spent time in classrooms at APS over the past week working with students and teachers, we have seen these systems being implemented by teachers in the classroom and they have been enthusiastic to show us. Each classroom is using the charts differently based upon their classroom needs and students are earning points. The students and teachers are eager to earn points towards prizes. While we have two weeks together to help the teachers implement these systems, we are excited that Rachel Nowlin will be staying for the year to help further this process and help make it applicable and successful for the teachers and their students.