What's Happening
Friday, May 26th, 2017
SPECIAL EDITION ON SENSITIVITY
sen·si·tive
Exactly what does it mean to be “sensitive” to something? Look up the word in the dictionary, and you will find out that sensitive is an adjective meaning "quick to detect or respond to slight changes, signals, or influences."
At LMES, we look at sensitivity through the lens of Diversity of Learners, Acceptance of Things That Are Different, and Understanding Others By Understanding Ourselves. We look at students' differences as advantages, and we look at each other in many different ways. Students can be alike or different in their:
Learning Styles
Upbringing
Cognitive Functioning
Culture
Expressive and Receptive Language
Academic Abilities
Family Makeup
Social Abilities
Likes and Dislikes
Executive Functioning
Emotional Skills
Visual/Motor Functioning
...and many more!
As teachers, we look at every student through these perspectives, and we ask our students to look at their world and each other in many different ways, often by them asking key questions:
- What do you have in common?
- What can you learn from each other?
- How can you use something that you are good at to help someone else to do better? How can someone help you by using what they are good at?
- Even when things look different, in what ways are they alike?
LMES School Mission/Vision Statement and Guiding Beliefs
The LMES community is dedicated to providing authentic and engaging instruction and experiences for all learners which are differentiated based upon student learning styles and abilities. Providing opportunities for students to become independent and reflective learners who assess their strengths and weaknesses and actively plan their educational goals is an integral part of our program. Children work in an environment which strongly encourages personal best in all endeavors. All students have access to learning and are given opportunities to perform at their strength.
How Are We Sensitive to Issues Regarding Race, Gender...and Disabilities?
At LMES, we work both proactively and responsively in including everyone and by recognizing the fact that we are not all alike, and that is exactly what makes us better! We work proactively to foster community, collaboration, and effective communication through the following activities that occur at all grade levels:
Proactive: Laying the Groundwork
Morning Meetings
Learning Through Various Learning Methods (Visually, Through Movement, By Speaking, Building Models)
Guidance Lessons
Personalized Lessons around Specific Learning Needs Within Each Classroom
Differentiation in Instruction around Learning Needs
Social Groups
Leopard’s Pride Assemblies
When students act inappropriately, we work to address the situation in the same manner that we would with everything else in school - as an opportunity to learn and for growth.
Responsive: Meeting Inappropriate Acts with Dignity, Repair Ties to Community
Classroom Meeting
Logical Consequences
Responsive Classroom Model of Consistent, Fair Consequences
Choosing to Be Sensitive When Others Act in Harmful Ways
Walk A Mile In Another Person's Shoes
Teaching Sensitivity Through Literature
Odd Velvet, by Mary Whitcomb
Big Al, by Andrew Clements
Paul and Sebastian, by Renee Escudie
Long Meadow Elementary School
Email: cwermuth@region15.org
Website: http://www.region15.org/lmes
Location: 65 North Benson Road, Middlebury, CT, United States
Phone: 2037581144
Twitter: @LongMeadowES