| One of the hottest topics in our Problem
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| | well that doesn't have to be experienced
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| Student
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| | as
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| Problem Solver workshop staff
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| | pressure. So many teachers believe that
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| development
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| | the
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| sessions has gotten to be participants'
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| | pressure that is being exerted in their
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| upset
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| | state
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| at the damage they see being caused by
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| | is absolutely counterproductive to
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| overzealous
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| | testing, and
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| state-wide assessment testing. As you
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| | they are probably right. Instead of
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| may know,
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| | pressure,
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| some states have become so concerned
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| | show how education skills will be needed
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| about
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| | in
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| measuring student progress, that many
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| | the adult world, and how critical they
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| they have
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| | are to the kids' futures, rather than
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| highly rigorous testing. In some
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| | relate
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| regions, teacher and
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| | learning skills to scoring well on
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| administrator employment and/or salary
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| | assessment
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| are based
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| | tests. Education is meant to prepare
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| on test scores. In at least one state,
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| | kids
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| personnel
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| | for the adult world, not for taking
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| have been caught forging test results.
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| | tests.** Train Kids to Be Students
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| In another
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| | We don't formally train youth to be
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| state, schools are actually given report
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| | students.
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| cards, and
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| | Very few schools have a formal,
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| graded, with some schools failing. In
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| | written-down
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| other regions,
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| | plan to teach attendance, punctuality,
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| professional sport team mascots and
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| | motivation, test-taking, homework
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| cheerleaders
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| | management,
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| are hired to urge students to score
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| | discussion skills, how to focus, etc. If
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| well.In one state, part of the progress
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| | these
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| assessment testing, includes having
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| | nuts-and-bolts skills were
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| students write an essay. One teacher
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| | systematically
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| wrote the local newspaper to tell of her
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| | taught instead of just being expected,
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| dismay when
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| | more
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| one of her students wrote his essay on
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| | kids might learn more, and yes, test
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| his return to
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| | scores
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| middle school following a period of
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| | could be enhanced.** Train Kids to
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| dropping out due
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| | Manage Anxiety and Problems
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| to serious difficulties he was facing.
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| | We also don't teach students how to
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| The essay
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| | manage big
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| was judged unsatisfactory when scored
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| | problems from home, and anxiety about
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| for
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| | tests and
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| the test on such measures as grammar,
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| | school. Learning problem management and
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| punctuation,
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| | how to
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| etc. The teacher now had the difficult
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| | overcome anxiety will be skills a child
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| situation
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| | will need for
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| of having a young, vulnerable student
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| | an entire lifetime, and yes, could
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| receive a
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| | enhance test
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| failing score on a highly sensitive
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| | scores.** Stop Micro-Managing Teachers
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| topic. Worst
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| | In many states, teachers are treated
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| still, apparently the student's story
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| | like money-
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| would also
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| | grubbing scum. Teachers do the most
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| have been failed even if the essay's
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| | important
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| focus had
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| | jobs on the planet, often for humble
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| been to lament the death of his mother,
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| | pay, and
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| or to
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| | without thanks while also serving as
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| describe the beating of his sister.
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| | parent,
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| There is no
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| | psychologist, nurse and pastor to many
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| provision to adjust tests to the special
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| | lost
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| needs of
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| | souls. Instead of making teachers' jobs
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| students, or to give consideration to
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| | harder, give them more support and
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| special
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| | better
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| circumstances. This inflexibility is
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| | training. Much of today's teacher
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| true across
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| | training is
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| many states that use progress
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| | not geared to face the big social and
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| testing.The teachers and counselors who
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| | emotional
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| come to our
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| | problems that arrive each day with the
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| workshop, often ask if there are
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| | kids. We
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| approaches
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| | also have schools where classes include
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| that could work better than what they
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| | a
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| view as
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| | whopping 38 youngsters and the sky can
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| "education at all costs," when students
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| | be seen
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| are
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| | through the holes in the classroom. We
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| expected and pressured to produce
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| | expect
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| regardless
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| | teachers to teach against all odds, all
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| of any family problems, disabilities,
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| | while
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| crises, or
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| | consistently criticizing them and
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| personal horror that a child may be
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| | reducing their
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| living with.
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| | budgets.** Stop One-Size-Fits-All
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| There are much better ways, and some of
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| | Testing
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| the best, are described below. But,
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| | Few accommodations are made at all in
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| testing
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| | performance testing. A child who was
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| does not leave only challenged kids
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| | raped the night before,
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| buckling
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| | or slept under a bridge, or witnessed
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| under the pressure. My own 13 year old,
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| | terrible
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| easy B+, honor roll mention,
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| | domestic violence, must still perform.
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| doesn't-even-
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| | No one
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| study-much, normally unflappable student
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| | wants lower standards, but build in some
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| burst into tears recently,terrified that
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| | type
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| she
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| | of breathing room for students with
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| will flunk the 10th grade tests she will
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| | serious
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| face
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| | or pronounced distress,
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| that are still more than 2 years
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| | disabilities,crises,
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| away!Here Are Adaptations to Consider:**
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| | cultural differences, ethnic
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| What Could Replace "Education at All
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| | differences,
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| Costs?"
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| | language differences, etc. In one
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| So often adults have two viewpoints
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| | state,
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| towards
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| | many of the schools that performed
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| educating youngsters in distress. Some
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| | poorly on state-wide tests were
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| adults
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| | communities with many minority group
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| say that no matter if the child is being
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| | members. Little effort seems to have
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| beaten,
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| | been made to ensure that these tests
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| or goes unfed, or whatever the distress,
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| | were fair to children who were
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| the
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| | different from the dominant culture.
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| child must still complete homework on
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| | So, their school flunked.** Stop Telling
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| time,
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| | Schools They Flunk
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| take tests, etc. This can heap more
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| | Imagine you are a six-year-old and you
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| misery on
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| | hear that
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| the shoulders of a deeply troubled
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| | your school flunked. Imagine the impact
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| youth.
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| | on you,
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| Others take the opposite tact and say
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| | especially if you struggle academically,
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| they
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| | or have a
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| don't want to add to the child's
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| | low opinion of yourself, or you already
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| problems,
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| | live with
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| and so they won't expect much from them.
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| | racial bias, or you're a new immigrant
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| Sadly, this means the child may not get
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| | feeling
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| the
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| | adrift in a new world...where even your
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| education they still need. Instead of
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| | school
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| these
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| | flunks. Let's find more grown-up ways of
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| extremes, find the balance between these
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| | referring to schools that struggle.If
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| viewpoints: never abandon your
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| | you want to see how the education world
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| educational
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| | looks from outside the box, be sure to
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| mission, but don't accomplish it all
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| | check
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| costs.** Understand How Much Pain Exists
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| | out the hundreds of surprising,
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| Non-mental health professionals may be
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| | wonderful
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| shocked at the surprisingly high numbers
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| | methods and ideas on our web site
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| of
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| | You won't find
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| children in pain. The literature
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| | a focus on content or testing, but you
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| suggests that
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| | will
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| perhaps 10% of the children (or a family
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| | find common sense methods that work to
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| member) may struggle with substances;
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| | build motivation, stop work refusal,
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| 10%
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| | help
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| may be emotionally disturbed; 20-30% may
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| | traumatized youngsters, and improve
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| face sexual abuse or incest; 10-15% may
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| | class participation.Get much more
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| face
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| | information on this topic at
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| verbal, physical or emotional abuse.
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| | Author Ruth
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| Even
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| | Herman Wells MS is the director of Youth
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| though these numbers don't take into
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| | Change,
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| account
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| | ( Sign up for her free
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| the overlap across these groups, that's
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| | Problem-Kid Problem-Solver magazine at
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| a lot
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| | the site and
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| of kids facing a lot of pain.** Stop the
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| | see hundreds more of her innovative
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| Pressure
| |
| | methods. Ruth
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| There are ways to evoke a desire to
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| | is the author of dozens of books and
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| perform
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| | provides workshops and training.
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