building alliances between school and ... - all kinds of minds · accommodates, needs, and values...

Building Alliances between School and Home: Integrating All Kinds of Minds Principles

into Communication

PARTICIPANT BOOKLET

In this module, you will explore the connection between the All Kinds of Minds principles and criteria for using the All Kinds of Minds approach in communicating with parents and caregivers about student learning. You will have an opportunity to practice integrating the All Kinds of Minds principles into oral and written communication related to your own students. The remainder of the session will focus on developing an action plan for independent implementation and networking with colleagues around the subject of building alliances.

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January 2008 Updated May 2009

Copyright 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

All rights reserved.

No part of these materials may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written

permission from All Kinds of Minds.

All Kinds of Minds® and Schools Attuned® are registered marks of All Kinds of Minds. www.allkindsofminds.org

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Table of Contents

Participant Objectives .................................................................................................................... 1

All Kinds of Minds Conceptual Model ............................................................................................ 2

All Kinds of Minds Principles ..........................................................................................................3

All Kinds of Minds Rubric ............................................................................................................... 5

Revisiting the Schools Attuned Principles: Linkages Activity ............................................................. 8

Writing about Student Learning Activity .........................................................................................9

Talking about Student Learning: Reflections ................................................................................. 10

Talking about Student Learning: Additional Considerations .......................................................... 11

Conversation Planning Template ..................................................................................................12

Action Plan ..................................................................................................................................13

Appendix

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Building Alliances between School and Home: Integrating AKOM Principles | 1

© 2009 ALL KINDS OF MINDS

Participant Objectives As a result of participating in this module, participants will: 1. Connect the All Kinds of Minds principles with criteria for using the All Kinds of Minds

approach in communicating with parents and caregivers about student learning.

2. Integrate the All Kinds of Minds principles into oral and written communication with parents and caregivers.

3. Network with other educators around the subject of building alliances between school and home using the All Kinds of Minds approach.

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All Kinds of Minds Conceptual Model

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The All Kinds of Minds Principles 1. A Positive View of Neurodevelopmental Diversity: Children vary widely in

their neurodevelopmental strengths and weaknesses, and this variation has powerful implications for educating all kinds of minds. No one can be good at everything. Many students possess highly specialized minds and deserve to be recognized for their abilities, while not being declared defective for their shortcomings. Deficiencies need not be considered abnormal or somehow pathologically deviant.

2. A Stress on Neurodevelopmental Profiles: All of us have highly individual neurodevelopmental profiles (our current but ever-malleable spreads of strengths and weaknesses), which might work well at some ages and under certain circumstances, but not as well at other times or places.

3. A Quest for Specificity and Individuality in Understanding Students: We

can and must achieve a high level of specificity in our understanding of children’s strengths and weaknesses, penetrating well beyond labels—which are overly simplistic, pessimistic, and therapeutically ineffective, as well as potentially hazardous, self-fulfilling prophecies. The more specific we are in our descriptions of a student’s profile, the more effective we can be in helping him/her find success. It is misleading to maintain that there are a small number of syndromes or patterns within which all or most kids with learning differences can be categorized. There are innumerable ways to be different.

4. A Policy of Labeling Observable Phenomena Rather than Children: Teachers, in particular, have unique access to day-to-day observable phenomena and behaviors that are windows on learning and neurodevelopmental function. They are in a unique position to identify underutilized strengths and interests, as well as breakdowns in the learning process. Knowing what to call and how to describe a particular phenomenon greatly facilitates a teacher’s understanding and management of that phenomenon in the classroom. For this reason, we label the phenomena rather than the students.

5. A Commitment to Collaboration among Professionals, Parents, and Children: A student’s optimal education is likely to be realized when teachers, parents, clinicians, and the child collaborate meaningfully. No single source has all the answers. Therefore, the valid understanding and management of a student’s ways of learning entails the search for recurring themes and perceived needs as discerned by multiple informed participants.

6. A Desire to Strengthen the Strengths and Affinities of Children: It is as important to strengthen a child’s strengths and affinities, as it is to remediate his weaknesses.

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The All Kinds of Minds Principles (continued) 7. A Belief in the Value of Demystification: Children have a need and a right to

be “demystified” or made aware of their specific breakdowns in learning as well as their strengths and affinities. It is especially critical for them to be able to talk about and name the functions they are working on, since it’s hard to improve something when you don’t even know what it’s called.

8. A Consistent Effort to Help Learners Learn about Learning: Students should be learning about learning and gaining insight into their own minds while they are engaged in learning. Teachers should instruct explicitly about learning while they are teaching traditional subject areas.

9. An Infusion of Optimism for Kids with All Kinds of Minds: The adult world accommodates, needs, and values all kinds of minds to fill all kinds of roles. Therefore, every child should be helped to see his or her special possibilities for a life that can be fulfilling and gratifying. The cultivation of childhood optimism and excitement about the future is both healthy and realistic.

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All Kinds of Minds Rubric For Teacher Communication on Student Learning:

Use of Language

CHARACTERISTICS OF QUALITY COMMUNICATION CRITERIA

LEVEL 4 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 1

Employs a positive tone

Uses a positive, hopeful, optimistic tone throughout

Uses a positive, hopeful, optimistic tone most of the time

Sometimes uses a positive tone

Uses mostly a negative tone

Destigmatizes learning problems

Consistently reflects compassion toward student’s learning problems and understanding of student’s kind of mind

Reflects compassion toward student’s learning problems and some understanding of student’s kind of mind

Reflects compassion toward student’s learning problems, but little understanding of student’s kind of mind

Blames student for learning problems; reflects no understanding of student’s kind of mind

Uses descriptive language

Uses child-specific, carefully chosen, descriptive language throughout

Uses descriptive language most of the time

Uses some descriptive language

Uses little, if any, descriptive language; feels depersonalized

Is non-judgmental Uses no judgmental language

Uses little judgmental language

Uses some judgmental language

Uses mostly judgmental language

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Description of Student Learning



Focuses on strengths and affinities

Elaborates and emphasizes student’s strengths and affinities

Mentions but does not elaborate on student’s strengths and/or affinities

Cites a strength or affinity but follows immediately with qualification that undercuts its value

Makes generic, positive comments, but fails to cite specific strengths or affinities

Describes specific observable behaviors

Consistently describes observable behaviors as evidence for learning strengths and weaknesses

Describes observable behaviors as evidence for learning strengths and weaknesses, but not consistently

Mixes generic labeling statements with a few descriptions of observable behaviors

Uses generic labeling statements and no descriptions of observable behaviors

Discusses observable behaviors in neuro-developmental terms

Consistently discusses observable behaviors in neuro-developmental terms

Discusses observable behaviors in neuro-developmental terms, but not consistently

Uses some neuro-developmental language, but does not make connections to learning behaviors

Makes no connection between observable behaviors and neuro-developmental functions

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Plan for Growth



Promotes alliance formation

Conveys strong sense of alliance among student, teacher, and parent(s)/ caregiver(s)

Conveys some sense of an alliance among student, teacher, and parent(s)/ caregiver(s)

Mostly places responsibility for learning on student; little mention of role of teacher and/or parent/ caregiver

Places full responsibility for learning on student; no mention of role of teacher and/or parent/ caregiver

Recommends strategies for improvement

Offers innovative, elaborated strategies - including both interventions & accommodations - to address learning challenges

Offers moderately elaborated strategies to address learning challenges

Offers some unelaborated strategies to address learning challenges

Offers few, if any, strategies to address learning challenges

Infuses optimism Conveys strong sense of student’s potential and optimism about the future

Conveys some sense of student’s potential and optimism about the future

Conveys some sense of student’s potential, but mostly focuses on past and present difficulties

Conveys little sense of student’s potential

Advocates collaboration among educators (if applicable)

Offers concrete plans for collaboration among specialists and teachers

Indicates an interest in collaboration among specialists and teachers

Does not mention working with specialists or other teachers

Does not mention working with specialists or other teachers

Proposes learning plan (if applicable)

Provides a comprehensive learning plan that addresses all aspects of student’s learning profile

Provides a learning plan that addresses some aspects of student’s learning profile

Provides a generic learning plan, not geared toward student’s learning profile

Does not provide a learning plan

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Revisiting the All Kinds of Minds Principles: Linkage Activity

Rubric Criteria All Kinds of

Minds Principle #

Employs a positive tone Uses a positive, hopeful, optimistic tone throughout

Destigmatizes learning problems

Consistently reflects compassion toward student’s learning problems and understanding of student’s kind of mind

Uses descriptive language

Uses child-specific, carefully chosen descriptive language throughout

Is non-judgmental

Uses no judgmental language

Focuses on strengths and affinities Elaborates and emphasizes student’s strengths and affinities

Describes specific observable behaviors

Consistently describes observable behaviors as evidence for learning strengths and weaknesses

Discusses observable behaviors in neurodevelopmental terms

Consistently discusses observable behaviors in neurodevelopmental terms

Promotes alliance formation

Conveys strong sense of alliance among student, teacher, and parent(s)/caregiver(s)

Recommends strategies for improvement

Offers innovative, elaborated strategies – including both interventions and accommodations – to address learning challenges

Infuses optimism

Conveys strong sense of student’s potential and optimism about the future

Advocates collaboration among educators (if applicable)

Offers concrete plans for collaboration among specialists and teachers

Proposes learning plan (if applicable)

Provides a comprehensive learning plan that addresses all aspects of student’s learning profile

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Writing about Student Learning Activity

1. Write a brief progress note (1-2 paragraphs) to your student’s parents/caregivers.

> Focus on a specific issue (e.g., performance in math class or missing homework assignments)

> Refer to your student work samples

> Integrate Level 4 characteristics

2. Exchange notes with a partner, and look for evidence of Level 4 characteristics. 3. Share feedback with your partner.

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Talking about Student Learning: Reflections

1. Think about a memorable meeting you’ve had with a teacher or administrator when you were in the role of parent or student.

2. Reflection Questions:

> What stands out?

> What went well?

> What didn’t go well?

> How did you feel during the conversation? Afterwards?

3. Share with a partner.

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Talking about Student Learning: Additional Considerations

Characteristics of the Receiver

> Culture

> Family dynamics

> Past communication experiences Characteristics of the Sender

> Personal communication strengths and weaknesses

> Past experiences

> Relationship with the parents/caregivers

Strategies to check for and reinforce effectiveness of communication

> Paraphrasing

> Discussing information either of you found surprising or unexpected

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Conversation Planning Template

What (Message) How (Tone, Examples, Metaphors)

Additional Considerations Management Strategies

Characteristics of Receiver

(e.g., culture, family dynamics, past experiences)

Characteristics of Sender

(e.g., communication strengths and weaknesses, past experiences)

Checking for and Reinforcing Effectiveness of Communication

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Action Plan

As you prepare to integrate what you’ve learned during this module into practice, it is helpful to develop concrete next steps. Respond to the Action Plan reflection prompts: > The next time I need to communicate with parents/caregivers in a written format,

I will… > The next time I need to communicate with parents/caregivers orally, I will… > In the long term, I will integrate the concepts of this module into my own practice by… > When I meet my long term goal, my relationships and interactions with

parents/caregivers will… FA

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Appendix Table of Contents

• Blank Conversation Planning Template

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Building Alliances between School and Home: Integrating AKOM Principles | A1


Conversation Planning Template

What (Message) How (Tone, Examples, Metaphors)

Additional Considerations Management Strategies

Characteristics of Receiver (e.g., culture, family dynamics, past experiences)

Characteristics of Sender (e.g., communication strengths and weaknesses, past experiences)

Checking for and Reinforcing Effectiveness of Communication

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