| Mike: |
Your situation is a little different than that experienced by most teachers. Tell us about your students and the program in which you teach.
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| Katherine: |
I work with middle school students with severe behavioral disorders in a self-contained classroom. It's called the JAG program because our school mascot is the jaguar. It's too easy to label these students, so we made a conscious effort to come up with a positive name. The students are mostly boys who have been diagnosed with attention deficit, hyperactivity, or behavior disorders. Some of the students may also have other disabilities. The goal of the program is to improve the students' behavior and academic skills to the point where they can be reintegrated into the mainstream. About 60 to 70 percent of the students make a successful transition. It's a gradual process, beginning with a student taking a single class outside of the JAG program. Over time, the number of classes is increased until we are confident the student can make it. Some students are never able to make the transition and continue their education in a special education program.
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| Mike: |
That's quite a challenge, yet you've been recognized for what you've accomplished. I don't want to put you on the spot, but what awards have you won?
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| Katherine: |
In 2001, I was named to the PBS TeacherSource advisory board and received the first annual achievement award from The Learning Space. In 2000, I was named a regional Teacher of the Year by Technology & Learning magazine. In the same year, I was also awarded a Teaching with Technology grant by Compaq. In 1999, I was recognized with the Award for Excellence in Education by the state of Washington.
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| Mike: |
When I've spoken with you on the phone--and through you with your students--I've gotten the impression that they feel a lot of ownership about your awards.
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| Katherine: |
The JAG program is 3 years old, and since the beginning, my students have been encouraged to recognize their importance to the success of the program. They know that any award I receive is as much a reflection on them as it is on me. They really get into it, and when I complete an application for an award program, going over the forms and qualifications is one of our class activities.
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| Mike: |
What kind of reading skills do your students usually have, and how do you improve them? After all, your students are well past the age when most students have learned to read with fluency.
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| Katherine: |
Students come into the program with a wide range of reading abilities. A very few can read close to grade level, but most read several years below grade level. As you might guess, not one of my students has ever been an avid reader, one who reads voluntarily for pleasure. The first thing I do is make it clear that my classroom is a "safe" place where students don't have to be afraid of what they don't know or can't do. My students all have skills and knowledge on which we can build, and I work hard at making them understand that what they know is a good starting point. At the same time, I establish high standards, so students are aware that I expect them to make reasonable progress. In almost every case, the students have responded well to the high expectations and supportive environment. They are as unhappy with their academic performance as their parents and teachers are, and they like being given the chance to succeed.
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| Mike: |
What practices seem to work best with your students? What might other teachers learn from what's worked for you and your students?
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| Katherine: |
I guess the most important thing to keep in mind is that one approach is not best for all students. If something doesn't work, I try another way. Nonetheless, there are a few things that seem to work consistently.
One is supported practice, where we read as a group. If a student begins to struggle, I or one of the other students jumps in to help, but not to take over. This supportive environment gives students the confidence to read on their own and ask for help when they need it.
We also work on reasons to read, usually through technology or projects in which students have a special interest. Once students are motivated to read and are confident enough to ask for help, their reading skills improve. In addition to fluency, we work on comprehension through written work or discussing what we've read. It's pretty remarkable, seeing the change in students. They truly value reading and understand how important it is for their future. I should add that for my students, the future isn't something vague and years away. For most of my students, moving out of the JAG program and into the regular classroom is one of the most important aspects of the future, and it's right around the corner.
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| Mike: |
You mentioned something on the phone about your students' marketable skills. What did you mean?
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| Katherine: |
The students in the JAG program know why they are there, and they also know how they can leave the program and join their peers. For them, learning and behavior skills are marketable in the sense that they are necessary for their return to the regular classroom. In addition, they understand that the same skills are necessary if they are going to succeed once they leave school.
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A student learns to read robotics blueprints
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| Mike: |
Technology is an important part of the JAG program. How did this emphasis come about?
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| Katherine: |
One of the most important aspects of my post-secondary education was the availability of technology. Without technology, I'm not sure I would have made it through my first college course. Word processing software made it possible for me to write fluently for the first time in my life. It wasn't remarkable prose, but it was the best writing I had ever done, and over time, I improved and started feeling better about myself. As a result, my teachers started responding more positively to me, and a cycle of success was started. With this in mind, I made technology the cornerstone of the academic component of the JAG program.
Technology is fully integrated into the curriculum, and students who enter the program are coached on the use of technology from day one. Technology is used as an instructional tool, as an opportunity for students to practice what they have learned, and as the medium through which students demonstrate their knowledge. Rather than being a tool that is solely used for remediation, technology is a means by which students can rise to their level of excellence.
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| Mike: |
How do your students respond to technology?
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| Katherine: |
Their reactions are pretty consistent with what mine were. For virtually all the students, the availability of technology and the coaching they receive is life changing. It's the first time in their lives that they can learn in a way that's consistent with their personal styles and express themselves with some degree of fluency. The results have been dramatic, relatively speaking. When my students make a presentation, it's not uncommon to hear them use words like philanthropist, egress, or insinuate. These are words they learn in typical vocabulary lessons, and they are expected to use language like this in their presentations. Over time, the words become part of their active vocabularies.
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| Mike: |
How do you think technology helps your students develop better social skills?
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| Katherine: |
It's important to keep in mind that my students and others with behavior disorders don't wake up each day intending to annoy their family members and teachers. They have a condition that makes it difficult for them to behave in a way that is acceptable. The condition can be overcome, but it takes a great deal of effort, not unlike the effort put forth by a person with an orthopedic condition. If your legs don't work well and you need a cane, crutches, or braces to walk, the effort involved is considerable despite the "technology." For my students, computer technology helps them understand things better and express themselves more fluently. They are more confident and less frustrated, so they have more energy to devote to social interactions. It's something that I'm not sure you can understand unless you've been in that situation.
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| Mike: |
You seem to have a great affinity for your students and a remarkable understanding of their situation. Why do you think this is so?
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| Katherine: |
The best way to answer that question is to look at my bio on our website. I don't have to walk in my students' shoes--they are my shoes. I was quite a handful when I was in school, to say the least, and I can remember being angry, afraid, and frustrated. In retrospect, I'm sure my teachers were just as frustrated with me as I was with them and school in general. It's a miracle I got through high school at all. I didn't start college until I was 33, and it wasn't until seven years later that I was diagnosed with severe ADHD and learning disabilities.
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| Mike: |
What turned you around?
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| Katherine: |
I've thought about that for years, and I can honestly say I have no idea. After high school, I went through a series of dead-end jobs and was going nowhere. It was almost as bad as school, although I was spared the daily agony of being embarrassed at my lack of academic skills. It's a funny thing; even though I understood why people perceived me as a "problem," I thought there was an entirely different person inside. It wasn't until I met my husband that I was able to give the person inside a chance, and even then, it wasn't through some miraculous insight. My husband gave me an ultimatum: get a real job or go to school. Quite honestly, I chose going back to school part time because I was more afraid of failing at work than at school.
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| Mike: |
So how did it work out?
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| Katherine: |
At the time, it seemed overwhelming, but for some reason, it worked out better than anyone expected. I took developmental courses, as you would expect, but things started clicking for me. Maybe it was maturity, maybe it was the "right place at the right time" syndrome, but whatever it was, I did better than I had ever done before. As a result, I think I became more tolerant of other people, and they responded more positively to me. It was never easy, and I still think I struggle more than others with academic matters. On one hand, I wish things came easier for me, but on the other, the struggle that I'm experiencing ensures that I continue to understand what my students are going through.
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| Mike: |
Many teachers today will have students like yours in their own programs. What practical recommendations do you have for these teachers? What can they do, given their limited resources and their responsibilities to the other students in the classroom?
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| Katherine: |
We expect a lot of teachers, and I'm the first to admit that having a student with attention deficit, hyperactivity, or other behavior disorders can make a challenging job overwhelming. I guess the most important thing is to ensure that students know they are in a caring classroom where they can feel safe enough to learn through their mistakes. This means that the teacher and the other students have to be a little patient, and that's not an easy task.
Teachers should also keep in mind that discipline and high standards are part of a caring classroom. All students enjoy a reasonable challenge when they are given the support they need to overcome the challenge and reinforcement after their success. This doesn't mean you have to be soft. My students will probably tell you that they wish I was easier on them, but if I ever did soften up, they'd be the first to ask me what was wrong.
Finally, be sure that students know that every day is a chance for a new start. Given human nature, this is probably the hardest thing we can ask of a teacher, but it is potentially the most rewarding. You never know when a student is going to turn around, and the only way it's going to happen is if the opportunity is available. It takes more strength of will to put history aside--particularly if this history has been stressful--than almost anything we do, but there is no better way to give students the chance to turn their lives around.
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stands for "Just Achieving Greatness") for middle school students with severe behavioral disorders. The JAG website provides an overview of this successful program, samples of student work, rubrics, resources for teachers, and lots of Katherine's personal wisdom. As you will read in journalist Mike Milone's interview with Katherine, one factor that has contributed to her success is her ability to identify with her students, a skill that results from her overcoming many of the same disabilities that they face. Another factor is Katherine's cultural heritage. She is a Choctaw/Cherokee Indian by birth, and her work with some of the most challenging students in the Kent School District is part of her commitment to honor her culture through her actions. Katherine's experiences are relevant to all teachers. Read on to discover how a teacher can use technology within a challenging, yet supportive atmosphere to make a difference in students' lives.
