Let’s Do A Happy Dance!

Special Ed Team Meeting

November 20, 2023

Agenda

• Networking
• Updates
• The Happiness Advantage

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Happy to Meet You…

(Introductions)

Networking…

• Note that you have been given another team member’s name tag.

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• Your task:

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• Circulate and talk to people;
• Find the person the name tag belongs to;
• Introduce yourself;
• Prepare to introduce the other person to the group.

Updates

Open Positions

• CRES
• Ed Tech 3 - Life Skills
• CRMS
• None
• CHRHS
• 2 Ed Tech 3s - Day Treatment OR 1 Day Treatment Teacher
• Ed Tech 3 - LIFE Program
• .5 IEP Coordinator

IEP Tip Sheet

Note: The Tip Sheet is also linked on our Resource Hub!

Child Count

134 Total Students

Child Count

130 Total Students

IEP Expiration

• IEPs must never be allowed to expire.
• If you are in a situation in which the expiration of an IEP is imminent OR if you have discovered an expired IEP, you must:
• Notify the parent immediately;
• Convene the IEP team immediately for an annual review:
• If the parent is unable to attend the IEP meeting, assure them another IEP meeting will be scheduled according to their availability at which time the team will completely review the IEP again.
• We cannot simply “carry over” an IEP or issue a written notice explaining the situation.

Evaluation/Observation Recommendations

• Essential to avoid pre-determination
• We all have been to those IEP meetings at which parents say something like:
• “Well the evaluator recommended X and they are the professionals so why can’t we give my child that service…”
• Recommendations, then, should be limited to:
• General statements
• Content - not how or where it is taught
• Accommodations
• (Parent suggestions)
• For example:
• Develop social thinking skills
• NOT - specially designed instruction in social skills

Related Service Notes

• Related Services include:
• Speech and Language Services
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Social Work Services
• Nursing Services
• Behavioral Health Day Treatment
• Transportation

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• Please note that related services are provided to a child in order to enable them to access and benefit from their special education program.
• They are included, as necessary, in a child’s program in addition to their special education services, and are not “stand alone” services.
• For example, a child cannot receive only occupational therapy services because they are a related service, and not a special education service.

Related Service Notes

• Related Services should directly relate to the Special Education Services.

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• Examples:
• A child with specially designed instruction in social skills also has social work services in order to benefit from their SDI.
• A child with specially designed instruction in writing also has occupational therapy services in order to benefit from their SDI.

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• Non-examples:
• A child with specially designed instruction in math only has speech language services to address social communication.
• A child with specially designed instruction in literacy has special transportation.

Consultation Services

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Consultation services are defined by Maine’s Special Education Regulations as:

Consultation may be provided to general education teachers of children with disabilities by special education teachers or speech/language clinicians or pathologists to assist them in modifying and/or adapting their general education curriculum to enable children to appropriately progress in the general curriculum and to appropriately advance toward achieving the goals set out in their IFSP/IEP. Consultation services shall be provided by an appropriately qualified special education professional employed or contracted by a School Administrative Unit.

Consultation Services

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This means:

• Consultation is the means by which a provider (special educator, service provider, etc.) can help other professionals support a student’s attainment of his or her IEP goals and objectives.
• Please note that consultation is provided to another educator, not to a student.

Consultation includes:

• Observation of and interaction with a child to assess need/progress;
• Communication between providers.

Consultation Services

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• When a stand alone service, consultation should not:
• Be a long term special education service
• Assess need
• Assess adverse effect
• Consider dismissal

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• Be paired with direct related services
• Remember - related services are meant to enable a child to benefit from their special education program (and consult is not a direct service)

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• Be paired with adult support in the classroom
• If adult support is still needed with consult, it is likely specially designed instruction is still needed to build skills - in the regular or special ed setting

Consultation Services

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Example:

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• A teacher for the visually impaired may consult with a classroom teacher about materials that are appropriate for a particular student's visual abilities and share strategies for working on scanning. Using these materials, the classroom teacher can have the student work on the skill of scanning in all classroom activities, not just when the teacher for the visually impaired is present.

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FY 25 Budget

• Stage 1:
• Cover Sheet with program/service goals and associated estimates of expenditures
• Due by November 28, 2023

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• Stage 2:
• Actual requisition forms (one per vendor) for the needed items
• Due by May 1, 2024

AI

(It’s No Joke)

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• ChatGPT Prompt
• Write an IEP Goal for an IEP aligned with the Common Core State Standard CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.G.A.4

AI (It’s No Joke)

Result:

• Goal: By the end of the academic year, as outlined in [Student's Name]'s IEP, [he/she] will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the concept of volume by solving real-world and mathematical problems involving rectangular prisms, using formulas and appropriate units, with at least 80% accuracy as measured by teacher observations and assessments.
• Objective 1: [Student's Name] will be able to calculate the volume of rectangular prisms using the formula V = l x w x h, and express the answer in cubic units, with at least 80% accuracy.
• Objective 2: [Student's Name] will apply the concept of volume to solve real-world problems, such as determining the volume of boxes, containers, and packaging materials, and express the answers in appropriate units (e.g., cubic inches, cubic feet, or cubic centimeters) with at least 80% accuracy.
• Objective 3: [Student's Name] will demonstrate the ability to convert units of volume (e.g., cubic inches to cubic feet) when solving problems that require unit conversions, with at least 80% accuracy.
• Progress toward this goal will be measured through classroom observations, quizzes, and assessments, with at least three data points collected over the course of the academic year. [Student's Name] will receive necessary support and accommodations as specified in their Maine IEP to ensure success in mastering the CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.G.A.4 standard. This may include additional practice, visual aids, and modified assignments to meet their individual needs.

The Happiness Advantage

With thanks to Shawn Achor

A Brief Check In with Shawn Achor…

Why Are We Talking About This?

If we can bring more positivity into the present moment, our brain experiences what Achor calls a “happiness advantage,” based on the finding that “your brain at positive performs significantly better than it does at negative, neutral or stressed.”

Increase in Positivity

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Increase in Performance

Achor’s Seven Principles

• The Happiness Advantage
• Capitalize on positivity to improve productivity/performance – retrain your brain to be positive

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• The Fulcrum and The Lever
• Adjust your mindset (the fulcrum) in ways that give you more power (lever)

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• The Tetris Effect
• Retrain your brain to find opportunity wherever you look or wherever you are
• Focus on opportunity

Think

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Do you practice “frequent praise and recognition” with your students? And when you do praise someone, do you focus only on the outcome, or on the process as well?

Achor’s Seven Principles

• Falling Up
• Find the path away from the negative events of your life
• Think about how this can this make you stronger
• The Zorro Circle
• Regain control in the midst of chaos by bringing your circle in
• Focus on small, manageable goals until you get stronger
• The 20-Second Rule
• With limited willpower, you need to make small energy adjustments to reroute the path of least resistance and instead build better habits
• Social Investment
• Invest in your friends, peers, and family so that when challenges and stress present themselves, you have a social support network

Think

All 7 principles are important, but research has shown that Social Investment is the most crucial to long term happiness, health, and success. How socially cohesive is your team? What is one way you might increase the number of high-quality connections you have during your daily routines?

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Strategies to Become Even Happier

Scientifically proven ways to boost your happiness

→Meditation

Take just two minutes per day to simply breathe and focus on your breath going in and out. Doing so will train your mind to focus, reduce stress, and help you be more present in this moment.

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Try It: Meditation Apps

• The Mindfulness App (Free!)
• Headspace (Free!)
• Calm (Free!)
• There is even a kids’ section…
• Aura (Free!)
• Buddhify ($)
• MyLife Meditation (Free!)
• Insight Timer (Free!)

→ Journaling

Detail — in writing — one positive experience each day. This will help you find meaning in the activities of the day, rather than just noticing the task itself.

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Try It: The “Doubler” Strategy

• Write down (in your BEE Positive Journal) one positive experience from the past 24 hours.
• Spend two minutes writing down every detail about that experience.
• As you remember it, your brain labels it as meaningful and deepens the imprint.

→ Random Acts of Kindness

This can be something simple, and Achor suggests writing a positive email to praise or thank someone. Not only does it benefit the recipient, but it also increases your feeling of social support.

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Try It: Random Acts of Kindness Foundation

Kindness Framework:

• Share
• Inspire
• Empower
• Act
• Reflect

Help your students find ways to be

KIND in their everyday lives…

https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/

→Exercise

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Exercising for 15 minutes a day not only brings physical benefits, but it also teaches your brain to believe your behavior matters, which then carries (positively) into other activities throughout the day.

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Try It: Freeze Dance

Well, I’ll bee…

It’s Prize Time!

→ Happiness Strategies Review

• Meditation
• Journaling
• Random Acts of Kindness
• Exercise

Have a HAPPY Holiday!