To counter this isolation, two and a half years ago, a group of adults with dyslexia and similar language based learning differences began meeting to explore the relationship between their dyslexia and professional success by sharing compensating strategies and discussing the ways we have been able to advance in our careers. The group – “Professionals with Dyslexia” – has evolved and plays different roles for participants. Some people who attend the meetings have developed mentoring relationships, others have been inspired to go back to school, and some simply enjoy the opportunity to discuss our shared experience. Participants range in age and backgrounds from recent college graduates just entering the workforce to retirees, and include teachers, accountants, artists, lawyers, entrepreneurs and scientists. What we continue to learn from each other is that our dyslexia has many positive impacts.

On the evening of Thursday, June 7, 2012, Steven Walker, President and CEO of New England Wood Pellet will speak about how his dyslexia contributed to ability to build a tremendously successful company at the forefront of the biomass energy industry. Mr. Walker was featured in the recent HBO documentary Journey Into Dyslexia.  For more information click here  or contact mabidaevent@seyfarth.com.

Meetings are by and for adults with dyslexia, though some feel more comfortable attending their first meeting with a non-dyslexic spouse or friend. The events begin with a social/networking opportunity before moving into a presentation and discussion. In keeping with the spirit of the events, light snacks are provided by a dyslexic caterer.

If you are an adult with dyslexia or a similar language based learning disability, please join us at 6:30 pm on June 7^th.

Submitted by Kent Sinclair.  Kent is a Partner at the national law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP.  He is also the Vice President of the Massachusetts Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (MABIDA) and founder of the Professionals with Dyslexia group.

Now that I’m a teacher, I realize that it’s easy to let my voice languish underneath the emails, ungraded papers and long to-do lists. I know what I believe in and value, but I needed a way to speak my voice again. More importantly, I wanted to help my students find their voices. I started working with our Gay/Straight Alliance, founded and maintained by a veteran faculty member for whom I have the utmost respect, and quickly realized how much work there was to do.

There are lots of conversations in any given school day. In my classroom, I teach students how to analyze the relationship of Gene and Phineas in A Separate Peace. In faculty meetings, my colleagues and I discuss ways to keep our students safe and make our school stronger. In IEP meetings, the team discusses goals for the student’s progress. But when do we get kids talking about what they believe? How do we enable and encourage them to become active members in their community and speak out for those who can’t? My learning disabled students are uniquely qualified to understand the experience of being marginalized, silenced, underestimated, and misunderstood. When they’re invited into a conversation, they can arrive at powerful insights and profound empathy – they just need a chance to contribute.

Our Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) sponsors a variety of activities including the recent Day of Silence (check out www.glsen.org for more information). These events are a chance for teachers to model what it means to be a supportive member of a community, for kids to discover what they believe in, and for all of us to learn how to accept other points of view. The goal in any GSA event isn’t to get 100% participation or support (though we certainly wouldn’t be disappointed by that), but to educate our students about a particular issue and challenge them to develop a point of view. We’re not advocating a particular political perspective, but we are working to create a community that accepts and welcomes diversity – rather than just tolerating it. By engaging our students in conversation, we’re better preparing them for a life lived in a world full of different ideas, behaviors, and abilities. Although these conversations may sometimes feel like just another task for their iPhone loving brains, I believe they’ll benefit from developing and sharing their voice – whether or not they raise their hand.

Submitted by Ariel Martin-Cone, Landmark High School Faculty Member

For parents of typical learners, the path is fairly clear: one can be reasonably sure that at the end of each grade level their child will be ready to move on to the next grade, the next school, the next step. For parents of children with learning differences the path is rarely clear, progress is not predictable or even. Our children work hard while we hope, cajole, encourage, worry, and occasionally despair.

We have no doubt that Landmark School saved our son’s life and gave him a chance for a decent future. We also have no doubt that Landmark is the only place he wants to be and it is where he needs to be for high school, but the choice is not so simple. Finances may dictate our situation. We have looked at the other options. At Landmark we would be excited about his growth and development, his academic and personal progress. Looking at other schools, we find ourselves desperately seeking the least damaging environment, someplace where he can “survive”.

Then we take a step back, we try to breathe. We rejoice at his gains and the foundation he is building. We are hopeful about the time remaining this year and all of eighth grade next year. We step back again and see the person he is already becoming: a capable reader, mathematician, creative writer and this year for the first time, he is participating in sports.

We will do everything in our power to keep him at Landmark, but at the end of the proverbial day, if it is necessary to transition him elsewhere, we will keep the big picture in mind and hope that the foundation he has just begun to build will be substantial enough to support the cathedral of his future hopes and dreams.

* Karl Pulkkinen, Public School Liaison and Guidance and Transition Counselor, Landmark School

Submitted by Stephanie Johnston, Landmark School parent and architect.

For example, during the Great Depression, a new cost effective material developed by a Columbia University professor named Durium was used to create cheap music for consumers. Before the use of Durium, record companies had used shellac combined with any number of different materials to create records that were inflexible and similar in consistency to a plate. The company that created Durium records, which were brown in color, quite flexible, and capable of withstanding a drop to the floor, was called Hit of the Week. These one sided records were printed on a weekly basis, and buying one of these recordings was the 1930′s equivalent of going onto iTunes and buying a new popular song that every radio station is playing. Many dance bands recorded for Hit of the Week, including Duke Ellington under the name “Harlem Hot Chocolates”. While Hit of the Week only survived for a few years, its creation was an ingenious way to sustain the music industry at a time in America’s history when most people were financially struggling and many industries were having trouble staying afloat.

Through my passion in one area, I have learned lessons about topics that I would otherwise avoid. Chemistry, business, and economics are not exciting material for me; I probably wouldn’t opt to read an article on any of those subjects. Yet when attached to an issue or concept I can relate to, I suddenly lose myself in disciplines I had previously labeled off-putting. Finding a provocative entry point to a subject can be a source of motivation when learning. Once an individual finds a way to add value to an otherwise alien subject area, an opportunity opens up for that person to learn and enjoy virtually any topic. In my case, it is the perfect justification for the continued expansion of my music library.

Submitted by Morgan Talbot, Landmark School Faculty Member, record collector, and music enthusiast.

As an educator, what if you were able to shift this student’s perception of the task and possibly improve his performance?

Consider, now, recent research in which this familiar scenario occurred during an experiment looking at how emotion affects performance.  One group of students taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) was instructed to interpret their responses during the test in a positive way. The students in this group were told that research had shown that being a bit anxious doesn’t hurt performance and could even help students do better.  Students in the other group were told that many students become anxious during this kind of test, but these students were not told how to interpret the anxiety. On both a practice test in the laboratory and on the actual GRE up to three months later, author Jeremy Jamieson and colleagues found that students who had been told how to interpret their emotional response in a positive way scored higher on the math section than their peers who had not been given these instructions.

What can we learn from this experiment and others like it? On a basic level, it suggests that we could help students interpret their feelings positively during high-stakes tests, but this and other research suggests that paying attention to learners’ emotion in learning has broader implications as well:

• Emotional responses are based on perception, not the task itself. The GRE was the same test for students in both groups; it wasn’t anything about the test itself that led to differences in students’ scores. The difference was in the way each group perceived not only the test but also their emotional responses to it.
• This perception can be changed, and the change affects performance. The instructions given to the more successful group were remarkably simple, and yet these instructions had a dramatic effect on performance. In laboratory studies, simple manipulations affect, for example, decision-making skills, flexibility in thought, willingness to persist, and memory—all components of learning.

What does this mean for education? While educators consider students’ emotions on a daily basis, policymakers and large-scale curriculum developers have yet to follow suit.  This may be due to uncertainty about whether emotions really matter to learning, or a belief that little can be done about students’ emotional states. Neither assumption is correct. Trying to promote students’ positive perceptions of educational activities and encourage productive emotions will set a much better stage for success in learning. This is particularly critical for students who have a history of learning failures and have no reason to perceive educational tasks as positive.

Submitted by Samantha Daley, Research Scientist at the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)

I realized this when my sixteen year old went for his first driving lesson with his Dad, a neuroscientist. They both came home swearing never to do it again. My husband was convinced that our son was not ready to drive. Our son was sure that his father was too judgmental of his driving. Come to find out, my husband had taken our son to a local parking lot and told him to do his thing. “Start her up and go.” Of course my husband explained how the engine worked and what angles the wheels would need to be at to make certain maneuvers.

The next day I drove to the same parking lot and handed the keys to my son. He just sat in the driver’s seat scowling. I smiled and began the lesson. We went over every inch of his driver’s space. From how to adjust the seat and windshield wipers to how to get the key in and out of the ignition; we learned the basics, even the silly ones, because that is what preschool teachers do. Then I let him drive where ever he wanted in that empty lot and all the while I gave encouragement. I did not gasp or flinch. When he made a mistake, he knew it and adjusted. If he needed me to correct him, I said it plain and clear. That same day we went on to the road. As he led a line of seven cars going the speed limit down a country road, I could see the stress leave his face. He was proud, he was happy, he was gaining independence… with a little help from a preschool teacher.

Submitted by Jennifer Brennan Blute, Director of Tot Spot Preschool located on the Landmark School campus in Prides Crossing, Massachusetts

Studying for a test with inactive study strategies is similar to pedaling a bicycle…backwards. The posture is correct: the rider is sitting on the seat, hands positioned on the handlebars, feet resting on the pedals. Even the motion looks accurate: the pedals are spinning, which is the same process by which the apparatus is given locomotion. Similarly, a student’s posture may be correct: facing the desk with books sitting in front of her, pen in hand, eyes to the page. Even the motion may look accurate: eyes moving across the page, pen working back and forth, pages flipping at appropriate intervals.

But the uptake of information is not actuated: the pen must be moving back and forth across the page, not in the air to affect a positive uptake of information, just as the pedals must be moving forward to affect a positive uptake of exercise and locomotion. It is a slight change that gives the task its intended worth.

It is not merely the application of effort or “putting in the time” that is required when completing academic tasks. The right strategies make a big difference: students should be encouraged to put their pen and highlighter on the page and mark up that textbook (as long as they own it), take two-column notes while reading and write a summary within 24 hours, talk through information with a classmate or parent, and answer questions provided by the textbook, teacher, classmate or self-constructed questions from the two-column notes. And as with many things in our lives, goals drive achievement and praise for that achievement (attaining goals) drives future success. Create tangible goals for the implementation of study strategies and celebrate their use, not only the improved grades that they are intended to bring about.

Stop spinning the wheels with ineffective strategies and get down to some active engagement with learning. This is not easy. In fact, as a parting thought I will leave you with the name of a book on the topic: William Armstrong’s Study is Hard Work.

Keep pedaling…forwards.

Submitted by Michael Hildebrandt, PhD. student at University of New Hampshire’s School of Education and former Landmark School Faculty Member

I would be lying if I told you I was excited about going to Landmark as a sixth grade boarding student. After a few days in the dorm, it hit me. I missed my friends at home; I missed my house, my dog, and most of all my parents. I cried myself to sleep for the next two weeks. My father would say, “The harder you work the quicker you can come home.” I worked my tail off at Landmark.

I would routinely spend hours each night doing homework, but I didn’t mind the work. For the first time, I could do it. I never stared at the page and wondered, “What am I doing?” I would plug away and churn out the reading and writing worksheets with a sense of accomplishment. I was no longer the kid with the blank look, the kid that prayed he wouldn’t get called on, the kid that sat in the back and hoped the teacher didn’t notice I was there.

I only spent a year and a half at Landmark. In the end, I was glad to return to my friends and family. It wasn’t until I was much older that I fully realized the success I experienced at Landmark. My teachers cared about me and helped me learn. They invested in me in a way no other school had or would for the rest of my academic days. The Landmark process, methods, routine, and community took a kid who was on a road to nowhere and made him a functioning student again. For the past 41 years Landmark has used the same successful strategies with thousands of students.

But it’s not always possible to attend a school like Landmark for 1, 2, or 3 years, get what you need, and reenter your old school system with new confidence and skills. Education reformers around the country are attempting a significant shift in the system and this is admirable.  To me, taking our education system to the next level should really be about establishing school cultures that make a variety of teaching and learning methods available to all students. One size cannot possibly fit all. The question remains, how do we provide a free and appropriate education to everyone and innovate a tight and adaptable safety net for all learners? Quite simply, how can we provide an education that “fits” each and every student?

Please post a comment and let me know what you think. What have you noticed in education that works? How can teachers reach all children and still do their jobs effectively?

Submitted by Will Goldthwait, Landmark School Trustee and Managing Director, RBS Global Banking & Markets

• 10 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships;
• 16 Final Four appearances;
• An 88-game winning streak (still a record today);
• The first person to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and coach;
• The John R. Wooden Award (the Heisman Trophy of college basketball) is given annually to both the outstanding male and female players.

But despite all the accolades, John Wooden always saw himself first and foremost as a teacher. In his 27-years at UCLA, he continued to teach English classes to underclassmen. It was a profession the humble legend, who began his career as a high school teacher and coach, saw as sacred.

“Profound responsibilities come with teaching and coaching,” Wooden once said.  “You can do so much good–or harm. It’s why I believe that next to parenting, teaching and coaching are the two most important professions in the world.”

I was born and raised in Los Angeles and John Wooden was like a surrogate grandfather to me. Though I never met him, his lessons guided and inspired me.  I became (and still am) a follower of the coach’s Seven-Point Creed and his Pyramid of Success.

As I was recently re-reading Coach Wooden’s biography, They Call Me Coach, I was inspired to explore my own life as a teacher. In the end, I felt the motivation, after more than 10-years as an educator, to explore the question: Why do I teach? Here’s what I came up with:

• I Teach Because of My Parents: Pietro and Rosina Rose both arrived in the United States from Italy as teenagers in the late 50s. They went straight into the labor force and while they both earned their G.E.D.’s, neither could afford to continue their education. This was not lost on their three children.  My parents made education the center of our lives. Applying yourself to your studies was imperative in our house. Teachers were to be respected and appreciated. Education was a path to being who you wanted to be. Years (and several college degrees) later, my brother, my sister (also a teacher) and I still hold these lessons close to our hearts.

• I Teach Because of my Own Teachers: I spent 12-years attending Catholic Schools. Apart from a modicum of guilt, the most important thing my Catholic education taught me was to love and have compassion for others, especially those less fortunate. Endless hours spent with selfless teachers (priests, nuns, and lay) continue to inspire me today. My high school years were spent under the tutelage of the Society of Jesus. Anyone who has had the honor and privilege of a Jesuit education will tell you that from day one, beyond everything you learn in the classroom, the desire to be a “man for others” is at the center of everything you do.

• I Teach Because of Media: Following my high school years, I went on to college and studied media. I was good at it. I ended up with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in media-related fields and had a long and successful career in journalism and public relations. But one day I woke up. Despite the wonderful things media have brought us as a society, I began to focus on the variety of negative effects media have, especially on young people. The information age is depleting young people of their individuality and self-esteem. Our media-driven society has created a culture based on instant access to products, services, trends, and the mindless consumption of them all. A major reason I came to teaching is to help my students find themselves, their true selves, apart from the endless messages they receive to do the opposite.

• I Teach Because of my Colleagues: I’ve worked in a lot of different places with a lot of different people, but no profession provides the camaraderie and sense of community that teaching does. Some of my best friends and my true inspirations in life are my fellow educators. There is nothing like going to work each day and spending it with people you love and admire.

• I Teach Because of my Students: Working with young people is a calling.  Some days are more difficult than others, but when you reflect on it, there is nothing that is more fulfilling – for me, aside from being a parent, nothing even comes close. I get to spend the majority of my time helping to motivate and prepare young people to grow, evolve, and discover that they are themselves special. The rewards of this endeavor are constant. The more I give, the more I truly receive. Coach Wooden was fond of reminding us, “Happiness begins where selfishness ends.”

So, for whatever it’s worth, this is where I come from – sort of my own little foundation and blueprint for “why I teach.” But an ulterior motive for me to write this blog entry is to not only provide information, but to obtain it, as well! I have a simple request for any and all of you reading this: I want to hear your stories. I want to know “why YOU teach” and/or how teachers have impacted you. Ultimately, I’d love to build a little inspirational repository for educators and others to come to when they need motivation and encouragement.

Just below this entry there is a “Comments” link.  If you are a teacher, click it and tell us “why you teach.”  If you’re not an educator, click it and write us a little story about a teacher who inspired and influenced you. Take a few minutes to reflect — if it’s anything like my own reflection, those few minutes can make a huge difference.

Submitted by Joe Rose, Teacher and Communications and Initiatives Coordinator, The Prep Program at Landmark School

Students who are fortunate enough to have a positive (or even a tolerable) school experience do not have to be “forced” into graduating – some support and guidance will help them achieve their goals. Students who have suffered through 10+ years of failed education – ineffective at best but more typically traumatic and damaging – should not be forced to endure two more years of the same, two additional years of this cruel and unusual punishment. If the public schools can’t do the job right at the beginning then I fear many of these students will suffer grave consequences. The teen suicide rate is already way too high and I genuinely fear that a mandate like this will make it worse.

This time and money would be far better invested in early detection of learning differences with effective support and instruction at the elementary level. Only in that way can we change the outcome. “A stitch in time saves nine.”

If a student is interested in the matter at hand they will be more eager to engage. Arts and electives should not be cut in favor of “pure academics”.  Vocational programs should be expanded. Not only do we have an ongoing shortage of skilled workers, but these are areas where some students will find their strengths and passion.

Where education and children are concerned “one size” does not “fit all”.  Let us take a lesson from the Hippocratic Oath and “At least do no harm”.

Submitted by Stephanie Johnston, Landmark School Parent and Architect