WTS 3 & 5 Portfolio Entry

The Effects on Students Living with Addicted Parents

Monica Huibregtse
Saint Marys University of Minnesota
Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs
Portfolio Entry for Wisconsin Teacher Standard 3 & 5
EDUW 695
Professor Cathy Anderson
August 11, 2016

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Selected Wisconsin Teacher Standard Descriptors

Wisconsin Teacher Standard (WTS) 3:
Standard #3: Teachers understand that children learn differently.
The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and the barriers that
impede learning and can adapt instruction to meet the diverse needs of pupils, including those
with disabilities and exceptionalities.

Knowledg

The teacher understands how students learning is influenced by individual experiences, talents,
and prior learning, as well as language, culture, family and community values.

Disposition
The teacher respects students as individuals with differing personal and family backgrounds
and various skills, talents, and interests.

Performance

The teacher seeks to understand students families, cultures, and communities, and uses this
information as a basis for connecting instruction to students experiences (e. g. drawing explicit
connections between subject matter and community matters, making assignments that can be
related to students experiences and cultures).
.

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Standard #5: Teachers know how to manage a classroom.

The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a
learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning,
and self-motivation.

Knowledg

The teacher recognizes factors and situations that are likely to promote or diminish intrinsic
motivation, and knows how to help students become self-motivated.

Disposition
The teacher takes responsibility for establishing a positive climate in the classroom and
participates in maintaining such a climate in the school as a whole.

Performance

The teacher engages students in individual and cooperative learning activities that help them
develop the motivation to achieve, by, for example, relating lessons to students personal
interests, allowing students to have choices in their learning, and leading students to ask
questions and pursue problems that are meaningful to them.
The teacher analyzes the classroom environment and makes decisions and adjustments to
enhance social relationships, student motivation and engagement, and productive work.

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Danielson Domain 2: Classroom Environment

2a. Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport: Students demonstrate genuine caring for
one another as individuals and as students. . Teacher demonstrates genuine caring and respect
for individual students. . Students exhibit respect for teacher as an individual, beyond that for
the role.

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Pre-assessments
The self-assessment, assessment of student performance, and learning environment
assessment show many different vision. . I see many areas of strengths in my teaching, areas that
have improved, and areas that continue to be challenging. . OrganzingOrganizing physical
space, Danielson Domain 2e, continues to be the most challenging area. . Consequently, it has
also been the most improved component in my teaching, specifically in the last two years. .
Many of my lesson plans, activitiesactivities, and structure have often been on the fly. The
The activities were engaging, motivating, and meaningful. . However, student thrivestudents
thrive of structure and routine. . When the predictability of day to dayday-to-day lessons and
activities are non-existantexistent, managing student behavior can be a challenge. . In the last
two years, IveI have learned the importance of structure and routine, and have seen the positive
effects it can have of student achievement and behavior. . AlsoIn addition, my lesson flow and
delivery as an instructor when the structure is planned out throroughlythoroughly has a calming
and confident effect on me. . I believe my students noticepick up on the ease of my mood when
ImI am fully prepared and am not straying too far off of the planned lesson. . This is not to say
that my lessons are robotic and un-eventful. . Simply put, I now work around a thorough plan
and make on-the-fly adjustments to specific activities now rather than evacuating the complete
lesson to begin a new activity that is entirely different and ill-preparedill prepared.
Entering my sixth year of teaching, there are many areas to reflect upon. . My position
has changed almost yearly, and therefore has disabled my full ability to develop a routine and
organized classroom that remains consistent. . This past year, the students in my classroom had a
wide range of abilities and needs. . The characteristics of the students on my caseload are varied.
. One student is of Indian ethnicity. . He has language barriers in addition to limited speech due
to his disability. . His reading level is two grade levels above his grade (kindergarten), but his

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behavior and social skills are that of a four-year-old. . Another student with the same disability
but more severe in nature is mostly non-verbal, but demonstrates strong receptive language
skills. . The achievement level of my lowest student is that of a four year old. . The achievement
level of my highest student is that of a 2nd grade student. . The same is true for their functional
performance.
Two students demonstrate significant behavioral issues that require a daily, hourly
behavioral intervention plan that was specifically developed based on their top two to three
different behavioral needs. . The remaining students are supported for an hour per day in their
classroom or supplementalor ,supplemental; pull-out intervention within the special education
room. . Overall, the students are very pleasant and have made some exceptional gains this year. .
My caseload feels family-like and it has been very refreshing to have this kind of group this yea.
. Of the nine students on my caseload, three of the four kindergarten students are at grade level
for reading, and math. . They receive support in order to stay at grade level. . Data has shown
that without the support of special education, their academic abilities decrease to the bottom ten
percent of the class in both reading and math. . The last kindergarten student is reading at a
second grade level for fluency with a kindergarten comprehension level. . This student also
struggles with speech and language, fine motor, gross motor, basic life skills such as dressing and
bathrooming, and a language barrier. . There are two students in first grade that I support as
well. . One student is a girl, and she was recently evaulatedevaluated to have an emotional,
behavioral disability. She is in the 50th percentile for math and reading for first grade; however,
due to oppositional behavior, norm-referenced tests place her in the bottom tenth percentile of
first grade students in math and reading. When assessed months later after receiving special

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education services for about three months, her scores improved placing her amongst the 50th
percentile for her grade.
The other first grade student is a boy who recently moved from Kansas. This students
primary disability is Significant Developmental Delay. This student is performing far below the
first grade level and even below kindergarten levels for reading and math. His achievement level
in math and reading is that of a four-year old. This student significantly struggles to attend a task
or follow a verbal direction even in a one-to-one setting in the special education room. He has
also, over time, been able to share concerning information about images that appear in his head
that he claims speak to him and threaten him and his family. It tookstook months of creating a
positive relationship with this student for him to trust in me enough to confide this information. I
have only one student in second grade, this students reading level is about a first grade level for
fluency and comprehension. His listening comprehension is at grade level (second). For math, he
is performing in the 50th percentile of all second grade students. He recievesreceives support
three times a week for 30 minutes to ensure his progress. Reading is his main challenge. He
receives support five days a week for 60 minutes in a supplemental reading program. This
program is an addition to his general education curriculum. Finally, the last student on my
caseload is the student with the most signficantsignificant needs, and has the most time out of all
of my students on her IEP. She is a third grade student with DownsyndromeDown syndrome. Her
academic levels are gathered with receptive language assessments. She recognizes sight words,
knows her letters and their corresponding sounds. She can sequence and recognize numbers 110. In addition to DownsyndromeDown syndrome, she has a Cortical Visual Impairment and
only can see out of one eye. She has learned to navigate her school environment just this year
with a lanyard and pictures of all the classrooms she goes to in a school week. Her teacher or

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assistant places the picture of where she is to go on her lanyard card with velcro. She is shown
her visual cue, and can navigates to the correct place about 80% of the time. This was a huge
gain in her independence this year.
Our school district has recently changed inclusion models. There is not a self-contained
program for students, but if their behavior or cognitive need is so great that it requires pulloutpullout instruction the majority of the day, we service them in the special education room for
the majority of their day. The flow and ease of scheduling is completely dependent upon the
schools principal. I have been in two schools in five years. One thing Ive learned i that a good
administrator with special needs experience makes a huge difference in scheduling, as well as the
overall climate and culture of the schoo.
If someone were to walk into my classroom, they would see an abundance of color. My
desk area is outline with floor tape to create a visual boundary to students. that this is an adult
area that is off limits. Earlier in the year, I had an invisableinvisible laser buzzer that would beep
loudly if anyone had crossed the line. This was mostly for my non-verbal student with severe
autism that moved away later in the year. Moving to the west end of my room, there is a tall
yellow cupboard that houses manipulative activities for math. It also has play-dough and magnet
cookie sheets for math activities. Next to the cabinet is a red table against a wall with a windowthis is a student work stationworkstation. Further to the north-west corner of the room is my
library and play area. This area has a bookshelf with a toyshelftoy shelf parallel to it. This area
has a small wooden rocking chair and two black saucer chairs. The students love to play with the
legosLegos and farm housefarmhouse. In the northern part of my room sits the main group-work
table and white board. This is where 80% of the instruction happens in my room. The students sit
around a brown kidney shaped table while I sit on the othersideother side with a a large

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whiteboard behind me. Moving along to the north easternnortheastern part of my room, one
would see my computer area. Here sits a blue childrens computer desk with a pull out keyboard.
This area also houses my functional skills area where the students often shred paper as part of
their daily jobs. Nearing the east end of my room is where the red cupboards, two sinks, dormsized refridgeratorrefrigerator, and microwave lay. There is also a longer yellow table that is
designated for breakfast in the morning as itsit is proximity to the refridgeratorrefrigerator and
sink is ideal. The yellow table is shorter for smaller students and comfortably seats about six
students.
In the fall of 2016, our school district is implementing personalized learning which is
allowing students to receive their own iPad. Staff will be trained on this initiative over the
summer or during the first inservicein-service week of the upcoming school year. Special
education has recently been allowed to rent assistive technology materials through CESA 5 to
test-drive materials before submitting a purchase order for anythin. There is a vast amount of
special education technology devices and supports available for students. It often becomes
overwhelming. ItsIt is important to research the best programs and devices that fit the need of
your students. Moreover, I feel itsit is equally important to note customer reviews of the product
as well. Reading the description of the program is essential as well. It has to be something that
the teacher is devoted to learning about and is able to navigate successfully in order to train the
student. Often times I am unsure of the technology thatsthat is available and what programs and
supports are needed in order to produce the best outcome for students. I rely on self researchselfresearch and outreach to my colleagues in order to gather this information. Proloquo2Go has
been a very successful communication program for iPads in my experience. However, it does
take a great deal of time to learn. I feel fortunate to have a proficient understanding ofor

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technologyof technology and resources to supplement my teaching through the use of

technological resources. However, there are always new tools and strategies to learn, and I
amIim excited to see what else will be offered.
There has been a significant decrease in special ed staffing in our district over the last two
years. This has made effective teaching very difficult. WeveWe have lost many special
education assistants, and at my school, the special education teaching staff has been reduced
from four teachers to two. This last reduction was the reason I was transferred to a new school.
In addition to the loss of two teachers, there has been a reduction in special education assistants
from seven to five.
The Marshfield Unified School Districts most recent district report card is from
2013/2014. Any score over 73 is considered to be exceeding state expectations. For Overall
Accountability Score and Rating, Marshfield received 73.6. Student achievement in math and
reading was scored at a 76.1. The state score was 66.4. The student population breakdown was
also listed. 89.3% of the student population in the district is White/Non-Hispanic, 3.2% is Asian
or Pacific Islander, 2.4% Black or Non-Hispanic, 4.2% Hispanic, 0.8% Alaska Native or
American Indian. The Student Group Population breakdown revealed 11/6% of students have
disabilities, 32.9% are at an economic disadvantagedisadvantage, and 1.6% of students are
English Language Learner.
My philosophy as a teacher is based around the idea of student-teacher
relationships and rapports. I believe that if a student does not feel safe, secure and respected, they
will not succeed behaviorally or academically. My first and foremost goal when I walk into my
classroom at the beginning of the school year is to develop a relationship with my students. I take
an interest in their lives. I ask them what their interests are, what they like to eat, etc. I also make

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sure that I am present when in a conversation with them. I try to avoid multi-tasking when
interacting with my students. I believe this creates a feeling of respect and security. In addition to
relationship building, I also am equally focused on discipline and consistency. IveI have learned
through experience that discipline and respect go hand-in-hand. For this reason, IveI have
designed, developeddeveloped, and implemented many individualized behavior intervention
plans that spell out what the expectations are, and what the consequences will be for any
undesired behavior. On the contrary, the rewards are in a menu format for the student to choose
from for exhibiting desirable behavior. This behavior is charted and reviewed often to locate any
patterns of behavior.
Based on the information given on my new student case-loadcaseload, I chose to research
the effects on students when living with parents who struggle with alcohol or drugaddiction.Iaddiction. I chose this topic for two specific reasons. I will be working in a school this
year with students who are living with one or more parents/guardians abusing drugs and/or
alcohol. It is a topic I am aware of and know statistics about but,but I do not always know the
best teaching practices or strategies to use when working with students exhibiting behaviors due
to their home-life stress. The second reason I chose to research this topic is more personal. My
significant other has three children of school age. Their mother has been abusing heroin for the
last three years, and the boys have suffered significant emotional abuse and abandonment. I want
to research what the long term affects on these kids can be and what strategies I can use with
them to help create a positive and safe environment for them. AlsoIn addition, I hope to gain
more insight on behaviors that are to be expected when working with kids dealing with these
kinds of issues.

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My strength is maintaining a positive interaction with students (Domain 2). My students

have often been able to express traumatic experiences to me after just a few short months. These
students have struggled for years with behavior, and they usually wind up in the office for
discipline referallsreferrals. After taking a genuine interest in their life, recognizing positive
behaviorbehavior, and ignoring as much negative behavior as possible, the student realizes that
someone cares about them and is willing to listen, or so I believe. Many teachers were unable to
unlock the misery that these students were suffering. Because of my compassion and interactions
with them, IveI have been able to help students that other teachers were unable to reach.
My weakness is domain 2e, organization of physical space. With having students
with behavior needs, I feel that having the appropriate safe place in the classroom
identified will be crucial. I also need to make sure that my room will be arranged in such
a way that will be inviting as well as safe in times of crisis.
Assessment Conclusion and Essential Question to Guide Research
After reflecting upon my previous years of teaching and speculating on the student
dynamics expected for the upcoming school year, the question I have developed to guide my
learning is: How can I adapt my classroom learning environment to create a culture for learning
that will support the emotional and academic needs of my students duestudents due to the
exceptional condition of addicted parents?

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Research Summar
Jack, a boy, six years of age, attended Washington School in Marshfield, WI during the
2015-2016 school yearyears. At the start of kindergarten, he appeared to be like any other
kindergarten student with an extra burst of eneryenergy. After about two weeks of school, the
other students began to learn the routine and rules of the school day. All of these students except
Jack. Jack was throwing classroom supplies during instruction, hitting and kicking other
children, and running out of the classroom. Parents had been called numerous times, and were
responsive to about half of the calls. After weeks of the behavior only escalating, the parents
were finally called in for a conference to discuss Jacks behaviors. It was in this conference that
the regular education teacher, the principalprincipal, and I had learned that the parents were
struggling with drug and alcohol abuse as well as domestic abuse and criminal activities such as
theft and forgery. We learned the parents had filed for divorce three different times with five
years, and the father had been living in and out of the home for years. It was now very clear to
school staff why Jack had been acting out at school. A few months later, Jack had been put on
medication for ADHD which silenced many behaviorsADHD, which silenced many behaviors,
and the teachers were extremely pleased. ThoughHowever, there were still outbursts of hitting,
kickingkicking, and yelling, especially at recess. The feeling of being powerless and unknowing
what to do at school to help this child was a feeling I was not satisfied with. Accepting that it was
out of my control was not the route I was willing to take. While there are situations at home that
are out of my control, I know that there must be tools and strategies available to teachers in order
to help this student be successful. So, what are these tools, strategiesstrategies, and resources?
Sometime itsit is hard for teachers to pin point the reasoning behind undesirable
behavior exhibited by students. Similarly, itsit is also difficult to identify the root cause of
declining academic scores or learning struggles. There are many conditions that may be

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responsible, and without a crystal ball, a teacher might only be guessing as to the underlying
factors involved. A startling statistic that teachers need to be aware of is that one in six children
areis currentl living in a home with one or both parents abusing drug or alcohol (Davies, 200).
Ther are many conditions that students are at risk for if they are living with a parent who
are active drug or alcohol abusers. When even one parent in the home is abusing alcohol or
drugs, the home is significantly more likely to exist in a state of uncertainty and even chaos. The
orderliness and predictability that should make home a safe and comforting environment may be
sacrificed due to the parents addiction. Parents who abuse substances often exhibit severe mood
swings. This can leave the child feeling unsure as to how mom or dad will react to a normal
situation on any given day. House rules and consequences may be non-existent. This state of
uncertainty creates a deep sense of insecurity for children. Additionally, AODA parents are often
left alone for extended periods of time leading children to feel rejected and unimportant.
Students who grow up in these types of homes are more likely to experience anxiety, depression,
low self-esteemself-esteem, and difficulty in forming adult relationships. Accordingrelationships.
According to the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stresses, COAs/COSAs often have
difficulty in school. They may be unable to focus on their school workschoolwork due to the
conflicts and tensions at home. They are also more likely than their peers to have learning
disabilities, repeat more grades, transfer schools and be expelled.
Nordqvist, 2016 explains,explains there is a psychological/physical component; the person is
unable to control the aspects of the addiction without help because of the mental or physical
conditions involved. Depression and eating disorders are tTwo conditions that females with
parents who abuseare alcohol or other drug abusers (AODAalcohol or other drugs) are at higher
risk for developing in adulthood. are depression and eating disorders. Other risky behaviors

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include: likely to engage in criminal behavior, higher likelihood of incarceration, 69% increased
chance of developing depression, unprotected sex, inadequate work at school, tiredness, anxiety,
lack of social skills, truancy, excessive tardies, etcetc. (AAETS, 2014). Consequently, The
relationship between antisocial personality disorder (ASP) and parental alcoholism is wellestablishedwell established, as is the strong association between ASP and adult alcoholism and
other drug dependence (Fuller-Thompson, Katz., et al.) There are many warning signs that
teachers and professionals in education can be on the look out for to identify a student who may
be struggling with their home environment.
There are multiple warning signs exhibited by student behavior that may be indicative of
a COA (child of abuse). A COA may demonstrate unpredictable, explosive behaviors such as
being compassionate one minute to explosive and/or withdrawn the next. Some students may
appear completely unengaged or appear tired from not getting enough sleep at home in such a
disruptive environment. The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress states that COAs
may exhibit anxiety or may appear to be in a constant state of fight-or-fligh..
If a students only predictability of their day is the consistency of a school routine, a
change in a school routine may cause an exaggerated-response due to an increase of cortisol in
the brain, resulting in explosive or some form of undesired behavio. (Fuller-Thompson, Katz., et
al.) Additionally, students may be lacking basic social skills because they dontdo not engage in
friendships for fear of their home life being revealed. One of the warning signs that is easily
missed is when a student is appearing to be an outstanding student; they receive all As, and they
excel in behavioral expectation. This may be a sign of a COA because they may be trying as hard
as they can to keep the peace in order to reduce the reasons for the parent to us (FullerThompson, Katz., et al.)This warning sign was alarming to me as I am able to see it with my

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significant others eldest son. When his mother was frequently absent, he was often left home
with his younger brothers while his dad was working. He was to get them ready for school, make
their lunches and took on the role of a co-parent rather than an older brother. Consequently, he
too is a straight A student, and is always doing more than any fourteen year oldfourteen-year-old
boy should have to do around the house such as excessive cleaning, organizingorganizing, and
preperationpreparation of meals. Now that his mother and father have divorced and the
household has resumed a state of order and routine, he struggles to release the co-parenting
behaviors that he had to take on while his mother was absent. He appears to be a model student,
and academically, he is. However, after researching, He has opened up to me about his anxiety
and depression, but has not attributed the reasoning to his mother. He says he cannot pinpointpinpoint why he struggles with anxiety and depression, he just gets down sometimes. I
think deep down he knows why he struggles, but is afraid to admit it for fear of feeling even
more depressed.
While there are many symptoms and warning signs, there is a way to intervene in order to
help the student create a healthy, happy life. Children who experience toxic stress at home can be
greatly helped by the consistent, positive involvement of caring adults, including grandparents,
teachers, coaches, neighborsneighbors, and social workers. Additionally, Watching the ways
students interact with peers, paying close attention to their drawings and stories, and being aware
of some behavioral warning signs can help teachers and professional staff in recognizing these
students. Students may draw pictures that are symbolic to the trauma that is occuringoccurring in
their lives. (AAETS).
According to Fuller-Thompson, "these findings underscore the intergenerational
consequences of drug and alcohol addiction and reinforce the need to develop interventions that

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support healthy childhood developme." Simply put, a teacher or staff member that is consistently
and positively involved in a students life can resume a happy and healthy life. Having a
conversation about sports and recreational activities for 10-15 minutes a day can be considered
positive involvmentinvolvement (Fuller-Thompson, Katz., et al.). Interventions can also include
being a part of the Big Brother Big Sister Program (Callhoun, S, Conner, E., et al.) An example
of a mentor providing intervention would be to meet with a student once a week for two hours
playing basketball, going for a walk or another activity of interest to the child. This is a way for a
child to have an opportunity to have somonesomeone to rely on and model appropriate behavior
as well. Fuller-ThopsonThompson is trying to explain by his introductory statement, that the
involvement of a positive role model such as a teacher or mentor, professional guidance and/or
therapy and extra attention to student drawings are to happen as early as possible in order for a
student to resume a happy, healthy life. At the conclusion of the research, IveI have narrowed
down three main interventions that I plan to pursue in my teaching to help any student that may
be experiencing trauma at home. The three interventions include, creating visual boundaries and
charts to create predictability and structure to their day. Second, I plan to pay attention to
behaviors that may be a clue that a student is experiencing a traumatic situation at home. I will
pay close attention to drawings, attendance records, and any patterns of behavior. Third, I plan to
implement the Zones of Regulation curriculum to teach students about feelings and to recognize
feelings and how to express them appropriately. If they can learn to do this in a positive way,
they will be able to communicate successfully to a teacher, therapist or mentor about their wants
and needs.

Research Implications

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How can I adapt my classroom learningclassroom-learning environment to create a

culture for learning that will support the emotional and academic needs of my students due to
the exceptional condition of addicted parents? To a student living in such conditions, academics
are likely not their priority. Even if a teacher is fortunatefortunate, enough to have a student
confide in them the turmoil they are enduring at home, how can we best support the student
while maintaining our professionalism? Through this process, IveI have learned that creating a
consistent, and predictable routine is the best possible intervention I can create at school. This
will include a What are we doing today? sign for small group instruction. This will also
include a detailed behavior plan with the students schedule for the day. One thing I plan to do
differently this year if at all possible, is to keep the students schedule the same as mucmuch as I
can from day to day. There are times when scheduling is out of my control, but the less scattered
of a daily schedule each day, the better.
In addition to creating a predicatablepredictable visual schedule, I also want to research
the Big Brother Big Sister Program more and encourage students to become a part of this
program. ItsIt is likely that parent permission is required; therefore, I am going to make a
conscious effort with the students parents a little more than I would in the past in order to gain
their trust.
IdI would like to learn more about what to do for disciplinary action when the behavior
is so frequent. IdI would also like to know more about when to expect behavior to resurface
after a long period of time without behavioral issues. These are just some of the implications
expecte. After researching many scholarly articles, there are some answers to help guide teachers
in the right direction.
_

Researc-based Action Plan

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Action Plan Summary

I will implement a curriculum that teaches feelings, perspective taking, and tools for
students to use in high-stress situations. The idea is that once students can become
comfortable talking about feelings as well as what they mean, the classroom environment
will become a comfortable, safe place to talk about personal stresses the student may be
experiencing at home. From there, we can discuss tools and problem solving techniques
familiar to them. First, students will identify feelings as belonging to a red, yellow,
greengreen, or blue zone. Second, students will discuss how their behaviors in certain zones
affect other people. Finally, students will develop a list of tools that they can utilize in
situations of anger, sadnesssadness, and stress. This will also be generalized to how they can
use these tools at home and in the community in addition to school.

Anticipated Implementation
Before implementing the curriculum, I will contact two special education
teachers in our district who also use the same curriculum to ask how many students
they instruct per group. I will also ask what iPad applications are available the would
supplement the curriculum when a student may need more one-on-one attention. I
will create a ZONES wall in my classroom that will be visually appealing and at
eye level for the students to reference. Lastly, I will create a check in station that the
students move a popsicle stick to the color of zone they are in before beginning the
lesson. This will hopefully offer some times that a student is able to speak freely
about why they are in a particular zone.

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Anticipated Outcomes
I anticipate that at the initial implementation of the curriculum, the students may be
aprehensiveapprehensive about sharing feelings and personal experiences. I believe with
consistency and a safe, respectful learning environment, the students will be able to
eventually share out feelings or at minimum, demonstrate understanding of feelings. My
goal anticipated outcome is for students to control their behavior at school and at home in
order to improve their academic success. With properly knowing how to deal with stressful
school and home-life situations, their mind may be more at ease in the classroom.

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Action Plan Summary Outlin

1. Monitor student behavior with a daily behavior plan and graphing chart to identify any
patterns of behavior.
2.Create predictability by encorporatingincorporating a visual chart of what the group is
doing each day.
3. Identify feelings as belonging to a color zone. Mastery of this will be monitored by
collecting student data on a worksheet from the reproducible worksheets of the Zones.
4. Students will identify the size of their problem and use tools theyvethey have learned
to help cope with the problems. The students will have objects as tools as well as written key
words that they keep in a small toolbox.
Targetedtoolbox. Targeted Student Learning Objective:
Students will identify increase their awareness of their feelings as well as the feelings of
others. Students will identify feelings and categorize them into four zones: yellow, red,
greengreen, and blue with 90% accuracy by the end of the 2016/2017 school year. In addition,
they will also identify and use at least two tools when experiencing a high-stress
siutaitonsituation in 80% or more of all high-stress situations.
Task(s) and Essential Proficiency Criteria for Targeted Learning Objective(s)
1. Task: Students will identify feelings and corresponding zone based on the
emotion presented on a worksheet.
2. Criteria that Prove Proficiency in Meeting Targeted Learning Objective(s)
a. In order to meet proficiency, student must receive a score of 80% correct
or more on worksheet.
Method(s) to Assess Progress of Proficiency for Targeted Learning Objective(s)
1. . Formative assessment of discussion and student understanding or text.
b. Student will create a picture that is a reflection of their personal life and
discuss itsits representation.

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Post-assessments
Instructional Insights Related to WTS and Targeted Student Learning Objective(s)
Pos-assessment:
What Worked (or anticipate what will work) and Why
1. I anticipate continued daily practice of identifying feelings with zones will instill a
foundation of knowledge in emotional regulation.
2. I anticipate that meeting each morning and following a structured predictable chart of
activities will create a positive, un-interrupted learning environment.
What Did Not Work (or anticipate what will not work) and Why
1. I anticipate that perspective taking will be hard for students to learn.
2. I also anticipate that students will retain knowledge of tools and strategies to manage
high stress situation, but may have a hard time in the moment practicing the strategy. In order to
know if the student is successful over time, their behavior plan will be charted and graphed in
order to determine whether desired behavior is increasing or decreasing.

My Next Steps
1. I plan on discussingto discuss the language and tools of the curriculum with each
students general education teacher. This will help them become aware of the terminology and
create consistency in language and problem solving across school settings. I also plan on
briefingto brief the general education teachers as well as the principal on the students
individualized behavior plan and spell out exactly what the expectations and consequences will
be.

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2. I will have a student tool boxtoolbox and visual chart available to each student in the
speicalspecial education room and in the general education room. The student may choose to
have code word with the teacher when they are feeling overwhelmed and need a break to calm
down and use a tool or strategy. The code word will be discussed with the student, parents and
teachers together so everyone knows the plan. I plan to attend the Zones of Regulation training
as a refresher when our district offers the professional development during the upcoming school
year.

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Reflection of Entire Learning Process

Because this plan has not taken place yet, I can only discuss what I anticipate will work
and what may not work. I anticipate that discussing personal issues of others will be far easier for
students to communicate on. If students feel that they have a close relationship and are in a safe,
respectful environment, itsit is anticipated that they may communicate about their own life. If it
isis, too early and not enough time has passed to create a positive, trusting relationship, than I
anticipate reluctance to share any personal experiences. AlsoIn addition, after researching, I am
prepared for moments of aggressive or defiant behavior when the student starts to feel safe. I
have learned that when students experience chronic, stressful home trauma, they fear to get close
to anyone and tend to push them away in fear that the person will leave them.

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Reference
American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress (2014). Affects of parental substance abuse
on children and families. Retrieved from AAETS website
http://www.aaets.org/article230.htm
Callhoun, S, Conner, E., Messina, M., Miller, M. (2015). Improving the outcomes of children
affected by parental substance abuse: a review of randomized controlled trials. Substance
Abuse Rehabilitation, 6, 15-24.
Davies, L. (2006). Educator`s guide to children affected by parental drug abuse.
Retrieved from www.kellybear.com.

Fuller-Thompson, E., Katz, B., Phan, T., P.M. Liddycoat, J., Brennenstuhl, S (2013). The long
arm of parental addictions: The association with adult childrens depression in a populationbased study. Psychiatry Research 210.1, 95-101.
http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.xxproxy.smumn.edu/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=d7df9214-3f6b4b39-a36d-4d20e03b82a7%40sessionmgr104&hid=114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU
%3d#AN=S016517811300098X&db=edselp

Artifact
This artifact represents a student who finally felt comfortable enough to represent his thoughts
into a picture to help me better understand what was bothering him. This is a picture of a

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monster that consumes his mind on a daily basis. Once I was able to have him draw this image,
I was able to send it home to his mother who then brought it to his doctors attention. The mother
had no idea this had been going on and how frequently he saw these images in his mind.

Artifact B: This artifact is an example of the visual I made to create predicatabilitypredictability

and structure to everyday lessons.

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Artifact C: This is the behavior monitoringbehavior-monitoring grid I used to track daily

behavior plans and document any patterns of behavior.

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Artifact D: This artifact is just one of the several behavior plans IveI have developed to monitor
daily behavior.

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Artifact E: This artifact is a reference poster to identify how severe the problem is that the
student is struggling with. It also is a reference point for what an appropriate response may be for
each size of the problem. This also incorporates perspective.