Despite learning differences, I believe every
child deserves to live their best life and every parent, caregiver and educator
that comes in contact with that child is an integral part of that journey.
Through conversations with parents and educators
I found many people don't know how to communicate effectively with one another - teachers,
counselors, administration and others in a position of influence are at
odds or lost in how to pave a path
forward - A path to help them collaboratively figure out why a child is struggling with
learning in school and what to do to put the child on a path toward progress. This problem
was alive in brick-and-mortar and with the COVID-19 pandemic flipping education
on its head, the virtual learning world brings an entirely new set of issues,
struggles and concerns.
Parents and children alike are lost, confused,
frustrated yet instead of leaning in and speaking up - many choose to suffer in silence - feeling lost, hopeless and confused while others reach out to a teacher for help. When asked
what is going on some don't know what to say so nothing changes and others show up to IEP, ASDM and 504 meetings saying little
to nothing which results in decisions being made for them
and their child. My mission is to lay
the groundwork for a path of collaboration, open communication and vulnerability that
allows everyone to speak and share their truth, concerns and valuable
insights, creating cohesive partnerships and a roadmap that truly benefits the
child. Having calm courage to do so, brings together a path forward.
Teachers,
educators and administrators are also frustrated. Trying their best, trialing ways
to teach, engage and guide students forward in the unchartered waters of
virtual learning. It is important to remember that they too are parents and
caregivers, doing their best to figure it out as they go.
Communication, collaboration, openness to receiving and listening to concerns, questions and recommendations is key to forward progress.
There
is no one right answer or way of helping one another, however there is a very
clear wrong way! Showing up combative, defensive and feeling entitled to
something is the wrong way to go about getting help, building relationships and
moving the bar forward for the betterment of your child's education, social and
emotional well-being. I am grateful to those who choose to let me into their journey, and allow me to help them help themselves in finding their voice.
By creating a platform to pull together parents and caregivers from across the country, I get to connect people, share learnings and collaborate on how to use one's voice to help children thrive in school and ultimately in life. Together we can achieve more than we ever could alone. I may not be able to change the lives of all parents and their children, however changing the life for one family will eventually change the lives for many. Finding my calm confidence created an avenue to find my calm courage and has led to creating this path forward for others wanting to find their voice and take an active role in the transformation of their journey with a child who has learning differences.
Helping others help themselves by seeking to understand what is important is who I am at the core. It is imperative that the topics I write and speak about - resonate with at least one other person - otherwise it is not a topic worth writing about. If you or someone you know would like to read about a specific topic or learn more about my own #journey2bloom, don't hesitate to let me know.
#journey2bloom
#inspireresilience
#ittakesavillage
#movingmountains
Find out more about how I can help here -> https://journey2bloom.wixsite.com/mysite
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