Tanya Langlois

  More Than Just a Policy: Why RI’s Transgender Student Guidance Matters   Blog 11   When I first read the Rhode Island guidance on transgender and gender non-conforming students, what struck me most was its message: ensuring every student feels safe, respected, and ready to learn.  The policy focuses specifically on transgender and gender nonconforming students, but honestly, its message applies to all students. School should be a place where people can be themselves without fear . In simple terms, the policy lays out how schools in Rhode Island should support transgender and gender nonconforming students. It emphasizes a few key things: Students should be  treated according to their gender identity , not just  what’s  listed on official records  Schools must  protect students from bullying, harassment, and discrimination   A student’s  privacy is extremely important , especially when it comes to their identity  Schools should...

What Is Neurodiversity  - Caroline Miller   Blog 10 Neurodiversity is a term used to describe natural variations in how the human brain functions. Rather than viewing conditions like autism or ADHD as “deficits” to be fixed, the neurodiversity movement frames them as valuable differences that deserve acceptance and environmental support. The neurodiversity movement was started by a sociologist named Judy Singer, who is on the autism spectrum. She saw neurodiversity as a social justice movement to promote equality for what she called “neurological minorities.” This includes people with autism, ADHD, and learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, nonverbal learning differences, and sensory processing issues. She believed we should shine a light on the strengths and benefits of this diversity rather than focusing only on deficits. This made me think of Shannon  Renkly’s  work on asset-based models, where we focus on students’ strengths to support their learning....

I dont have a problem child in my observation class but there is a student in my school who is very rebellious. She is an 8th grader who hates being at school and seeks out attention any way she can. She is disrespectful, dresses inappropriately, and refuses to go to class. She spends a lot of time roaming the hallway. The school has tried to work with her and offer her solutions like going to the high school and learning about different pathways, different clubs or alternative schedule. She just refuses to do any of it. When she is called to the office for her behavior, she sits and cries and says no one cares. She is in constant contact with the school counselor. It is very sad to watch because there is clearly something going on with her and no one has been able to figure out how to get her to talk. She is a puzzle that we have yet to solve. 

Blog 9   Troublemakers - Carla Shalaby Reflection Before reading this preface, I imagined classroom management as one of the most important skills to master as a future teacher. I thought about how I would  maintain  order, set expectations, and handle disruptive behavior.  Th is changed  how I want to think about my future students. When a child refuses to comply, acts out, or makes noise when others are silent,  my first  instinct   would  probably be  to redirect, discipline, or remove.  But what if that child is actually telling me something important about the environment I've created? One way to combat this is to give students a real voice in their education.  If children are allowed to name what they need, we spend less time guessing what their behavior means.  The video below shows a school that practices student-led conferences ,  and I think  it's  a powerful example of what it looks like to a...