Category: LDA NH News

Harmful Chemicals
Patricia Stansfield

Fragranced Products and Children’s Health:  Is There a Connection?

It has long been known that environmental pollutants can have adverse health effects.  Exposure to toxins such as mercury and lead can negatively impact children’s neurological development.  Brain development takes place during the gestational period and continues throughout childhood.  Anything that disrupts this delicate process can have devastating, long-term, and, sometimes, irreversible effects.

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Emotional Disabillities
Patricia Stansfield

Disengaged Middle School Students – A Blatant Disregard for Learning or Is it Something Else?

Middle school educators are faced with a multitude of challenges on a daily basis, but one of the most troublesome among them is student apathy and disturbing sentiments such as,  “You can’t make me do it,” or “It doesn’t matter to me,” or the all too famous, “I don’t care.”  Lack of motivation can manifest itself in many ways and can result from a variety of circumstances.   Too many commitments at home, lack of parental support, previous academic experiences, or a chaotic home life are only a few examples of what can contribute to disengaged students.   Sometimes it is the most difficult student who requires the most care and attention.

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LDA NH News
Patricia Stansfield

Some Thoughts from a Middle School Special Educator

Teachers can instill self-determination and resilience among their students.  The following is a list of strategies that can promote self-esteem and self-advocacy for elementary, middle, and high school students.  Some strategies, however, can be used for students of all ages.

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Adolescents
Patricia Stansfield

Supporting Students with Emotional Disabilities in the Classroom

Students with emotional issues can exhibit challenging and disruptive behaviors in the classroom environment.  In an attempt to curb some of these behaviors, educators need to take a positive approach to reach a successful resolution.  The use of positive reinforcement in a structured classroom where students clearly understand what is expected of them is absolutely essential.  It is also important to embrace student diversity, encourage cooperation, emphasize acceptance and teamwork, and provide quality instruction that allows all students to succeed. 

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Executive Functioning
Patricia Stansfield

Middle School Social Skills:  Why Are They so Important?

It can be an overwhelming task for students to navigate the initial transition from elementary school to the middle school environment.  Changes in school setting and instructional format, along with an increase in workload, class size, and number of teachers are only a few examples of increased demands placed on middle school students who are already experiencing internal body changes due to the onset of puberty.  In addition to this, students must manage a multitude of social situations that arise on a daily basis.

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