Future Environments and Functional Skills So often we forget that our students' lives do not end with our classroom/gym. It is our responsibility to prepare them for environments beyond the current one. What have you done this semester with your CAPES! students that takes them beyond the gym and the classroom? What skills have you taught that will prepare them for their future as contributing members of our society? What functional skills have you taught them that will impact them for a lifetime?

Future Environments and Functional Skills

So often we forget that our students' lives do not end with our classroom/gym. It is our responsibility to prepare them for environments beyond the current one. What have you done this semester with your CAPES! students that takes them beyond the gym and the classroom? What skills have you taught that will prepare them for their future as contributing members of our society? What functional skills have you taught them that will impact them for a lifetime?

Beware the Rut!

Congratulations the downward journey for CAPES has begun!  You only have two weeks remaining in the gym & pool. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel getting larger each day, and you know if you just hang on a little longer it will all be over and you can move on.  

How do you maintain motivation, excitement, and energy for the final few days?  Now that you know your students, and you have a fairly good idea of what you are doing, and have established a routine (for yourself, your group, your students, and parents) it is very easy to "get stuck in a rut".  

How will you keep yourself motivated to be invested in your students learning?  How will you makes things more exciting for you and your learner now that things have gotten "normal" and possibly a little "boring"?  What will you do to re-invigorate the energy and expectations from yourself and for your learner?

"He Can Be Taught"

-Genie from Aladdin

Learning can be defined as "the relatively permanent changes in behavior".  One major aspect of CAPES! is to help children with disabilities learn physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral skills.  The other major aspect of CAPES! is to help WSU students learn about themselves and to learn about learners with disabilities.  After 6 weeks of CAPES!: 1) what has the child you have been working with learned?; 2) what do they still need to learn?; 3) what have you learned?; and 4) what do you still need learn?

Let's Talk Behavior...

Think about the social behaviors, appropriate, or not, that your students have been displaying the first couple of weeks of CAPES! How might you address those that are inappropriate? How can you use those appropriate skills they have to teach them new appropriate skills. I believe strongly that inappropriate behaviors are social skill deficits- how does this impact how you might teach your students appropriate social skills in order to address their inappropriate behaviors?

Surprise!!!  Often in teaching its the unintended little surprises you experience during the learning process that mean the biggest things, keep you going during the "hard times", and make all the effort worth it.  For instance, I had a long discussion with a parent last night who praised and thanked us for CAPES! for 20 straight minutes, going on and on about the changes their child has experienced with just one year...interacting more at home without prompts, behaving better at school, learning about days and times to count down to the next time they come to CAPES!, and more!  (Congratulations...YOU are making these changes...not me or Dr. Williams ((We just get all the credit ;)!!!!)  The joy, appreciation, and "thank you" written all over her face and words makes all the effort of putting CAPES! together seem non-significant!  Explain a few surprises you have had while at CAPES! so far...about the child you work with and about yourself.

Communication

A major part of life is communication.  We have many ways in which we share information and more seem to appear all the time.  Dr. Z. struggled to communicate while growing up (and still isn't!) because he couldn't form words audibly until 4th grade.  Share your experiences, trials, and breakthroughs, trying to communicate with your participants.  What are some ways we can try to become more effective at communication?  Keep in mind your learners and where they are at developmentally compared to you!  Hint: most of us use verbal communication only when sharing thoughts, directions, feelings, etc broadcast to others.  What are some other ways we could communicate (and maybe more successful at getting our messages across?)

Being Challenged...

Tuesday was your first day coming up and implementing your first activities to help each child be as independent as possible.  Often when we are doing new things we come across challenges which were unforeseen and only realized once we were in the moment.  For example, when Dr. Z. had a summer camp for disadvantaged youth he wasn't aware of the daily grind it would take (over 13 hours every day!) and therefore at the beginning wasn't prepared for it.  However, he figured out some ways to overcome this challenge in order for the camp to be successful.  

What were some challenges you observed and how do plan on meeting these challenges next week so that your learning environments go smoother and you are more prepared for them when they come up again?