Friday, September 30, 2016

I Want My Child To Learn To Read, So I'm Changing His Diet.....

At this point in my career, I am entertained as I listen and learn from parents about how their novel approaches to helping their child overcome certain challenges might actually, not work. I'm not sure about what it happening in the world of education but somehow, there are quite a bit of people that are so interested in helping children because their lack of knowledge allows them to make a buck.

Here's what I'd like to share with you. It's a breakdown of the "Who's Who" of individuals who may be  helpful to you when you begin researching information:

1. Your Child's Teacher

Your child's teacher is the person to talk to in regards to your child's academic performance. Please do not ask his/her teacher to diagnose your child. They don't have those credentials - but they can tell you how long it takes them to find their missing assignment.

2. Your Pediatrician

Your pediatrician, albeit a very knowledgeable individual, is not there to recommend tutoring agencies or will teach you how to "hit a school with a lawsuit". They are professionals who at best, can share with you what milestones are important for your child. At times, they prescribe medicine for children but... more information on that if you really want to know.

3. A *Psychologist (not to be confused with a "Psychiatrist")

This is an individual who has spent countless hours learning how to administer, "tests". Occasionally, they will learn about a "program" that might be helpful to a child or, better yet, a set of programs that are administered by a group of people/agency. Now, to be fair, they have a code of ethics when it comes to recommendations (we actually all do, but not everyone chooses to abide by that) so I'm a little weary when they hand out a list of "who you need to go to" at the end of your child's assessment because they only test your child and tell you what's wrong - they don't fix the problem.

4. A Psychiatrist (Not a Psychologist)

I'm going to give you two words: Sigmund Freud - he's a Psychiatrist. These are Medical Doctors who have the authority to prescribe medication to your child if they have a chemical imbalance in the brain. In the state of Georgia, only Medical Doctors (not Psychologists) can write prescriptions. There are a few states where Psychologists can write prescriptions, but Georgia is not one of them.

5. Speech Therapist

Think of anything that you do with your mouth: communicate, swallow, eat, chew- that's what they specialize in. They know how to help your child socialize and integrate with others and can be very helpful in that respect.

6. Occupational Therapist

"Occupational" = "work". This is a person who will help your child integrate their skills sets into something that will be more productive. They help with many short-term physically demanding tasks such as sitting and standing correctly and sometimes even handwriting. Key Words: Fine Motor Skills

7. Physical Therapist

This is who you'll need to see for more severe conditions. They assist with more of the "gross motor" aspects of your child's development or - if you play tennis 20 hours a week.

8. Educational Consultant

These individuals, such as myself, review different aspects of your child's development and progress and make recommendations as to what the next steps are and, if qualified, execute these programs. They work in sync with other providers to make sure that (or at least I hope they do) progress has been made in a satisfactory fashion.

Why am I providing this to you? Because everybody is good at something but some people should not be good at what they should not be good at. Helping your child is more than removing dairy from their diet or installing a trampoline in the back yard. It's a more complex, multi-faceted approach that comes with a great deal of planning and precision. Don't take it lightly.




Thursday, September 29, 2016

JATP: Admission Preparation - Nobody Does It

I've got a bone to pick with some parents here in Atlanta. It comes from the single fact that they love to give their best buddies misinformation when it comes to raising their children and "private school prep".

Don't think that, for one second,  I don't get it either. In the past  I've been burnt by a few so-called "friends" that take the information that I share with them and claim it as their own. At least when I help people, I refrain from using psychological warfare like some parents in Atlanta and say, "you don't need to study" or worse yet, "Go to this person because that's the only person everyone goes to!". But somehow, somewhere, parents get sucked into the "Test Prep Trap" that eats up at their time and unfortunately, their dreams of having a child attend private school.

I'll be honest with you - I am adamant about who I work with and tell them that this process is not easy. The stakes have become increasingly more difficult with each passing year because with each "class" of students, the options for great insiders becomes even more competitive. Many of the people that you call might not even know what they are doing because, to be quite candid with you - they have actually called me pretending to be you to obtain my trade secrets. So if they tell you that they do prep, you can believe them. Now, is it the "prep" that you'll need in order for your son/daughter to do well on the test - that is for you to decide.

I love what I do and (given that there are only a number of hours in the week where I can help those who need Admission Preparation here in Atlanta), I don't think that everyone understands the process as well as I do. It's very complex, from the moment that I meet your child until the last time that you step into the school - every child that I work with has a map of what they need to do and where they need to go. I've seen children receive acceptance letters from places that I knew, from first glance - would take them. Even when the cards do not look like they will be in favor of a student from our initial Opportunity Assessment, we review different parts of the process to ensure a favorable outcome.

Yes, it's true - my clients are asked to not share my information. What we do is so private and individualized that it should come as no surprise that I tell them, "please don't follow me on Instagram or Facebook or whatever social media website you are normally on. I'm not looking to be the McDonalds of Admissions Preparation."

You'll laugh at this because one of the first items of business that I have with my clients is that I tell them to not refer people to me because I'm not in the business to expand, but to excel in my skill sets and, perfect it with each and every child. My inner circle will tell you that I'm a private individual that only others "talk" or "gossip" about and frankly, it just doesn't even raise a hair on my neck. I have to laugh at all these people who show off because at the end of the day - they won't answer the phone when you are in tears after you child's application has been reviewed and declined. I'm not like that - I don't pretend to care if I really don't and if I do care, you'll know.

Business is not a business without people and the people that I work with during Admission Prep mean the world to me (and they know it!) I know what I am doing (a little too well) and I'm really proud to say that I've had more students turn into Mensa members than I would like to admit. When it comes to Admission Preparation - it's not studying for the test - it's preparing for success. If you study for the test - there are flags that will show what you did and you will, invariably - without a doubt, get burnt.

I condone those who work with clients and prepare for the "JATP Test". I'm a professional - and I teach my clients how to blow out their competition, point blank. That's a fact - no matter how you look at it.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

It's Conference Season! How to Prep for that first Parent-Teacher Conference

Fall is - tomorrow,  and in a few days or weeks you will be in your child's classroom (hopefully they will have a nice chair for you and not the miniature sized chair that only your angel can sit in) sitting across or beside their teacher discussing his/her progress for that grading period.

Coming from the other side of the desk, your teacher has quite a bit to share with you but sometimes may not have the time or the professional license to tell you everything you need to know. Here are some "clues" that will help you decipher the hidden art of teacher language.

1. "Frank is a wonderful child!"

Translation: "I would like to say more about your child but they are a wallflower in class and I barely just learned their name. Do you know what it's like keeping track of 28 children and then needing to attend Tuesday faculty meetings and keeping my weight/social life and paper work all in check?"

Used for: Parents who do not show up/volunteer/or interact with other parents at the school and remain "nameless and faceless" because let's face it - they are "interact- less". These students typically do not talk or participate during class and may have a difficult time speaking up because there is just too much going on around them.

2. "I think that Don is very creative."

Translation: "Your child has some hidden artistic talents that you might want to invest in, but our school does not have an after-school program because, it's all about the STEM baby!"

Used for: Parents who may not know their child as well as they think they do. These are the children that secretly draw, play music, write poetry, or hide in the basement with their stop motion figures when their parents are home and do not want to bother them with their hobbies. They might be the next Jony Ive, Steve Jobs, Elon - you know what I mean.

3. "Charles is a natural leader."

Translation: "He (or she) is the boss. Whenever there is a group assignment your child takes control of the group. I don't know if the other kids like it, but I don't have any complaints..."

Used for: Parents who want their child to study business or "take over" when they go on vacation/date night. These are the parents that are likely to volunteer more at your school so they can pad this "unpaid work" on their resume or (worse yet) their LinkedIn profile.

4. "Caleb has problems following directions."

Translation: "I want to say that your child has attention issues, but this is the politically correct way for me to say this without losing my job or you trying to contact my supervisor to find out more information."

Used for: Parents who need confirmation that they need to talk to some psychologist/counselor/doctor/guru/talk show host or friend of a friend who knows a friend that will try to solve their problem. [Deposit $3,000 of your hard earned money below and the gatekeeper will let you in.]

5. "Christine is an angel!"

Translation: Hey, all of the teachers that I had in elementary/middle school and high school told my father this. (Yes, it was my father who had the envious task of attending my parent teacher conferences and I was so embarrassed whenever he was there. He made it sound like I did not have a choice but to be a good student because if I wasn't - he probably would have disowned me, or blame it on my mother.)

I'm not sure what to make of it - (if only my teachers could see me now, relentless when it comes to my strong convictions) but it means that your child is a rule follower. Dependable as they may be - the teacher really does like your child and looks forward to working with your child.

Used for: Parents that need their children to be valedictorian/get into a great university or worse, change the world with their ideas/actions. These are parents that bring up extremely engaging children that have the opinions of a Supreme Court Justice but the work ethic of an accountant on April the 15th.

6. "Charlotte has so much potential."

Translation: For some reason that I cannot understand, your child has commitment issues. Commitment to doing the homework or project and more often than not, commitment to even turning in the homework. They are at a loss for words because they can only tell you what they observe, but not why the child is that way to begin with.

Used for: Parents who show up late to meetings and do not turn things in on time. The apple does not fall far from the tree either.

If you, or a parent you know has had a fantastic or disappointing Parent-Teacher Conference, please feel free to share in the comments below or you can always email them to me at: christine@learningridge.com.

The comments above are the personal opinions/convictions/observations of the author, Christine Javier. If you wish to contact Christine for Educational Consulting, you can call me at (404) 964-8533.

It's Conference Season! How to Prep for that first Parent-Teacher Conference

Fall is - tomorrow,  and in a few days or weeks you will be in your child's classroom (hopefully they will have a nice chair for you and not the miniature sized chair that only your angel can sit in) sitting across or beside their teacher discussing his/her progress for that grading period.

Coming from the other side of the desk, your teacher has quite a bit to share with you but sometimes may not have the time or the professional license to tell you everything you need to know. Let's look at some common phrases used during a conference.

Here are the top 6 phrases you might hear your child's teacher say:

1. "Mark is a wonderful child!"

Translation: "I would like to say more about your child but they are a wallflower in class and I barely just learned their name. Do you know what it's like keeping track of 28 children and then needing to attend Tuesday faculty meetings and keeping my weight/social life and paper work all in check?"

Used for: Parents who do not show up/volunteer/or interact with other parents at the school and remain "nameless and faceless" because let's face it - they are "interact- less". These students typically do not talk or participate during class and may have a difficult time speaking up because there is just too much going on around them.

2. "I think that Don is very creative."

Translation: "Your child has some hidden artistic talents that you might want to invest in, but our school does not have an after-school program because, it's all about the STEM baby!"

Used for: Parents who may not know their child as well as they think they do. These are the children that secretly draw, play music, write poetry, or hide in the basement with their stop motion figures when their parents are home and do not want to bother them with their hobbies. They might be the next Jony Ive, Steve Jobs, Elon - you know what I mean.

3. "Charles is a natural leader."

Translation: "He (or she) is the boss. Whenever there is a group assignment your child takes control of the group. I don't know if the other kids like it, but I don't have any complaints..."

Used for: Parents who want their child to study business or "take over" when they go on vacation/date night. These are the parents that are likely to volunteer more at your school so they can pad this "unpaid work" on their resume or (worse yet) their LinkedIn profile.

4. "Caleb has problems following directions."

Translation: "I want to say that your child has attention issues, but this is the politically correct way for me to say this without losing my job or you trying to contact my supervisor to find out more information."

Used for: Parents who need confirmation that they need to talk to some psychologist/counselor/doctor/guru/talk show host or friend of a friend who knows a friend that will try to solve their problem. [Deposit $3,000 of your hard earned money below and the gatekeeper will let you in.]

5. "Christine is an angel!"

Translation: Hey, all of the teachers that I had in elementary/middle school and high school told my father this. (Yes, it was my father who had the envious task of attending my parent teacher conferences and I was so embarrassed whenever he was there. He made it sound like I did not have a choice but to be a good student because if I wasn't - he probably would have disowned me, or blame it on my mother.)

I'm not sure what to make of it - (if only my teachers could see me now, relentless when it comes to my strong convictions) but it means that your child is a rule follower. Dependable as they may be - the teacher really does like your child and looks forward to working with your child.

Used for: Parents that need their children to be valedictorian/get into a great university or worse, change the world with their ideas/actions. These are parents that bring up extremely engaging children that have the opinions of a Supreme Court Justice but the work ethic of an accountant on April the 15th.

6. "Charlotte has so much potential."

Translation: For some reason that I cannot understand, your child has commitment issues. Commitment to doing the homework or project and more often than not, commitment to even turning in the homework. They are at a loss for words because they can only tell you what they observe, but not why the child is that way to begin with.

Used for: Parents who show up late to meetings and do not turn things in on time. The apple does not fall far from the tree either.

If you, or a parent you know has had a fantastic or disappointing Parent-Teacher Conference, please feel free to share in the comments below or you can always email them to me at: christine@learningridge.com.

The comments above are the personal opinions/convictions/observations of the author, Christine Javier. If you wish to contact Christine for Educational Consulting, you can call me at (404) 964-8533.

Which Type of Parent Are You?

I come from a long line of extremely pragmatic, and unbelievably strong women in my life. There was no shortage of problems to solve for my mother and my grandmothers (my mom having six children, with my paternal and maternal grandmothers having almost a dozen each) on a daily basis and what I learned and observed from them is that when it comes to children, there is a time and a place for thinking about what decision to make, and then acting upon it.

Recently, I've come to realize that many parents call me in hopes that there is one pill, one book, one methodology to solve all of their child's problems. I have had several mothers feel the pressure by their own peer groups to get their children tested so that they could have the ultimate solution to their child's problems in the palm of their hands. Each time I talk to these mothers I think to myself, "why are they taking such drastic measures for someone who is only six years old?"

I'm not one to tell anyone what to do - it's not in my nature to advocate for one industry or another. Growing up in a huge family, having a disadvantage would become your advantage in life. Given the fact that my older brother did not like school as much as I did, he motivated me to study harder than I already did and I served as his "homework helper" even though I was five years away from attending college.

I wish someone could explain to me what the rush is to medicate children. I've grown very fond of the excitable nature of children and seeing their curiosity and energy ebb and flow with activities that appeal to them and those that they show little interest over. But to suppress their natural state by introducing chemicals into their system, involving them in a regiment of exercises that may be used for institutionalized individuals,  or a strict regiment of wheatgrass and [insert the "hip" nutritional yeast product of the month here] worries me.

Where is the common sense parent? Where is the parent that looks inward before looking outward for answers? Where is that confident parent that knows no matter what life throws at their little child, they will know - within three steps, what to do and how to solve the problem that their child has.

When I say that each child is unique, I really mean it. Not everyone needs to follow in your neighbor's footsteps in order to get the same results. Unless you would like your child to be a carbon copy of your neighbor's child, think to yourself, "what would be the best thing that we can do for our child?" I despise people that believe that their is only one solution and one person and one answer to a child not knowing how to behave, read, pay attention, or communicate. Sometimes your situation might be simple - sometimes it might be complex; whatever it is you should not be in fear to make decisions for your family. It's that pride and confidence that makes you - the parent that you are meant to be.