Rosalie Greenberg, M.D. Discusses Educating Children With Mental Disabilities

Rosalie Greenberg, M.D. is a board certified child and adolescent psychiatrist in private practice in New Jersey. She specializes in the psychopharmacology of pediatric mood disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders. Dr. Greenberg is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. She was a founding board member and past president of the Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation. She has also served as chairperson of the Scientific Advisory Council of the Blue Harbor Foundation [an organization that funds research into Bipolar Disorders throughout a person’s lifecycle]. She is a consultant in Psychiatry at Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey. She is recognized as one of the top doctors in child psychiatry in the Castle Connelly, NY metropolitan area guide {1999- 2010}. Dr. Greenberg has also been highlighted in New York Magazine {2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 }, New Jersey Monthly Magazine {2005}, New Jersey Life Magazine {2006} and Inside Jersey –A Star-Ledger Magazine {2009, 2010}. Author of “Bipolar Kids: Helping your Child Find Calm in the Mood Storm - DaCapo Press March 2007. Co-Producer of the film: Rescuing Childhood- Understanding Bipolar Disorders in Children and Adolescents (2009). She lectures nationally on various topics in that field. Details for this can be found her website: www.RosalieGreenbergMD.com

Irene Clements President National Foster Parent Asso. Talks With Foster Of The Rain Productions On the Challenges Foster Children Have In Education

Join Educational Gateway on January 10th for a conversation with Mrs. Irene Clements, President, National Foster Parent Association.

Mrs. Clements will outline the challenges facing foster care parents in their efforts to ensure a quality education for foster care children living in their home.

BIO

Irene and her husband, Billy, fostered for 27 years and adopted four children. Irene has 34 years experience working within the child protection system, both as a foster parent and as an advocate for foster families and the children they serve. Irene is also the President of the Texas Foster Family Association and is Vice President for Advocacy for Lutheran Social Service of the South, Inc.

An Exclusive Interview with Dr. Debbie Pushor on Parental Engagement

Dr. Debbie Pushor discusses the importance of parental engagement in the success of students during an interview with Michael Robinson host of Educational Gateway, which is heard on The Journey Begins, radio for the engaged parent and dedicated educator.

Debbie’s career began with Edmonton Public Schools in Alberta, Canada where she worked as a teacher, a consultant, a principal and a central services administrator.

Her experiences as a parent of school-aged children caused her to attend to the positioning of parents in relation to schools and prompted the focus of her doctoral work, A Storied Photo Album of Parents’ Positioning and the Landscape of Schools.

Debbie graduated from the University of Alberta in 2001 with a PhD in elementary education. She assumed an academic position at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, Canada from 2001 to 2004, teaching in the BEd program and the MEd program in educational leadership. Debbie joined the University of Saskatchewan in 2004.

She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum Studies in the College of Education, where she continues to teach both undergraduate and graduate courses. Debbie completed a major research project funded by the Dr. Stirling McDowell Foundation for Research into Teaching, which explored, with a team of co-researchers at Princess Alexandra Community School in Saskatoon, how schools can move from practices of parent involvement to practices of parent engagement and leadership.

Debbie was also engaged in research funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, in which she explored what parent knowledge is and how it is held and used. She is currently writing a book arising from this research. Debbie is a qualitative researcher who uses narrative inquiry as her research methodology.

Debbie is the mother of three sons. Cohen is 19 years old and attending his first year of university. Teague and Quinn are 15 years old (yes, twins!) and they are in grade 10.

Please feel invited to visit Debbie’s website to learn more about her research or to read her publications.

Written by
Michael A. Robinson

What are your thoughts on bullying? Education The Natural Bridge (ETNB) ask this exact question to parents all across America. The survey consisted of eight questions and here are some of their early thoughts.

We asked parents across America to tell us about their experiences with bullying and here is what some parents had to say:

Q1. When asked has their child ever been the victim of bullying?

Yes 73.6%, No 28.3%

As a follow up to that question, we asked parents:

Q.2 What areas were negatively impacted by the bullying your child experienced? Parents were allowed to check more than one area.

Grades: 41%, Attendance: 18%, Social Life: 69.2%, After School Activities: 18%, Family Life: 15%, Self-Esteem: 69.2%, Motivation: 46.2%, Transferred to a New School: 10.3%, Other: 25%

Q.3 What was the age of your child at the time they were being bullied? Parents were allowed to check more than one area.

Age 4: 5.6%, Age 5: 8.3%, Age 6: 13.9%, Age 7: 8.3%, Age 8: 16.7%, Age 9: 13.9%, Age 10: 28%, Age 11: 13.9%, Age 12: 25.0%, Age 13: 28%, Age 14: 8.3%, Age 15: 14 %, Age 16: 11.1%, Age 17: 2.8%, Age 18: 0%

Take our bullying survey (open until 9/21/2009): http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=3cOgeaZM3yeY1stUp2c5Sw_3d_3d

Resources For The Engaged Parent

College Students and Stress

by Shelly Davis

According to a student stress survey conducted by Ross, Niebling, Heckert in 1999 there are five factors which mitigate student stress: (1) changes in sleeping habits; (2) lack of vacation/break; (3) changes in eating habits; (4) increased work load; and (5) demanding responsibilities. The survey also indicated stress is particularly prevalent in freshmen during what is defined as the transitional nature of college life (Towbes and Cohen 1996).

During this period freshmen are most susceptible to stress caused by separation anxiety as they attempt to adjust to being away from home, while striving to maintain a high level of academic achievement. An analysis of the student stress survey conducted by Ross, et. al (1999) suggested adapting to an unfamiliar social environment leads to stress, in addition the survey revealed when stress is not addressed effectively, feelings of loneliness and nervousness, as well as sleeplessness and excessive worrying become prevalent.

The Counseling Services of the University of Buffalo (2009) listed some sign of stress

Feelings

• Feeling anxious
• Feeling scared
• Feeling irritable
• Feeling moody

Thoughts

• Low self-esteem
• Fear of failure
• Inability to concentrate
• Embarrassing easily
• Worrying about the future
• Preoccupation with thoughts/tasks
• Forgetfulness.
  

The Counseling Services of the University if Buffalo List the following ways to reduce stress
How to Reduce Stress. Many stresses can be changed, eliminated, or minimized. Here are some things you can do to reduce your level of stress:

• Become aware of your own reactions to stress
• Reinforce positive self-statements
• Focus on your good qualities and accomplishments
• Avoid unnecessary competition
• Develop assertive behaviors
• Recognize and accept your limits
• Remember that everyone is unique and different
• Get a hobby or two. Relax and have fun
• Exercise regularly
• Eat a balanced diet daily
• Talk with friends or someone you can trust about your worries/problems
• Learn to use your time wisely: Evaluate how you are budgeting your time
• Plan ahead and avoid procrastination
• Make a weekly schedule and try to follow it
• Set realistic goals/Set priorities
• When studying for an exam; study in short blocks and gradually lengthen the time you spend studying. Take frequent short breaks
• Practice relaxation techniques. For example, whenever you feel tense, slowly breathe in and out for several minutes.