Tag Archives: student success

GCC Students, Glendale Community College, student success, Write6x6

Coming Full Circle

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Many years ago, I was a student at Glendale Community College, couch surfing to avoid homelessness and struggling to finish a successful semester. An instructor noticed, offered support, and helped me when I needed it most. Today, I stand in front of my own classroom at GCC, given the opportunity to pay that kindness forward. This is the power of community colleges, and it’s why I chose to teach here.

Community colleges have always existed to bridge gaps. When Joliet Junior College opened its doors in 1901 as a direct connection to the high school, it addressed a fundamental inequity: higher education was largely reserved for white, moderately wealthy, male landowners. The 1944 GI Bill expanded this mission, and when John W. Snyder’s report on “The Veteran and Higher Education” challenged President Truman to examine what higher education could become, the resulting Truman Commission report transformed the landscape. The Commission wanted students of all social and economic backgrounds to access higher education, to create better citizens and a stronger society. Their vision worked. Campuses became more inclusive, enrolling Black students, women, and other minorities in unprecedented numbers. Today, community colleges exist in every congressional district in the United States, continuing that mission of access and opportunity.

In 2022, I was part of a conversation with then Under Secretary James Kvaal of the U.S. Department of Education that crystallized why this mission still matters. He spoke about the inequities perpetuated by institutions that are “proud to turn students away” and emphasized that community colleges have a vital role, particularly for students at “lower and medium income levels.” Higher education, he said, needs to meet students where they are and consider their mental health and financial needs as a whole person, not just an enrollment number.

This is exactly what community colleges do. We try to do so much for everyone, working to remove the barriers to education. And in doing so, each of us makes a tangible difference in students’ lives.

In my first semester teaching as an OYO, fresh back in the United States after a decade abroad, a student confided that he was couch surfing at different friends’ houses because he was homeless. The situation was affecting his ability to complete coursework. As a new hire, I wasn’t yet familiar with all the campus supports available, but I knew some community resources. I brought him information and suggested places on campus where he could study and complete homework with reliable access to technology and space. That student finished the semester successfully.

Years later, as a newly hired probationary faculty member, I worked with a student facing financial issues that threatened to derail their entire educational pathway. This time, I knew exactly what the college could do to help and how to connect the student to those resources. They not only finished the semester successfully but went on to enroll in a bachelor’s program, which they’re on track to complete.

I used to work at universities where, as Mr. Kvaal noted, some were indeed “proud to turn students away” from their educational hopes and dreams. The perspective at Glendale Community College is drastically different. Here, instructors not only have the opportunity to support students, but that support is available, accessible, and actively encouraged.

For me, GCC represents a full-circle life experience. I was that struggling student once, uncertain about my future, navigating homelessness while trying to get an education. An instructor saw me, helped me, and changed the trajectory of my life. Now, I get to do the same for my students. I am living proof of the difference we make in the lives of our students, and I teach at a community college that does its very best to make that difference every single day for our students and our community.

6x6, AI, empowerment, engaging students

The Art and Science of AI in Education

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The Need for Deeper Examination

Educational Technology, as a field of study, is all about recognizing how technology helps (and hinders) student learning. Recognizing how we support “old school” practices with technology, and temper “new” practices with proven strategies. Ultimately, it’s about recognizing balance as an essential tool for success… and sanity.

Cue AI’s continued dramatic entrances into our sacred spaces of learning and tranquil chaos. AI has become a destabilizing force for industry, arts, education, and society at large. Higher education, especially, has met AI with hesitancy, distrust, and a healthy dose of skepticism. We’ve all thought it and heard it:

“AI is going to make teachers irrelevant!”

“This generation will never learn core skills because of this technology!”

“Our students will become too reliant on technology at the expense of critical thinking!”

“This technology is going to destroy industries and cost jobs!”

I offer you this sobering thought… similar concerns have been presented during several technological revolutions of our past:

  • The Printing Press (1450s)
  • The Personal Calculator (1970s)
  • The Personal Computer (1970s)
  • The World Wide Web (1991)

Ironically, each of these technologies is now central to Higher Education and can be credited, in part, with our continued survival. Personally, as a Tech Enthusiast and a born-and-raised Computer Geek, I feel we should always meet technology with a healthy dose of cynicism. Does this technology actually make our lives better/easier? Do we actually need this technology, or is it a “nice to have”? One of the many lessons learned from the Pandemic is that technology has its limitations, but can also be a surprisingly powerful source of connection and creativity.

Let’s explore these two questions as they relate to AI and the wider world…

Does AI make our lives better/easier?

Every time I ask myself this question, it gets harder to answer.

As a creative, it’s made my industry quite frustrating. It’s led to debates questioning whether the value of artists and artistry outweighs profits and efficiency. Is the value of art rooted in its ability to be consumed, or in the act of its creation? More on this in a bit.

As a Graduate Student and a notoriously slow reader, AI was a lifesaver. Being able to use programs like NotebookLM each week to generate a podcast summary of my readings allowed me to focus on the big picture first, then strategically consume the sections that resonated and challenged my views, rather than skimming everything and hoping for the best. It was also a lifesaver to ask AI to help me find a quote or statistic in my readings, instead of having to sift through hundreds of readings from the whole semester in the hopes that I wasn’t just hallucinating the idea.

As a facilitator and trainer, AI has helped me break down ideas and concepts into more digestible steps. Helping me rephrase, re-examine, and find new ways to engage. I can’t describe the number of times I’ve asked AI, “Does that make sense?” and been humbly reminded that I need to remember what it was like to learn and not assume shared knowledge or experience.

Do we need AI in education?

The short answer is no.

Educators will keep on educating without any assistance from AI. Education predates the internet, the printing press, and even our ability to make tools. We’re just fine without AI.

But let’s circle back to rephrase that earlier question about artists. Is the value of knowledge and education rooted in the ability for it to be consumed/absorbed, or in the act and experience of learning itself?

What does it mean “to learn”?

  • Is the point of learning math solely in the ability to complete math worksheets, or is it about teaching students to learn to reason, recognize patterns, and think critically about how we solve the problems of our world?
  • Is the point of learning how to replace the engine in a car only about the exact placement of the nuts and bolts? Or is it also about developing workflows and processes that promote accuracy, efficiency, and anticipate problems before they arise?
  • Is the point of learning to write an essay rooted in our ability to write a perfectly formatted paper? Or is it about learning to express our thoughts and emotions, develop our sense of self, reason, and build meaning, and share with others?
  • Is the point of learning to act the ability to memorize and recite a monologue from Shakespeare? Or is it about recognizing the universal emotions and experiences across time and space, about developing empathy, about recognizing and clarifying our intent as we navigate the world?

I’d like to challenge you to take a look at your subjects and look at the core of the lessons your field has to offer (not just the skills!). Then ask yourself whether that is something AI can replicate.

For most of us, the answer is no.

The Art and The Science

When I used to teach leadership, we’d talk about the two sides. The Art and the Science. The “science” of leadership is what you’ll hear from every TED Talk and CEOs’ latest book. It’s a series of processes and proven strategies… It’s a formula. However, the Art of leadership is about application. I can put every leadership problem into a formula, but do I have the soft skills, empathy, communication skills, experience, humility, etc., to put the output of my formula to good use?

In teaching, we often focus on that “science” aspect. If we want students to learn to write, we ask them to write an essay. We give them the tools they need, the expected formula, and the rules. However, all AI knows is the “science” of writing. The patterns and formulas we so carefully teach our students. But what about the Art of writing the essay? Not the ability to phrase words “prettily” or use an Oxford comma in a way that would make our High School English Teachers weep with joy. No, it’s about formulating ideas and expression. AI can imitate this, just like a leader can imitate the formulas they’ve read about, but it will be hollow until we add that art… that sliver of imperfect humanity.

So, should we ask them to write the metaphorical essay? I beg the question: what about that essay can’t the students ask an AI to do for them? Or, perhaps more importantly, in what ways can we use the essay as a tool to facilitate a larger lesson on the importance of discovering our voice and finding a balance between expectation, efficiency, and expression of ideas?

Education doesn’t need AI

Our students don’t need AI

Our World doesn’t need AI

But it’s here, and we’re all still trying to find a balance between technology and humanity because of it. We need to find our path to collaborating with AI in a way that furthers our fields, rather than saturates them.

Collaboration with AI in education doesn’t mean outsourcing thinking or chasing efficiency for efficiency’s sake. It means approaching AI as something to question, critique, edit, and wrestle with. Our role isn’t to compete with AI or to ban its use out of fear. We’ve been given an opportunity to reflect and redesign learning experiences that ask students to do what AI can’t do: make meaning, exercise judgment, reflect on values, and develop a sense of voice and intent.

Our students will enter a world that invites, tempts, or requires the use of AI. Are we preparing them for that world? Higher education has long been a space where we help learners navigate the complexity and ambiguity of our society with thoughtfulness and preparation. This moment offers us an opportunity to reexamine what we value most about learning and to intentionally teach students how to balance the science of efficiency with the art of being human.

Write6x6

Show and Tell: It’s Not Just for Kindergartners

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I’ve been teaching at GCC for 20 years and have tried a lot of best practices and trends in my teaching: gamification, flipped classrooms and project learning are just a few. However the best teaching trick I ever introduced to my class is my version of Show and Tell. 

Every week students are asked to bring something from their home to share and discuss during class.  I select specific items each week for either a purpose or to relate the item to the content being covered for lecture. For example, on the first night of class, I ask students to wear their favorite shirt, hat, or piece of jewelry to encourage students to want to have their cameras on during our live online class. Week two they bring their favorite snack for the discussion on Sensation and Perception. For the week we cover Lifespan Development, students are asked to bring a picture of themselves during their childhood. For Memory week, they are asked to bring a family heirloom or something they want to pass down to future generations. Every week I put the students into breakout rooms where each student has a turn to share what they brought that week with some of their classmates. During break-out sessions, students share their item and the story behind the item. Students then submit an assignment where they list who was in their group and describe the item they brought. I refer to these break-out sessions as In-Class Activities, and here is an image of one of these assignments.  

Just because I think this is a great idea, doesn’t mean that it is. However here is what students had to say when asked about their favorite sharing activity.

  • My favorite thing overall about the class was sharing activities
  • My favorite sharing theme was the collections. Seeing people’s items was cool but hearing the stories behind them is why it was so memorable. I still remember my group mates concert shirts, butterfly themed items, and baking supplies.
  • I loved hearing about everyone’s achievements, and it was really uplifting to see all the amazing things my classmates have accomplished. Plus, hearing the teacher’s encouraging words at the end, made it even more special. 
  • My favorite theme is the most recent one talking about our collections and why they started. I enjoyed this one because it showed me more about my classmates and what they enjoy. I got to see some really cool legos and hear about books that are different from what I’m used to. 
  • I enjoyed every breakout session and sharing activities; talking with everyone and discussing various topics was delightful. 
  • My favorite sharing theme was the toy theme, I enjoyed seeing all the little tiny toys that my classmates have. It was my favorite theme because it made me relate to my classmates in that they also had little toys on hand with them.
  • My favorite theme was also our most recent when everyone brought something they’re proud of. I think knowing what someone is proud of tells you a lot about their life and personality, and it was fun learning that about people.
  • My favorite breakout session theme was when we all had to bring a favorite picture of ourselves and explain it. I loved learning about my classmates lives
  • I’m going to be honest, all the sharing activities were interesting and informative because they all related to the topic we were learning about for the week. It was also very interactive because the people I had in my breakout room not only participated, but I was able to get their opinion about the topic and could even ask for their input about certain concerns I would have and vice versa.
  • My favorite sharing subject from the weekly small group breakout sessions was “Memories from Childhood.” This subject promoted a feeling of understanding and connection among group members by enabling a sentimental journey into everyone’s history. Talking about our early years brought up a variety of feelings, from reflection to laughter, and gave us an insight into the early events that shaped the people we are now. This topic was the most enjoyable to me since it sparked meaningful stories and strengthened the group’s sense of friendship.

Show and Tell allows my students to connect with each other and build community in a virtual space. They are given a space where they can share personal stories and life dreams with their classmates. Although in-person class time is limited, I encourage everyone to create some time during the semester to give students that space to build friendships. If you are interested in ideas for Show and Tell themes, send me an email and we can surely come up with some fun ideas! 

Write6x6

Battling with AI and Community Building

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I’m taking on both sides of the coin again this week, although I just have a couple of things to say about AI. First, AI has been a part of our lives a lot longer than we think or knew. Second, I’ve spent a good deal of time on voice-activated technology (think ’90s) and it should work a lot better than it does.

For example, I finally changed the female voice of Siri to a male voice because my female was taking on a bit of an attitude, if you know what I mean. Every once in a while you could tell she really thought that you should just do whatever it was you asked her to do – yourself. The male version of Siri has gotten to the point where he just simply doesn’t respond – a bit passive aggressive, it seems, especially when I ask for directions. So, AI, we’re listening, and we are silently grading your actions! (It’s kind of like silently correcting your grammar – but with more attitude)…

Now the other side of the coin is creating a community. I am happy to say that I learned from some excellent GCC instructors here to do this for my online classes. In my classroom classes I would just use my enthusiasm to help create the community, but this is all online and asynchronous – and you and the students have to build that community through the words you choose and how you say it.

My Community Building Exercise has to get going right from week 1, so it is a Discussion Assignment in Canvas, and I start with my own, relatively down-home introduction, with a photo of my family, or our puppy dog. I want them to feel comfortable and get them to want to share as well. But, between that Introduction – Tell Us a Little About Yourself, with a great selfie of a happy young woman we start off by talking about ourselves. For example, above, you see a photo from years ago of my son eating snow. When we went back to Minnesota for a wedding in December a few years ago, we had a magical snowfall, and my son got to eat snow again, one of his favorite things. It’s not something you would generally include in an introduction.

The idea of the more laid-back introduction is to open up and tell something about me (and I mostly talk about how I ended up back in Arizona, when I actually was born here — but never lived here). That’s complicated enough. This is important because we (I’m already using the “royal” we) want to welcome, encourage, and trust what we say to each other in our discussions. We are all in this together. This is what ‘we’ are working on this week…

The Introductions take us wherever it goes. I’ve already mentioned on a previous Canvas page that positive responses help to create a more positive environment – and that was one of those ideas I got from one of the GCC teachers I mentioned. I answer every student during that first week with their own public answer to their introduction, as well as answer, in the public forum, any question they ask of me.

I’ve had some fabulous students from all different study areas, coming from all over the world, and those who have never been outside of Phoenix, but the point is that we share. We share our lives, our experiences, and then we continue throughout the semester — so that it doesn’t stop right there. It’s exciting to meet all of these people! And the last thing I say to them is the last announcement of my module:

“There are no goodbyes for us.  Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.” – Gandhi

And I include this: “This is where we leave the class.  Grades are in, scores are (mostly) high!  You did well – and you lasted the semester!  Please don’t feel that because a few years pass you cannot send me an email about this course.  I’ve had many students re-connect and say, “because of this course I did amazing things.”  Go out and be amazing!“

That’s how I end our community. The community is not over, if you want to contact me you can. And saying goodbye for me is the hardest part.

Estonian composer Arvo Pärt said to a group of us, “If you are walking down the street and you see me, don’t be afraid to say, “Hi.” I’ll appreciate the fact that you did.” Such an internationally famous composer to say something like that to us! And I’ve learned from many of my students that they changed their major because of my class, or it saved them from their difficult semester of STEM classes or I’ve been happy to run into some of my honors students and one said to me, “You were right about the university atmosphere.”

Write6x6

Are You Feeling OK?

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How are you feeling? Do you feel alone in that feeling? Do you think anyone else feels similarly to you? Would it help you to know that other people feel the same way? These are questions that motivated the tradition I started in my classes. I realized that the students were dealing with complex emotions and occasionally felt isolated by those emotions. Survey after survey has found that students are dealing with stress and loneliness, and these feelings that impact students’ mental well-being can contribute to issues with concentration, motivation, and keeping up with their coursework. So, to help students recognize, cope with, and even build connections from their emotional states, I asked them how they were feeling at the beginning of class.  

First, I started with the traditional “What’s filling your bucket, what’s draining your bucket?”.

Then, I tried a scale of pop culture icons. How are you feeling on a scale of Nicholas Cage?

Then, I moved to a scale of memes. How are you feeling on a scale of Sponge Bob memes?

And I ended up settling on a scale of animals. How are you feeling on a scale of llamas?; or dogs, cows, cats, birds, the list goes on. 

It was a small effort initially, but students began to recognize that they had a lot of shared emotions. Many students were tired, stressed, frustrated, or anxious, and they could see that other students felt the same way. At the end of the semester, I asked the students how they felt about the “emotion check,” they shared with me that they felt like they had a chance to express their feelings. Seeing other students feel similarly was comforting. They felt like it showed them that I cared about them as people. In many ways, the students expressed that they felt like the class was a community and that they felt like they were building connections with one another. 

One nice side effect of taking a survey of the students is that if I see a strong pattern, I can do a check in the class and see if I need to pivot to give them greater support. If most students choose the stressed llama, something is going on, and it might be a better use of my time to work with them on what is frustrating them. 

It doesn’t take much time. It is a fast “temperature check” that gives me a clear idea of how the students will respond in class. I find it helpful (and fun). Maybe you will, too.

6x6, GCC, GCCAZ, Glendale Community College, Write6x6

Milestones Define the Student Journey

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The student educational journey is filled with important milestones and new thresholds that they pass on a regular basis. It’s our job as educators to help them navigate each new step. So, let’s have a frank conversation about what that even means to us as Student Success professionals.

At the community college, students come to us from all stages in their lives. We encounter the new-to-college student who just turned 18, experiencing adulthood for the first time, all the way to seasoned adults coming back to reeducate for a new career or promotion. No matter where they come from or at what stage of life they are in, every single one of them is looking to us to help them navigate these milestones. The million-dollar question is always: How?

The simplest answer is, there isn’t one way. Years of student service tells us that national best practices and strategies in student success always comes down to the amount of human interaction we can give to our students. What makes a Guided Pathway model so successful is not just the concept of gathering similar academic programs into one cohesive group, it’s the experience the student has with the advisor in that area who helps them to explore their options. The online FAFSA form students and their parents can fill out within minutes isn’t what helps them to feel confident in their ability to fund their education, it’s the financial aid representative that takes the time to explain the process. Even early alert systems with their ability to help us flag students in crisis are meaningless without the person reaching out to the student to discuss their issues. Academia is great at thinking up innovative strategy to approach student success, but each student and their journey is unique. Implementing strategy is never enough, it inevitably comes down to the that one person on campus interacting with the student, that often times yields the best results.

Like I said before, the student’s journey is a collection of milestones and thresholds. They encounter something new in almost every step of the way. When we work with a student it’s our job to assess in that moment where the student is coming from, what is the issue, and how best can we help. Active listening is paramount to understanding and allowing the student to fully explain or express their questions or concerns before we start telling them the solution. Listening is essential to not only giving the most accurate info, but to also validate who they are and what they are dealing with. In our experience, most students, when they walk into our spaces seeking our help, are just looking for that connection. They are more than ok when we tell them we don’t have an answer for them. Often times our best tool is to sit and listen. Getting to know our students is the first step in providing the right kind of help at the right time.

As a rule, we encourage our students to come back and see us multiple times a semester, not because we feel they need tracking, but because we get to know them and vice versa. Each visit is an opportunity to cultivate mutual respect and trust. Before long the student feels comfortable coming to us when they don’t understand something or encounter a new experience. Our relationship allows us to help them navigate in a way that makes sense and in a manner that makes sense. Which then equates to a better student experience overall. They aren’t intimidated by something new, because they know they have allies who can help them through it.

I challenge you to get to know your students, to evaluate your processes and put student learning and experience at the center of your decisions. Can we take our time during these interactions to allow for better understanding? Can we relate our own stories to help us connect to their experience? Can we remind ourselves that our interaction with our students is the purpose of our work?

Write6x6

Two Roles, One Mission: Supporting GCC Students

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I have a couple of  roles at GCC.  As the primary administrator for Canvas on our campus, I have extensive Canvas knowledge and experience. As an adjunct faculty member for the Psychology Department, I teach the MCCCD curriculum for Psychology 101.

Each semester on the first night of my live online class, I give a tour through my course and show students how to effectively navigate through Canvas. At the end of the tour, I invite students to come to me for help with Canvas, even if the help is related to another course. I let them know I am the Canvas go-to person for faculty and staff and I can also be their personal Canvas go-to person to support them on their academic journey. Every semester at least one student has come to me for Canvas support. Since Canvas is deeply integrated into the teaching process at GCC, helping students cross the Canvas threshold helps them on their learning journey. Through the years there has been several students who expressed how grateful they were for the Canvas support and how my assistance helped them understand how Canvas works.

As faculty, all of us are subject matter experts in our designated area.  However I challenge everyone to ask themselves “What else am I am expert in, and how can that help our GCC students?”

Write6x6

Basic Needs: The Basics

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In light of this week’s prompt…whether traveling the Interstate or taking the scenic route, all travelers need to stop occasionally at rest stops for refueling and rest.  These are basic needs for the journey.  And with that as my segue… I want to look at some key issues arising from the GCC Basic Needs Task Force!

The academic literature on basic needs insecurity among college students continue to grow as it documents with increasing precision the fundamental problems for our students.  I recently spent some time online researching these issues and here is a sampling from that literature.

  • “As the literature grows and improves in quality, the magnitude of food insecurity among college students becomes clearer.  While 11.1% of households nationally were estimated to be experiencing food insecurity in 2018, the estimates of food insecurity among college students are significantly higher in most cases.”[i]
  • “The most recent comprehensive food insecurity study of students at 31 two-year and 35 four-year colleges found that 36% of college students were food insecure.”[ii]
  • “Surveys of community college students typically yield higher estimates of basic needs insecurity.  A 2015 Wisconsin HOPE Lab survey of 4,000 students at 10 community colleges found that 39% of respondents reported low or very low food security, and 52% reported housing insecurity, including 13% who had experienced homelessness.  A 2016 HOPE Lab survey of 33,000 students at 70 community colleges found that 56% of students experienced low or very low food insecurity, 51% were housing insecure, and 14% were homeless.”[iii]

The effects of this food insecurity are far-reaching for our students.

  • “Links between food insecurity and student success seem evident and include lower concentration, energy, test scores, and student retention.  Some suggest there to be a relationship between food security and mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, disordered eating, suicide ideation), which likely influences performance as well.  Finally, food insecurity often coincides with other factors that hamper student success (e.g., difficulties with housing, transportation, time management, employment, affording books, and supplies) and reflect other disparities in higher education.”[iv]
  • “…food insecure students are about three times less likely to be among the highest 10% GPA compared to their food secure counterparts.”[v]

These numbers continue to trend in an alarming trajectory.  Here is nice infographic preview of the numbers for 2023-2024 from The Hope Center for Basic Needs associated with Temple University. 

These numbers track with what we are seeing here at Glendale Community College.  In a recent “GCC College Conversations” Genesis Toole presented a detailed PowerPoint on these issues.  Two of the slides below give us some indication of the challenges our students are facing.

The problem of basic needs insecurity is significant and growing and yet, “Instructors often underestimate the extent of food security on campus and remain unaware of many students in their classrooms who can barely afford to eat.”[vi]

The GCC Basic Needs Task Force exists to spearhead the efforts to both raise awareness regarding these issues as well as move forward with specific actions and policies devoted to overcoming the challenges surrounding basic needs.  But this task force cannot do it alone.  It will take the development of a campus-wide culture of awareness and action. 

Keep your eyes and ears open for more to come from the GCC Basic Needs Task Force that will help create this culture as well as provide the resources needed to overcome the challenges of students’ basic needs insecurities.

     [i] “Food Insecurity Among College Students.” Erica P. Regan. Sociology Compass 14.6 (2020), 7.  Available online: https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/soc4.12790

     [ii] Ibid., 7.

     [iii] “Still Hungry and Homeless in College.” Sara Goldrick-Rab, Jed Richardson, Joel Schneider, Anthony Hernandez, and Clare Cady. Wisconsin Hope Lab (April 2019), 5.  Available online: https://www.bhcc.edu/media/03-documents/voicesofhunger/Wisconsin-HOPE-Lab-Still-Hungry-and-Homeless-April-2018.pdf

     [iv] “University Student Food Insecurity and Academic Performance.”  Robert R. Weaver, Nicole A. Vaughn, et al.  Journal of American College Health 68.7 (2020), 727-728.  Available online: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31063031/

     [v] Ibid., 730.

     [vi] Ibid., 732.

Write6x6

NeuroDiversity – Changing Our World

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They told her that her organs were shutting down and at some point they would have to deliver the baby – no matter what. The answer to the question was that her life was to be spared – period – but they would hold off as long as they could because it was still too early.

Each nurse greeted the woman with “You will not seize on my shift!” and the woman thought, “I didn’t even know that was an option,” lying there, the clock not ticking but jumping hours, missing parts of days until they said, “Baby’s in trouble.” It was said, back then, surgeons had less than three minutes in this situation; I’ve heard from some it’s more like 90 seconds before things can go incredibly wrong. Timing is critical.

The baby remained in the hospital for three and a half months; first in the NICU, (the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, in an isolette) then the Special Care nursery – in an isolette without a top – now that he could regulate his temperature better. He never made it into the “regular” nursery – the one that everyone visits where they have balloons and ooh and aah over recent deliveries. “Ooh, I think she has your nose;” “No, I think he looks more like his father,” “Well, at least he doesn’t look like Aunt Edna!”

Fast forward down the road about twenty years. One of the doctors of this million dollar-March of Dimes baby (and yes, that’s probably what he cost – in 1990s dollars) mentioned that people (referring to colleges because the mother was having difficulty with the college’s Disability Services) would never know how far the boy had come because these individuals couldn’t imagine where his road had started at one pound five and one half ounces.

The starting point. . . How much one has been through and now that individual’s road with varying difficulties with sensory problems, learning, and communication issues, has led to the doorstep of a college. Speaking as a college professor, I’ve found that the colleges (and universities where I’ve taught) seem to concentrate on the doorstep. It’s easy not to admit someone, but to truly admit someone when that individual has special needs or is on the spectrum might be a better place to start on that road.

Not realizing how tremendously far an individual has come, remember, timing is critical, the obstacles overcome, the communication deficits struggled with and achieved is really where the conversation begins. The physicians know how incredibly smart that student is because of testing to the nth degree, witnessing the determination to achieve even while lying in an isolette trying simply to gain a few ounces. Remember, the next time someone shows up on your doorstep, that individual’s IQ might be equal to or higher than yours, but the road that person took may have been riddled with unbelievable obstacles and may have taken much longer to get to and through this doorstep. It won’t show in traditional ways.

“If we make it difficult, or at least, not any easier, maybe he’ll go away.” Is that how you want to be remembered – for making it difficult for someone else to learn? I’ve been surprised by unlikely sources as I witnessed this happen, but I believe we need to help people learn. I know that GCC has been very good in helping students, but I’m casting my net at a wider audience.

Dr. Temple Grandin, the gifted autistic author, scholar, and expert animal behaviorist, credits those with autism (just one of the many kinds of disabilities in our world) as the people who truly change our world through their new ideas. Think about it.

Remember the March of Dimes and Autism Awareness.

Dr. Anne Kilstofte volunteers with Silver Spur Therapeutic Riding Center of Cave Creek for children and adults with SPECIAL NEEDS and works very hard to ensure that her students’ disability needs are met in her Musicology classes at GCC. She is pictured below at a fundraiser for SSTRC with “Rhoney.”

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Podcast Power: Happiness

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Recently, I have started listening to podcasts by Dr. Laurie Santos titled The Happiness Lab. I have enjoyed learning how our brains are wired to remember negative experiences over positive ones and how we can find happiness in the smallest things. This podcast has not necessarily had a profound impact on my class instruction rather on myself and the kindness I have toward the human condition. 

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

The Happiness Lab speaks to the stress we put on ourselves and how that stress affects our bodies and minds. I have taught future elementary educators for the past 5 years. They are some of the most dedicated learners I have ever taught. However, they are also some of the most overwhelmed and self-critical students I have encountered. 

By listening to The Happiness Lab I have learned how to create healthier habits within myself and I am sharing what I have learned with my students. My students exhibit the effects of stress and I have found myself suggesting and sharing information from the podcast. Through listening to The Happiness Lab, my desire to help my students has increased to areas outside of the course content.