When the drug crisis hits home

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When the drug crisis hits home

No one wants to read about drug addiction, abuse, overdose numbers and young death. Why should they? Why should anyone who is steady, healthy and cogent enough to be combing a newspaper, or scanning news on their iPhone care much about someone who — all the world assumes — lost their own future, made avoidable mistakes? Not my lane. Not my worry. Not my world, right? Wrong.

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Nearing the Falls in America’s Drug Crisis

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Nearing the Falls in America’s Drug Crisis

Never before in American history has our country faced a drug abuse, drug crime, and drug overdose crisis of the magnitude now confronting our society. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced that more than 50,000 Americans last year died from drug overdoses. That is a surge of death around us.

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Not Everyone High On Legalizing Pot

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Not Everyone High On Legalizing Pot

As California follows along with other states legalizing recreational marijuana, there’s at least one local voice trying to be heard through the thickening smoke.

Lynn Fox, Ph.D, founder of Powerful Teachers and Parents, has been waging her own war against marijuana for decades. With society deeming the drug more acceptable and legalization sweeping the nation, she feels her message is more urgent than ever.

“It’s a billion-dollar industry,” says Dr. Fox. “And all of this is about the money.”

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Our Littlest, Most Vulnerable Ones Are Going to Pot→

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Our Littlest, Most Vulnerable Ones Are Going to Pot

Nine states are carrying measures to legalize marijuana on the Nov. 8 ballot — California, Nevada, Maine, Arizona, Massachusetts, Florida, Arkansas, Montana, and North Dakota. Pot peddlers claim the industry will boost jobs and grow the economy.

But the marijuana industry isn’t interested in the occasional or casual adult user. Like any drug industry, this group is interested in addicts — people who start using early and make it a lifetime habit. Maybe that’s why they don’t care about how their drugs are affecting babies — and why they occasionally take measures to market their products to pregnant women.

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Marijuana Facts about Youth

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Marijuana Facts for Youth
Effects on the Brain and Development
·        If marijuana use starts in adolescence, the chances of addiction are 1 in 6.

·       The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s December 2012 Marijuana Drug Fact Information states: Research has shown that, in chronic use, marijuana’s abuse impact on learning and memory persists after the acute effects of the drug wear off, when marijuana use begin in adolescence, the effects may persist for many years.  

·       Science confirms that the adolescent brain, particularly the part of the brain that regulates the planning complex cognitive behavior, personality expression, decision-making and social behavior, is not fully developed until the early to mid-20’s. 

·       Well designed studies on marijuana and intelligence found that persistent, heavy use of marijuana by adolescents reduces IQ by as much as 8 points, when tested well into adulthood.

Effects on School Performance
·       According to data on marijuana use in youth from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2006), teens who grades averaged “D” were four times more likely to have smoked marijuana in the past year than students who grades averaged “A”.

·       Other studies have found that marijuana use is linked with dropping out of school and subsequent unemployment, social welfare dependence, and a lower self-reported quality of life then non-marijuana abusing people. The average age of starting use is 12 years & 4 months.
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·     In Colorado, prior to legalization (2011), 10.7% of youth were current marijuana users, compared to 7.6% nationally.  In Colorado Springs in 2012, positive tests for marijuana made up 57% of total drug screenings of high school students, compared to 33% in 2007.
·       “If Denver Public High School were considered a state, that state would have the highest past month marijuana use rate in the United States, behind New Hampshire.  Denver now has more marijuana dispensaries than liquor stores or licensed pharmacies.” – Dr Christian Thurstone, Denver Health Medical Center


From Missouri Substance Abuse Prevention Network, 428 E. Capitol Ave, Jefferson, MO 65101

IMPORTANT TV Series to WATCH: Show #1 Teacher Expectations & Student Success

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DESCRIPTIONS OF YOUTUBE LINKS

FOR TV SERIES:

TEACHER EXPECTATIONS & STUDENT SUCCESS (ACHIEVEMENT)

By Dr. Lynn Fox & Sandra Elliot, M.A.

YouTubes Now: Click NOW

Watch TESA Interaction #1

Watch TESA Interactions 2 & 3

SHOW #1:

Introduction &

Part 1

“Equal Response Opportunities for All Students :TESA #1”

Click here to view on YouTube NOW:

 

This is the

first part of the 5 part TV series entitled Teacher Expectations and Student Success for regular & substitute teachers in all classrooms.

Parents and School Administrators  will find this information very important, too.

PART 1:

July13 @ 7-7:30 pm

Marin County channels 26 & 99

July 9 @ 7:30-8:00 pm      

Pacific Coast cites channels 27 & 28

see below for specifics

In the Introduction, Dr. Lynn Fox gives an overview of the 15 teacher interactions covered in this series of five ½ hour shows.

Three main areas will be covered:

1 . equal opportunities to be engaged in classroom learning

2 .clear feedback on whether they know the know where they stand

3 . personal regardfor everyone in the classroom

In Part 1, Dr. Fox and Sandra Elliot describe the importance of giving low achievers the same opportunities as high achievers to create more learning and fewer behavior problems in any classroom. Additional suggestions are made to help substitute teachers. For more information go to: https://substituteteacherhandbook.org

PART 2:“Giving Students Effective Feedback & Using Proximity in the Classroom”

 

Effective Feedback & Proximity (TESA# 2 & 3).

This video focuses on the second half of TV SPECIAL #1.

This program provides teachers with various ways to provide more effective feedback to all students, especially low achievers. Dr. Fox and Sandra Elliot discuss how teachers can deliver feedback as to whether student responses are correct or incorrect, and do it in such a way that students are clearer about what needs to be improved, while also being more motivated to do the task.

Proximity deals with personal regard or ways to develop more positive relationships between teachers and students. A teacher who uses proximity is simply getting closer than one arm's distance from students. Strategies are suggested such as using the "T Formation" to make sure that, at all times, the teacher is facing her/his students and moving around the classroom.

Please stay tuned

WEEKLY

for all parts of the TV SPECIAL:

EVERY WEDNESDAY JULY 13-AUGUST 10

MARIN CTY CHANNELS 26 & 99 @ 7:00-7:30 PM

EVERY SATURDAY JULY 2-30

PAC COAST CHANNELS 26 & 27 @ 7:30-8:00 PM

Go to our website for more information:

Substituteteacherhandbook.org