Anne Foley

Mom of 2 |Educator 👩🏽‍🏫 📖 L O V E to learn and read 📚 (She/Her) coffee ☕️ is a staple♥️

[Anne Foley @annefoleyrece]

@Xposed Literally every Jays fan. This is our team and OUR turn! Let’s get it done

[Anne Foley @annefoleyrece]

@Xposed My husband! Although my daughter would be pissed 😂

[Anne Foley @annefoleyrece]

@Whataburger @cismemphis First year teacher! Thanks for the opportunity 🩷🙏 https://t.co/yGGNaAtm2X 

[CTV News Barrie @CTVBarrieNews]

Firefighter camp designed to ignite career paths of young women https://t.co/kt2OpIfNgX

[Xposed @Xposed]

If the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Boston Bruins tonight in Game 7 I will be giving a bunch of people who are reposting this and following me @Xposed $250.

#LeafsForever

[Anne Foley @annefoleyrece]

@Xposed My daughter who is 20, played rep hockey as a goalie most of her life until she aged out 😢and unfortunately has never been to a game🩷 including pic of her younger days. 🥅🏒

[Xposed @Xposed]

Here we are again..

Giving away a bunch of Leaf tickets to Saturdays game where the leafs will tie up the series at 2 a piece.

How to enter?
1. Follow @Xposed ✅
2. Retweet this tweet ✅
3. Comment who you will bring to the game✅

#LeafsForever 

Choosing all winners tonight by 10:00 PM EST if you’re not from Toronto but still a leaf fan I will fly you out and pay for travel.

[Anne Foley @annefoleyrece]

Yes!!

[Hall @teachforever54]

I say and firmly believe this: If a student gets to your classroom, regardless of the grade level, and they can’t read, YOU ARE IT! No matter what has happened before you, the question becomes: Will you be the one to get that student some additional help?

[five from five @FIVEfromFIVE]

Have you explored our educator resources lately? https://t.co/7WMxIqInnq It is structured around the five ‘keys’ to reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension

[five from five @FIVEfromFIVE]

Children need explicit and systematic instruction in the five essential components of reading in every classroom, every day. This should begin in the first year of school when they are around five years old. Find out more at https://t.co/cFGHboFS2x

[Anne Foley @annefoleyrece]

Sad to hear of the passing of @DianeKashin1 . Her work in ECE is her lagacy. 🩷

"We are all in the same storm... but each of us is in a different boat." - Diane Kashin #EEYC #KindnessMatters #begentle

[Dr. Bryan Pearlman #MaslowBeforeBloom @DrP_Principal]

Why “Maslow Before Bloom”?

There was a boy named JJ. He was very little when two of his siblings died in a fire. JJ survived but had severe asthma as a result of exposure to inhaling a great deal of smoke. Mom fell out of the picture and grannie raised him and his cousins. In reality, the streets raised JJ. JJ was an explorer and a “frequent flyer” to the counselor and assistant principal’s office. Some of these visits were due to disrupting the class and others were daily stops on his wandering around the building tour. There were times when he would look pre-occupied or deep in thought. When asked about it, he either could not articulate what he was thinking or said he’d rather not speak about it.

As difficult as JJ’s behaviors could be in class, there was something very likeable about JJ. He was a salesman, negotiator, and finagler. JJ had great eye contact, a big smile, and an infectious laugh.

The day before winter break, JJ was sent to the office for being extremely disrespectful to a substitute teacher. The assistant principal lectured him (probably yelled at him) and told him about how disappointed he was in JJ. The conversation went on to how many people were in JJ’s corner and how maybe JJ was just wasting their time if he wasn’t going to step up and do the right thing. JJ cried for the first time that anyone at school could remember. He promised that he would do better and that he was sorry for letting everyone down.

Word spread through the building that the Assistant Principal “stuck it” to JJ. Several staff members stopped by the Assistant Principal’s office to give him a high five and to thank him for being tough on JJ. The assistant principal went home and felt proud of himself for making JJ cry and for teaching him a lesson. He then went on to enjoy winter break with his family, knowing that things would be different and easier with JJ when they returned in January.

A few days later on Christmas day, I received a phone call from the head principal. JJ had a severe asthma attack and died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

I went to JJ’s funeral. Grannie told stories about JJ as a baby, toddler, and as a child. She smiled and cried as she detailed memories of his mischief and also the many kind and thoughtful acts he did for his little sister. Grannie then talked about how much he liked his school, his friends, and playing kickball. Grannie paused, surveyed the room, and looked me right in the eyes. She said that the person he loved the most and the one who cared most about him was Dr Bryan Pearlman - his assistant principal. I got up and left. I was crying uncontrollably.

I would have given anything to have five more minutes with JJ. I would have apologized for my behavior and for making him cry. I would have promised him that I would learn more and do better moving forward. I would have told him about how much I enjoyed spending time with him. I would have told him about how amazing he was!

Shame on me. I didn’t know anything about mental health or trauma. I suspended kids and really believed that they would come back with a better attitude and improved behaviors. I kept sending the same students home over and over and really expected a different outcome (this is the definition of insanity). This was particularly ineffective for students dealing with anxiety, depression, or trauma.

Take some time to think about your own “JJ”. Think of one new thing you will try that may help the relationship and reduce the negative behaviors.

I think of JJ every day. I miss him so much! Christmas is always the hardest time. I remember that phone call like it was yesterday.

“Maslow Before Bloom”

Join a community of caring educators, mental health professionals and others who are committed to helping all students to succeed in school and life at the “Maslow Before Bloom” Facebook group: https://t.co/015cLKjJ1m.

[Anne Foley @annefoleyrece]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[Dr. Bryan Pearlman #MaslowBeforeBloom @DrP_Principal]

Mikey was a student who exhibited some of the most extreme behaviors for a young student. He had already received three superintendent level suspensions before he completed third grade. Mikey had more days out of school than in school. The behaviors included many physical altercations with students and staff, destruction of school property, consistent and significant disruption of the classroom (and school), and eloping from campus.

As principal, I really should have been listed as the teacher of record for Mikey, since he was in my office every day for several hours. Mikey was off-task pretty close to 100% of the time. Nothing in my toolbox worked well to reduce the negative behaviors.

A colleague suggested that we give him a “special job” in the building with more responsibility than his behaviors had warranted. At first I thought this was a very bad idea. But what choice did I have? Nothing else had worked. Worst case scenario, this too wouldn’t work and I would be in no worse place than where I had started. I asked for his recommendation. He suggested that we put him in charge of announcing the buses at arrival and dismissal. I told him that this sounded like a really bad idea. The thought of giving Mikey a walkie-talkie seemed to be a recipe for disaster. Mikey used words that even made me blush. Each classroom had a walkie in it too. I could just picture the damage control that I would have to do after Mikey used a four-letter word for the whole world to hear. My colleague reminded me about what I had to lose and the fact that nothing else had worked.

I went digging in our school’s basement and found an old bright orange crossing guard vest (circa 1985), a really beat up “Lil Captain” badge, and a Radio Shack walkie-talkie. On Friday afternoon, I called Mikey down to my office. I asked if he would be interested in a job at school. He asked for some information about the job. I told him that we really needed help with buses arriving and leaving each day since Dr. P was really bad at it. Mikey agreed that Dr. P was really bad at it and he said that he would like that job. I gave him his uniform and asked that he report on Monday morning.

Very early on Monday morning, I heard a mini-van door slam closed. I looked out the window and recognized the mini-van and the student walking up our sidewalk. Mikey walked straight into my office with a dry cleaning bag over his shoulder. He sat the bag down and pulled out a perfectly cleaned and ironed crossing guard vest with a very shiny badge on it. Mikey put these items on and saluted me. He said, “Captain Mikey reporting for duty sir”. He then took out the walkie-talkie. It had a “Captain Mikey” label on it (his mom must have used a home labeling machine to make this for him). I looked carefully at him and realized that he was completely serious, completely excited about his new job, and had a big smile across his face (I had never seen him smile before).

Mikey was very successful with calling buses as they arrived. In addition, our dismissal process ran like clockwork with Captain Mikey on the job. I have to admit that he was much better at this job than I was. Captain Mikey expanded his job description to help younger kids as they crossed in front of the buses. He even became the king of giving fellow students high fives and morning greetings. Mikey’s behaviors reduced by at least 95% almost immediately.

Even students with the most challenging behaviors have the potential for turning it around. Mikey rose to the occasion, felt needed, experienced success for perhaps the first time, and his behaviors improved significantly.

Thank you for doing whatever it takes to help students to succeed in school and life!

Join the “Maslow Before Bloom” Facebook group: https://t.co/015cLKjJ1m

[SCDSB Mental Health and Well-Being @SCDSB_MHWB]

Today we recognize National Indigenous Peoples Day. @FNMI_SCDSB @SCDSB_Schools

[GCIndigenous @GCIndigenous]

National Indigenous Peoples Day is coming up! Events across the country will highlight the heritage and achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Learn more: https://t.co/dmBxUJJ8MK
#NIPD2023

[Jarrett Lerner @Jarrett_Lerner]

Reading aloud — it’s pretty amazing for kids (and grownups, too)! Whatever you’re doing this summer, make sure to spend some time reading aloud to the children in your life.

[Anne Foley @annefoleyrece]

Seriously, this is the best!

[vanessa vakharia @TheMathGuru]

We’re having a legit Grade 11 Exam Party right now. You heard that right: EXAM. PARTY. Lootbags, snacks, VNPS’s, tea lattes…kids actually love learning math if you let them🎈#mtbos #iteachmath

[Robert Kaplinsky @robertkaplinsky]

I love Leah Alcala's alternative method for grading tests. She found that when she put a grade on it, "kids would look at their grade, decide whether they were good at math or not, and put the test away." Here's her method: https://t.co/fYEcBQvg9I #iteachmath #MTBoS

[Novel Effect 📚🎶 @Novel_Effect]

FLASH GIVEAWAY!🎉

To celebrate the end of the school year, we're back with another Novel Effect Summer Reading giveaway! Win #NovelEffect Premium access for all the students in your class☀️#EdTech

1️⃣Follow us
2️⃣Like this❤️
3️⃣Tag a teacher & share your fav summertime read-aloud

[Anne Foley @annefoleyrece]

This 💜💜

[ShelfieTalk @ShelfieTalk]

“I hope this book will open you up to understanding the people you may have never spoken to because of their differences from you. We are not as different as you think, and all our stories matter and deserve to be celebrated and told.” ⁦@IamGMJohnson⁩ #ASDWReads