Ms. J-ay-ay-ayne!

By Jane, AmeriCorps Promise Fellow serving at Laura Jeffrey Academy

"I have a particularly strong connection with my sole fifth grader on my list who I support during a 3rd period class–our connection is known throughout the whole school, staff and students alike. We made matching earrings and bracelets in Swiftie Club and she sings my name in a way everyone knows (something along the lines of “Ms. J-ay-ay-ayne”).

She also seeks me out when she needs something before anyone else, even if this requires searching every room in the whole school. This student has a surplus of energy which is not always used positively. She often becomes dysregulated for attention, not being able to sit and focus for long, and tends to distract the people around her.

One day, her heightened disruptions and poor behavior landed her an email home to her caregivers about it. The day after this was received, she walked into school quietly. Her head was down and she did not yell my name as she usually would. She stood next to me without saying anything as if she was waiting for me to probe what was wrong. I greeted her and asked if something was wrong when she revealed her teacher sent an email to her parents about her disruptions. She felt as if her teacher was “snitching” on her. I acknowledged and uplifted her feelings, then asked her how her teacher likely felt about her behavior and having to email home. She thought for a moment, then admitted to acting poor as of late and showed understanding of why she got an email home. She also admitted that she is in control of her actions and perhaps acts out to garner attention.

I asked if we could work together to come up with a plan to better manage her energy which she accepted. We agreed to check in with each other at the beginning of 3rd period–if she felt as if she needed a movement break then, we would take one, or we would wait until halfway through the class period to do so. She wanted me to let her know when she was getting rowdy, showing a commitment to bettering herself.

She is like a brand new student after these interventions were implemented and I am very proud to have contributed to this."