Adriana's FNED 546 Notebook: Thoughts & Takeaways

As we wrap up this semester, I've been thinking a lot about how the theoretical frameworks we've discussed in class translate into the actual "lived experience" of a classroom.  Moving through this course during a particularly busy season in my personal life has provided a unique opportunity to see where academic concepts can connect into our daily lives.  Below are three key experiences and areas that stood out to me as I reflect on our time together.  Play as a Critical Pedagogical Tool While much of my current work is in the informal education space at a farm, my teaching journey actually stems in the team-building, group dynamics, and the leadership development space.  My time facilitating at an environmental education center in Fishkill, NY, and instructing courses with NYC Outward Bound  (NYCOBS) built the foundation for how I approach teaching and learning.   Those experiences didn't have 'classrooms.' We just had each other and nature.  A...

  Author & Text:  Guidance for RI Schools on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students  -- RIDE, 2016;  Queering Our Schools  -- Rethinking Schools; Woke Kindergarten Read Aloud: It Feels Good to Be Yourself  by Theresa Thorn -- YouTube video.  ARGUMENT The RIDE guidance argues that schools have a legal and ethical obligation to protect the privacy and identity LGBTQ+ students to ensure educational equity.  While the  2025/2026 Joint Reaffirmation Guidance  from the Attorney General's office attempted to shift the 2016 "shoulds" into "musts" as a shield agains federal rollbacks, the system remains "janky" at best.   The language of these protections is still incredibly loose. While students have a right to "feel safe," the definition of safety is dangerously subjective. The point that struck me most was that schools are still not required to include gender-neutral spaces in new construction or renovations.  This is...

Author and Text:  Child Mind Institute, "What is Neurodiversity?" Reflection & Connections: Neurodiversity is defined not as a set of deficits, but as a natural diversity in how human brains navigate the world.  Looking back on my own academic experience, I recognize that there was an invisible "Game of School" being played every day.  I quickly learned how to perform and fit into the Factory Model this game operates on.  While my ability to "play the game" served me well as a child, I now wish that such a performance hadn't been necessary in the first place.  It's far too common for neurodiverse students to be labeled as "problems" in classrooms simply because they are bored, overwhelmed, or frustrated.  In these cases, the classroom system is failing to provide a proper environmental fit . My own journey has reinforced that "trying harder" to fit a rigid mold can't be the goal.  Even when students successfully force t...

 Technically all of my students are considered troublemakers.  When they are gathered together at the farm, they don't really make trouble though.  Most of them are excited and to be outside and getting to work with their hands. My biggest 'troublemaker' right now is a child who wanders off.  She's very sweet and kind, however she doesn't always want to be part of the group.  I've spoken with her about this on a few occasions and she's very receptive to feedback.  Once she realized that her wandering is a safety concern and a sign of disrespect to the other students, she started being more involved.  I'm really proud of her progress! I work with middle school students -- this student is a caucasian 7th grader. 

Author and Text: Carla Shalaby, Troublemakers: Lessons in Freedom From Young Children at School (Preface and Introduction) Reflection: Reading the preface and introduction to Carla Shalaby's Troublemakers felt eerily similar to what I see every day in my work as a non-traditional educator, and in my own experiences as a student.  Shalaby's core argument is that the students we label as "troublemakers" are actually warning us of an environment that's not working.  As educators we can't help but notice their challenging behaviors. These behaviors don't mean children are broken, bad, or less valuable. Instead, they show us that something deeper is going on.  Our "troublemakers" are our best warning systems.  In my post last week, "Managed Not Taught,"  I explored my own experience of moving to a school system that didn't know how to handle my boredom and ended up physically isolating me to be an "aide" in a Pre-K classroom du...