CJs SkatePark....Epic.

Friday was my second visit to Etobicoke's finest, CJ's SkatePark. If you didn't catch my first post, written about their Saturday Spec. Ed Skate Program, you can see it Here to get caught up.

Now that we're all caught up...

CJ's is a not for profit project created by a couple of die-hard skateboarders, who--I have been told, if you know anything about "old school skateboarding" are some well known names. The space used to be one small room, but since a recent move and renovation, calls 60 Horner Avenue home (a huge industrial space). The space is nothing short of expansive and immaculate. They really thought of everything when they made this space; meeting the needs of advanced skateboarders, and special needs kids alike...no small feat for a not for profit. Did I mention they have a "surgically clean air machine"?

So the guy making it all happen is Jay, and working with him is a team of incredibly and dare I say...also "die-hard" and maybe even "old school" skateboarders; in the mix are some instructors, who are lucky enough to spend full-time hours employed by this unbelievable place.

Not only is every single person there incredibly friendly and helpful, but they made my students feel like...the "regular kids" they are. Unlike any other field trip I have been on in the history of my teaching career, there was no gawking, no smirks, no inadvertent stares; we were embraced with open arms and encouraged to try everything at our own space. I made one request, "do you think we could lose the music, it's a bit echo-y in here and might be distracting and over stimulating"; before I even finished the explanation, the music was off and calm was restored.

Ok you get it, they are AWESOME...but what did we do?

When we arrived they greeted each kids, and provided us with helmets, knee-pads, wrist-pads and elbow pads. We got suited-up in their lounge area (an incredible space with couches, a big screen tv, and tons of colouring supplies..which we love..); we met our instructors and headed into the largest skate-park I have ever seen.

We transitioned well into the space, and started by sliding down the ramps on our knees; this helped our kids learn to brace for a fall if they happen to lose their balance on the board; it also helped prepare the kids for the feeling of motion. Once the little ramp was mastered, we moved to a bigger one, and a bigger one, and finally climbed a long staircase up to the 20 foot ramp. When we got to the top, our instructors set up foam blocks for the kids to crash-into as they slide down the huge slide. Once we got comfortable with the feeling of motion, they gave us skateboards!

There were no words for how much fun the kids had. We took a lunch break and then headed to play in the massive foam block pit. The foam block pit is exactly what it sounds like; a huge pool filled with foam blocks for the kids to run, crash and crawl through. If you think our small ball tent at school is a hit, times that by a million and that was the enjoyment that came from this foam pit. Just to clarify here....

This is our Fitness and Coordination teacher, and skateboarder, Andy falling into the foam pit after skateboarding down a 20 foot ramp and flipping into the blocks...Best...Gym Teacher....Ever...

After the foam pit, which we had to literally bargain with our kids to get them out of....we went to try skateboarding in "the bowl"; the bowl is mostly flat, with small ramps along the outside making a bowl shape.  Our kids slide down the bowl, and practiced managing balance on the board in various ways. Their staff were so patient, and so invested in our kids. They needed very little guidance, and were more than willing to engage in a child-centered way (i.e. following the lead of our kids).

The best part is, if we go back again we will have the same instructors that our kids now know and love. Thank you Phil and Greg for your effort and enthusiasm!  At CJ's they have really thought of everything, which leads me to believe that are some people on the inside of CJ's who really understand the nature and needs of kids with various ASDs and other communicative and/or social needs...for that, the whole community thanks-you.

All in all, a fun time was had by all and our kids left begging for us to take them back...and we have already booked our next visit.

Making the most of teachable moments

Whenever we venture into the community for a field trip, I give special thought to my approach. I end up having lots of time to chat with my staff about encouraging those teachable moments, and also have a chance to interact with both staff and students in a truly hands-on and interactive way. Going into the community provides both teachable moments for my talented teaching professionals, and also my talented early learners; both of which help generalize skills taught in the school environment.

In the past 3 weeks we have attended a Fun Fair, the Ontario Science Center, and the Royal Ontario Museum. Some were more accommodating than others (not impressed that the ROM wanted to charge us to check coats when bag check was free); the Fun Fair even discounted our rate by 50% because our group had extra needs. All the places allowed our 1:1s to attend for free, and we only had to argue with the TTC once about it. All in all, it was a huge success and the community was warm and receptive to each teaching moment.

The Science Center was FULL of teachable moments, the most important of which was to focus on the requirement to communicate (for example to "go this way" or "come see this", "hold my hand"); with 1:1 support, this was more than possible for our kiddies. A lot kids get in the habit of not using their words, but the more motivating the ultimate destination or tangible, the more likelihood of you getting a desired response (i.e. using your words). Because there was SO MUCH to see, we got to practice this skill over and over as we viewed each unique exhibit; we probably practiced the skill over 50 times. How's that for repetition? GO TEAM! :)

During all of our community adventures, we practice an important social skill; we practice "waiting nicely" over and over and over again. Waiting in line, waiting for the bus, waiting for our turn, waiting for an activity to start, waiting for friends to finish, waiting for snack/lunch; during these moments, we practice different ways of engaging ourselves and actively plan for these skills to generalize into the class and community. We often sing waiting songs to remind us what we are doing; we choose one word like "waiting" and sing it over and over to a tune we all know (head and shoulders, London bridge, and so on); I find this activity helps prevent that feeling that some of our kids get when they are unsure of exactly what is happening (I imagine it is something like...."why aren't we moving, whats going on, I want to move...AH!"). Keeping focused on the waiting song also helps keep my little ones from getting lost in the sensory overload that could be impending at any moment when out in the community.

Out in the community there is also the opportunity to practice minding personal space, making eye-contact, receptive listening, quiet voices, calm bodies, walking feet, and using gentle hands to name but a few. Really, the list just goes on and on...there are so many opportunities to teach and generalize skills, you shouldn't have to search that hard to make skill development happen. There's also the obvious need to be reinforcing those spontaneous skills that emerge; anytime a skill happens in a new environment, that's a small victory and should be celebrated as such! Don't be afraid to throw a party, even if you are the Royal Ontario Museum.

On that note, I thought I would go into detail about some of the ways I have embarrassed myself and inspired my kids....all within the community.
1. The impromptu Hokey Pokey at the Fun Fair (some even joined in)
2. The Goodmorning Train sung while riding the TTC
3. The Hokey Pokey AGAIN on the sidewalk
4.Little Fish sung in front of the Aquarium

I may look silly, and I may bother some people, but for my kids this is just one way I support skill development and ensure that meaningful contextual learning occurs. If I sparked just one light bulb...I have done my job.

How do you support learning in the community?
Comments? Questions? I am all ears.