More About Personnel

I have a colleague that always asks me, "How is the Delta Force today?"
When describing what the Delta Program is at a staff meeting, I made a joke comparing the Delta Program to the militant Delta Force. While I am ultimately responsible for what happens in my classroom, to say that I am responsible for the successes and failures would be false. Ultimately, it is up to the child whether they make any progress. We pitch the ball; it's up to him/her to hit it.

In my last post I mentioned Marie Moncure. She prefers the title "My beautiful and capable assistant, Marie Moncure." Marie provides critical care to those who really need it. Perhaps the word that should be italicized in the previous sentence is the word "care".
Marie has learned over the last 3 years to identify the source of a child's emotional disturbance (E.D.). I can't remember the specifics, but just the other day she described to me the inner-workings of a certain kid's nuttiness. I was awed by her spot-on analysis.
Following her perceptive abilities are her demonstrations of love. This is where she really shines.

Quite often we receive kids from incredibly dysfunctional homes. For instance, one of my kids received a phone call from his mother to let him know that he was not invited to her wedding. Nice, huh?
Sidenote: Typically, a girl who is raised without a Dad will act out. A boy who is raised without a mother is a wreck.
Marie provides these kids with much needed maternal nourishment. She'll braid the girls' hair while their doing their schoolwork. Or she'll give a boy that indescribable encouragement that only a mother can give.
Does she get a little carried away with it sometimes? Does she get too emotionally involved with these kids? You bet. But I'd rather see someone error on the side of caring too much than error on the side of apathy.

Janet Martin is our school social worker. Busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger, she provides our kids with individual and group counseling, takes care of Medicaid stuff, and isn't afraid to tell a kid the truth. I've really come to appreciate this woman's talents in her 2nd year with us.
She doesn't get to spend a lot of time in the Delta classroom, but her services are priceless. By the way, Janet is ripe with child. She should be delivering the little bambino any day now.

Laura Brown, my mentor and creator of the system we use, has taken over Kurt Vonnegut's Humanism. It's amazing to watch her work. When it comes E.D. stuff, Laura is the master. It's a shame I don't utilize her knowledge and experience as much as I should.

These folks and others make up the "Delta Force". (To be read in a triumphant voice): We fight to take care of and defend throw-away kids-- kids with extreme mental and emotional baggage-- and create a safe and peaceful place for these kids to receive an education.