Fall President’s Message
Welcome back to a new school year ahead! We hope you had a chance to rest and recharge this summer.
I had the opportunity to present with Dr. Gordon Flett at the LD@school Educators’ Institute this summer; we spoke on Maximizing Mattering: Empowering Students to Learn, Grow and Adapt to Challenges.
We know from research that students thrive when they feel they matter.
We also know that EVERYONE needs to matter to the people in their lives, (students, educators, families/caregivers, and community). A sense of mattering to others, and to ourselves, can be great sources of adaptability and resilience. Unfortunately, too many young people feel that they don’t matter; they can feel like they are insignificant, invisible and without voice at school or in life in general.
Mattering is something we carry within us and focusing on key messages of resiliency can support internalizing a sense of mattering, self-compassion, validating help-seeking, stress management as well as support.
We know from the research that:
- Mattering is A MUST (ideally, it comes first)
- Mattering is POWERFUL (and so is not mattering)
- Mattering is MODIFIABLE
- Mattering is VITAL IN BUILDING RESILIENCE & ADAPTABILITY
- Mattering LIFTS EVERYONE UP
When we promote a sense of mattering, we provide a core support for all students, and particularly for students with LD, ADHD and neurodiverse profiles. A sense of mattering supports learning, motivation and adjustment.
All students need:
- A school where they matter & are noticed
- Deep listening from people who matter to them
- A sense their voice matters in decisions & in learning
- Social/emotional skills to buffer anti-mattering experiences
- Opportunity for valued roles, to know they make a difference.
We thank you, our CEC members, for making a difference every day, for students and families/caregivers and educators. Thank you for all you do.
We have our exciting Ontario CEC Annual Special Education Conference coming up on December 5 and 6. Please click here to open the conference brochure. We hope you will join us for this exciting learning and networking opportunity!