A tool for parents to give to their child's classroom teacher to create a partnership on how to handle adoption in the classroom.
Increases teachers understanding of how families are built by adoption.
Gives teachers tools to deal with awkward situations when questions come up about adoption
Provides research on adoptee's success in school and life
Helps teachers play an important role in increasing acceptance of all non-traditional families
Provides resources for integrating adoption into everyday curriculum
Suggests positive adoption language to enhance the acceptance of adoption
S.A.F.E. at School
Presents 5 proactive strategies to help teachers create a positive adoption environment in school: Acceptance, Accuracy, Assignments, Assistance, and Advocacy. Background material is included on: adoption today, unique educational needs of some students, and how students at all ages are likely to comprehend the complexities of adoption. Guidelines and examples are provided to improve communication about adoption while protecting the privacy of personal adoption stories. S.A.F.E at School Stands For: Support Adoptive Families by Educators
W.I.S.E. UP Powerbook
Leads young readers through the questions, the feelings, the different ways the topic of adoption is brought up by peers, and how to handle situations as they arise. Kids are given choices on how to respond with several different examples. The topic of adoption in the media is also discussed and asks kids to examine what they have seen, heard, and read and to decide what they think about the way adoption is portrayed. The case examples illustrate a variety of typical adoption situations, domestic and international, that adopted children deal with daily at school and in their neighborhoods. Children who read and use the "W.I.S.E. Up Power Books" will learn they're not alone. They'll find the skills they need to handle any question or situation with confidence and purpose.
