Stories of Children’s Lives Changed

LSEM > stories
Apr
08
Growth through perseverance

I began working with a student last spring who has the biggest heart but struggles with reading comprehension. He often needs extra support to understand the text. However, through consistent practice, encouragement, and a growing willingness to engage with stories, he has begun to approach reading with more confidence and focus.  A recent reading discussion highlighted this […]

Posted in: Uncategorized,
Apr
01
Mentors make the difference

My W.O.W. story this year is different from other years. Don’t get me wrong. My students have done an exceptional job, and I couldn’t be prouder of them. However, this year’s W.O.W. is not for them. It is for me. Three years ago, I had the privilege of joining the LSEM team, working alongside Jill […]

Posted in: Uncategorized,
Mar
25
Sometimes the solution is simple

When I came to Bethlehem Lutheran last year, I heard stories of a 2nd grader who struggled with the non-academic parts of a school day, like handling transitions, interpersonal skills, managing his workload, staying focused and on task at school, and regulating his emotions. This year I started working with him as a 3rd grader. He and […]

Posted in: Uncategorized,
Mar
18
Breaking the Rules….No Dice!  

The latest game I introduced to some of my students is a math game called No Dice!  When I bought it, I worried it might be too difficult for some of my students. But it was cheap, so I picked it up thinking I could probably modify it if necessary. The idea is to roll the 5 dice to make […]

Posted in: Wow Story,
Mar
11
Perseverance at it’s best

Success at Reading!  Last year I began seeing a first-grade student for reading help. When working on reading, he was very anxious. He would pull on his clothes, chew on his shirt, and his body was constantly in motion. After 4 months of work, he still struggled to read CVC words. His parents kept him practicing during the summer. He is now a second grader who, on his last check, was reading as fluently or […]

Posted in: Wow Story,
Mar
04
Chill Bump Moments

As the LSEM Resource Teacher at Trinity Lutheran School in Tinley Park, IL, I push into math classes to support our students. In one particular 8th grade class, we had just started learning the process of converting larger numbers into Scientific Notation. Our Jr. High Math teacher had expertly explained the steps to converting a standard number to Scientific Notation. The […]

Posted in: Wow Story,
Feb
25
Helping students soar

~written by Kimberly Scott, LSEM teacher at Lutheran High School North in Macomb, MI~ It is the last semester of high school for the seniors, and my students are looking forward to starting the next chapter of their lives.  Some of them will go on to college and others to trade school or directly into the workforce.  One of my LSEM students is […]

Posted in: Wow Story,
Feb
18
At Your Own Pace

~written by Reynaldo Diaz, LSEM teacher at St. John Lutheran School in Indianapolis, IN~ Last school year, I had a fifth-grade math student who was really struggling with his work on a daily basis. It didn’t seem to matter what specific type of math. There seemed to be a disconnect with him grasping the concepts. I know this because I’d push into that class every day and saw it first-hand. The […]

Posted in: Wow Story,
Feb
04
Serving the Savior

~written by Darla Beckwith, LSEM teacher at Grace Lutheran School in Jacksonville, FL~ As a special education teacher, you become a jack of all trades—for all grades and subjects. You prepare alphabet clip cards on the same day you create some algebraic equations. Days go by and it’s easy to forget the WHY of what […]

Posted in: Wow Story,
Jan
28
Small Change, Big Impact

~written by Ann Zum Brunnen, LSEM teacher at St. Paul Lutheran School in Catonsville, MD~ I have been working with a student for a year and a half on spelling.  It has been very hard for him to succeed in learning his spelling words. It finally got to the point where he said that he did […]

Posted in: Wow Story,