Lessons from the Bad Kids

Almost every teacher has experienced at least one of "those kids." The kids who won’t sit still, who won’t do their work, who don’t attend, who won’t conform to the classroom expectations, who are straight out defiant and disrespectful. These kids, these so-called “bad kids,” and their stories actually have a great deal to teach us. This book centers around these stories and the lessons learned from them. Whether in education or in your everyday relationships with others, the lessons these kids teach will touch your hearts and make a difference in your lives. Picking up before the award-winning documentary The Bad Kids began, Lessons from The Bad Kids will teach us not only to improve our educational system but also how to become better people.

Lessons from the Bad Kids serves as a dynamic reminder of the power of resilience! The authors carefully craft compelling narratives that give readers up close and personal access to children and their amazing journeys. The book reminds us why we teach in the first place. It affirms my belief that children can overcome almost anything if given love and support. This is required reading for those of us who are still in the trenches!, This book is a must-read for those who seek to truly understand the daily struggle of an increasing number of young people whose basic needs are not being met and the impact this is having on our education system and society as a whole. They have been discounted, discarded, and dismissed as ‘bad kids.’ The stories of these children’s lives will break your heart and, at the same time, lift your spirit as you come to realize that every one of us has the ability to change the course of a child’s life simply by giving three gifts that cost nothing, yet mean everything—time, attention, and unconditional love., For any educator, mental health provider, or parent, Lessons from the Bad Kids is a must read. It is a captivating glimpse into at-risk youths’ lives that teaches strategies for making meaningful connections with others in the classrooms, therapy sessions, and life., This is a book that provides us with an authentic understanding of the lives of some of our high school students, helping us to see beyond the data. Viland and Turner provide us with memorable images of real student lives, their feelings, their hopes, and their efforts as they make their way through school and through each day. It also tells the story of an exceptional school and district and the determination of the adults who try to help the students succeed. It is a book that asks us to examine the ways we spend our time as educators and how we can do more for the students we serve. This is a valuable read for anyone entering education today.

Vonda Viland leads the Morongo Unified School District’s alternative program for at-risk students. With thirty years of experience in education, Vonda works with students who have been disenfranchised from the traditional school system. She and her staff work with these “bad kids” who live below the poverty level and struggle with issues no student should have to face including abuse, neglect, parenthood, depression, anxiety, and addiction, is the topic of the award-winning documentary film The Bad Kids by Lowkey Pictures.Deborah Turner has been working with the same students from kindergarten through eighth grade—first as a teacher, then as a principal, and currently as the assistant superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction for Morongo Unified School District. Learning to work with these students of poverty, abuse, and neglect has been her passion. Trying to assist them in developing a direction in life through education of the heart has been the battle. Knowing that after 35 years of experience the situation needs the attention and heart of the public has become her mission. The Bad Kids by Lowkey Pictures has brought the problem and the mission to the forefront.