What a day! I started my new school this morning and had the best time. I made lots of new friends and really liked my teachers. I was nervous the night before, but I had no reason to be. Everyone was so friendly and polite. They made me feel at ease. It was like I’d been at the school for a hundred years!

The day started very early at 7:00 am. I had my breakfast downstairs with my mom. She could tell that I was very nervous. Mom kept asking me what was wrong. She told me I had nothing to worry about and that everyone was going to love me. If they didn’t love me, mom said to have a good talk with them. I couldn’t stop laughing.

My mom dropped me off at the school gate about five minutes before the bell rang. A little blonde girl got dropped off at the same time and started waving (招手) at me. She ran over and told me her name was Abigail. She was very nice and we became close straight away. We spent all morning together and began to talk to another girl called Stacey. The three of us sat together in class all day and we even made our way home together! It went so quickly. Our teacher told us that tomorrow we would really start learning and developing new skills.

I cannot wait until tomorrow and feel as though I am really going to enjoy my time at my new school. I only hope that my new friends feel the same way, too.

As a legally blind student,the first day of school holds special meaning for me.Along with excitement and nerves over new teachers and new classes,that day in each August also affirms my sense of belonging—a sense that lam claiming a right just as other students do when they.board the school bus or walk to campus.

Since it was passed over thirty-five years ago,the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has required state and local schools receiving federal funding to provide students with disabilities with a free appropriate public education (FAPE).Currently,over 6 million students across the country with various types of disabilities benefit from the IDEA's protections.But parents and school districts have contested exactly what that actually requires.

The case arose,after the parents of Endrew F.,a student with autism,decided his school was not doing enough to educate their son.Each year from preschool to fourth grade,the school district renewed Endrew's individual education goals without making substantial（大量的）changes.This suggested the plan was failing to help make meaningful progress.

Eventually,Endrew's parents enrolled him in a private school,where he improved significantly through a new plan designed to address specific behaviors and goals.When his parents attempted to re-enroll Endrew in public school again,the district offered a version of its previous plan.The school district argued that was sufficient because it provided Endrew "some" educational benefit.

IDEA empowers（使有能力）students with disabilities to aim high with support from school administrators and input from parents.For me,the Act did just that.From preschool through twelfth grade,I received my right to accommodations such as enlarged papers,a seat in the front of the classroom,and support from vision and mobility specialists outside the classroom.At the same time,my parents,like Endrew's,demanded that my disability should not stop me from becoming independent.Each year,they met with school officials to insist on adjustments to my learning plan as necessary.

Strict-sounding teachers are worse at inspiring the classroom than their kind colleagues, research has revealed. A ground-breaking psychological study from The University of Essex showed “controlling sounding voices” didn’t gain cooperation from 10-16-year-olds.

It discovered that youngsters faced with a strict teacher were more likely to resist, their well-being was affected, and they were less likely to reveal they were facing problems—like bullying. This is because students felt unable to express themselves when faced with a more controlling tone. Whereas a supportive-sounding voice inspired a connection to a teacher which increased their intention to cooperate.

People often think about what teachers say to their students but rarely talk about how they say it. But the tone of voice teachers use really matters and the way we adjust our voice can have profound effects on listeners.

The study published in the British Journal of Educational Psychology explored teachers’ tone of voice in children’s education. Pre-recorded teachers’ voices were played to 250 children who were then asked to judge how’ the tone affected them. They were asked to rate how it would affect factors such as competence, emotions, trust and their intention to cooperate. Children reacted much better to supportive voices while controlling tones led to lower self-esteem and teachers’ sound samples were perceived to be less trustworthy.

The research is hoped to influence teacher training and help boost classroom results. Future studies may head out of the lab and into schools to see where improvements can be made.

Professor Weinstein, Head of the Department of Psychology at Essex said: “Tone of voice is a powerful way to convey teachers’ caring, understanding, or openness. It’s easy to forget when we are stressed or tired, but teachers can provide a positive learning environment when they are thoughtful in how they use their tone of voice.”