About the Author
Bonnie Jean Smith is an American author, advocate, mentor and parent. Born in Olathe, Kansas, Ms. Smith's family moved relatively frequently during her early childhood due to her father being a member of the active US military service. Her sibling family lived at such diverse locales as: France, Michigan, and Colorado prior to settling permanently back home in the Kansas City metro area. Upon graduating high school, she attended Wichita State University (1971-1974), majoring in Education. Ms. Smith's professional background and resume are quite extensive. She is the 1986 Honor Graduate of the US Army Patient Administrations School, a former member of Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities (1998–2006), served as Quality Director for Independence, Productivity, Self Determination, Integration & Inclusion (IPSII, Inc.) for People with Disabilities and Their Families (2002–2004), served as a State of Minnesota Quality Indicator Business Team Member for Minneapolis Public Schools Overview (2001-2002), served as Co-chair of the parent-run Minneapolis Public Schools Special Education Advisory Committee (1998-2002), attended the Harvard University Civil Rights Symposium (2000-2003) and the Harvard University Multiple Intelligences (2003).
Her distinguished career and training also chronicle numerous situations over the past thirty years where she has advocated and coordinated the implementation of legal, medical, educational and other social service systems to be deployed on behalf of children and their families. She has worked extensively developing programs and solutions for Woman's Advocate, Inc. (the first battered women’s shelter in the nation), while maintaining an on-going caseload of five to seven families. As Supervisor of Early Learning Center (Phillips Community Initiatives for Children - Minneapolis, Minnesota), Smith supervised staff and volunteers; evaluated, improved and implemented childcare programming needs; developed daycare outreach referral services for parents; assisted in productive grant writing and general fund raising for the organization; provided advocacy for children and parents with special needs; and, connected families with community supports and available programs. Working as a Parent Advocate Trainer (Bloomington, Minnesota), she teaches parents where they are in the special Education process, and writes training materials to help parents navigate and understand the special Education processes.
Her first published book, "How Big is the Fly" (ISBN 9781434305220, AuthorHouse,,), chronicles how developing practical and useful problem solving capabilities while working with families in crisis situations, will always yield positive results. Over the years, Ms. Smith has developed a wealth of extensive knowledge to realize methods and implement workable strategies that relate to empowering others to better advocate for themselves and their families.
How Big is the Fly?: Asking the Right Questions
Bonnie Jean Smith
About the Book
If you are the teacher and a student refuses to follow your instructions, would you stop to ask questions or would you judge the behavior to be disobedient and deserving of punishment? If you are the parent or guardian receiving frequent calls about your child’s misbehaviors and destruction of school property, how would you respond? What if your child misses school regularly and truancy becomes an issue? Author Bonnie Jean Smith faces these and other challenges with determination in a straight forward, creative, and radically different approach. Her platform is inclusion and natural supports. She resists segregation, isolation, criminal action, and labels.
Throughout the book, the author encourages individuals to become contributing members of society by using their unique needs, strengths, and talents. Read how a student gets a summer job by learning about the natural consequences of his choices rather than shaming or reprimanding him for his “bad†habit.
By observation and asking the right questions, the author’s awareness of how individuals perceive the world around them is changed and the reasons for unusual and unwanted behaviors are uncovered. Realizing that behavior is a form of communication, Bonnie Jean learns to decode the hidden messages of undesirable behaviors and is successful in turning them into more acceptable actions. Read how a school suspension meant to eliminate negative behavior actually encouraged a student to repeat it. How Big Is the Fly? will challenge you to think before judging behaviors good or bad, right or wrong, as well as to investigate and take time to ask questions before drawing conclusions.
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