October 18, 2023
By BARTON HENLEY
Rutherford County Schools
It may seem strange to hear that students with disabilities at LaVergne Lake Elementary are using an animated video series created by the entertainer Snoop Dogg.
But special education teachers are using various video series — including the kid friendly animated YouTube series “Doggyland” created by Snoop and others — to help students process and express their feelings.
Special education teacher Emily Broadrick said Doggyland has helped the students focus on who they are instead of the things that they may or may not be doing correctly.
“Affirmations have helped me in my personal life,” Broadrick said. “We will get somewhere with our students when they focus on themselves.”
The special education team at LaVergne Lake Elementary has a daily check-in with all its students called “Afternoon Meeting.”
At the meeting, each student is given the chance to look over a feelings chart and express the way they feel in that moment.
Throughout the meeting, different videos are played to help the students address their feelings and be able to express them. Doggyland is one of the video series used during this time.
The show is a 3D animated series created by Snoop Dogg, October London and Claude Brooks, executive producer of Hip Hop Harry, according to the show’s description.
Doggyland features a colorful cast of dogs in a vibrant world where they sing fun and educational songs that teach learning and cognitive fundamentals aimed at preschoolers, toddlersand kids of all ages around the world. It is rated for children ages 2 and up, according to the website Common Sense Media.
These videos help students to be reminded they are important, cared for and strong, the teachers said, and they are seeing results.
For example, special education assistant Carmen Wilson said she has seen a lot of progress in students so far this year.
“I just love to see the progress and growth in our students,” Wilson said. “They learn the affirmations and they love it. What they learn will stick with them and hopefully help them.”