Reality 101: CEC's blog for new teachers

Reality 101 Bloggers Take on CEC 2010

Reality 101 bloggers Ellen, Kathy, and Jennifer pose for a group photo at the CEC 2010 Convention & Expo in Nashville. It was the first time they had met in person! Blogger Katie's presence was certainly missed.

Jennifer: We’re Not Going Anywhere

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the CEC 2010 Convention & Expo in Nashville. Along with fellow bloggers Kathy and Ellen, I spoke a little about what my class looks like and how it works, and was able to share some of my favorite blog entries.

Typically I find that conferences are good for making connections and gaining new insights and information regarding our careers. But this time, the conference doubled as a support group and strong reaffirmation that no matter what is happening in our government, no matter how many pink slips are given out, no matter how many meetings we have to endure just to continue to serve our students and families, we are still here. Special educators are not going anywhere.

There were more than 6,000 people in attendance. I met new teachers who were just interning or completing their student teaching, teachers who had been in the field for 10 years, and teachers who had retired but were returning to the field because they felt pulled back to their calling, their passion. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan keynoted the Opening General Session, emphasizing the importance of education to a nation if it wants to thrive, and how each of our students deserves a “world-class education.” What a force we teachers are.

Ellen: The CEC Convention and My Rapid Metamorphosis

I second Kathy’s “WOW” about our experiences at the CEC 2010 Convention & Expo in Nashville.

The last time I was at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel (which, as Kathy described, is an incredible experience in and of itself!) I got lost while chaperoning teenagers with autism at their senior prom. I was a graduate student at Vanderbilt and my colleagues at Project Opportunity, a job-training program for secondary students with intellectual disabilities, went all-out to ensure two of our students could have a SPECTACULAR (if overwhelming for all three of us) prom experience.

Fast forward more than four years, and I found myself again among the vast beauty of the Gaylord Opryland, only this time as an actual special educator and hotel guest—woah, what a relaxing break from a stressful time of year at school!.

Kathy: W.O.W. (Wonderful, Outstanding, Worthwhile)

I am waiting for my flight out of Nashville after attending the CEC 2010 Convention & Expo. I have a couple of hours here to sort out my many experiences. I will try not to use the world "wow" too many times, but seriously, WOW!

First of all, it is big. There were more than 6,000 people in attendance. The sessions were so numerous, there is no way I could go to everything that sounded interesting. It took me three separate visits to the Expo Hall to cover all the booths.

Then there was the venue, the Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Convention Center.....WOW! (sorry, I couldn't help myself). It has more than 4,000 rooms, many restaurants, shops, a river running through it, tropical plants, waterfalls, and a conservatory. The venue was a bit tough on us directionally challenged folks, but I spent much of the time happily lost in the beautiful spaces.

Bloggers Appearing Today and Tomorrow at CEC 2010

You’ve been following them all year -- now you can meet them face-to-face! If you're in Nashville this week for the CEC 2010 Convention & Expo, come see our bloggers as they read some of their favorite posts from the 2009-2010 school year and share what it’s like to be new to the field.

When: Thursday, April 22, 2 p.m. and Friday, April 23, 11 a.m.

Where: CEC Store (located in the Expo Hall), Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Convention Center, Nashville

Jennifer: Taking Time to Make Mistakes

Recently I have been feeling somewhat overwhelmed at work. My one class has split into five different programs just to meet everyone’s needs, and it has become much too easy to get caught up in lesson planning and assessments and forget my basic roles as a teacher.

I’ve been coming home stressed, always with a million things on my mind. I’ve tried to keep that stress out of my classroom, but it hasn’t been easy. With testing season coming up, I want to make sure I squeeze in all the lessons that I have planned. I realized that my students have been feeling overwhelmed too, and I know it is because my teaching is either too fast or too much. But with everything that needs to get done, it has been difficult to figure out where to make changes to our schedule.

I am currently taking courses to complete a second credential, and last week one of my classmates shared a story that inadvertently helped me put my whole “rushing” problem into perspective. She told about a time when she and her master teacher watched a little girl drop her cookie in the dirt during lunch. The student came over and asked if she could go wash it off. My classmate almost said “no” and for her to get her back to her seat, but the master teacher stopped her and told the little girl to go ahead.

Ellen: Dressing for Success

Since I’ve been back on the job market, I have received conflicting advice regarding appropriate attire for an interview for a teaching position.

“Suit. Wear a suit.”

I’m getting that a lot. That is the general advice on the internet and from some administrative colleagues. I agree that women look extremely professional in suits.

That problem is that I am 5 feet tall. I look like a weird monkey playing dress-up in a suit. Actually, I have never worn one — at least, not out of the dressing room. I have never even come close to finding a suit that remotely approximates a collected outfit appropriate for my shape.

Clearly, there is a lot to be said for suits. For how many of you readers is a suit the be-all and end-all of interview attire?

Kathy: Our Own “Dancing with the Stars”

Thursday night was our spring dance. It’s a pretty casual affair; it’s held at a golf club near school, which is also one of the job sites for our students. One of our teacher’s husbands, who happens to be a disc jockey, spins the tunes for us and has a good pulse on what the students want music-wise. Not everyone comes but it is well attended.
 
What a blast! Watching these kids dance is pure pleasure. They just let themselves go. They dance alone, with staff members, with same-sex partners, and with “dates.” More than once I witnessed two people dancing together and, upon realizing that someone else had no partner, grabbing his or her hand so all three could dance together. I saw a student go through the extra effort to get a classmate who uses a walker up and out on the floor. I found these acts to be just the sweetest things.