Reality 101: CEC's blog for new teachers

Brad: Alternate Assessments, Alternate Ideas

Shortly behind its roll-out of the newly purchased Web-based curriculum comes our district’s revised training on alternate assessment protocol.

Chances are, if you’re living in a state other than Alaska, the alternate assessment you’ll deliver to your students this year looks different from the one I’ll deliver to mine. On top of that, the appearance, delivery protocol, participation guidelines, and scoring procedures of your state’s assessment have likely changed since last year.

It can be a frustrating but important realization that our field is prone to more procedural limbo, revision, and flux than any other in the realm of education. It’s enough to make you stop and think for a moment: How did we get here . . . and where are we going?
 
As I understand it, long before I entered the profession, students receiving special education services were excluded from statewide assessments. However, since 1997’s amended IDEA law, not only have students with significant cognitive disabilities been required to participate in testing, but schools have been required to develop alternate means of assessment for those students.

Melissa: The Mouse Project

It’s the most wonderful lesson plan of the year! Last year, my class participated in a trip where people with disabilities could shop for the holidays with a little extra assistance. Most of my students brought money to purchase items for their families, but not all were able to do so. So what was I going to have them do while the others shopped ‘til they dropped (that they would genuinely like and that would not cause a behavior problem in public)?

Thus was born what became known as The Mouse Project. I thought it would be fun for my students to buy holiday gifts for a local family in need. Where would we get the money for these gifts? Well, we would run a little business from our classroom, of course!

The class worked together to make holiday ornaments that looked like mice. And silly me, I didn’t get enough glue for each student to have their own bottle. They had to take turns, ask nicely, and say “please” and “thank you.” They did a wonderful job of making each mouse unique—and practiced lots of social skills along the way.

Megan: “I’m Thankful for You”

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” ~ Meister Eckhart

As the holidays approach, it’s time to take a break from the hustle and bustle of work and home and reflect on the things we are all blessed and thankful to have in our lives.

I’ve recently had a rough spell at work. I have five amazing students, and as individuals they are the coolest kids I know. As a group, however . . . Well, in the words of my social worker, “It is like putting Steven Tyler, John Lennon, and Michael Jackson in a band together. Great as individuals, but as a group, they might not make beautiful music.”

Kudos for Reality 101

We did it again! Reality 101 has been named one of the top 25 blogs about early childhood education, this time by guidetoonlineschools.com.

Just last year, CEC’s flagship blog TOPPED the list of 50 best blogs for special educators, as published by onlineuniversities.com.

Congrats to all those who make Reality 101 possible -- especially the CEC members who dedicate their time to sharing their teaching experiences with the special education community.

Brad: The Jury’s Still Out On Web-Based Curriculum

Last week I was called to jury duty. My two days inside the courthouse involved a little listening and a lot of sitting in hallways wondering what was going on in my classroom. All this waiting led to an uneventful dismissal from jury selection. I jaunted directly out into the freezing rain and took the city bus back to school.

As I rode through the run-down neighborhoods familiar to so many of my students, I even felt a little wistful about not being selected for the jury. After all, it’s comforting to think that in a world with as many complications as this one has, there remains a belief that 12 randomly selected citizens will collectively dole out an honorable justice. I stuck the yellow courthouse tour brochure inside the pocket of my bag and searched my mind for a future date to schedule a class visit.

Aren’t all teachers skeptical of what goes on in their classrooms when they aren’t there? Call me self-centered or student-centered, worried or dramatic, but I’m always glad to be back with the students and teacher assistants. And almost as soon as I returned, I was summoned to a case management meeting, followed by an IEP amendment meeting. While I caught up on attendance, behavior charts, and scheduling, the teacher assistants performed the most enjoyable part of special education – teaching.

Melissa: Invested

I just returned home from an amazing convention! A colleague and I were fortunate enough to attend the Geneva Centre for Autism’s International Symposium in Toronto. As a teacher to students on the autism spectrum, just about everyone I would want to hear speak was at this conference.

Even more fulfilling than what I learned there was the knowledge that my school district appreciates me enough to invest in this professional development experience. In a time when budgets are so tight, it really warms my heart that I am highly valued as a professional educator. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I’m really excited to share the highlights with you.

We had one full-day session with social thinking expert Michelle Garcia Winner. She was so engaging and offered tons of ideas I can use the second I step back into my classroom. Lately my “bag of tricks” has felt a little empty, and she swooped in with Santa’s sack chock-full of goodies.

Megan: Special Education Rockstar

“Welcome to the jungle. We take it day by day.” ~ Guns N' Roses

I think there are days when every special education teacher feels like a rockstar. Everything falls into perfect harmony, just like a concert. The curriculum programs are in sync, the staff is all on the same page, the students are ready and willing to listen, and every intervention hits that perfect pitch. The “audience” leaves learning something new. You walk out of the room knowing you made a difference, feeling . . . well, like a rockstar!

And as every rockstar knows, there are slumps. I am in one of those slumps right now. If you had asked me six weeks ago what is the most essential characteristic of a special education teacher, I would have said flexibility. Now, I’m learning just how flexible I can be.

Sheena: Waiting for Superman

I was deeply moved after seeing the new documentary “Waiting for Superman.” The end of the film brought me to tears and I couldn’t stop thinking about how unfair and unequal our education system is, especially as minorities and children in poverty continue to fall behind their more proficient peers. How is it that a world leader like the United States is consistently outperformed by the educational achievement of other developed countries?

The film did not mention special education at all and I was left wondering how these radical, forward-thinking dream schools, like the KIPP School, engage and educate students with disabilities. Do these schools use co-teaching? How do they set the same high expectations for all students? How can I get a job with Geoffrey Canada to help make a difference?