Reality 101: CEC's blog for new teachers

Charmelle: Reading—The Places You’ll Go

Dr. Seuss once said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” This quote truly resonates with me as I think about the needs of my students and their struggles in the area of reading.

Last year in my first year of teaching, I found it challenging to teach my students how to read. All my previous graduate coursework had prepared me to provide students with all of the strategies and tools to use when they were reading, but not so much on how to provide reading instruction. Like many special educators, I am committed to ensuring the growth and progress of my students. And just like Dr. Seuss’s quote I want to allow my students to read more and learn more so that the places they will go in life are limitless.

Danielle: A Note from Mia, the Service Dog

I know that Mom, I mean, Danielle, is supposed to write all of these posts, but I felt the need to post on her behalf today, as she is very, very tired, and I am clearly very, very intelligent…

Mom seems to love this new job quite a bit. Me, I’m not so sure. Don’t get me wrong, I love getting up at 8 a.m. instead of 7 a.m., and if Mom wakes up early I get an extra walk in the morning! It’s just all of these little kids – all of the time. They are so high pitched and excitable. Every time they see me they squeal as if it’s the very first time they’ve ever seen a dog – even if they’ve already met me! All day, every day, it’s “Oh, my gosh!  It’s a puppy! Look, it’s so CUUUUUUUTTTEEEEE!!!” Then they chase after me to pet me and grab my tail. I’m not even allowed to nip at them; not that I would because I’m the best dog ever.

Kaylie: Assessing My Assessments

I sat down to begin drafting an IEP and discovered that a student’s “current” assessments were pushing three years old. Obviously, a lot can change in three years. In the past, I’ve scrounged around in my filing cabinet and found some type of assessment I felt was appropriate, completed it, and added it in without giving it much more thought; definitely not the best way to approach the very important task of assessing a student.

This year, I decided to improve in this area. I took the time one afternoon to go through the assessment tools I had gathered from various workshops and inherited from teachers before me. I’d previously organized them all in my filing cabinet but had not taken the time to really study them. After going through, I realized how valuable these assessments really are. I kept coming across areas that I know my students need work in; simply reading through the assessments helped me see areas of need I had not considered before.    

John: How to Dress for Success at School

It is spirit week at my school. Homecoming on Friday, music playing in the hallways between classes, pie eating contests, Ms. Homecoming Court, and more festivities make up the events of the week. For teachers, spirit week can either be a headache or a great way for your students to see you get out of your comfort zone. Assuming you choose the latter, you are going to do lots of dressing up each day.

I love clothes. My wife gives me a hard time about how much I enjoy shopping for clothes. Her rule is that whenever I spend money on clothes she gets to spend the same amount on her own. For my fellow fashion lovers going into the teaching profession, there are some pieces that need to be added to your wardrobe for your first year of teaching.

Jerry: (Para) Professionals, Part Two

When I was student teaching, I had to learn the hard way that being a teacher in a special education classroom involves more than knowing good ABA or PBIS or RTI or any of the other million and one interventions we have at our disposal each day. It also means being a manager of people and learning how to get those people to work in a way that ultimately benefits the students, and to work with the teacher to create an environment where education can happen.

Two experiences really brought the issue of the paraprofessional to the forefront of my thinking so that even now I tend to obsess about it to the point that, maybe in the future, I can conduct some research and begin to offer ways to make that job a rewarding career for some folks.

Danielle: A High School Teacher’s Worst Nightmare?

I think it is very common for teachers to believe that it would be impossible for them to teach any grade other than the grade they teach. When I meet elementary school teachers, they tell me that they could never teach teenagers, I tell them I could never teach little kids, and then we both laugh and agree we could NEVER do middle school.

I’ve spent five years building my solid identity as a high school teacher, and four of those were as the teacher of primarily juniors and seniors. During my first year, I developed a firm belief that anyone under the age of 14 was perpetually sticky.

Jerry: (Para) Professionals, Part One

“Many paraprofessionals who assist with instructional tasks do not receive the training that they need so that they can be successful at these tasks.” (Keller, Bucholz, Brady, 2007).

Indeed, this was one of the biggest issues during my student teaching experience that I decided would not be an issue when I actually started teaching. Ironically, I understand it too well because I started out as an educational assistant and, at times, was a substitute in the special education classroom. Trust me when I say that, given what I now know about students with disabilities, I was worse than clueless then.

Jerry: The Voice of Gladness

“No one can say, of course, except each for himself, but I believe that it is possible to say at least this in general to all of us: we should go with our lives where we most need to go and where we are most needed.” (Frederick Buechner, Secrets in the Dark, p.39)

I like that quote, a lot. Buechner is, maybe, speaking of something else, but I think he is also speaking in an, albeit, roundabout and unbeknownst-to-himself kind of way, about special educators; our calling; our day in and day out among students who are differently-abled. Maybe you are not so much into thinking that what you do every day is a calling—something that you did not choose, but something that chose you. Maybe you are.

Charmelle: Partnerships with Parents

A parent came in this school year and shared with me all the wonderful things that her son had worked on this summer and how she was still concerned about his progress. I assured her we could meet and work on some more strategies that she could continue to do with him at home and how we would continue to support him at school. She turned to me and said with a smile “I trust you with him, Ms. Smith.”

Those words meant so much to me being both a parent and educator. I understand how comforting it is to be able to trust someone with your child when you are not present all day.  In that moment, I realized just how important it is to establish communication and build relationships with parents because it is an essential component in how we are successful when working with our students.

Recently, my school had its Back to School Night. I love this time of the year as it creates an opportunity for me to meet with parents and share with them all the things the students will learn this school year and how I plan to support the students through their learning process. This is also a time to facilitate the first line of communication with parents and begin the groundwork for building our relationship.

I like to share with them that I am not only there to be a support to the student but to also support them as well and have them understand that we are a team in achieving the best possible outcome for their child.  Here are a few things I’ve learned in getting my parent relationships off to a good start:

1. Use Multiple Modes of Communication:  Communication in a lower socio-economic environment can be very tricky and I have had to be very creative. My parents work long hours, so I have to be willing to contact parents by phone, email, in person or even through written notes or communication logs. Be sure that your positive communication outweighs the negative ones. Communicate regularly! 
2. Make Yourself Available: Just like in college your professor had office hours so that you would have time to meet to discuss concerns or get extra help if you needed. Set times when you can be available and post them so that parents can have the opportunity to plan to meet with you about their child. It takes some of the stress out of scheduling meetings by arranging office hours. This year I am trying a combination of morning and evening times for parents.  
3. Create A Parent Resource Board: In my classroom, I create a small board that provides parents with a variety of resources that include tips on preparing for IEP meetings, tutoring opportunities, support groups and more. This allows the parents to have access to local support systems and create community connections to available resources.
4. Create A Newsletter: This year as a department we created a newsletter, similar to the parent resource board, which provides strategies and tips. We also use it to share information about the latest changes in school and to highlight student achievements and activities in our classrooms.
5. Be Honest and Document: Always, be honest with parents and be sure you document all communication, incidents, progress reports and more. Documentation is a huge part of our job -- it keeps parents happy and informed about their student.

 

How do you build positive parent-teacher partnerships? I look forward to reading your feedback!

Kaylie: Strength to Stand

Three IEPs in a single week. Students involved in custody battles. Parents informing me that their children cry every Sunday night before school resumes on Monday. Two eligibility and reevaluations to complete. A disastrous, rainy field trip to the annual county fair. Behavior plan backfires. And all of that in the past two weeks.

I know that being a special educator is difficult. I understand that there are days, weeks, and even entire school years that don’t go smoothly. But when you love the students you teach and are passionate about their success, tough times take a toll on you. If my kids aren’t doing well, I’m constantly evaluating and processing what I can do to fix the problem.

John: More Than a Journal

"I have to find someone to take my baby," I heard a teenage girl say as I was standing at my door for hall duty. I looked and saw a teenage girl just barely starting to show signs of pregnancy holding the hand of a boy who looked barely old enough to drive a car. I don't teach this student. I have never actually noticed her before, and I don't know her name. She is certainly not alone at my school as a teenager who is pregnant and taking classes, but there was something about what she said that struck me. High school is hard enough as it is. This girl's biggest concern is weightier than passing a geometry quiz or memorizing a few lines from Shakespeare.

Danielle: Sweating the Small Stuff

I must confess that I have a touch of compulsive organization in me. I think it comes from my mother, bless her heart, who used to correct me at age 6 when I wrote out shopping lists that weren’t correctly ordered by aisle. I like to think of myself as being detail oriented, although others have called me everything from obsessive compulsive to a pain in the butt. I usually take it as a compliment, although I have gotten better over the years. I’ve learned that if the organization takes more time to do than it saves you later, it might be a step too far! What kinds of organization help you keep everything under control? Do you ever take it too far?

John: Teaching-It Takes a Village

In my last post, I mentioned how my teaching situation lends its own set of challenges. I know every teaching situation is filled with its own nuances and difficulties so I wanted to mention some of the things that helped me through my first year of teaching and are helping me now in my second year. Hopefully, what has helped me can help you.

Last month, I participated in the South Carolina Council for Exceptional Children’s Leadership Training Institute. I was asked to sit on a panel and answer questions about the support that CEC has provided me as I transitioned from student to first year teacher and beyond. As those in attendance can attest, I can talk almost endlessly about how CEC has supported me as a teacher. From the Tool of the Week, which I mentioned in my last post to SmartBrief, Policy Insider, webinars, and many other resources, CEC has been the single biggest factor in my professional development since becoming a special educator.

Jerry: Walking Out the Front Door

“‘It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,’ he used to say. ‘You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.’” (Bilbo Baggins, from The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien, p.82)

When I was in college, I had a professor who really liked to plan and organize—had his schedule down to the minute. I asked him one time, “What about spontaneity? Where’s the space for that?” His response was, “Spontaneity doesn’t accomplish anything.” And I get it that in special education one of the greatest tools in our toolbox is planning and  predictability (Carter, Swedeen, Trainor, 2009). We regiment their daily schedule with picture schedules, routine, and sameness. It helps them to minimize the overwhelming “OhmyGodsomethingisdifferentwhatdoIdonow” kind of disasters.

Charmelle: New Teacher Evaluations

It’s only my first week back with my new students and I have already managed to catch a cold. Sore throat, sniffles, and lots of coughing—what a way to start the new school year!

Aside from being under the weather, the year is in full swing with lots to do. Planning, scheduling of services and meetings, as well as getting to know my new students. Although my plate seems full already, I just received an e-mail this past weekend requesting my schedule for observations and teacher evaluations. Which leads me to open up the discussion about teacher evaluations and how they work in different districts and some of the challenges new teachers face during this process.

John: Teacher, Job Coach, and Barista?

What a couple of weeks it has been! Inservice week is over, and I am finished with the first week of school. I haven’t said much about the classes I teach so let me tell you what I do.

My school has a four block schedule. I teach for three of them. Because I also coach soccer, I have my planning period during fourth period so that I can prepare for practice during that time. Right now I don’t have any coaching responsibilities during my planning period, but stay tuned during the spring semester to hear how juggling coaching, teaching, and spring IEP season is going.

Danielle: You Catch More Flies with Honey…

How do you advocate effectively for your students without making enemies?

I knew going into this school year that I was in for a challenge. My school has never had a full time K-12 Gifted and Talented Coordinator. As a result, the needs of gifted students have never really been the top priority. Now that I’m here, there is someone who listens to every word in every meeting with the thought, “How will that affect a student who is gifted?” The answers aren’t always easy to hear, especially with a state audit coming down on a whole bunch of metro-area districts in the fall… including ours!

Kaylie: The Best Laid Plans Sometimes Fail...

Describing myself as a planner is a strong understatement. There should probably be a diagnosis for the extent to which I meticulously outline as many areas of my life as possible. It all boils down to a desire for control and to be “hyper-responsible” (a term I once read in article that fits me perfectly). My life, however, has recently shifted into high-gear and left me without enough hours in the day to plan my every waking moment, but what frustrates me to no end is that I feel I now have more things that NEED to be planned than ever!

At school, I’m planning weekly lessons, IEPs and their associated meetings, and a presentation at an upcoming conference. I also have taken on a night job teaching an introductory special education course at a local college, which begins this week. Outside of work there’s Sunday school lessons, activities for the youth group, and, last but not least, a wedding. Wow, I really need to transition to the next paragraph before I have a nervous breakdown!

John: Bullying Prevention-Are We Doing Enough?

During the week of inservice, I was very thankful for my principal’s sensitivity to our time and for not filling the week with frivolous meetings. We did have one important training meeting, however. All faculty at my school underwent training for a new program called the Olweus Bully Prevention Program.

The training was very eye-opening regarding the frequency and types of bullying that high school students experience. The program included a survey given to all students at my school last spring. To see the responses from actual students made the national statistics become very real. Because of my profession and passion, one of the statistics that stood out to me was that students with disabilities are at a greater risk of being a victim of bullying. As a teacher one of the most painful statistics to read was that only 26.7 percent of girls and 34.2 percent of boys thought that teachers “often” or “almost always” try to stop bullying.*

John: The Other Teaching Responsibilities

I have just completed the week of inservice at my school. I appreciated all of the uninterrupted time in my classroom to prepare my room and my materials for the upcoming year. I am excited about implementing many of the new ideas I have for my classes.

One new idea that my wife gave me is using desktops as dry erase boards. Who knew you could use dry erase markers on desktops and wipe them off easily with wet wipes? Call me easily amused, but I thought this little known secret was one of the coolest teacher tricks I had heard in a long time. I thought it must be too good to be true so I went to Google to see if the internet had any wisdom regarding dry erase markers and desktops. Come to find out, lots of people out there have successfully used dry erase markers on desktops. Still a little nervous about ruining my room’s desks, I drew a tiny dot on a desktop, and to my surprise, the dot wiped off easily! I now have all kinds of ideas for using dry erase markers in my class this year. I think students will love this idea because of the novelty it presents.

Jerry: First Day of School Excitement

While you are reading this today (Aug. 21), I am enjoying my first day of classes with my new students. My day began around 7:45 a.m. when they started exiting their buses and happily making their way into the school building for breakfast. Attendance has now been checked, the Pledge recited, and they have arrived in my classroom. We are learning about our daily routine and making preparations for our engaged learning. Before I move forward, however, I need to back up just a bit and tell you how I got to Aug. 21, 2012.

Last week was a fun week. As I have mentioned elsewhere, I was hired in to my current position with about 12 weeks remaining in the 2011-12 school year. Thus I really did not have to prepare a classroom for my students’ arrival; it was more like the students prepared for me. This year is different.

Danielle: I Want to Have My Cake, and Eat it, too.

It is so strange to be back at school for inservice week. On the surface, it would seem as though not much has changed. With little exception, the same faces are sitting in roughly the same places in the auditorium. We go through the same, "Welcome back, don't stand on desks, success is our only option, no personal e-mails, open door policy, blah blah" speeches. We sign in on the same sheets, have our pictures taken by the same photography studio, and spend what precious spare time we have setting up our rooms in the same hallways. This is my sixth inservice week at the same school. It shouldn't feel so awkward. It's just that this year is so... not the same.

Charmelle: CCSS and Special Education?

It may seem strange that I am about to embark on the start of a new school year and I’m  already having thoughts about the end of the year testing. While it may seem that I am jumping a bit ahead of myself in the planning game, these thoughts were actually ignited from a workshop that I attended this week.

I was recently selected along with other educators throughout the District of Columbia to participate in a standard setting workshop for the city’s comprehensive end-of-the-year assessment for second grade because it has recently been added as a new testing grade.

Kaylie: Establishing Strong Communication with Thy Fathers and Mothers

Typing this post is testimony that I survived the first week of school. I’ll give a brief Sports Center rundown of the highlights:

• Thrilled that my returning students quickly settled back into the classroom routine.
• Met seven amazing, full-of-personality sixth graders.
• Was informed that I will likely receive another student in the upcoming weeks along with an individual assistant for that student.
• Discovered I have an IEP to write for a student I’ve known for approximately four days.
• Had one of my students accidently activate the fire alarm in the cafeteria during lunchtime. 

Needless to say, I did not set my alarm clock on Saturday! Oh, and on a personal note, I got engaged this weekend! I’ve definitely been blessed with an exciting week!

Danielle: Summer Reading--It’s Not Just for Kids!

Knowing that I was starting a whole new position when I left school at the end of May, I had all these grand designs that I would do lots of planning and develop lots of ideas during summer break.  Reality set in a week later when I returned to start teaching summer school. I was teaching six different courses in a day—three at a time in the morning and three at a time in the afternoon. The resulting chaos isn’t relevant to this discussion, except (of course) for the honing of my differentiation skills (three courses in the same room will do that!), and the severe lack of planning for my new job as the K–12 gifted and talented coordinator my school. Sigh.

John: A Student’s Outlook on Going Back to School

I went to Wal-Mart recently and saw something that always makes me excited: school supplies. Fresh pencils, crisp notebooks, and brightly-colored folders always make me excited for a new school year. Students and parents eagerly scour the aisles with lists of school supplies required for each grade level. Kleenex® for all those snotty noses, disinfectant wipes for other messes, and of course, an apple for the teacher is all part of the back-to-school routine.

The beginning of the year can be the most exciting time of the school year for some students—and teachers. Sure, summer is ending, but the beginning of a new school year also means a fresh start. You have perfect grades in every class, you may have a new teacher (or new set of students), and you may even be moving up to middle school or high school! While the back-to-school time can be very exciting for students, it isn’t always exciting for some of them.

Jerry: Fear and Trepidation in Ohio

My first summer vacation is nearly finished, which means there are a lot of thoughts, emotions, and ideas fighting for space inside my head as the new school year approaches its commencement date.

I was hired as a moderate/intensive intervention specialist with about 12 weeks left in the 2011–12 school year to work with two students: a young man who has an autism spectrum disorder and a young Amish girl whose diagnosis is still a bit of a mystery. By the time the school year ended, I had picked up two more students: a female high school sophomore and a male kindergartener. I really had no time then to think about how I felt. I had a job. It was time to get busy.

Charmelle: Learning to Collaborate

As my summer vacation comes to a close, I anticipate returning to my classroom and my students for the upcoming school year. I have not just spent this time resting and relaxing, but reflecting. During my vacation, I examined some of the successes and challenges I faced through my first year as a special education teacher.

In my current position, I work as a resource teacher and support students with IEPs in the general education classrooms through co-teaching. The biggest challenge was collaboration with my colleagues in the general education classrooms. Of course, we could communicate with each other, but working together at times was difficult. It was hard for them to fully understand the benefit and purpose of my presence in the classroom, and I was often faced with the feeling that I was invading their territory or being viewed as an assistant, floating around the room to help out. Not, only was I the new teacher on the block, but now I wanted to be in their space and I was expected to teach with them.

Kaylie: New Year, New Faces, New Toys, New Ideas...

In less than two weeks, summer will be over and a new school year will be firing up. Everywhere I go it seems like people are asking me, “Are you ready to go back?” I’ve been answering them pretty adamantly with an “Absolutely!”

Don’t get me wrong, I love my summer break and try to live it up to the fullest during my time off. These past two months have been jam-packed: a trip to Arkansas to meet my boyfriend’s family, where I did some amazing hiking; early morning runs (followed by naps sometimes lasting until noon); a trip to church camp; pool time; an epic adventure to Idaho, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons; an attempt to increase my domesticity by cooking a new recipe every week; the Batman movie marathon, which ended in me becoming an avid fan; a building project for my parents; Vacation Bible School at church (which involved me dressed as a panda); and, of course, the occasional days of in-service and professional development.

I need to go back to school to recuperate! My students are not the only ones who thrive on routine and I am definitely ready to settle back into mine.

Meet CEC's New Bloggers for the 2012–13 School Year!

Charmelle, Danielle, Kaylie, Jerry, and John are special and gifted educators, and they're excited to share the ins and outs, the ups and downs of the coming school year.

Charmelle is an elementary special education teacher who is busy balancing work, graduate school, and family life with a 2-year-old.

Danielle was a high school mathematics teacher, but has now spent the summer excitedly preparing for her new role as a K–12 gifted and talented coordinator.

Jerry takes on special education as a second career—and he’s ready to tackle his first full year of teaching.

John, following in his mom’s footsteps, decided to become a teacher. After switching his major to special education, he’s never looked back.

Kaylie has found her calling as a middle school special education teacher and couldn’t be happier.

Stay tuned for another dynamic and inspiring year at Reality 101! They kick off their blogging next week--don't miss a post!

Thank You!

CEC thanks Allisence, Jessica, Richard, and Theresa for a wonderful year of blogging! We have loved getting to know you, your schools, and your students through your posts. Thank you for sharing with us this past year; you will be missed here at Reality 101!

For those Reality 101 readers that have loved reading about our bloggers, don't worry, they won't be gone completely. Here's how you can follow them:

Allisence: on Twitter @allisence or on her blog, http://allisence.wordpress.com/.

Richard: on Twitter @ExceptionallyED or on his blog, http://exceptionallyed.wordpress.com/.

Theresa: on Twitter @MsTheresaQ or on her blog, http://mstheresaq.blogspot.com/. 

 

Theresa: So Long, Farewell

I cannot believe that I am sitting down to write my last entry as a CEC Reality 101 blogger. It seems like just yesterday that I was writing my bio and posting my first entry. I have really enjoyed every minute of this last year blogging for CEC! It felt so great to share my successes and my frustrations, and I really appreciate all of the kind words of support and suggestions from everyone. While I didn’t have the same kinds of craziness I’ve experienced in my first two years of teaching, my third year didn’t disappoint, that’s for sure.

Richard: Until Next Time...

Thank you for following the Reality 101 blog for the past year. Your input has been vital to my growth as a first-year teacher. As I write my last blog for CEC, I am editing lessons for next year, collaborating via e-mail with colleagues and reading a few more professional development books all before I go to a leadership summit in a few days and begin the school year in two weeks. 

Many of you who follow the blog were pre-service teachers and are now anxiously awaiting the first day of pre-planning or your teacher induction exercises. I applaud you for dedicating your lives for at least the next 200 days to an often thankless, demanding, low paying, highly regulated, and fiercely stigmatized profession. I understand you do it for the students, those who cannot advocate for themselves, resting their futures in your hands.

Jessica: 2012 American Librarians Conference

I recently attended the 2012 American Librarians Association (ALA) Annual Conference. This being my third big conference in one school year, I think I can officially call myself a conference junkie. What can I say, I’m a new teacher and I still have a lot to learn. This conference caters to librarians, but since its overall purpose is to promote the message that reading and having access to resources are important, I attended it.

As a rural district, the local library can be a huge – and free – resource in helping to meet unique student needs. I attended a number of workshops and panels in the educator’s strand, which gave me a number of brainstorming points to consider as I enter my next year of teaching.

Theresa: "Restful" Summer of Professional Development

Whoever said that one of the “perks” to teaching is summers off must have never actually asked teachers what they do during summer. So far, during my summer “vacation” I have had zero weekdays off from doing work stuff. These past three weeks have been filled with professional development and meeting after meeting. I do have to say that I am excited to have such wonderful opportunities this summer.

I attended a three-day professional development conference about English language arts Common Core State Standards (CCSS). A team of teachers and I learned more about the CCSS and how to use them to write language arts unit plans with performance assessments. The tricky part comes now, where we need to take the three days of training and condense it down into the two days that we have to share with the rest of our colleagues in August.

Richard: One Down, Many More To Go

It seems as though a few days ago I was packing up my classroom, and yet I have just a few more weeks before pre-planning starts and school begins again. I am very excited for what next year holds. I have spent my break reading and immersing myself in education literature to find inspiration and ideas for next year. I have reflected on last year and have begun to develop goals for next year.

My first goal is to create an environment that approaches behavior proactively rather than reactive. I admit this is still a work in progress, but I want to eliminate the points/rewards programs that are so popular in EBD rooms. I plan to transition to teaching the behavior explicitly and holding my students to that standard regardless of if they are having a bad day or forgot their meds. I feel as though they need to learn now, when they have a safety net that those excuses and that mentality will not be there when they are older. I think this will take a significant effort and interfere with some instruction, however if my students cannot manage their behaviors, it won’t matter how well they grasp the content.

Allisence: The End of the Beginning

And just like that, summer is full swing. It’s amazing to think about how far each of my students have come, but even more so how much they have taught me. I could not have asked for a better group of kids. Not only were they hard working and, for the most part, in love with school, they rose to every challenge put in front of them.

So reflecting back, here are five things I learned over and over again. I certainly plan on taking them with me as I continue down this ever-surprising special education path because as Winston Churchill once said, “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

Jessica: Budget Woes for Rural Schools

California is currently reviewing possible educational budget cuts and the last few staff meetings of the year included discussions on how we will be tightening the financial belt for the 2012-13 school year.

One thing that upsets me is that our budget seems to be determined by people who know little about the needs of a rural school. For example, our school district, and all the school districts of California, lost their transportation funding halfway through the 2011-2012 school year. Every school needs transportation funding, but a rural school cannot go without it. Rural busing is one of the district’s highest costs because students sometimes live 10-20 miles away from their schools, and putting the cost of gas and driving strain on the parents may literally cost more than rural families can afford.

Theresa: Reading Wrap Up

Unlike my fellow Reality 101 bloggers, who have been on summer vacation for a couple weeks now, I am just starting my first week. The last couple of weeks for school seemed to get longer and longer. I have never felt so burnt out from teaching before. I think that the stress and climate of the year seemed to have really caught up with me. Even being tired and ready for the year to be over, I still managed to get in a couple really cool projects and activities at the end of the year.

Richard: Reflections of My First Year Teaching

This year was my first year teaching and the last year of my masters program. I still remember the first week of school when I had to excuse myself from the room and find a quiet place to reflect on if teaching is really what I wanted to do. I had just restrained a student, my other students were putting me through a vetting process, and I didn't feel as though I was doing well. I am so very happy I was able to come back to the classroom, get control, and pass their test.

I have learned a lot this year about teaching, which no teacher education program can prepare you for. I have learned how to cope with the stresses of the educational bureaucracy while teaching students with EBD. I have learned to maintain excellent grades in school and have some resemblance of a personal life. I have learned how to advocate for children in a manner in which no party feels defensive and I am able to mediate nearly any situation with students, parents, teachers, or any combination.

Allisence: Budget Woes From a Classroom Teacher’s Point of View

Long ago, after George Washington cut down that cherry tree, he donned his powdered white wig, and became the President of the United States. Then in 1792, he approved a total federal spending budget of $5.1 million. All inflation talk aside, $5.1 million is practically a coin in the penny jar these days. In fact, it’s barely enough to cover our school district budget let alone the entire country’s.

I’ve avoided talking about money as much as possible this school year for a couple of reasons. 1. At the end of last year, my district closed one of our six schools to balance the budget. It was a painful experience not only for those at that school, but it also involved major growing pains for my school because our two schools merged. 2. Even though my school district does have a Budget Committee, the Committee didn’t start meeting until the last two weeks of school because we’ve been waiting for the state budget. And 3. I hate talking about budgets and pots and pools — none of it makes much sense to me anyway.

Jessica: Five Movies for First Year Teachers

Seeing as many of us are beginning summer break, here’s your opportunity to catch up on movies. Chances are you’ve seen these five movies about real people in real schools, and been inspired. Of course, if your first year of teaching isn’t quite like this, don’t fret. Teaching in real life isn’t quite the same as teaching in the movies.

Stand and Deliver (1988)

Real Teaching: You may enter a classroom and discover it is overcrowded, not everyone speaks English, and not everyone has the basic skills necessary to study the subject matter you are teaching them.

Theresa: Marching in Red

I seem to be getting the reputation of being a big activist when it comes to protests, marches, and rallies. After the NATO conference here in Chicago, one of my co-workers came to me and said he watched the news all weekend to see if he could catch a glimpse of me on TV. While I’m all for a good protest and march, the NATO marches were a bit too unpredictable for me.

I recently had the opportunity to be a part of a historical rally and march. On Wednesday, May 23rd, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) held a State of the Union meeting at the Auditorium Theatre. Leaving the house on Wednesday morning, I said to my dad, “Watch for me on the news tonight.” While I know that is not a normal thing people say to each other, my dad looked at me all decked out in red with my “Proud to be a CTU Member” button on and said, “Okay.”

Richard: Going Out with a Bang

As the year wrapped up for my students, I was able to take them on two exciting field trips within two weeks of each other.

As a motivator for good behavior during testing, I took them to the infamous Georgia Aquarium. We started our day in the park with lunch and explored the aquarium. Most saw aquatic animals for the first time, touched sharks, and asked so many questions. My students are often labeled as lost and are not included by many teachers because they are misunderstood. It has been part of my mission to dispel that myth and this trip helped to do that.

Allisence: Not Saying Goodbye

One of my students has a social/emotional behavior goal that focuses on salutations and valedictions — responding to hellos and goodbyes in an age-appropriate manner. Consequently, we make it a big deal in the classroom for everyone to remember to say hello or goodbye when they enter or leave a room respectively. The funny thing is the one day I really could not bring myself to practice what I preach as my students were walking out the door was on the very last day of school.

The room was already pretty much boxed up thanks to the help of my students, IEP progress reports were sealed in manila envelopes in each of their backpacks, and I was holding on to the small possibility that summer homework would be returned come August though I’m guessing the chances of that are slim. Everything was all set and done.

Jessica: Go With the Flow

Last week, due to the number of overnight field trips taking place (science camp and 8th grade graduation trip), I wound up subbing with third, fourth, and seventh graders.  At a small rural school, it’s sometimes hard to hire substitute teachers, and it’s also hard to be the substitute teacher at our school, particularly when it’s close to the end of the year and the students are restless. I willingly agreed, and even thought myself prepared.

All the students had research to do on their countries that they will be presenting for International Night this coming Thursday. Third and fourth graders had France; seventh had Egypt.

Reality 101: Bloggers Wanted!

Are you a special education professional who loves to write? Want to share your stories with your colleagues?

CEC is searching for members to chronicle their teaching experiences on Reality 101, CEC's popular blog for new teachers. With Reality 101 acting as your online journal, your stories will give readers a chance to get to know you, offer advice, cheer you on, and share their own stories.

Apply today! Deadline: June 25.

Please e-mail your completed application, including your resume and a photograph, to Andrea Elkin, andreae@cec.sped.org, by June 25. Applications will be accepted by e-mail only.

Theresa: Taking Learning Outside the Classroom

I feel like I have been going nonstop these last couple of weeks—between wrapping up the state audit, all of my new responsibilities as union rep, and keeping my students busy and interested in learning this last month or so of school. To break up the weeks my students and I have gone on three fieldtrips in the last two weeks, and we still have one more coming up this week!

While taking a group of students with special needs on a field trip can be somewhat hectic, I know it is worthwhile because they get so much out of it. My students rarely leave the neighborhood that they live in, so any time they leave it’s like leaving the country for them.

Allisence: Field Trip Fun – Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Did you know that helicopters have two rotors — one main rotor and one tail rotor? And did you know that helicopters can seat anywhere between two and 60 people? Well, these seemingly random facts are now things my students can rattle off at a moment’s notice thanks to our most recent life experience trip, otherwise known as a field trip.

As the self-declared Queen of Field Trips, the school secretary and I brainstormed all kinds of adventures my class could go on for our big end-of-the-year field trip finale. We tossed around the Children’s Museum, the Science Center, a light rail trip to the public library, and a few impossible ones too like Disneyland. In the end, we decided to take advantage of the fact that my husband is in the military and has connections at the local army aviation National Guard base.

Jessica: Fun with Word Clouds

Are you familiar with word clouds?

The easiest way to describe word clouds is to call them collages made with words. The fun part is that you get to decide on the words. When I was a kid, I used to cut words and pictures out of magazines to create collages that described me. This was a common art project used as an icebreaker to help get kids talking about themselves. Word clouds generated through websites offer a 21st century twist.