Reality 101: CEC's blog for new special education teachers

Rob: The power of authentic writing

The new Common Core State Standards pose many challenges for students with disabilities. One of the biggest shifts is around argumentative writing, which pushes students to present multiple perspectives on a topic, choose a side to support, and find multiple pieces of evidence to support their claims.

This requires students to read, comprehend, and consider challenging complex texts and synthesize their ideas in writing.  For students with disabilities, who struggle with all of these skills, argumentative writing can be very frustrating and result in disengagement.

Adrien: Favorites from the CEC 2014 Convention & Expo

Even though some has passed since the 2014 Convention & Expo in Philadelphia, I wanted to share some of what I learned with you.  My three favorite sessions were:

Planning for Employment After High School – It Takes a Vision for Inclusion - a Village – and a Toolbox!  Nancy  Molfenter works with Let’s Get to Work in Wisconsin. She spoke about the importance of inclusion in terms of preparation and expectation for the workplace later in life. She also emphasized the importance and the role of vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies. I approached Nancy after the session with a couple of specific questions related to my experiences and the development of my program and we ended up chatting for almost an hour after the session! I came away with the conversation with so many ideas of strategies and approaches to try and good quality questions to ask of my administrators and community figures. Thanks Nancy!  Check out their website:  http://www.letsgettoworkwi.

College of New Jersey’s Career & Community Studies Program.  This one really got my gears turning!  The presenter made a really strong argument for the appropriateness of college programming and environments for young adults with intellectual development disabilities (IDD).  Their program website is http://ccs.pages.tcnj.edu/. There’s also a website that lists college programs for students with IDD around the country - http://www.thinkcollege.net/.

Triangulated Goals: Developing Relevant and Genuine Transition IEPs.  My campus has been working lately to link IEP goals to post-secondary goals. This session gave a solid way to write goals in such a way that it is abundantly clear how state standards link to industry job standards which supports the post-secondary goals.  This website lists specific standards for various types of jobs that link directly to academic skills - http://www.onetonline.org/

Overall, what a fabulous experience! I came away with so many ideas and connections that I cannot wait to try on my own! Thank you to all of the great presenters who took the time to share their experience and wisdom!  

Rob: Two heads are better than one

I have been lucky in my short career to have had two co-teaching situations that have worked out very, very well for me.

 During my first year of teaching, I worked with a veteran teacher who knew the school and the students very well. She ran a tight classroom and was constantly figuring out interesting ways to engage students in learning. She was open to my suggestions (and I did make many), but, for the most part, she made my job much easier because she was always thinking about different kinds and levels of learners. I like to think we learned from each other but, more accurately, I benefitted a lot from seeing her classroom on a day-to-day basis.

Adrien: Geeking out on transition at CEC 2014

It finally happened!  The CEC 2014 Convention & Expo 2014! My day on Thursday was full of good fun and learning!

One of my morning sessions was about video modeling to teach transition skills. This is a strategy that has been on my radar for a while but I just haven't ever actually implemented it. I really feel like I need to now. They shared so many good ideas of skills that can be taught this way and ways to use it to fade job coach supports. On top of that, how normal is it for teens and young adults to access a cell phone or iPod out in the community? What a great way to normalize the supports that they do continue to need!

Rob: Give hope a chance

Continuing some of the ideas I expressed last time about grit, I have been thinking a lot about hope.

Roth and Hemmelstein defined hope as “expectancy that a positively related event is likely to incur in the future.” It follows, logically, that prior experience with positive events would increase one’s belief that subsequent positive events will occur.

Cognitive research sheds light on this important fact: hope is not an emotion. It is a learned process acquired through socialization. According to C. R. Snyder, hope has three different components: 1) ability to set realistic goals; 2) ability to tolerate failure; and 3) belief in yourself and your abilities.

Adrien: Attend a conference and take time for you

Hi, my name is Adrien, and I’m an addict.

Yep. That’s right. An addict.

I am addicted to professional conferences.

I recently attended the regional music therapy conference in Addison, Texas.

Three days of glorious time spent with others who are passionate about what I am passionate about, speak the language that I speak, and absolutely just love and believe in music the way that I love and believe in music.

In a couple of weeks I will be headed to Philadelphia for the 2014 CEC Convention & Expo! I am equally (if not maybe a little bit more) excited about that conference.

If you’ve never been to a professional conference, I highly recommend it! It is an invaluable experience for networking, rejuvenating passion, exploring new ideas, incorporating research-based best practices, and just getting away from life for a couple of days!

I’ve attended regional and national music therapy conferences since college. I went to a transition and Vocational Adjustment Coordinator (VAC) conference a couple of summers ago. Then last year was my first CEC convention.

There are so many other opportunities and conferences out there that I can’t begin to compile a list of options but I would very strongly encourage you to look into it for yourself. But beware:  It may become habit-forming.

 

Rob: Rewarding true grit

Remember back in January? With winter break’s optimism still wrapped around us like a big blanket, we made all those resolutions? Some of us pledged to work out regularly, read more, eat less junk food.  I pledged to carve out some precious Joy Factor time in my class’s busy curriculum. It’s about time for a check-in.

Shortly after students came back from taking the January Regents exams at the end of January, I taught a lesson to my students on GRIT (it was very apropos, as we had just started Romeo and Juliet and they were ready to throw it against the wall). They had never heard the word before, and when one student took it upon himself to look it up he told me it was a punch of small rocks. So I decided to give a short mini lesson on it, and it has done wonders for my classroom culture.

Adrien: Turning theory into practice

When wearing the hat of department head, I sometimes – no, often –  feel like I spend all my time and energy working on other people’s  problems or putting out everyone else’s proverbial fires.

Don’t get me wrong, I love it! There are big parts of me that love being a leader and being responsible for problem solving and fixing things. At the same time, though, it sometimes feels like those same things that I love pull me away from what I love even more – my adult transition program.

A couple weeks ago I had the awesome opportunity (thanks to my very supportive administrators!) to work for an entire day with a transition consultant all about my adult transition program! It was exciting and challenging and insightful and discouraging and encouraging all at the same time, and I loved every minute of it! To spend all day essentially talking about me and my passion was like a vacation!

Ann-Bailey: Balancing accommodations and high expectations

We are currently teaching my 2-year-old to swim. We knew we had to start her in swim lessons after a painful summer of her shrieking “BY MYSELF MAMA!” whenever we were in the pool as she tried to squirm away from us in the water when she wasn’t wearing a floaty, which she had refused to wear.

As parents we have high expectations that she will learn to swim. And not just learn to swim, but learn to swim without us holding on to her and without using a floaty. But she is only two so we certainly are not going to drop her in the water and expect her to swim (despite her pleas) because we understand that swimming has to be taught. We fully expect that one day she will be able to swim independently so we are putting the building blocks now.

I have been thinking about my daughter's swimming ability a lot lately and how it applies to how we differentiate and accommodate students with disabilities.

Rob: Teaching argumentative writing

Over the past few weeks, my 11^th grade ICT class has been working through a unit on nuclear power. After reading through several arguments both for and against the new energy source, the class has been charged with writing an argumentative paper either in support of or opposed to building a nuclear power plant in our area. Students are to consider the readings and find claims and evidence that supports their position, as well as refute counterclaims against their position.

 This has been no easy task, for teacher or student. In addition to pushing students further into the argumentative writing demanded by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), my co teacher and I are in uncharted territory in our own right (honestly, I’ve learned quite a bit about nuclear power, and my own position on the issue is still evolving). Along the way, I picked up a few ideas about making argumentative writing accessible and engaging for students with or without disabilities who are struggling with the CCSS.

Adrien: Making the transition off campus

So, for next year (yes, I’m already thinking about next year!) I think we are ready to take my program another step in the right direction – off campus! In a perfect world and according to best practices, an adult transition program like mine should truly be community based  -- not stuck on a high school campus.

Now there are lots of different ways that might look. I’ve heard of programs that operate out of an apartment - how cool would that be?! Some operate out of various public facilities (libraries, churches, etc). Still others that simply use school district property that is just separate from a typical student campus. Or even partnerships with local community colleges to use parts of their campuses.

Lisa: Teaching the larger lessons

Last week, one of my students brought a knife to school.  It was a small pocketknife and he managed to keep it hidden for most of the day.  I only found out about it because another student approached me after lunch and told me that the boy had been showing it off earlier in the day.

When things like this happen in the classroom, it is your job to react calmly, but you have to react immediately.  I took the student out in the hall and began questioning him. 

I knew it was important to get to the truth, but I did not want to spook him.  I am not a scary person, but I did not want to make him deny things unnecessarily.  I first told him that it was very important that he be honest with me.  I remained very even-tempered.

Did you bring something dangerous to school today?  Are you carrying something in your pocket that you should not have at school?  Do you have a knife at school?

The truth is that he was as calm as I was.  The truth is that he lied right to my face.

Rob: Encouraging -- and listening to -- the student voice

One thing I have always prided myself on is encouraging student voice in my classroom.

We, as special educators, are consistently dealing with students who have been told they’re wrong, and they’re behind. They often get teased by other students. Many have struggled in school since the beginning, watching others learn to read, or write, or multiply, as they themselves struggled to master these skills. As a teacher who works in the inner city, my students also consistently see those around them, and those who look like them, fail. Many go home to unstable environments.

Because of this, I have always worked to create an accepting and positive atmosphere in my classroom. This year, I have succeeded in encouraging student voice better than I ever have.

Ann-Bailey: Energized by the DADD Conference

About two weeks ago, while the weathermen warned us of the coming snowstorm in D.C., my intellectual disability team and I hopped on an airplane headed to Florida before a single snowflake managed to fall. We were headed to the annual CEC Division on Autism and Developmental Delays (DADD) conference and aside from being eager to escape the coming storm, we were very excited to have the chance to participate at the conference.

In the field of teaching it can be hard to get our hands on actual research that can positively change our instruction. We often get information second or third hand, never being handed the actual research but getting the “teacher friendly” version of information, which while helpful when we are busy, often leaves out key elements behind the research.

Adrien: Teaching students to be self-advocates

Funny story for the week…

I was sitting with two of my students right at the end of the school day working on our ongoing disability awareness efforts. Our individual for that day was a young man with Down syndrome. (Check out this video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBYdQg4WQcA)

Have you ever tried to explain to your students with Down syndrome what Down syndrome is? I launch into this explanation. “Well Down syndrome is when something funny happens to your genes - not the jeans you wear but the genes that decide what color your hair and eyes are…” Oh my. We will certainly have to keep revisiting that…

Bottom line though, I am really trying to help my students to be self-advocates even at the most basic level! If I can get them to recognize that they do in fact have a disability and that it simply means that sometimes they need special help with certain things, I will call it victory!

Rob: Why I teach

I don't know about everyone else, but this was a really tough week for me. I think it's the January doldrums getting the best of my energy, and it has been a difficult transition back to school routines for many students. In times like these, I find it helpful to remember why I teach. So here's a brief explanation.

I became a teacher because I believe in the power of education. Idealistic and naïve as I may be, I believe that when people are educated (I mean, really educated) they lead more fulfilling lives. They can make their own choices and direct their own paths. They can think independently. They can change the world. 

I also believe so many of the global problems we face are a result of a lack of understanding and an unwillingness to pursue an understanding. An inability to sympathize, a lack of reasoning, a lack of considering the options. I believe that truly educated people seek an understanding of the world around them. They have a sense of wonder.

Lisa: Feeling hopeful in spite of the cold realities of testing

Yesterday afternoon I received a pre-recorded phone message from my school, cancelling classes again due to this extreme cold snap we are having in my area.  The temperatures are dropping well below zero, with wind chills falling below -20. 

The schools worry for students who walk to school, with weather personnel reporting the onset of frostbite after just two minutes of being outside improperly covered.  It is unsafe for the students to be outside, even for very short times, so they cancel school.

Ann-Bailey: We can do hard things

It is mid-winter. Outdoor recess is rare between below freezing weather and melting snow creating mudslides on the playground. Winter break is behind us, the glamour of the new school year is long gone, and spring and summer seem so far away. Even the students are dragging. Many of us have hit the mid-year teacher blues.

A colleague of mine has a poster in her office of the “‘Phases of First Teachers’ Attitude Towards Teaching,” which shows that around this time new teachers start to become frustrated and disillusioned about being a teacher. Except on her chart she’s crossed out the word ‘first’ and written “every year” in bold letters. It seems to be true. January and February are tough months.

Adrien: Time to get back to the basics

To kick off the beginning of the new semester, my school district invited Dr. Michael Schmoker to speak to a group of administrators, principals, instructional coaches and campus leaders. I had the privilege of attending.

I must admit that previous to this event I did not know who Dr. Schmoker was, but I was pleasantly surprised by his perspective.  I’ve sat through my fair share of in-services and presentations of information and strategies and fad practices that did not apply to me as a life skills teacher of non-content areas whatsoever. So when he started talking about simplifying and de-fluffing public education, I was sold.

Lisa: The better moments of teaching

At my school, new teachers are observed by administration twice a year, in two different classes at a time.  This means that either the principal or the assistant principal observes you a total of four times during the year. 

When I got to school Monday morning, I saw the familiar observation paperwork lying in my mailbox.

I don’t normally feel nervous when these observations happen. I am excited to have my lessons watched and I try my best to hear and welcome all criticism.  After all, I still am a new teacher and I still have a lot to learn.  It is important to have feedback on your lessons and your students because this additional perspective can be invaluable.

Adrien: Ideas for holiday fun (and learning)

I always love the weeks between Thanksgiving and the Christmas break. It’s such a great opportunity for fun projects, community outings, and volunteering! Here are some of the things that we did (with some photos!):

Movies  We went one afternoon and saw Frozen at the theater! Students had cash in hand to buy their own tickets and concessions. They did so well, had a great time, and the movie was really good.

Christmas Cards  They also decided to give Christmas cards to a handful of teachers and administrators on campus, each of our Meals on Wheels clients, and all of the residents at the nursing home where we volunteer. I think they signed, stuffed, sealed, and attached candy to roughly 100 cards.

Pizza Buffet  What makes kids/teens/adults happier than pizza?! Again, they each had cash in hand to buy their own meal. They had to understand appropriate etiquette and hygiene for a buffet, table manners, and basic communication with the wait staff for drinks or special requests. Again, a great experience. Only 1 spilled drink – I would call it success!

Christmas Party  The last day before the break we had a Christmas party of sorts! I used my musical abilities to lead a carol sing-along, playing guitar and everything! My students also made an assortment of Christmas snacks – sugar cookies, snowmen Oreos, reindeer Oreos! (The picture below is not what we made, but was the inspiration!)  Again, students had to create their own grocery list and then do the shopping.

Gingerbread Houses  Right after Thanksgiving I asked students what they wanted to do for the holidays; one of those things was to make gingerbread houses. So as a class we decided to make them ourselves out of graham crackers. Students then made our grocery list and did the grocery shopping. They each made a unique gingerbread house! Quite the adventure in architecture!

Graduation  One of my students completed his program and officially graduated on the last day before the break too! So we had a little ceremony to celebrate his accomplishments and then followed it up with the Christmas party.

So many adventures and successes and celebrations! What a great way to round out 2013! Anyone else have any fun experiences to share or recommend?

Ann-Bailey: Not very Pinteresting, and that's okay

I have a confession to make:  I am not a Pinterest teacher.

I go on Pinterest and immediately feel my chest start to constrict.  There are SO MANY perfect teachers out there. Have you seen them? Their classrooms are perfect. Their activities and games have cute, engaging little graphics. These teachers have clearly spent hours on the perfect craft projects, bulletin boards, and anchor charts. They have cute, curly handwriting for all of their hand-made posters. They take time to use fancy fonts on their worksheets.

I use Pinterest for ideas and it’s a great way for us teachers to collaborate across the country and share what’s working in our rooms. But I cannot bring myself to spend the time it takes to make my bulletin boards, anchor charts and games Pinterest-worthy. Maybe it is trying to balance a family and teaching, or maybe I am just not a perfectionist.

Rob: Teach, reflect, assess and repeat

Reflection is one of the most important aspects of good teaching.  Teachers must constantly reflect on student progress, lessons and teaching practices, as well as relationships and interactions with students. Public education, essentially, is a cycle of teaching, assessing and reflecting. It’s how we, as teachers, grow.

The new year is an apt time for reflection. Sure, for teachers the new year doesn't come until September, but January is a great time to reflect on our practices thus far. Here are a few of the resolutions I have for 2014.

 

John: Help! I’ve Fallen into Paperwork, and I Can’t Get Out!

Keeping paperwork organized is probably the biggest headache I have as a new teacher. In talking to many other teachers, experienced and new, I know I am not alone in the deluge of paperwork. I have been working on a system of practical ways to keep things organized and have found what I think is a pretty manageable system.

Of course, everyone is different, and I am continually tweaking my own system. Maybe something that I do will be helpful to you or get you thinking about an area you need a plan for that you have not thought of already.

Jerry: Managing Adults During Meltdowns

In a classroom full of boys there are bound to be times when things are somewhat hectic, chaotic and downright ugly. In my classroom, we label such times as Meltdown Level Events or MLEs. We take these events very seriously and even though these events sometimes happen rather unexpectedly, we are always on high alert and well prepared.

When I was first hired for my position last February, I took some time to do some observations. I really had no idea what the staff was talking about when they informed me that my student frequently engaged in rage-filled shouting episodes that would make Sam Kinison seem rather weak by comparison. Then I experienced a MLE. It is truly a sight to behold. I have heard this child scream himself hoarse. It is brutal for the child to experience; it is painful to witness and even worse when one of his meltdowns is aimed at you.

Lisa: Seeing the great students inside all kids

In special education, it often seems more important to know every last detail about our students, especially if they can't effectively communicate their needs.  However, in my experience, I have noticed that the information presented in their cumulative folders and by previous teachers is often skewed.   If the child had some difficult behaviors, these are amplified by the reports.  If the child had a particularly endearing personality, this characteristic is too exaggerated. 

As a result of this inherent bias, I sometimes think it is best to begin with a clean slate and allow my own experience with my students in an educational setting to define my teaching practice with them.  By giving each student this equal opportunity, I am able to run my classroom with best practice in mind and afford each student the opportunity to be him or herself.

Adrien: Who our students are vs. who we want them to be

I adore my students. Their eccentricities and quirks make them who they are, and I value them for those things. Even on days when they drive me crazy, I adore them.

In the same breath, I pride myself on having high expectations for them. Just because they have “X” disability, “Y” family history, or “Z” other myriad circumstances doesn’t change what I believe their potential to be!

Over my first several years teaching though, I have repeatedly found that these two -– loving them for who they are & high expectations -– sometimes conflict in such a way that I don’t know how to proceed.

Rob: Don't underestimate the power of belief

When I first proposed teaching Shakespeare's MacBeth in my 10^th grade ICT classroom, I was met by my colleagues’ skepticism. No one had tried teaching Shakespeare before because they either felt the students wouldn't be interested or that the language was too difficult. Anticipating these problems, I pushed ahead with my plans and both my students and I have learned a few important lessons from the experience.

First, and possibly most important, we learned a lesson in perseverance. Shakespeare died nearly 400 years ago. He wrote a long time ago. This means in addition to using weird words, most of what he wrote was in a strange poetic form with which my students were unfamiliar. After about page 3, they were ready to toss the book in the garbage. By about page 10, I was ready to toss the book, too.

Lisa: In praise of the Common Core

I have read a few articles in the last week that have bashed the switch to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).  The typical criticisms include that the CCSS are too much of a one-size-fits-all approach, that the CCSS put too much emphasis on high-stakes testing and that student readiness levels are inadequate.  Here in Illinois, teachers are feeling the push towards a higher standard and the consequence of how student achievement is going to be measured against our own evaluations.

I am feeling the pressure as much as anyone.  Special education students don’t make typical amounts of yearly progress as a rule.  I am not a tenured faculty member anywhere.  The stress of what all of this means has not been lost on me.

Knowing all of this, I am writing in defense of the Common Core.

Reality 101's Attitude of Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  To celebrate, here are some thankful thoughts from our Reality 101 bloggers.

Rob:  I get by with a little help from my colleagues

Teaching is a tough business. There are so many things that influence our jobs on a daily basis that we have absolutely no control over. What we do have control over is where and who we work with. I am thankful for my colleagues. Over my past two+ years at my school, I’ve worked with fantastic people who keep me going day in and day out. They listen when I need to vent; they talk things out when I need to problem solve; they fight for me when I need them to. Without them, I never would have made it through the first two years, let alone think about a third!

Ann-Bailey:   Lucky to have spontaneity, challenges & a break to recharge

I'm thankful for a profession where I am never bored, where no day is ever the same, and I can never be positive in the morning what will happen in the afternoon. I am thankful for the students who teach me, challenge me, and stretch me to be a better teacher. I am thankful for colleagues who take the time to collaborate and think outside the box about how to best meet the needs of our kids. And, of course, I am thankful for Thanksgiving break when I can recharge and relax after a long fall. 

Lisa:  Keep an eye out for the wonderful

It can be difficult to look at the pile of paperwork in front of me and embrace the feeling of gratitude.   This mound of paper looms: a backlog of AIMSweb probes to assess and input, ominous IEP updates, student-needs worksheets, goals to write, progress monitoring to be done in triplicate…

Yet, I do feel this thankfulness.  Today, a young girl distinguished the lowercase letter “b” from its sneaky mirror-twin.  Another student finally finished a second draft of his first five-paragraph essay after hours of pointing at words and helping him scroll through the editing marks.  A pair of girls worked together to create a turkey glyph, one helping the other read without so much as a raised eyebrow.

I am grateful for my colleagues who support me.  I am grateful that need is no matter.

I am grateful to the Common Core, which has made us look at our instruction under a microscope and make positive changes for our kids.

This time of year, the time between Thanksgiving and the winter recess moves quickly.  It is fraught with bits of assessment, final qualifications, report cards and other necessary paperwork.  It is easy to feel bogged down, overwhelmed and overworked.  Instead, I encourage teachers to look around them and feel gratitude.  Wonderful things always seem to happen if you are willing to do the looking.

Adrien:  A fresh perspective on thankfulness

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for many, many things! I am thankful for big things like my students who share the thrills of their achievements with me every day! And for small things like my students’ parents who trust me daily to teach and care for their grown children.  For the easy-to-go-unnoticed things like  my colleagues who are endless sources of support and ideas for me and my administrators who make the effort to value me, my students, and my work. The Thanksgiving holiday lends itself to the fresh perspective of thankfulness but I know I could certainly benefit from stretching it out through the rest of the year as well!

 

Ann-Bailey: What students teach us about community & differences

The other day one of my kindergarten friends had a birthday. Every time someone in the inclusion kindergarten room has a birthday the classroom teacher has her kids make a book for the Birthday Star. Each child makes a page that says "_______ is my friend because..." The students draw a picture as the teachers go around and write each child's thoughts about their friend.

A lot of them end up reflecting typical kindergarten friendships--we play together, we sit at the same table, we have the same lunch box. For this friend in particular, I wasn't sure what to expect because, as can sometimes happen in an inclusion setting, this child tends to work alone during the day.

She has a different routine and classroom expectations. These types of adaptations make us adults worry that we aren't creating a good community for her. We worry that in-class isolation isn't appropriate and that it creates a wedge between the students in general education and special education.

Rob: It's okay to make mistakes, here

Yesterday, a fellow teacher friend was telling me about the classroom she set up last year. She taught Special Education in the Bronx, and she was given the “Special Ed” room for her self-contained class. The room was beat up. It had holes in the walls and dead cockroaches on the ground. It was cramped and all she had to write on was a little white board.

Every day, though, when the kids entered they were greeted by the cadence of softly playing classical music and brightly colored wall posters (she used these to cover the holes). From this point, they would commence reading independently before diving into a mini-lesson and a lesson summary.

Today, I found myself having a discussion with a veteran teacher about her class. She had just taken over after another teacher had left the school. It’s a self-contained US History class most of which is made up of students with learning disabilities. When I asked her how it was going, she responded, “It’s a slow process with that group.  Today, I had a break through. A student asked a question. I think she wants to be mad at me, but she’s starting not to be.”           

Lisa: Did my teacher preparation prepare me to be a teacher?

Today, I was talking with one of my coworkers about getting through graduate school while working.  To make a long conversation short: there is nothing fun about going to graduate school while you are teaching.  I should know because I have done it before and I am doing it now.  The reason I am completing my second master’s in ELL (the first one was in special education) is because I am desperate to learn what will help my student population. 

So many of my students are both in special education classes and come from a bilingual home.  I often feel like I am ill-equipped to be their teacher because I am not bilingual.  For this reason, I trudge off to graduate school every Wednesday at a nearby university.  I am trying to better myself as an educator.

However, I have been to graduate school before.  The story seems all too familiar.

Ann-Bailey: Remembering why I teach and who I'm teaching

As I left my school building on Friday afternoon I walked out with that heavy feeling of regret we teachers often feel when a lesson does not go how we know it should have gone. This was not because of a lesson though, but because of how I reacted to one student.

He and I had come up with a behavior plan together. We had talked about what behaviors needed to change and how we would work together to help him monitor those behaviors in his classroom. I shared this plan with his other teachers and made the materials we needed. We practiced it in a small group first so he was comfortable with how to respond.

The first time he gave me a chance to use our reminder system I forgot. It was a Friday afternoon. We had a lesson to finish, other students to manage, data to collect and homework to hand out. Instead of following through with the plan I simply gave him a verbal reminder. He immediately gasped. Through gritted teeth he mumbled, “I thought you promised...” The hurt in his eyes was clear. We had a deal and now I was another adult not sticking to my word. I apologized and made sure I followed the plan the rest of the afternoon. I hope I rebuilt the trust I lost.

Adrien: Don't forget to do what you truly love

Another hat that I wear is that of a board certified music therapist, or MT-BC. This has taken a bit of a back seat in my professional life but I still do some on the side to get my “music fix.” I do regular music therapy groups with a local autism support group as well as several one-on-one clients in their homes for music therapy or adapted piano lessons. These add a happy bit of variety to my normal school life and routines as well as a bit of extra play money.

I bring this up to explore two different trains of thought:

1. Humans, in general, love music. It is innate and natural. For students with special needs, that love and natural-ness are often times even more apparent. How have you noticed that your students use or want or even need music? How do you use music in your classroom.
2. I find it absolutely necessary to give myself a break daily from school work, especially with as much as I have been doing the last couple weeks but that’s a story for another day. Whether it is cooking, playing piano, seeing clients, watching a TV show episode, or even taking a power nap, I need at least an hour to decompress or process or separate from my “daily grind.” What do you do on the side that gives you the variety or breaks up your daily life so that you can personally survive?

This last week I led a music group on Tuesday evening for the local autism support group. The same group met weekly throughout the summer with me but hadn’t met since early August as I was transitioning into the school year. It was a group of 8 kids under the age of 10. Some with disabilities and some without. It was so much fun! I forget sometimes how easy music is, how easily they respond to music, and how much joy I get out of being around them and seeing their small victories!

Take the time this week to truly LOVE what you do.

Rob: How has CCSS affected your reading instruction?

As the national Common Core State Standards sweep across the country, so will a bunch of acronyms, including UDL, EBC, and CCSS. Although science and social studies will be tangentially affected, the major shifts are occurring in ELA and math, shifts that will have huge effects on the way we differentiate reading and writing in the classroom.

In the most recent issue of The American Educator (available at http://www.aft.org/pdfs/americaneducator/fall2013/Shanahan.pdf), author Timothy Shanahan describes the major shift as placing “the text—not the teacher—at the center of students’ negotiating text meaning,” and leaving behind background and secondary materials typically integrated into the ELA classroom.

Lisa: Transitioning to the 21st Century

Over the weekend, I attended my first Special Education UN-Conference, which was unlike any other professional development I’ve ever had.  It was called an UN-Conference because it was less like a room full of people listening to a speaker and more like a gathering to share information and learn in an open environment through discussions, demonstrations and interactions.

The conference, presented by the Illinois-based special education technology collective called SET Connections (www.setconnections.org), was meant to deliver information about how to better integrate technology into our classrooms.  I had been to this conference three times before, each time feeling equal parts overwhelmed with technology and hopeful that I too could find a way to make these strategies work for my students.

Ann-Bailey: Being there for your students -- and their parents

A friend of mine called me the other day in frustration. Her daughter is going through the special education eligibility process as a preschooler and she and her family are trying to navigate what all this means. What it means right now, what it means for future years in elementary school, what it means long term, and what it means family life looks like. In fact, using the word “frustrated” to describe her feelings does not do them justice. Frustration does not begin to scratch the surface.

A diagnosis brings answers, but it also brings more open questions about the future. At one point she said, “Is this what my future is? Being called into the principal’s office every year? Having teachers tell me they don’t know what to do with my child, that my child is a distraction to the other students in the classroom, that my child overwhelms the teacher?”

Adrien: The ups and downs of the hiring process

So, I am a transition teacher, but I wear another hat as special education department head for my high school campus. I am accountable for 11 other teachers and 11 paraprofessionals. So far this year, staffing has been the greatest hurdle on our campus. I have a principal who is gracious enough to allow and even encourage me to be a part of the interviewing and hiring processes. I have learned SO MUCH about applications, resumes, references, interviews and other pieces of the hiring process!

Over the summer we miraculously had no teachers resign, so no hiring to be done there. However, we had 3 paraprofessional positions open for various reasons (hired as a teacher, relocated, etc). One position was filled easily. Second position was filled just a week before school started. The other was interviewed for, offered, and accepted but then the candidate took a teaching position the day before school started. Good for her, sad for us.

Rob: Technology in the ICT Classroom

There are many good uses for technology in all classrooms. Studies have shown it increases engagement and improves online literacy. In addition to teaching students necessary skills for their future academic, professional, and social lives, technology, when used purposefully and appropriately, can be a powerful tool for differentiation. Here are a few ways I use technology in my ICT ELA classroom:

Online Discussions
In my ICT classroom, I have several students with speech and language disabilities who have difficulty keeping up during verbal discussions. When I would conduct Socratic seminars, these students were often unable to participate. This year, my co-teacher and I hosted an online discussion using www.Edmodo.com. We posted leveled question (beginning with recall and moving argument and analysis) and students had 10 minutes to respond using a quotation from the text to support their answers. The responses are in real time, so as soon as a student posts it is immediately available to everyone. This allows students with expressive or receptive language disorders to work through the questions and answers at their own pace. Students who finish the question quickly can post their own question or respond to a classmate.

Lisa: When time is flying by, make every minute count

Our school year began ridiculously early this year – Aug. 12.   My summer went by fast and punctuated with teaching summer school and cramming two condensed grad school classes into the space that was left.  Because of this early start, we are now into our 11th week of school and have just completed our first full quarter. 

I’m not entirely sure of the utility of beginning and ending school so early.  Is it the summer crop schedule or a tiresome need to align with the local high school calendar or just a stubborn tradition that mandates our academic timetable?  I’m not sure of the reason, but this early start has had a troublesome effect on me. 

All year I have felt underprepared, like I have been crawling uphill to catch up with my students’ needs.

Ann-Bailey: Co-teaching is like a marriage, without the dating part

Co-teaching is hard. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

As special educators we are constantly finding ourselves in co-teaching relationships, whether it is with Instructional Aides in our own classroom or with general education teachers in their classrooms. Co-teaching is great for the students. It improves our teaching, pushes us to think beyond our own opinions, allows us to get two sets of eyes on a student's progress, gives us someone to bounce ideas off of, and helps manage behavior. The benefits of co-teaching go on and on. I love it and prefer co-teaching to working in isolation. That doesn't mean it isn't hard.

The problem is that no one tells us it is going to be hard. In about October you start to think you are doing something wrong because it IS hard and nobody warned you. Aren't you supposed to have that idyllic co-teaching relationship your professors told you about?

Adrien: Finding the perfect job -- for your student!

So I’ve helped place students into work relationships before. A couple hours here and there at a local business getting paid cash. But last week, one of my students was offered a REAL JOB!

If you can’t tell, I am beyond excited! This is a huge deal for the student and the family but it’s also a huge deal for me! As I mentioned in my last post, one of my greatest struggles is finding community contacts who are willing and able to work with our program.

As I brainstormed early this year trying to find the perfect match for each unique student, I drove past a guy outside a local pizza place bouncing around with a $5 pizza advertisement sign. And like a ton of bricks, brilliance descended! THAT was the perfect job for this specific student. Outside. Not interacting directly with a whole lot of customers. Energy as a fundamental staple for success. Only during peak hours so as not to interfere with Social Security Disability pay by making too much money or working too many hours.

The. Perfect. Job.

So I did what I have practiced and brazenly called the business and asked for information about that job or jobs similar to it around the community. Low and behold, they needed somebody. Student applied. Scheduled an interview. And got the job!

So this week the student will start the job and I get to job coach!  I am SO EXCITED!  Any experienced job coaches out there with advice for me? 

Rob: Gaining perspective during your toughest times

October is one of the hardest months of the year. The honeymoon period is over. The kids start to push back. This year is especially difficult (at least in New York City) because it starts with five full weeks of school before a day off. In light of the season, I’m going to share a strategy that’s helped me get through so many of my tough days.

I remember very clearly one day during my first year of teaching when, after a very long day capped with a horrendous final period, I had one singular thought: This is unsustainable. I was exhausted, stressed, and worn down—and it wasn’t even winter break yet. I remember thinking I couldn’t make it through the winter, let alone through June.

That night, though, I was put in touch with a veteran teacher through a friend of mine who gave me some advice that probably saved my teaching career. We spoke for about 2 hours,  and she gave me a lot of ideas about how to add structure to the classroom and build relationships with students. About how to make my classroom about learning and not about disciplining. What I remember, though, is a piece of mental health advice.

Lisa: Cheering the amazing moments, steeling for the heavy ones

One of my students came up to me the other day and asked me why I became a teacher.  I tried to explain it to him by sharing the wonderful feeling that follows teaching someone a new skill.  I tried to describe the fantastic moment when a difficult task finally clicks after a hundred trials.  I tried to express how it feels to empower another person with knowledge.  He shrugged at me, sighed and said, “Why would anyone want to go to school forever?”

The truth is I became a teacher because I don’t know what else I could ever do.

Ann-Bailey: The learning curve is back

A big part of being a special education teacher is being able to go with the flow and be flexible with whatever comes your way. You can start a lesson thinking it will go one way and quickly find that your plans need to change mid-lesson. You can go into school in the morning thinking your day will follow a certain schedule and suddenly end up doing something completely different. Or, in my case this fall, you can start the school year thinking you know your teaching assignment and after a few weeks find yourself teaching something comple
tely different.

Last June, as I finished my first year teaching in an intellectual disabilities program at a brand new school, I was excited for September because I could not wait to feel like I knew what I was doing. I was looking forward to being able to repeat lessons, manage behaviors confidentially, and work with now familiar team members. The steep learning curve is behind me, I naively thought, and now I can put what I learned that first year into practice.

Ha!  That’s what I get for making assumptions in June about the next school year!

Adrien: Working out the kinks for successful transitions

Howdy y’all! No, really. I’m Texan but not that Texan. But I do say howdy here and there and y’all really is a real word, and I am terribly excited to have the opportunity to be part of Reality 101 this year!

To share a little bit of background on myself getting into teaching...

When I was applying for teaching positions, I had my heart set on a PPCD unit. I adore working with little ones. After applying to 30+ positions in the area, I was called for one interview and offered one position. I was hired to open a new class that they were calling the 12+ Class (now 18+ Program). It would be solely for students ages 18-22. Can you say “opposites”?

Needless to say, everything happens for a reason. I now adore and have become very passionate about working with my 18+ Program students. I very quickly realized that many of these parents and students had no idea what they will do after their student aged out of public school. So my left-brained, problem solving personality revved up and started to try to fix it.

Rob: Hang in there (yawn), it gets better.

A few days ago, a student wondered why we were learning about Dr. Martin Luther King when it wasn't Black History Month.

She looked at me and innocently asked, “What are we going to learn about in February?”

“How am I supposed to know?” I answered.  “It's only November.”

She laughed as I glanced down at my watch and realized it’s the third week of school. We haven't even hit the end of September yet.

Sometimes I sit back and wonder if those first few weeks of school ever get easier. As a first year teacher, I was so unprepared and unsure of what I was about to face. Now, as a third year teacher, I still find the transition to waking up before the crack of dawn and being on my feet all day to be a tough one. As an added bonus, I find myself teaching three different courses this year: U.S. history, 9^th grade English and 11^th grade English. As my Freudian slip reveals, it has been a long first few weeks.

Jerry: Farewell (and Ways to Productively Use Your Summer Break)

For the past year I have been privileged to be a Reality101 blogger. It has beena great honor to write for such a prestigious community and to share my thoughts and ideas and fears and dreams with my colleagues and peers. I have especially appreciated the input from Andrea Elkin who served as our editor for the lion’s share of the posting year and, more recently, Diane Shinn. Both have helped me to become a more thoughtful writer and I have benefited greatly from their editorial expertise. But I am also grateful for the positive and encouraging feedback I have received from you, the readers.

So this is my last post for Reality101. I am sad that my time as a writer here is complete, but I have to say that I enjoyed my time very much and I am hopeful I can continue writing about my experiences as a teacher elsewhere (like, say, my blog: Learning While Teaching.) For my final post I’d like to share with you how I have been spending my summer so far. I have titled this post: Ways to Productively Use Your Summer Break. J

Jerry: Become one with data, CAUSE it's important

One of the things I love about my job is that I get to see my students every single day. I do not mean that I merely get to say ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’. What I mean is that I get to see them, observe them, listen to them, and in general pay attention to what is going on in their lives moment to moment. As intervention specialists, our senses are very important when it comes to our students and, as I have written before, we are paid to pay attention. I see every opportunity as an opportunity for collecting data.

I love what I do. I love seeing ‘my’ kids, I love when they pass a spelling test on the first try, I love seeing them make a discovery on their own, I love when the light clicks on in their mind, and I love when a student with an ASD looks me in the eye first thing in the morning and says ‘hello!’ What’s more is that every single one of these events is a mine full of data and evidence that I can use to make important academic and/or behavioral decisions for the student.