Melissa: Invested

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

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

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

In particular, Ms. Winner discussed finding the line between “can’t” and “won’t” with our students, and told us it’s okay to have students do work they think is pointless. That was something I really needed to hear! It would be great if every student saw the value in learning how to check an algebraic inequality problem for accuracy—but when Johnny wants to be a chef, it’s a little difficult to convince him of its importance . . . and that’s okay. Everyone has to do some stuff they don’t like; that’s just life and we can’t completely shield our students from it. Ms. Winner even had a strategy for getting students to read when they feel the work is meaningless—and this will definitely be used in my classroom!

I also got to hear from Paula Kluth, a consultant who specializes in inclusion. She was an amazing speaker; she told the audience she likes to speak from the floor instead of the stage because sometimes she gets a little too animated and falls off! The best take-away from her was that inclusion is not “real-estate”; it is not a place in a building or a certain room in the school. Inclusion is a process.

I loved Kluth’s statement that our goal should not be for people to say, “You can’t tell who the kids with special needs are in this class.” Instead, the goal should be to hear, “You can’t tell which role each adult in the room is filling.” How true! Full inclusion would have general educators, special educators, and paraeducators working together to direct the same show. It’s not about “my” students and “their” students; they are OUR students—every one of them, regardless of IEP status.

And then there was Temple Grandin. I had wanted to hear her speak for years, so this was really a dream come true. I actually spotted her before the session, just walking through the convention center. I can’t say I would have been any more excited to see some gigantic Hollywood star (although I guess that does kind of include Temple these days—she did mention that her movie is now available on DVD!). Her presentation was even better than I had imagined it would be. She wore one of her trademark Southwestern outfits and tossed in several funny stories throughout her speech, my favorite of which is probably a little too colorful to share on Reality 101!

Overall, the conference was exceptional and definitely one of the highlights of my career thus far. I have so many new ideas I don’t know what to try first. And it’s so nice to know that I am valued as a special education teacher in my district. It makes me want to stop giving 110% and start giving 120%!

Comments

[John Arthur]

Hi Melissa, as a student teacher in a high-functioning autism classroom I found your blog post both inspirational and daunting. While I smiled at each insight you gleaned from the conference, the weight of the task hinted at by the speakers rests heavy on my mind. As special educators, our job extends far beyond teaching core concepts and social skills. Special educators are wrecking balls, bent on demolishing the walls that isolate our students and blur in their minds the line between can't and won't. It is hard enough for a child to see for themselves the difference between "I can't" and "I won't" when they operate within a system that tells them "You can't" and "You won't" every day they walk into a self-contained unit or resource classroom. As Kluth alluded to, inclusion is less about real-estate and all about perception; however, until our kids are sitting in the same classroom as their same-age peers they will always be perceived as second-class students.

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences from the conference, I can only hope and pray to have the same opportunity someday.

[Marissa]

I think it's wonderful that your school district gave you the opportunity to attend this conference. I think special education teachers should always be given the opportunities to expand their professional knowledge by attending workshops, conferences, and trainings. We are all life long learners and have a different set of students every year with different needs. What works for one student may not for the next, which requires us to differentiate how we teach and present material in the classroom. It's great that your school district recognizes why it's so important for you all to attend conferences like this one. Keep spreading the information that you learned there with your colleagues and others that were not as fortunate as you and were not able to attend.

[Heather Haynes]

I really enjoyed reading your post. Your comment about not being able to tell which teachers are “assigned” to which students really hit me hard. I work with several students on the Autism Spectrum and other students with multiple disabilities and I use the process of inclusion every day. Many times I feel I am expected to make sure the students assigned to me are on task but the classroom teacher also asks me to check on and help other students. I do not mind and the issue is not helping the other students because my job is to ensure that ALL students are learning. I just notice that the classroom teacher does not offer to help the students in my class, especially if the student is on the spectrum.

This point just reinforces the need that I feel for reformed thinking regarding all students, especially students with disabilities. Instead of focusing on finding what the students cannot do, we should focus on what they can do to promote learning in each student’s individual areas of need. I cannot count the number of times classroom teachers have said, “I can’t believe they can do that.” I have made a resolve to change the perception of students with multiple disabilities and autism away from can’t, because ALL students CAN.

[Jennifer]

Hey Melissa!

How fantastic that you were able to attend such a great conference! I wish more teachers were given such opportunities. I'm excited to continue reading your blog and hope you have a great year!

[Charlene]

I think that you sound like a true asset to the education system. Glad to see how dedicated you are to learn more about children like mine.