Reality 101: CEC's blog for new teachers

Reality Check with Jennifer: Teaching a Teacher and Still Learning

Remember Jennifer? She wrote for Reality 101 in 2009–10. She's in her second year of teaching kindergartners with various disabilities in Pasadena, Calif. Reality 101 is circling back with her for a Reality Check to get her perspective and sage advice for new teachers.

One of the best things about special education is that when someone asks you to write about things that have changed in your teaching career, you can honestly say things are just as exciting, interesting, new, challenging, and, occasionally, as daunting as ever. While I feel stronger as a professional, that I have a greater sense of “ownership” in my classroom, and am more experienced when making decisions for my students, I am still always learning, always questioning, and always surprised by what each day brings.

Kaylie: A Conference, a Coworker, and a Contingency

Although I am a middle school special education teacher, I’m also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). When I first began grad school, it was actually my plan to work primarily in this field, not as a teacher. Now, of course, I cannot imagine life without my students and classroom. However, I do want to keep my BCBA license and, in order to do so, must keep up a certain number of continuing education units (CEUs). This pursuit led me to the Tennessee Association of Behavior Analysis (TABA) Conference last Thursday and Friday. Held in conjunction with the TABA conference this year was the Tennessee CEC Conference. As usual, I was looking forward to two days of listening to professionals and experts talk about my greatest passions and interests: special education, behavior analysis, and people with disabilities.

CEC Checks In

Ever wonder how past Reality 101 bloggers are doing? You got to know our bloggers throughout their year with Reality 101 and we want to check back in with former bloggers to see how they’re doing.

What has teaching been like for them since they last blogged with CEC? What have they learned since being a new teacher? What are some of the biggest surprises as they continue teaching? Have they reached new milestones or even changed careers?

Look for our “Reality Checks” throughout the year to hear the latest from CEC’s former Reality 101 bloggers! 

Danielle: It’s About Growth

I started this week not really believing that I was going to make it. The quarter ended last Friday, so grades were due. I had two doctor’s appointments, one blog due, and a meeting with two high school departments on Thursday. I needed to be at the board meeting Monday night and the National Honor Society faculty council meeting Wednesday night. None of which would be a problem. Except that my department was being audited—on Thursday.

I love that word, audit. Just saying it strikes fear into the hearts and minds of everyone in hearing distance. It reminds me of the words “Final Exam” or “Dean’s Office.”

Our school has never really had a full time GT Coordinator, so I wanted to show everyone, myself included, just how amazing our program could be. The primary function of the audit, of course, is to determine whether or not the school is in compliance with state regulations. I don’t want to be just in compliance; I want our school to be a leader in gifted education.

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.

John: Singing Lessons

One of my favorite lessons is coming up next week. I love using music in the classroom. The vast majority of my students are major fans of this genre. When I can, I like to incorporate the strong interest my students have for music into my lessons.

I went to a workshop last year on using music in the classroom and decided I wanted to use music to reinforce the material I was teaching. I was surprised by how many songs reference job skills in some way (strong work ethic, staying in school, supporting a family, being responsible, paying bills, etc.). While listening to my students talk about favorite songs, I found one that incorporates many of the skills we talk about regularly.

Jerry: Alarm Clock Words

In her short book Teaching a Stone to Talk, Annie Dillard comments that words, some words, bring us back to reality, waking us from sleep. The people who use those words catch us asleep or ‘dead and gone and grieving’ and become, as it were, alarm clocks rousing us from our slumber.

She writes, “The mind—the culture—has two little tools, grammar and lexicon: a decorated sand bucket and a matching shovel. With these we bluster about the continents and do all the world’s work. With these we try to save our very lives.” (Annie Dillard, Teaching a Stone to Talk 24).

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.