As I mentioned in my last post, substituting can be a very
beneficial way of making positive impressions at a school. Some teachers end up
substituting as a last resort after a failed job search. If you are trying to
get a full-time position, you need to make positive impressions with
principals, secretaries and teachers. All of these parties can have a say in
you receiving a full-time job.
I’m going to focus on how to make a good impression with the
teacher you are substituting for because that’s what I know best. Some of the
tips might sound like common sense, but they are all here because someone has
violated them at some point while subbing in my classroom.
As I sat down to write this post,
there were so many things that popped into my head as possible topics. Recently, numerous ideas, thoughts,
strategies and changes for my classroom have been running through my mind. So, instead of playing “Enie Menie Minie Mo”
to decide which topic to write about, I’ll just give you a sightseeing tour through
the mind of one special ed. teacher. Buckle your seatbelts!
As I discussed in a previous post, making true
inclusion happen for my students has been weighing heavy on my mind. I’ve been
reading everything I come across related to the topic. I actually discovered a great blog that has been posting tips for
making inclusion happen in schools. The author pushes for what I call “full-blown”
inclusion, where students with even the most severe disabilities are educated
alongside their peers.
I got an e-mail recently from someone looking for a teaching
job. She was frustrated in her search and didn’t know where to begin. Many of
the comments I get from readers of Reality 101 are from student teachers or
college students, who are studying to become special education teachers. As the
end of the semester approaches (can you believe it?!), I want to share some job
search tips for teachers.
Teaching is a unique profession in that the vast majority of
hiring is done over a span of just a couple months. In most other professions,
you can search just about any time of the year and find openings. For teachers,
however, the months of January–May are your peak time. If I had to be more
specific, I would say the months of March and April.
“Run on and on…Run on and on…The loneliness of the long
distance runner…
“I've got to keep running the course
I've got to keep running and win at all costs
I've got to keep going, be strong
Must be so determined and push myself on.”
–The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, by Iron Maiden
I simply cannot believe that we (I) only have about three
months left to teach this year. I cannot believe how fast the first six months
have gone by. Now here I am, on our seventh or eighth snow day of the year and
I am pondering all that has gone before and all that I have yet to do and where
I am currently. Some things have changed since I first started writing for
Reality101.
Unfortunately,
sometimes life forces us to make decisions that are difficult and
uncomfortable. I recently moved on from my previous school and started a new
opportunity in February. It was tough to make the decision to leave my students
and parents I had known and established such close relationships with for
almost two years.
It was a
situation that had been tormenting me for some time, but I was determined to
make it work and exhaust all measures before walking away. There were lots of
sleepless nights, tears, prayers, questioning of my career choices and
exhausting the listening ears of many family members and friends. I finally
made my choice to leave.
As a teacher of students with
severe disabilities in a self-contained special education classroom, I’m
constantly hunting for opportunities for life skills, community-based and
social skills instruction. Of course, you can create these opportunities in
artificial classroom activities, but the best way to learn them are in genuine,
real-life situations. Last week, an answer to many of my silent prayers for
such opportunities was answered.
It all began when one of my
parents inquired about the 4-H Club at our school. I’m sure many of your
schools have active 4-H clubs, but, if not, I highly encourage you to learn more about 4-H Club. I made a call to the
local 4-H office and spoke with their representative, who works in our county’s
schools (it just so happens we were acquaintances from high school -- one of
the benefits of living in a tiny town). When I explained my reason for calling,
he immediately began to show an interest in doing some things for and with my
class.
Remember Allisence? She wrote for Reality
101 in 2011–12. Allisence was just starting a second career and in her first year of teaching last time she blogged. Reality 101 is circling back
with her for a Reality
Check to get her perspective and
sage advice for new teachers.
Last year, I was a first-year teacher trying to figure out
how to navigate the system and balance student schedules that made my room feel
like a three-ring circus. I was perplexed by how to teach such a wide range of
students, but even though I have a year of experience under my belt, everything
seems that much more complicated!
Last semester I wrote about some issues I was having with
behavior management. The problem was that I needed a system that gave me
options for rewarding positive behavior and punishing negative behavior. The
system also needed to be developmentally appropriate for the students in my
class—many of whom already think that the occupational classes are “childish.”
Thanks to the input from many of you all, I developed a plan
that I felt would be an improvement in all areas. I am sharing the plan I came
up with so that it could possibly help some of you. Feel free to take and
modify it!
Recent Comments