Reality 101: CEC's blog for new teachers

Kaylie: Top Five Things I NEVER Thought I’d do as a Special Ed Teacher

I love lists. I make them for tons of reasons, and, yes, I am one of those people who add things that I’ve already done just to cross them off. Recently, I was reflecting back on my past two and half years of teaching and an interesting list started to come together in my mind.

There have been many things over the past couple of years that I never dreamed I would be doing, hence, my “Top Five Things I NEVER Thought I Would Do as a Special Ed Teacher” list.

Kaylie: Standardized Testing Week. Enough Said.

As I’ve explained before, all of my students participate in alternate assessments, which are called the TCAP-Alt Portfolio here in Tennessee. Those were completed and submitted in February. This week, however, is regular standardized TCAP testing at my school, and, although my students do not participate, I did not escape this week unaffected. 

I was selected by the school counselor and resource teacher to administer the TCAP to a student who receives testing accommodations. This particular student is allowed as many breaks as needed during testing, a separate setting and read-aloud. This means that he and I will be together in a small conference room where I will give him the test by reading each question and answer choice. With the read-aloud accommodation, you are also allowed to repeat as many questions and answers as necessary and as many times as necessary. 

Kaylie: The Worst Thing About Being a Special Ed Teacher...

As a Reality 101 blogger, there are tons of great topics I anticipate writing about; this is not one of them. Last Monday, one of my students passed away. It was very sudden and shocking. This particular student has been in my class since I began two years ago. I've attended his birthday parties and talked regularly with his mother. He even came to my wedding in December. My students often fight over who will be his "study buddy." He's well-known throughout our school and is especially popular with all our administrators.

Those of you who currently teach understand that classrooms become like their own little families. If a student is absent or an assistant is out, it's like part of the family is missing. When we return to school, I know our "family" is going to feel incomplete; we won't be whole. 

Kaylie: Inside the Mind of a Special Ed Teacher

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.

Kaylie: Three...No, Four Cheers for 4-H!

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.

Kaylie: Inspired by Inclusive Education

Don’t you love coming across a novel, poem, movie, or song that you first encountered years ago and really enjoyed or that had a lasting impact on you? You get to have that great experience again and reminisce about what was going on in your life the first time you heard or read the piece? This happened to me this week.

I’m a nerd, so it came as no surprise that what I came across were two articles I had read in grad school. The articles both discuss inclusive education for students with moderate-severe disabilities (i.e., my students). There were so many “highlighter-worthy” statements that I just had to pass along.

Kaylie: Learning the Importance of Reevaluations

All special education teachers know about the three-year reevaluation. Every three years, we are required to take a look at our students’ progress, behavior, medical and family information and any changes that may have occurred in their lives during this time. As teachers, we complete assessments, complete observation forms and fill in the data collected three years ago so it can easily be compared to new data. General education teachers and parents also complete observation forms and share any other relevant information.

What’s the point of all this? We are determining whether or not the student continues to need special education services and if the current services are meeting his or her needs. 

Kaylie: Special Educator Seeking an Education on the General Ed World

Holiday break is officially over and as the new semester starts, I’m not only planning for my classroom, I’m also preparing to teach a new college course. Last fall was my first endeavor in teaching higher education, and it turned out to be a blast. I taught an introduction to special education course to students preparing to be general education teachers. The course covered the disability categories of IDEA, each disability’s characteristics and basic information about IEPs and the referral process. It was so fun talk about my passion with a group of interested individuals! I definitely had to do some outside study and research to prepare for class but, overall, I felt comfortable with the topics covered in the intro course.

Kaylie: The Reason for the Season

As soon as December arrived, the Christmas activity planning went into full swing. Everyone is in full holiday mode—scheduling parties, programs, luncheons, etc. Many are also looking for opportunities to give and spread joy during the season. 

One of the first phone calls I received regarding Christmas activities was from a large corporation in our town who does an annual philanthropy project. The majority of employees from this company take money from their paychecks each month to put toward the charitable cause chosen for the year. For the past two years, their project has been to buy gifts for every student in self-contained special education classrooms in our county. That’s six classrooms! And it doesn’t stop there. They spend approximately $100 on each student, buying them things they need, as well as things they want.

Kaylie: An Attitude of Gratitude, It’s All in Your Perspective

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down. Spending time with families and friends. Eating entirely too much food. Most importantly, stopping to think about the things in life we’re most grateful for.

This past Sunday, my pastor began his sermon by explaining that he was very aware Thanksgiving had already come and gone, but he’d never had the opportunity to preach a Thanksgiving message and was not going to miss the chance, even if it did come a few days late. Toward the end of the sermon, he read a list of things that he was thankful for: the early morning sound of the alarm clock, sore muscles at night, mortgage payments and income taxes. Obviously, this is a pretty strange list, but he went on to give reasons why he was thankful for these things. The early morning sound of the alarm clock is a reminder that he has life another day. Sore muscles at night mean he was able to be productive. The mortgage payment is a reminder that he’s blessed with a warm home. Income taxes are paid because he has a job and the ability to work.

Kaylie: What To Do When Things Go Wrong

It was before 8 a.m. on Tuesday. My students were signing the daily sign-in sheet, completing the morning work assignment on the board, eating breakfast, looking at library books, and, of course, some were just milling around the room visiting. One of the last buses arrived, and three of my students entered the room. I was at my desk glancing at an IEP needing revision soon when I hear words that sound worse than nails on a chalkboard to me: “I haven’t had my medicine today! I’ll probably be a little rowdy!”

Let me start by saying that I am in no way against behavioral medication and truly believe that it helps a number of kids be successful. I don’t think it should be the first behavioral intervention, however, and find it very upsetting when some of my students believe they are not responsible for their own behavior after missing medication. Needless to say, this is not the first time I’ve had a student give me the old “I can’t help it; I haven’t had my medicine!” spiel. It is true that not taking medications can affect behavior, but I am a firm believer that students must still learn to make good choices.   

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.

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.    

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.

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!

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!

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!