Reality 101: CEC's blog for new teachers

Sheena: Our Passions as Our Professions

As the end of the school year quickly approaches, I realize that attending the CEC 2011 Convention & Expo was exactly what I needed at this stage in my career. Countless amazing, inspiring, and dedicated people were placed in my path, giving me the perspective I needed to move forward on my journey.

As I attended sessions and asked questions about the realities of co-teaching—my favorite subject, as you all know!—I was shocked to hear veteran special educators both acknowledge my professional concerns and encourage me to continue on the path. Their positive and supportive responses were just the consolation my young, passionate teacher’s heart needed.

Brad: Tips for Hosting a “Transition Night”

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ~ Margaret Mead

During my time at the CEC 2011 Convention & Expo, I was lucky to meet educators and researchers who are trying to find better ways to teach and serve exceptional children and their families. As I perused the many poster sessions, I was struck by the work of Lusa Lo of the University of Massachusetts, whose poster described a three-year parent community project between schools and immigrant families of children with disabilities. The demographic of our school here in Anchorage is one made up of immigrant, bilingual, and ethnically diverse families.

In my brief career, East High School has tried to improve its connection with students’ parents, families, and community. This year, a contingency of the special education department hosted two “Transition Nights” with the goal of connecting more students with disabilities to state and local services. Throughout the experience, I and my peers learned a few things about connecting with parents and hosting a “Transition Night” that I’d like to share with Reality 101 readers.

Sheena: Add CEC’s 2012 Convention to Your Calendar Now!

I am in awe and I don’t want to leave! The CEC 2011 Convention & Expo has truly been one of the best professional development opportunities that I have experienced in my two years as a special education teacher. Aside from the beautiful setting of National Harbor, Md., the sessions, presentations, speakers, and networking opportunities leave me feeling even more passionate about the career path that I have chosen.

Yesterday was a series of inspiring coincidences that ranged from meeting visionaries in the field who seemed to fall into my path and attending informative sessions with presenters whose words touched my heart, validated my new teacher experiences, and motivated me to continue to on my path by viewing each experience as an opportunity for growth.

My morning began with a session about new programs from California to support English language learners (ELLs) based on the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP). I met countless teachers and graduate students in this field and learned about developing masters degree programs for ELL teachers in special education.

Sheena: Past and Present

My restless nights as a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, West Africa, were spent with a pair of portable speakers and Nina Simone’s wisdom. Her songs became my ray of hope and comfort as I lay under the moon and a mosquito net, covered by the blanket of the night.

I joined the Peace Corps in 2006 because I needed a change from my comfortable, mundane life as an office assistant in the United States. As a young, Black college graduate, I knew I did not want to get stuck in a meaningless existence. I wanted to contribute to society in ways that really mattered.

Lurking in my subconscious was this lovely, precious dream that Nina Simone so desperately wanted the world to believe in. This was the American Dream that I, in my youthfulness, was fearless enough to pursue. I made the bold decision to travel, learn new languages, and gain experience in international development. It was exhilarating to announce that I would give up air conditioning and clean drinking water for two years to make my humble contribution to the world.

With Simone’s commanding, lyrical voice at my side, I “opened my heart.” However, on my journey through the harmattan sandstorms of West Africa, I would be forced to ponder how this dream differs for individuals depending on their cultural and personal needs.

Brad: No, I Don’t Speak Spanish, I’m Tongan

When you take on the role of teacher to students with special needs, you’re seldom prepared for the connections and conversations you’ll have with so many families.

This is particularly true at East High School, as the students are so diverse. Looking up and down the hallway outside my classroom door, I see a sizable sample of the two thousand students at East. I’m still struck at how different they look: Asian, Pacific-Islander, Hispanic, Black, Native Alaskan, White, and multi-ethnic. All told, about 70% of our students are ethnically diverse. This creates opportunities for some amazing discoveries and unique challenges in the classroom.

This week, a student began to sing while doing the dishes (one of the daily student jobs). When asked what she was singing, she replied, “It’s a Samoan song my mother taught me.” Another student in the classroom sang us a traditional Hmong song. When a teacher assistant joked that he and one of the students might be brothers, the student shot back, “But I’m Black and you’re White!”

I’ve found that while students at East are adept at noticing differences, like all high school students, they’re also generally accepting and curious about where others are from, what languages they speak at home, and what traditions they hold.