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!
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.
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.
In my last post, I mentioned how my teaching situation lends
its own set of challenges. I know every teaching situation is filled with its
own nuances and difficulties so I wanted to mention some of the things that helped
me through my first year of teaching and are helping me now in my second year.
Hopefully, what has helped me can help you.
Last month, I participated in the South Carolina Council for
Exceptional Children’s Leadership Training Institute. I was asked to sit on a
panel and answer questions about the support that CEC has provided me as I
transitioned from student to first year teacher and beyond. As those in
attendance can attest, I can talk almost endlessly about how CEC has supported
me as a teacher. From the Tool of the Week, which I mentioned in my last post to
SmartBrief, Policy Insider, webinars, and many other resources, CEC has been
the single biggest factor in my professional development since becoming a
special educator.
It seems as though a few days ago I was packing up my classroom, and yet I have just a few more weeks before pre-planning starts and school begins again. I am very excited for what next year holds. I have spent my break reading and immersing myself in education literature to find inspiration and ideas for next year. I have reflected on last year and have begun to develop goals for next year.
My first goal is to create an environment that approaches behavior proactively rather than reactive. I admit this is still a work in progress, but I want to eliminate the points/rewards programs that are so popular in EBD rooms. I plan to transition to teaching the behavior explicitly and holding my students to that standard regardless of if they are having a bad day or forgot their meds. I feel as though they need to learn now, when they have a safety net that those excuses and that mentality will not be there when they are older. I think this will take a significant effort and interfere with some instruction, however if my students cannot manage their behaviors, it won’t matter how well they grasp the content.
Seeing as many of us are beginning summer break, here’s your opportunity to catch up on movies. Chances are you’ve seen these five movies about real people in real schools, and been inspired. Of course, if your first year of teaching isn’t quite like this, don’t fret. Teaching in real life isn’t quite the same as teaching in the movies.
Stand and Deliver (1988)
Real Teaching: You may enter a classroom and discover it is overcrowded, not everyone speaks English, and not everyone has the basic skills necessary to study the subject matter you are teaching them.
This past month has been a March Madness of IEPs at my school. We all try to hold IEP meetings during this month to review student progress and make schedule arrangements for next year. I found myself called to LEA several IEP meetings with students of various disabilities that were having or have had a history of behavior problems. Being the EBD teacher and Positive Behavior Support Coordinator, I have been given the role of behavior specialist. As I sat in on meetings I noticed a common theme; many teachers struggle with behaviors that appear complicated, but have a fairly simple resolution.
I have recently had the opportunity to be a cooperating teacher for six graduate students from DePaul University. They are currently in the same program that I was in, just three short years ago. It has been wonderful having an extra person in the classroom these last couple of weeks. My students have loved the extra attention from our “visitors,” and I have enjoyed seeing some of my more quiet students interacting with our visitors.
I have really wanted them to get their “feet wet” while working with my students. I have let them decide what they want the kids to call them, whether it’s by their first name or last name. What has been interesting is seeing how they all were unsure about how much of their personal lives to they share. When my students have asked them a question, the graduate students have looked at me for guidance, as if they are unsure how much they should share. I think that as long as you are comfortable with what you are sharing (and it is grade level appropriate), it is fine.
What defines a new teacher? According to the school district I work in, you are considered a new teacher for the first two years. (And here at Reality 101, it’s three.) Now that I am entering my third year of teaching, I wonder if I missed the finish line where one becomes less of a new teacher and more of a veteran teacher.
One sign that I have graduated from new teacher status is that I get more and more responsibilities at work. This year I have been asked to sit on administration interviews of teacher candidates and to take on students from different universities as they complete various requirements for their teaching courses.
As a first- and second-year special education teacher, I was lucky enough to receive mentoring services from an induction coach through the Chicago New Teacher Center. My coach last year gave me exactly the support I needed. When she came into my classroom, she would know if I was having a good day or a bad day; she would know when to take notes and when things should be “off the books.”
I originally had an entirely different blog in mind, but just like in special education, life has its way of forcing us to be flexible, especially in unfortunate circumstances.
Early this week I was informed that a professor who mentored me through my credential and master’s program—and beyond—had passed away. I was amazed at the effect this had on me, and I have come to realize that if there is anything to encourage a teacher to stay positive and passionate no matter what, it is the example set by a single teacher who did just that.
Jeanne was a tremendous life force to so many people. Always on the cutting edge of research and technology’s impact on education, she was involved in projects that improved the lives of children with disabilities while simultaneously and enthusiastically teaching and inspiring us to do the same. She was the kind of person who did not just visit us and teach us because it was what she was paid to do…it was her passion. She took us under her wing and shared everything she could with us. She gave us her love for this field.
It’s the second week of school. The first week was a dream and hopefully the students will continue to be motivated to learn, while you do the job you were hired to do – teach. You have assessed all your students and know their strengths and weaknesses. The IEPs have been carefully scrutinized, and a plan established for monitoring goals and objectives. You are friends with everyone in the building and you know where to go for assistance.
Although building- and division-mandated meetings are over for the moment, you still need to learn how to write a computer-generated IEP, the alternative assessment training is scheduled for two days at the end of September, and the mentoring class is once a month. You also need to take two courses this year for additional certification.
Our close and happy friend, STRESS, starts creeping into your carefully planned schedule shortly after school starts. It can’t be avoided. The first year of teaching is always challenging.
Here’s to all those wonderful professionals who take time to mentor someone. There are different types of mentors. Perhaps some of you have been assigned a “mentor teacher” to provide guidance and advice as you work through your first year of teaching. Having a mentor in your school building to turn to for advice and suggestions is wonderful. What a great resource! We hope that you are using your mentor as much as you possibly can—asking questions, borrowing resources, copying effective lessons, talking through situations.
As I reflect on my first exciting years of teaching, let’s continue my list of Tips for New Teachers. I am sure that you are “enjoying your students” and “using humor judiciously” to help lighten your loads. Tip #3 is to FIND A MENTOR. Mine was actually provided to me by my state. Other states are also using some form of mentoring program to help new teachers get started. Hopefully it will also encourage good teachers to stay in the classroom. A mentor can provide corrective feedback, offer suggestions, provide information about resources, and generally help to get you started in the “right” direction. A good mentor also provides opportunities for questioning, hand-holding, help with lesson plans, classroom management, building level protocols, etc.
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