Reality 101: CEC's blog for new teachers

Danielle: Tears of Joy

One of the greatest privileges of my job is occasionally I am given the opportunity to change a parent’s perspective his/her child’s mind. One of the greatest misconceptions about giftedness is that a gifted child is a perfect child. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. A gifted mathematician might struggle to read and a talented musician might struggle to sit still in the classroom.

Most gifted children struggle with asynchronous development, which confuses parents and teachers alike. For example, a five-year-old child may read a book intended for eighth graders (well above age level) and ask her bewildered father for help tying her shoe (age appropriate) while sucking her thumb (below age level). Difficulty with social skills, overexcitabilities, extreme perfectionism, fear of failure and many other things can mask a student’s giftedness.  Uncovering that giftedness can change a child’s life–and the lives of their entire family.

John: New Year's Resolutions

As 2012 rolls into 2013, now seems like a good time to make some resolutions for this year. One nice thing about teaching in a high school situation like mine is that all courses last only one semester. Last semester’s classes are done, and I get a fresh start with a new set of students. Without further ado, here are my 2013 resolutions.

Behavior management -- I'm determined to get behavior management under control this semester. Thanks to the feedback I received from many of you on an earlier post, I have devised a plan that I believe both positively reinforces positive behavior and punishes negative behavior. I introduced the plan to the students today and they seem to like it. I’ll keep you updated on the progress of the system, and if it works, I’ll share it with you to try!

Charmelle: Partnerships with Parents

A parent came in this school year and shared with me all the wonderful things that her son had worked on this summer and how she was still concerned about his progress. I assured her we could meet and work on some more strategies that she could continue to do with him at home and how we would continue to support him at school. She turned to me and said with a smile “I trust you with him, Ms. Smith.”

Those words meant so much to me being both a parent and educator. I understand how comforting it is to be able to trust someone with your child when you are not present all day.  In that moment, I realized just how important it is to establish communication and build relationships with parents because it is an essential component in how we are successful when working with our students.

Recently, my school had its Back to School Night. I love this time of the year as it creates an opportunity for me to meet with parents and share with them all the things the students will learn this school year and how I plan to support the students through their learning process. This is also a time to facilitate the first line of communication with parents and begin the groundwork for building our relationship.

I like to share with them that I am not only there to be a support to the student but to also support them as well and have them understand that we are a team in achieving the best possible outcome for their child.  Here are a few things I’ve learned in getting my parent relationships off to a good start:

1. Use Multiple Modes of Communication:  Communication in a lower socio-economic environment can be very tricky and I have had to be very creative. My parents work long hours, so I have to be willing to contact parents by phone, email, in person or even through written notes or communication logs. Be sure that your positive communication outweighs the negative ones. Communicate regularly! 
2. Make Yourself Available: Just like in college your professor had office hours so that you would have time to meet to discuss concerns or get extra help if you needed. Set times when you can be available and post them so that parents can have the opportunity to plan to meet with you about their child. It takes some of the stress out of scheduling meetings by arranging office hours. This year I am trying a combination of morning and evening times for parents.  
3. Create A Parent Resource Board: In my classroom, I create a small board that provides parents with a variety of resources that include tips on preparing for IEP meetings, tutoring opportunities, support groups and more. This allows the parents to have access to local support systems and create community connections to available resources.
4. Create A Newsletter: This year as a department we created a newsletter, similar to the parent resource board, which provides strategies and tips. We also use it to share information about the latest changes in school and to highlight student achievements and activities in our classrooms.
5. Be Honest and Document: Always, be honest with parents and be sure you document all communication, incidents, progress reports and more. Documentation is a huge part of our job -- it keeps parents happy and informed about their student.

 

How do you build positive parent-teacher partnerships? I look forward to reading your feedback!

Jessica: When Teamwork Goes Wrong, Part I

In my previous post, I stressed the importance of teamwork and emphasized how an individual’s needs cannot truly be met without a successful team. A commenter posted the following question: what happens when the team doesn’t agree? I don’t know about you, but if I had a single, definitive answer to this question, my life would be a whole lot easier. In this post and my next one, I will address what I consider the two most common obstacles to achieving team consensus and action:

• The parents do not agree with the recommended services.
• The general educator does not agree with the specialist’s recommendations regarding accommodations and modifications.

Allisence: An Update on Felipe

Remember cute and adorable Felipe? Remember how he used to be so willing to do whatever I asked him to do? Remember how before winter break his behavior did a 180? Ah, Felipe, yes, I remember.

I finally did get a chance to sit down with mom and dad right before break. They agreed that something seemed to be off — they saw the same change in behavior at home. Felipe was having an especially hard time getting ready in the morning, which of course affected the rest of his school day. As a mini-team, we decided to simply give Felipe a break, slow things down a little bit, and see what happened after the New Year.

The Monday after break, Felipe walked into school the happiest little clam I had ever met.  He was so excited to be back! Dad told me that during vacation, Felipe woke up every morning asking if he could go to school again and if vacation was finally over. While I was surprised Felipe craved being at school so much, I could understand his desire for the structured school day and the learning opportunities school offers him.

Richard: The Beauty of Communication

Communication is the foundation for many things.  I have learned in my first six months of teaching that it often takes precedence over most other “must haves.” Communication is pivotal in reaching students, maximizing the impact of a strategy, and getting along with coworkers. Communication also happens to be one of the largest areas of frustration for a new teacher like me.

I came into a system with established systems and unspoken rules that I wasn’t told about in my orientation to the school. The only way to really figure it out has been trial and error. The error part got to be tough for a while, but after the break I seem to be doing much better about asking the right people the right questions and abiding by the many non-spoken rules.

Jessica: The Other Side of the IEP Table

I hope I’m not late . . .
I hope I am dressed okay . . .
I hope I don’t say anything stupid . . .

This was me. Going to my first IEP. I was curious, hopeful, nervous.

First, introductions were made. Then, presentation of reports. I was very impressed with how in-depth the speech and language specialist’s and school psychologist’s reports were. I was probably thinking something like. Wow, they did a lot of tests . . . hey, that test has the word Hawaii in it . . . too bad we couldn’t have done the test in Hawaii. . . .

Sounds like I knew what I was doing, huh? In reality, I didn’t even know what “IEP” meant. I didn’t know about procedural safeguards or timelines, either. I only knew that everybody at the table was there to talk about my son.

Theresa: Tales from the IEP Meeting

When I was going to school for my master’s degree, I took one class in which we spent a lot of time conducting mock individual education program (IEP) meetings. What I remember most was how much anxiety they caused me. Thoughts would race through my head: How am I supposed to be in this meeting when I know nothing about the student? Won’t I know a lot more about the student when I am a teacher? Why are is everyone acting so crazy? They don’t act like that in real meetings, do they?

Fast-forward to my very first IEP meeting as a special education teacher. It was two years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I was very new and thought that all IEP meetings were like the ones practiced in my classes or imagined in my head. Boy, was I wrong!

This was an initial evaluation for the student, and his mother was hesitant about the whole idea of special education. When it was time for introductions around the table, I said, “Hi, I’m Theresa, the special education teacher.” The parent became so irate at the idea of her child needing special education that she rose out of her chair and stood over me in such a way that I almost felt threatened.

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.

Megan: The Gift of Time

Kids spell love T-I-M-E. ~John Crudele

There are many things that require credentials. You can’t drive without a license; you can’t teach without a degree. Yet the role of parent—the most important role in a child’s life—requires no preparation at all.

People often ask me if my students with emotional disabilities are placed in my classroom because of their families. I explain that while family factors have to be ruled out when diagnosing students with emotional disabilities, families actually play a huge role in a student’s success.

This year’s students are a prime example of that. I have more kids in the custody of people other than their parents than any other year I have taught. Most of their parents/guardians are rarely home and are often frustrated, overwhelmed, and unsure how to help their students. I call home and get no response. I send home daily communication journals, same thing. I try setting up conferences and no one RSVPs. Only two sets of guardians showed up for Open House.

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.

Katie: Easing Transitions

With the new semester comes a new challenge: looming transitions. Next fall my students, both the children with autism and those without, will move on to another preschool program or to Kindergarten, depending on need (I wish we could keep them forever!).

This is a difficult transition for any family, I think. All parents want their children to thrive in their education and be prepared for their future. My goal is to assist all my parents in making the best decision for their child and family. Of course, having a child with an exceptionality makes this decision all the more challenging.

I want to make sure that I am doing all I can to provide parents with useful information and help guide them through the decision-making process. How best to do this? I’d like to ask all of you for guidance as I embark on my own decision-making process.

Katie: In Praise of Parents

As we approach the middle of the school year and the holiday season, I am reminded of how lucky I am to be a first-year teacher working with the BEST parents in the world! Throughout my coursework and interactions with other professionals I have heard many generalized complaints about parents and either their “lack of caring” or their over-eager “meddling.” However, I have been blessed to spend my first year as lead teacher with a group of parents who are open-minded, laid-back, appreciative, and friendly.

I was fortunate enough to enter this new frontier of lead teaching already having established a relationship with the parents in my classroom and the parents from the second-year classroom where I am now placed. This made for a smooth transition as I took on my new position and responsibility (and stress).

The parents were patient and understanding as I figured out what exactly I was doing with and for their children and families. When I was noticeably stressed they encouraged me in subtle ways to let me know that I was doing well. They would take the time to talk to me, ask me how I was doing, and let me know they were happy with me becoming the second-year lead teacher.

Working with Parents

As special educators, we spend a great deal of time thinking and planning appropriate educational strategies for our students. We also work with a variety of school personnel to ensure that our students receive necessary supports.

We also must do our best to work effectively with parents. Here are some tips about working with parents that we’ve learned over the years.

1. Keep a log of all contact with parents—phone calls, e-mails, notes, quick conversations in the hallway. And keep copies of any notes or e-mails sent to parents that contain important information about students.
2. Don’t hesitate to contact parents with questions that you have about their child.
3. Encourage parents to contact you with questions or concerns.
4. If you need to visit a parent at their home, be sure to take a colleague with you.
5. If parents don’t respond to your inquiries in a timely manner, don’t make assumptions about why you haven’t heard from them.
6. Keep parents informed about what is going on in your class.
7. Let parents know when their child has done something positive, not just when there are concerns to discuss.

What have you found to be effective ways to work with parents? How do you communicate with your students’ parents? Let us know.

Joyce and Mary