I came across an article that talks about how to deal with behaviors that come about around the holidays and how to deal with them. "Before You Throw a Holiday Party"
By Terri Mauro, has a suggestion that I may not be able to use now, for I am not a parent, but I want to apply to my classroom.
She makes the point that your child may need his/her own "private" area to go to when people are there. This place is where no one else can go and where your child can have alone time with comforting items.
Relating this to my current job and a student I am struggling with behavior wise, a light went on. My student is autistic and very oppositional defiant....maybe just stubborn! However, he frequently likes to do his own thing and not interact with his peers. Using the idea of giving him his own private place, I am thinking this could help with some behaviors. If my student knows he has a place to go to when he starts to get frustrated, some of his behaviors might go away and he may feel more calm at school. I am blessed that I have 3 separate rooms at my disposal, and even a closet that he often likes to chase ghost out of. Maybe I could make that closet his place to go to, to be with his ghost and to talk to himself like he frequently does. I like the idea of a private place...I will have to work on setting this up.
(Sorry....this was a thinking aloud blog with me trying to make sense of what I was thinking!)
Saturday, December 11, 2010
What to get your teacher for the holidays!
Of course the title caught my attention....."What's the best gift for a teacher?" I clicked on the link and realized it was a poll but I started reading the comments that others have made. My mind wondered...
I remember back in the days when I would go shopping with my mom to get something for my teacher for Christmas. Growing up, times were tough and we were never able to spend veyr much on gifts but my mom always made sure that my teacher got something. Now that I am a teacher, I realize that all those little gifts are passed on at "white elephant" parties or are thrown into the garbage can once the kids leave for the break. However, I also know that even though I do not want to keep many of the gifts that I get, I always remember them and they make me smile.
However, looking at comments others made, I agree with some of the posts that tell parents to focus on their child's education and invest in that, rather than getting the teacher a gift. Helping educate your student not only makes that current teacher's job easier, but it will also be the gift that gives every year in the future. I can go without the little candies that crack my teeth when I try to bite into them and I can go without another snow globe. Helping me educate your students will make my holiday that much better!
I remember back in the days when I would go shopping with my mom to get something for my teacher for Christmas. Growing up, times were tough and we were never able to spend veyr much on gifts but my mom always made sure that my teacher got something. Now that I am a teacher, I realize that all those little gifts are passed on at "white elephant" parties or are thrown into the garbage can once the kids leave for the break. However, I also know that even though I do not want to keep many of the gifts that I get, I always remember them and they make me smile.
However, looking at comments others made, I agree with some of the posts that tell parents to focus on their child's education and invest in that, rather than getting the teacher a gift. Helping educate your student not only makes that current teacher's job easier, but it will also be the gift that gives every year in the future. I can go without the little candies that crack my teeth when I try to bite into them and I can go without another snow globe. Helping me educate your students will make my holiday that much better!
Creativity
In the article "Advice to New and Student Teachers: Hold Fast to Dreams" author Gaetan Pappalardo encourages new teachers and student teachers to keep the arts alive within the school.
When my father was growing up, he was not into the academic side of school. When I asked him why he did not do well in his gym class or his history class, he said it was because he could be found working with the woods teacher on projects or maintenance would ask him to help them fix something around the campus. My dad was their go to guy when something needed to be done correctly. My father's grades suffered drastically because of this but academics were not going to take him into the career he wanted anyways.
My father is a prime example of why the focus on math and science is not going to work for all. Don't get me wrong, education needs to be reformed in this country and there does need to be a focus put on the academics, but not for all. Many people are not going to be doctors or engineers. Some are going to be mechanics or artists which are both needed and are just as important to making the world what it is today. Education needs to focus on what is good for all, not just a few select and still continue to offer classes where creativity can grow and he shown.
The drop out rate is scary and with the art classes being cut back more, the drop out rate is only going to go up. No doubt, those who plan to go in the "academic" direction for a career, should be given the chance to take classes that will help them. Those that are choosing to take a different route, be it culinary or music, should also be given the opportunity to take classes that will help them achieve their career dreams. Education needs to take some lessons from special education maybe....a little individualizing might help out!
When my father was growing up, he was not into the academic side of school. When I asked him why he did not do well in his gym class or his history class, he said it was because he could be found working with the woods teacher on projects or maintenance would ask him to help them fix something around the campus. My dad was their go to guy when something needed to be done correctly. My father's grades suffered drastically because of this but academics were not going to take him into the career he wanted anyways.
My father is a prime example of why the focus on math and science is not going to work for all. Don't get me wrong, education needs to be reformed in this country and there does need to be a focus put on the academics, but not for all. Many people are not going to be doctors or engineers. Some are going to be mechanics or artists which are both needed and are just as important to making the world what it is today. Education needs to focus on what is good for all, not just a few select and still continue to offer classes where creativity can grow and he shown.
The drop out rate is scary and with the art classes being cut back more, the drop out rate is only going to go up. No doubt, those who plan to go in the "academic" direction for a career, should be given the chance to take classes that will help them. Those that are choosing to take a different route, be it culinary or music, should also be given the opportunity to take classes that will help them achieve their career dreams. Education needs to take some lessons from special education maybe....a little individualizing might help out!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Being Part of Their Own Education Process
Reading the article "Equation of Success: Top Ten Responsibilites that Students Must Own" I started nodding my head. The according to the author, Heather Wolpert-Gawron, the following are what students need to "step up as a variable in their own equation of success:"
"Number One: Be your own advocate. Stake a claim in the classroom by making sure the teacher knows who you are...in a good way.
Number Two: Ask lots of questions....and show confusion appropriately.
Number Three: Communicate your struggles to your teachers. What is going on that affects your work?
Number Four: Think of school as your office in training. Are you a good co-worker?
Number Five: Dress for success, but don't panic, you don't have to wear a suit to be taken seriously.
Number Six: At least do the minimum so you aren't creating gaps that are harder to bridge later. Better yet, do more.
Number Seven: Sweat a little. School is your brain gym. You have to work out your muscles, make them a little sore, if you're going to lift a heavier load later on.
Number Eight: Find ways to relate to your reading and writing. What original thoughts and experiences can you bring to the lesson to make it come alive for yourself?
Number Nine: Be in class. Don't jeopardize your own training.
Number Ten: Surround yourself with other students who can help you. You don't have to be best friends with everyone you seek advice from, but find friends or acquaintances that are rooting for you, the best of you."
I believe, especially in my school district, that the curriculum has been watered down making it easier for students to slack and not have to step up to the plate. I feel that we are setting students up for future failures as the work place does the opposite; giving more responsibilites with less time to accomplish tasks and little instruction or guidance. When a parent calls in to complain that their child did poorly in a class, it is always the teacher's fault, never the student's. However, if the student took repsonsibility for his own learning, the phone call wouldn't even need to be made. These 10 responsibilities are exactly what students should be expected to do in school and in life in general. I have these expectations for my students with special needs and they do step up to the plate. There is no reason that all students shouldn't then be able to follow these responsbilities.
"Number One: Be your own advocate. Stake a claim in the classroom by making sure the teacher knows who you are...in a good way.
Number Two: Ask lots of questions....and show confusion appropriately.
Number Three: Communicate your struggles to your teachers. What is going on that affects your work?
Number Four: Think of school as your office in training. Are you a good co-worker?
Number Five: Dress for success, but don't panic, you don't have to wear a suit to be taken seriously.
Number Six: At least do the minimum so you aren't creating gaps that are harder to bridge later. Better yet, do more.
Number Seven: Sweat a little. School is your brain gym. You have to work out your muscles, make them a little sore, if you're going to lift a heavier load later on.
Number Eight: Find ways to relate to your reading and writing. What original thoughts and experiences can you bring to the lesson to make it come alive for yourself?
Number Nine: Be in class. Don't jeopardize your own training.
Number Ten: Surround yourself with other students who can help you. You don't have to be best friends with everyone you seek advice from, but find friends or acquaintances that are rooting for you, the best of you."
I believe, especially in my school district, that the curriculum has been watered down making it easier for students to slack and not have to step up to the plate. I feel that we are setting students up for future failures as the work place does the opposite; giving more responsibilites with less time to accomplish tasks and little instruction or guidance. When a parent calls in to complain that their child did poorly in a class, it is always the teacher's fault, never the student's. However, if the student took repsonsibility for his own learning, the phone call wouldn't even need to be made. These 10 responsibilities are exactly what students should be expected to do in school and in life in general. I have these expectations for my students with special needs and they do step up to the plate. There is no reason that all students shouldn't then be able to follow these responsbilities.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Part of my job as a special educator has always been to advocate for my students, but to also educate those who are not in my room about what my students really are capable of doing. Reading the article "Social and Emotional Learning: Taking a Stand for What You Believe In," I started thinking back to what I stand for as a teacher of students with special needs.
Three years ago I took over the girls' varsity soccer program as head coach. Knowing that very few of my soccer players were actually going to play soccer beyond their high school years, I thought that my job wasn't just to coach these girls, but to also make them better people in general. So last year, I had my girls go to a group home for young ladies with special needs. There, the girls played games, ate a BBQ and hung out with the ladies that lived there. They got a good idea that just because someone has a special need, does not mean they are not human, that they do have feelings and they love to laugh and have a good time as much as they do. Then this year, my team went and played soccer with young children who have various special needs. The girls jumped right in and had a great time. When my players were out there, they asked questions about the kids with special needs and had lots of questions about what it meant to be "autistic" or have "down syndrome." I loved it because the girls really wanted to know about the kids and really wanted to make sure each kid had fun, no matter how "withdrawn" some of the kids actually were. They took the time to get to understand several of the kids and built a friendship! Now when they see my students on campus, they are more willing to chat with my students and to make an effort to invite my students to come hang out with them too.
The article discusses the idea of schools implementing a curriculum that also focuses on the social and emotional needs of students. I agree that this should become part of what students learn about throughout their high school. I do my part for the 20 ladies that play on my soccer team each year, but it would be great to see a larger number of students learn these lessons.
Three years ago I took over the girls' varsity soccer program as head coach. Knowing that very few of my soccer players were actually going to play soccer beyond their high school years, I thought that my job wasn't just to coach these girls, but to also make them better people in general. So last year, I had my girls go to a group home for young ladies with special needs. There, the girls played games, ate a BBQ and hung out with the ladies that lived there. They got a good idea that just because someone has a special need, does not mean they are not human, that they do have feelings and they love to laugh and have a good time as much as they do. Then this year, my team went and played soccer with young children who have various special needs. The girls jumped right in and had a great time. When my players were out there, they asked questions about the kids with special needs and had lots of questions about what it meant to be "autistic" or have "down syndrome." I loved it because the girls really wanted to know about the kids and really wanted to make sure each kid had fun, no matter how "withdrawn" some of the kids actually were. They took the time to get to understand several of the kids and built a friendship! Now when they see my students on campus, they are more willing to chat with my students and to make an effort to invite my students to come hang out with them too.
The article discusses the idea of schools implementing a curriculum that also focuses on the social and emotional needs of students. I agree that this should become part of what students learn about throughout their high school. I do my part for the 20 ladies that play on my soccer team each year, but it would be great to see a larger number of students learn these lessons.
Replacing Text Books with Laptops???
Looking on Edutopia, I came across the question, "Should laptops replace textbooks?" My first thought was instantly no, textbooks are definitely needed in the classroom. Then I read what others' opinions were and started really thinking about what laptops can bring that textbooks can't, along with why are textbooks still needed too. Textbooks have many benefits especially in an era where students are reading less than they used to and libraries are frequented very rarely. Computers are great and any information that you need can be at your finger tips within seconds. The bad thing about computers if that students can easily be distracted away from the work they are supposed to be doing and be playing games, or looking up information that is not on topic. I am also concerned with the amount of time that kids already spend on computers and in front of the TV already, let along adding it at school too. Computers can be useful but we really would have to crack down on how they are being used and that could take away from the time we actually teach.
Monday, November 22, 2010
My Classroom is more like Home
Granted, my world of teaching is very different than many other classrooms. First of all, my room is split into two seperate rooms. One of the rooms is an apartment. Then there is a classroom part, which is not used nearly as much as the apartment but we still use it. When it came to decorating, obviously the apartment was going to look like a home where people lived but my classroom, that was another story.
Thinking back to my college classes, I remember one of my classmates, who was getting her emergency certification in Special Education, stating that her students hated to go home on the weekends. The students would say that the best part of the weekend was Monday morning when they got to come back to school. With this in my head, I started thinking about how I wanted my classroom to look and how I wanted it to make my students feel. Bulletin boards with cute designs and student work was always neat to see in elementary classes, but dealing with high school students who do very little paperwork, I was stumped! So I thought back to what my classmate had said, students hated to go home on the weekends and realized that I wanted my classroom to be a home, a good and happy home where students took pride in it but also felt that it was welcoming. So this year, when I moved to my third classroom, I had a clean slate and could do what I always wanted to do. I set out to make my classroom that place where my students wanted to be.
The first week of school, I worked with all 9 of my special needs students to paint the walls. Granted, I did a great deal of the painting, but each one of my students still had some place on the wall that they had each painted. Then I hung art work that was inspirational rather than something you would hear from a teacher. I wrote my kids a positive letter on a large piece of poster board, framed it and made sure it was located somewhere where they could see it often. I made my room that place that my students wanted to be.
I strongly believe that my students feel welcome in my classroom and they see it as their second home...maybe as their first home for some...but I do believe that my room is a place they enjoy. They made it their room, but they also see the sayings on the walls that are there to encourage them and make them feel loved.
My room may not be the same as the teacher's room in the article "How Classroom Environment Can Ignite Learning and Cultivate Caring" but my room does have the same sort of throught put into it.
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-career-technical-education-student-success-david-garibaldi-video?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
The Impact We Make as Teachers
As teachers, there are plenty of nights we go home completely warn out. We are frustrated at times because our students have not performed as we expected them to and or our lesson did not go as planned. We feel upset when our test scores are not as good as our colleague's and we lose sight at the reason we really are teachers. Lately, I have come home wondering what I was ever thinking when I decided I wanted to become a teacher. I am tired of my supervisor, tired of the politics involved in teaching, tired of the work load that never seems to lighten up, tired of the paperwork and tired of the meetings. Then I come across something that makes me realize how the small things I do in my classroom every day, have more of an impact on some lives than I will ever realize. I happened to watch a movie clip on Edutopia that made this all click. A simple teacher, made a simple comment to a student, that turned his life into something amazing. Little do I know, this may be going on in my classroom each day but it will not be until many years to come that this impact may be seen...and I may never even know it. I want to believe that I am not just there to teach students how to live in life. I hope that I am there teaching them something that will help them be successful in life and think back to learning in my classroom. When my days are tough, like they have been, I just need to take that moment to think of why I am really here...to change a life...maybe not now, but definitely in the future!
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-career-technical-education-student-success-david-garibaldi-video?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-career-technical-education-student-success-david-garibaldi-video?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Keeping the Kids Entertained
Though there are times I definitely dislike my job, for instance when I have to wrestle with a student for 20 minutes to keep him from running in front of cars or when I have to take a 20 something year old to the restroom and do a change. Then there are times when I love my job; when I get to go to In N Out Burger for lunch, cook food items that I particularly love or just play a board game with my students. I have to admit, from what I see standing in front of my classroom, I have never had students who were extremely bored with what I was teaching, but then again, most of the time my students are up and moving around and do not have the opportunity for boredom to set in because we move from one thing to the other quickly. However, I have always wondered what I would do in my class if students started yawning or completely ignoring what I was teaching them. So, when I saw an article entitled "Ten Simple Strategies for Re-engaging Students" by Andrew Marcinek, I had to read on. My first thought as I was reading though, how does this person have all this time to go home every night and just spend hours and hours doing school work. I personally believe in a balance and if my life is consumed by my job, then I am doing something wrong. I have to take care of myself first before I can be a good teacher...but that is just how I feel. Anyways...then the teacher thought of doing a class wiki page. Now, before this class, I had no clue what I wiki was. Now, I can see how wonderful it can be and very useful. So he wrote up some rules for his students, which were not the boring old rules that state what you must do. Instead he made them interesting and funny. Step 9 "Eat a Sandwich." He started to go into an explanation of how a sandwich is like an essay but then cut it short and said, "Just make a sandwich and eat it." I like his rules. We are all tired of having rules all of the time so he kept them light and it made me laugh! However, the biggest learning lesson that I got out of this article was the final sentences: "Set a course for learning and be prepared for rough seas. Create a practical alternative or adaptation that blends elements of what we have been doing and what we would like to do better. The connections will follow." The one thing I have learned from teaching is that I can plan something great, but those rough waters do come in and throw the boat completely off course. I am fortunate that my curriculum allows for fun interactions and fun times with my students so that they do not have the chance to get bored, but I know that I will have to have a back up plan if my teaching position changes.
Source:
Marcinek, Andrew. "Ten Simple Strategies for Re-Engaging Students." Edutopia. 11-21-10. Retrieved 11-21-10.
Source:
Marcinek, Andrew. "Ten Simple Strategies for Re-Engaging Students." Edutopia. 11-21-10. Retrieved 11-21-10.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Many Ill. juniors not ready for college
According to this article, "8 out of 10 public high school juniors in Illinois aren't considered ready for college classes in all subjects." (Chicago Tribune, 2010) This was based off of ACT scores of students. This statistic did not shock me. I have been very concerned with the education that students are receiving over the past several years, heck, even the education that I once received. Growing up, my mother would correct my essays or papers I had to turn in and she would also comment on the punctuation problems that she would see. I remember hearing her ask "What are your teachers teaching you at school these days?" Still, to this day, my grammar and punctuation are not the best, but I have to admit it is better than the students I encounter today. I am not talking about my special education students because that is a whole different story, but I am talking about the girls I coach in soccer. I have the girls fill out a survey each season about what they are expecting to get out of being part of the team and what they would like to get from their coaches. Reading over their answers, I am shocked by the number of errors I see. Now, I only see the English errors so I cannot comment about all subject matters, but I am just shocked at what we are really teaching students. How are they going to be able to write essays when they get into their English 101 class? I feel as though education has gotten watered down over the years and though we are pushing for students to take more math, science and English classes, the content that is being taught is not nearly as high of a caliber as it used to be. High expectations are not followed through with and with teachers being more worried about students passing the classes to make them look good, teachers are letting things slide and not holding their students accountable for actually learning the material. I think that expectations need to be brought up again and maybe a step back needs to take place in pushing for students to take more classes.
I also think that there needs to be a class that really prepares students for life outside of their home. I have had many peer tutors come into my classroom throughout the past 3 years who have had no clue on how to do laundry, cook or even clean. Yes, English, science and math are important, but I am seeing many students not even make it through one year in college because they were never prepared for life outside the walls of their parent's home. Education needs to go back in time and continue with the classes that taught life skills and then build from there.
I also think that there needs to be a class that really prepares students for life outside of their home. I have had many peer tutors come into my classroom throughout the past 3 years who have had no clue on how to do laundry, cook or even clean. Yes, English, science and math are important, but I am seeing many students not even make it through one year in college because they were never prepared for life outside the walls of their parent's home. Education needs to go back in time and continue with the classes that taught life skills and then build from there.
Are new Teachers more effective than Veteran Teachers?
While looking through articles on Edutopia.com I ran across this poll topic that I find interesting: Are new teachers more effective than veteran teachers?
Obviously, being that I am a "new" teacher, I want to say that I am definitely better than my fellow teachers who have been working longer. However, I have only been at one school, worked with the same teachers for 4 years, and well, I cannot compare myself to a really "new" teacher because I am the youngest at my school. But this does get me thinking about what I do in my classroom compared to another teacher who I worked with last year.
I do feel that younger teachers are very eager to try lots of new things and have the energy to bring a great deal of interesting aspects into the classroom. For instance, during my first year as a community based teacher, only my second year of ever being a teacher, I took on the task of applying for a grant to build a kitchen. Not only did I receive the grant but I was in charge of designing the kitchen, shopping for everything and then also managing the maintenance guys who installed everything. Phew...was it ever a great deal of work but I was excited for the opportunity it would bring to my classroom. That same year, I also started a full functioning cafe that ran two times that year. We cooked a full Thanksgiving meal and then served it up just like a restaurant. This was the first time this has ever been done at my school. I also started using the city transportation system for all community outings instead of a school bus. This saved the district money, but caused me more stress than anything. If I compare what I did to the teacher who has been teacher the other community based classroom for the past 10 years, I really out did her. She would even comment, "Jenny, you are making me have to work harder!" She feared if we did cuts, she would lose her job because I out performed her.
Though I had the energy to do these things, she definitely beats me in the knowledge and experiences that she has. If I had a problem, I would go to her and ask for her help in handling the situation. With special education, not everything is cut and dry or can be found in a book. She was my book of help which was important for me.
So can I say that I, as a newer teacher, am more effective than a veteran teacher? No, I don't think I can fully say that. Can I say that I have grand ideas and am willing to put in all that effort and time to make some great experiences for my kids? Yes, I can. But in the end, I think new and old teachers both have lots to offer the world of education and students benefit from the old just as much as they benefit from the new.
Obviously, being that I am a "new" teacher, I want to say that I am definitely better than my fellow teachers who have been working longer. However, I have only been at one school, worked with the same teachers for 4 years, and well, I cannot compare myself to a really "new" teacher because I am the youngest at my school. But this does get me thinking about what I do in my classroom compared to another teacher who I worked with last year.
I do feel that younger teachers are very eager to try lots of new things and have the energy to bring a great deal of interesting aspects into the classroom. For instance, during my first year as a community based teacher, only my second year of ever being a teacher, I took on the task of applying for a grant to build a kitchen. Not only did I receive the grant but I was in charge of designing the kitchen, shopping for everything and then also managing the maintenance guys who installed everything. Phew...was it ever a great deal of work but I was excited for the opportunity it would bring to my classroom. That same year, I also started a full functioning cafe that ran two times that year. We cooked a full Thanksgiving meal and then served it up just like a restaurant. This was the first time this has ever been done at my school. I also started using the city transportation system for all community outings instead of a school bus. This saved the district money, but caused me more stress than anything. If I compare what I did to the teacher who has been teacher the other community based classroom for the past 10 years, I really out did her. She would even comment, "Jenny, you are making me have to work harder!" She feared if we did cuts, she would lose her job because I out performed her.
Though I had the energy to do these things, she definitely beats me in the knowledge and experiences that she has. If I had a problem, I would go to her and ask for her help in handling the situation. With special education, not everything is cut and dry or can be found in a book. She was my book of help which was important for me.
So can I say that I, as a newer teacher, am more effective than a veteran teacher? No, I don't think I can fully say that. Can I say that I have grand ideas and am willing to put in all that effort and time to make some great experiences for my kids? Yes, I can. But in the end, I think new and old teachers both have lots to offer the world of education and students benefit from the old just as much as they benefit from the new.
Gay Educator says Wedding Listing Cost her Job
This very short article talks about a teacher who was fired from her job at a catholic school after her wedding listing ran in the newspaper. She was offered another position, the details of that position were not listed, but school officials did offer her another position.
Oddly, this article appears during a week I was just discussing this topic with my friends during lunch. One teacher had said, "Please do not call teachers sexual orientation out because it could cost them their jobs!" People were in shock and could not believe what they were hearing; teachers could be fired due to their sexual orientation. I followed up with "I knew Michigan was a state that this could happen but I had no clue Arizona was also." I may not have my facts completely straight with Michigan anymore, as this was a few years ago that I had heard Michigan did not have a law that would prevent situations where people could be fired simply because they were gay. I will never forget a few things that got me thinking. The first, I had a professor who was very open about her relationship with her girlfriend and said that she could be fired if the college decided they did not want her due to her being openly gay. I was shocked but didn't fully believe her. And then a few months later, a commercial ran that had a women pulling out a picture frame of either her wife or girlfriend and she stated that she was going to be honest if people asked her who the picture was of, even if it meant she would lose her job. My dad was in the room and I asked him how that could not be considered discrimination. He did not have an answer for me other than the state has no laws to protect people from being fired based off of sexual orientation. I remember just being blown away.
No flash forward at least 4 years to this teacher friend bringing this up in the lunch room. Not that I was happy to hear this was a true thing, but I had thought I was the only person who knew about this lack of protection or better yet, I thought I was just dreaming about this stuff. Phew...someone else knew!
My feelings on the issue...it makes me sad that because of who someone sleeps with they can lose their job. It is none of my business or anyone elses' business what goes on in a bedroom. We all have personally lives for a reason and as long as what we do does not interfere with the teachings in a classroom, than a teacher should really be entitled to do as he/she pleases. There are far worse things that we should be concerned about than who a teacher is sleeping with. I feel horrible for this teacher and only wish that as this one door closes, another great one does.
Oddly, this article appears during a week I was just discussing this topic with my friends during lunch. One teacher had said, "Please do not call teachers sexual orientation out because it could cost them their jobs!" People were in shock and could not believe what they were hearing; teachers could be fired due to their sexual orientation. I followed up with "I knew Michigan was a state that this could happen but I had no clue Arizona was also." I may not have my facts completely straight with Michigan anymore, as this was a few years ago that I had heard Michigan did not have a law that would prevent situations where people could be fired simply because they were gay. I will never forget a few things that got me thinking. The first, I had a professor who was very open about her relationship with her girlfriend and said that she could be fired if the college decided they did not want her due to her being openly gay. I was shocked but didn't fully believe her. And then a few months later, a commercial ran that had a women pulling out a picture frame of either her wife or girlfriend and she stated that she was going to be honest if people asked her who the picture was of, even if it meant she would lose her job. My dad was in the room and I asked him how that could not be considered discrimination. He did not have an answer for me other than the state has no laws to protect people from being fired based off of sexual orientation. I remember just being blown away.
No flash forward at least 4 years to this teacher friend bringing this up in the lunch room. Not that I was happy to hear this was a true thing, but I had thought I was the only person who knew about this lack of protection or better yet, I thought I was just dreaming about this stuff. Phew...someone else knew!
My feelings on the issue...it makes me sad that because of who someone sleeps with they can lose their job. It is none of my business or anyone elses' business what goes on in a bedroom. We all have personally lives for a reason and as long as what we do does not interfere with the teachings in a classroom, than a teacher should really be entitled to do as he/she pleases. There are far worse things that we should be concerned about than who a teacher is sleeping with. I feel horrible for this teacher and only wish that as this one door closes, another great one does.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Technology a Blessing, a Curse for Remote Island
I won't deny that the reason I started reading this article was because it was about Beaver Island, Michigan. Though I live in Phoenix, my heart continues to be in Michigan but the economy and my dream job keep me here. Anyways...this article brought back some memories of my grandma. The article talks about how technology is startig to be more available to people on Beaver Island, a little remote island located in Northern Michigan. The article talks about a 70 year old grandmother throughout it mentioning how her and some others have been able to use a wide screen TV to communicate with others who have either had or currently have cancer. This touched my heart because I can remember when my grandma from a small farming community in the "Thumb" finally got email and started emailing me. It was great that at her old age, I think she was about 70, she was willing to learn about new technology and implement it into her life. It also allowed her to read about her grandkids in the newspaper for sports. Sometimes I want to kick myself in the butt because I am not always willing to give new technology a try when I really should. Here was my grandma trying new stuff and yet I am in my 20's and not willing. Ugh!
The article also talks about how the school system has tried their best to make technology part of the education process that the students receive on the island. The article states that over the past decade, the school system has encouraged students who are college bond to take online classes and some have even taken online college courses. This brings up the topic we had to write a wiki about this week. This remote island is able to give students a good education by providing online courses for students so they can be equal with others entering college that had those classes available to them at their high schools.
I enjoyed reading this article and actually thought maybe Beaver Island is for me. Since I am horrible with technology and use very little of it in my life, I figured I could hide from it by moving to the island!
Irvine, Martha. "Technology a Blessing, a Curse for Remote Island." abscnews.com. 11-7-10 Retrieved on 11-7-10. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wirestory?id=12081861&page=1
The article also talks about how the school system has tried their best to make technology part of the education process that the students receive on the island. The article states that over the past decade, the school system has encouraged students who are college bond to take online classes and some have even taken online college courses. This brings up the topic we had to write a wiki about this week. This remote island is able to give students a good education by providing online courses for students so they can be equal with others entering college that had those classes available to them at their high schools.
I enjoyed reading this article and actually thought maybe Beaver Island is for me. Since I am horrible with technology and use very little of it in my life, I figured I could hide from it by moving to the island!
Irvine, Martha. "Technology a Blessing, a Curse for Remote Island." abscnews.com. 11-7-10 Retrieved on 11-7-10. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wirestory?id=12081861&page=1
How to Help Students Use Social Media Effectively
It wasn't till recently that I started posting a great deal of "status updates" on Facebook and I have never been a blogger until I started this masters program but I have paid a great deal of attention to what others blog about or what their "status updates" are. Frequently, I find myself editing what others write and question their education...mostly because I went to the same school as they did. I started reading the article "How to Help Students Use Social Media Effectively" and realized that this is a problem out there more than just with some of the people I graduated from high school with. I do agree with the author's point that we as educators do want to have our students have an audiance and be heard but we also want their message to be heard and not have others focus on the grammer errors. Teachers do need to continue to hold their students to high expectations with grammer even if they are using the Internet. I also think that students need to understand that everyone out there can read what they post. It is important to yes, express your feelings, but also to add substance or new knowledge so people learn from what you are posting.
Reference:
Marcinek, Andrew. "How to Help Students Use Social Media Effectively." edutopia. 10-19-10 Retrieved on 11-7-10. http://www.edutopia.org/blogs/how-to-help-students-use-social-media-effectively?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
Reference:
Marcinek, Andrew. "How to Help Students Use Social Media Effectively." edutopia. 10-19-10 Retrieved on 11-7-10. http://www.edutopia.org/blogs/how-to-help-students-use-social-media-effectively?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
Saturday, November 6, 2010
The Answer to Education Might be Found in Sports!
Being an athlete has definitely helped me out in many aspects of my life but I never thought that it could really be helping me be the teacher that I am today. I started reading the article "Achieving and Celebrating Academic Milestones: Pomp and Circumstance or High Fives and Dogpiles" by Edutopia and had to give myself a pat on the back. The article gives many reasons why education should look at team sports for a role model. For instance, teamwork is necessary for a team to win and the same can go true to education. When a teacher and student work together as a team and not in opposition, the student will learn a great deal more. Setting high goals and expecting students to achieve those is another way that sports can be the role model for education.
The pat on the back I gave myself was due to my reflection on my teaching methods or philosophy of education. Being a young teacher, especially when I came into my current teaching position being the youngest teacher by 10 years, I had a lot to prove but I was not willing to water down my expectations for my students. My students may be of special needs but in the real world, the bottom line is, can they get the job done that has been asked of them at work? (My job is to prepare them for the work world.) When my students do something wrong, I give them the same consequences that I would give a regular education student. I expect the same work ethic from them. Now granted, they may not be as quick, and I know that, but I still expect them to do a good job.
I will never forget, during my third year of teaching, a teacher approached me about my student being extremely disruptive in his class. I asked him what he would do if that student were "regular ed" and he stated he would write him up and actually he would have been removed from the class by now. I came back with, "So why haven't you done that for my student?" His response, "I should have never told you." Too many teachers "baby" special needs students and don't have high expectations for them and that is why so many of them never reach their full potential. I set high goals for my students, work with them as I push them to achieve those high goals and then show them how proud I really am of them! Maybe this stems from my background in being an athlete myself and a coach now. Who knows?!?! But I will agree with this article. Education can really learn from sports!
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teamwork-dedication-commitment-education-reform-ken-ellis?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
The pat on the back I gave myself was due to my reflection on my teaching methods or philosophy of education. Being a young teacher, especially when I came into my current teaching position being the youngest teacher by 10 years, I had a lot to prove but I was not willing to water down my expectations for my students. My students may be of special needs but in the real world, the bottom line is, can they get the job done that has been asked of them at work? (My job is to prepare them for the work world.) When my students do something wrong, I give them the same consequences that I would give a regular education student. I expect the same work ethic from them. Now granted, they may not be as quick, and I know that, but I still expect them to do a good job.
I will never forget, during my third year of teaching, a teacher approached me about my student being extremely disruptive in his class. I asked him what he would do if that student were "regular ed" and he stated he would write him up and actually he would have been removed from the class by now. I came back with, "So why haven't you done that for my student?" His response, "I should have never told you." Too many teachers "baby" special needs students and don't have high expectations for them and that is why so many of them never reach their full potential. I set high goals for my students, work with them as I push them to achieve those high goals and then show them how proud I really am of them! Maybe this stems from my background in being an athlete myself and a coach now. Who knows?!?! But I will agree with this article. Education can really learn from sports!
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teamwork-dedication-commitment-education-reform-ken-ellis?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
Facebook Quiz Screens for Autism
Wow, this week might just be my lucky week of finding some very interesting articles. So on Readwriteweb.com I came across an article that caught me completely off guard. The article title is "From Borat's Cousin, A Facebook quiz That Actually Screens for Autism" by Curt Hopkins (2010.) Though the article touches on how you know what is legit and reliable, the article does go on to state that the test is "helpful in determining who May have an autism spectrum disorder." The author talked to several sources about how they verify a source and the article makes mention of Lemondrop.com. So I clicked on Lemondrop.com and a write up about this Facebook Quiz was there with several sources cited, such as Dr. Bob Sears, author of "The Autism Book: What Every Parent Needs to Know About Early Detection, Treatment, Recovery and Prevention." I continued to click on links and see that this is a reliable source from what I can see.
I do not have a clue on what to think of online quizzes. Personally, I have only taken online quizzes for pure enjoyment and not to take them seriously. Being a special education teacher, I would say that if I just attempted to interact with a person, I would be able to judge if they were autistic or special way better than any quiz on a computer. Most people have a warped idea of how they really are so if a person is just asked a bunch of questions, they can easily throw the quiz one way or the other.
There are many people out there who trust these quizzes and cause themselves a great deal of stress because of the "results" they get from them. I think online quizzes should only be used for entertainment and should not be taken serious; maybe a little "Warning" should be placed by the quizzes so people wise up and realize that a doctor is who they really need to see if they are concerned that they have autism. However, I will continue to use these quizzes to make me laugh in the meantime!
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/from_borats_cousin_a_facebook_quiz_that_actually_s.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+readwriteweb+%28ReadWriteWeb%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
I do not have a clue on what to think of online quizzes. Personally, I have only taken online quizzes for pure enjoyment and not to take them seriously. Being a special education teacher, I would say that if I just attempted to interact with a person, I would be able to judge if they were autistic or special way better than any quiz on a computer. Most people have a warped idea of how they really are so if a person is just asked a bunch of questions, they can easily throw the quiz one way or the other.
There are many people out there who trust these quizzes and cause themselves a great deal of stress because of the "results" they get from them. I think online quizzes should only be used for entertainment and should not be taken serious; maybe a little "Warning" should be placed by the quizzes so people wise up and realize that a doctor is who they really need to see if they are concerned that they have autism. However, I will continue to use these quizzes to make me laugh in the meantime!
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/from_borats_cousin_a_facebook_quiz_that_actually_s.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+readwriteweb+%28ReadWriteWeb%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
A Dating Class in High School
I could not resist reading the article "The importance of having a dating ettiquete class in High School" by Edgar Arold. At first, I as thinking, this really some sort of joke but as I read the article, I started to agree with many of the points that he had to make. Arold makes some great points, the first being "Courting and traditional dating as lost a lot of its meaning and even thought the times are always changing, there will always be a need for dating etiquette" (Arold). He also mentions that the class should teach abstinence. This really touches home with me because this year, I have three girls who will not be returning to my high school soccer program due to pregnancy. I can not speak for the whole world when I talk about teen pregnancy but I say from my experiences down in Arizona, it is scary to see how many teens are pregnant. Sports were supposed to keep students out of trouble and occupy their time so that things like pregnancy would not happen but sadly, I have 3 out of 35 girls in my program that are pregnant. Arizona is a state that does not teach sex education classes and I think that it is a total shame to students that such a law exists. However, if a dating class could be incoporated into the curriculum, abstinence could be taught and I hope a few less pregnancies would be occuring.
I will always think that it is important to teach reading, writing and math but I think we let our young students down when we do not offer classes that will impact their social lives daily. With fewer parents playing a "parent" role in their childrens' lives, I am seeing a greater need for teachers to teach about daily skills (money, manners, hygiene, friendships) and this dating class might just be a great option to help our teens out in the world of dating.
Being single at my ripe old age of 28, I have gone on many dates and seen many men who have no clue what to do and some men that are right on par with how a women should be treated on a date. But at the same time, I, myself have no clue really how to date the correct way. I wish I could take this class so dating would be easier....any maybe more fun too!
Arold, Edgar. "The importance of having a dating etiquette class in high school." Helium. Retrieved on 11-6-10. http://www.helium.com/items/1985757-dating-etiquette
I will always think that it is important to teach reading, writing and math but I think we let our young students down when we do not offer classes that will impact their social lives daily. With fewer parents playing a "parent" role in their childrens' lives, I am seeing a greater need for teachers to teach about daily skills (money, manners, hygiene, friendships) and this dating class might just be a great option to help our teens out in the world of dating.
Being single at my ripe old age of 28, I have gone on many dates and seen many men who have no clue what to do and some men that are right on par with how a women should be treated on a date. But at the same time, I, myself have no clue really how to date the correct way. I wish I could take this class so dating would be easier....any maybe more fun too!
Arold, Edgar. "The importance of having a dating etiquette class in high school." Helium. Retrieved on 11-6-10. http://www.helium.com/items/1985757-dating-etiquette
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Halloween
I started reading the Article "A Mind's Eye: A Halloween Activity to Ignite Young Imaginations" by Gaetan Pappalardo and instantly my mind wondered to the whole debate about Halloween being celebrated in the public school system. Though the article is not debating the issue of Halloween being celebrated in the classroom, it touches on it stating "We all know that Halloween has been a questionable holiday. Some school districts have totally ditched it; some make it an inservice day for teachers without students; some even changed the name" (Pappalardo, 2010).
Growing up, I enjoyed celebrating the holidays in school and found them to be a time of fun with other classmates along with a good bonding experience with those around me. There was a student who always missed school when we had our Christmas party and I thought nothing of it until recently. The student missed school because his culture did not celebrate the holiday and his parents thought it best that he stay home. I will not knock the parents for this because they had their reasons and reasons I will never know, but if it was simply because they did not believe in the holiday and thought it to be bad that their child celebrate it, then I have some questions I would like to ask them. As a teacher, and basically a parent to most of my students, I find it a wonderful experience to be introduced to different cultures and holidays. When I was in the Dominican Republic, I celebrated Easter the way the Dominican's did and enjoyed learning about why they do what they do. When I visited South Korea last year, I arrived on White Day, where women actually celebrate the men in their lives; sort of a reverse Valentine's Day. I too wanted to participate and found myself looking at all the expensive chocolates that one could buy. I guess my whole thoughts are, why remove culture from our schools and rob children of great learning experiences. We have to learn to all get along and except others for what they believe, why not start by throwing the holidays back into the school system? Children have their own minds and as soon as we start giving them responsibility of making their own choices and decisions, they take control of their lives and will quickly learn what they want to do verses what their parents want them to do. I think it is important that parents allow their child, no matter what age, to decide if he/she would like to participate in a holiday party or not. If the parent has to make that decision, than obviously that child is too young and will not be morally or religiously harmed by attending that school holiday party.
Maybe in the end...I just thought it was cool to stick my hand in the dark box and feel the brain (spaghetti noodles) or eggs (eyeballs)!
Reference:
Pappalardo, Gaetan. "The Mind's Eye: A Halloween Activity to Ignite Young Imaginations." Oct. 27, 2010. Retrieved from edutopia.com Oct. 27,2010. Link to: Halloween
Growing up, I enjoyed celebrating the holidays in school and found them to be a time of fun with other classmates along with a good bonding experience with those around me. There was a student who always missed school when we had our Christmas party and I thought nothing of it until recently. The student missed school because his culture did not celebrate the holiday and his parents thought it best that he stay home. I will not knock the parents for this because they had their reasons and reasons I will never know, but if it was simply because they did not believe in the holiday and thought it to be bad that their child celebrate it, then I have some questions I would like to ask them. As a teacher, and basically a parent to most of my students, I find it a wonderful experience to be introduced to different cultures and holidays. When I was in the Dominican Republic, I celebrated Easter the way the Dominican's did and enjoyed learning about why they do what they do. When I visited South Korea last year, I arrived on White Day, where women actually celebrate the men in their lives; sort of a reverse Valentine's Day. I too wanted to participate and found myself looking at all the expensive chocolates that one could buy. I guess my whole thoughts are, why remove culture from our schools and rob children of great learning experiences. We have to learn to all get along and except others for what they believe, why not start by throwing the holidays back into the school system? Children have their own minds and as soon as we start giving them responsibility of making their own choices and decisions, they take control of their lives and will quickly learn what they want to do verses what their parents want them to do. I think it is important that parents allow their child, no matter what age, to decide if he/she would like to participate in a holiday party or not. If the parent has to make that decision, than obviously that child is too young and will not be morally or religiously harmed by attending that school holiday party.
Maybe in the end...I just thought it was cool to stick my hand in the dark box and feel the brain (spaghetti noodles) or eggs (eyeballs)!
Reference:
Pappalardo, Gaetan. "The Mind's Eye: A Halloween Activity to Ignite Young Imaginations." Oct. 27, 2010. Retrieved from edutopia.com Oct. 27,2010. Link to: Halloween
Saturday, October 23, 2010
D.C. Teacher Firings
I subscribed to the EducationNews.org for one of my RSS feeds and might have found just something to keep me interested for hours. The articles I have seen so far touch on topics that make me want to read more. The first was about D.C. firing teachers for poor performance, D.C. Teacher Firings and the second is in regards to classroom sizes being unmanageable, "Some New Orleans Teachers feel 'helpless' as classroom sizes grow" by Timothy Martinez. In the article, the author interviewed teachers who stated "You cannot in clear conscience cram this many kids in a classroom and make sure their needs are met (Martinez, 2009)." Though I am not able to relate to having 3o kids in a classroom as this teacher had, I can understand based off of conversations I have had with my friends who are teachers in regular education classes. Thinking back to when I was in elementary school, if there were more than 25 in a class, the class was considered too big and a split class might have been formed with 2 different grades being taught in the same room, by the same teacher. Now, a room of 20 to 25 is unheard of and when rooms get that small, schools start thinking about moving those kids into another classroom, making the other classroom larger and having to let that teacher go. I fell victim to the same sort of thing last year as my room, of 10 special needs students, was dropping down to 5 returning students. At that time we had no clue how many students would be coming into my program. So, my school decided to drop my classroom and combine my low functioning special education classroom, called Community Based here in Phoenix, with the Multi-disabilities classroom made up of even lower functioning students. I was lucky and was given another position but I would have lost my job had another not opened in my District. Anyways, the teacher with my previous students and her students is now overwhelmed trying to meet the needs of 15 very different students and still keep sanity. Even in the world of special education, 15 students in the class is 8 students too many to actually have a chance to meet all of their needs.
I fully understand the money issue that is taking over in this country but I also think there is only one way we can immediately improve our education system, and that is to provide students with smaller classrooms so they can be successful and be given the attention that they need. I also think it is important to look at classroom sizes for the happiness of teachers. Schools will start losing great teachers who are over worked, over stressed and do not feel that their needs are being taken into consideration. American schools are going to continue to go downhill if we do not start looking at classroom sizes and teacher happiness before we start implementing longer school years, longer school days and all for less pay.
Reference:
Martinez, Timothy. "Some New Orleans Teachers feel 'helpless' as classroom sizes grow. December 26, 2009. Nola.com. Retrieved on October 23, 2010. Link to Helpless Teachers
I fully understand the money issue that is taking over in this country but I also think there is only one way we can immediately improve our education system, and that is to provide students with smaller classrooms so they can be successful and be given the attention that they need. I also think it is important to look at classroom sizes for the happiness of teachers. Schools will start losing great teachers who are over worked, over stressed and do not feel that their needs are being taken into consideration. American schools are going to continue to go downhill if we do not start looking at classroom sizes and teacher happiness before we start implementing longer school years, longer school days and all for less pay.
Reference:
Martinez, Timothy. "Some New Orleans Teachers feel 'helpless' as classroom sizes grow. December 26, 2009. Nola.com. Retrieved on October 23, 2010. Link to Helpless Teachers
Read Write Web Introduction with Me!
Though I am of the "younger" generation who should be all up on technology, I have never considered myself to be. I just bought my first lap top when I started this masters program and my first ipod touch a month ago. Heck, it took me over a month to add more than 2 cds to my ipod touch. As I looked through all the articles that are posted on the Read Write Web, I started to realize how out of touch I am with what is going on in the world of technology. I knew very little about any of the articles other than Facebook and Microsoft. Sometimes I wonder if technology is just not as important to me as it is to others or if I just can't find the time to get involved as much as others. Maybe technology would permit me to have more free time but I look at how addicted I have become to Facebook and how it soaks up all of my time, and realize, technology just makes me want to play around more. I remember the days when I would go running with a portable cd player. It was easy; you popped in a cd, went running and you really did not have to think about it. Now, I have this ipod touch, I have to upload songs to it, make a play list and that all takes me time. The portable cd player was easier, well except I had to keep buying batteries for it! It is frustrating though to listen to others talk about all these great advancements in technology and I have no clue what they are talking about. Even for this masters program. I have struggled with some of the things we need to do and have had to go get help from a friend who is only 2 years younger than me, but way more up on technology than I will ever be. That frustrates me but also tells me why getting this masters will be beneficial not only in my classroom, but to my personal and social life too.
Okay, off my soap box...After reading the article "Facebook Moves to Encrypt User IDs" by Audrey Watters I started thinking about a reason I am not so into technology. I find it scary that people can go on the web and find out so much information about each other. One thing I have loved about living in Phoenix is that I can go anywhere and basically do anything without having to worry about running into anyone. Now I am worried that Facebook will leak out personal information that I may not want others to have. Once again it makes me question how great technology is in this world when we seem to have more and more problems arise from its existence!
Okay, off my soap box...After reading the article "Facebook Moves to Encrypt User IDs" by Audrey Watters I started thinking about a reason I am not so into technology. I find it scary that people can go on the web and find out so much information about each other. One thing I have loved about living in Phoenix is that I can go anywhere and basically do anything without having to worry about running into anyone. Now I am worried that Facebook will leak out personal information that I may not want others to have. Once again it makes me question how great technology is in this world when we seem to have more and more problems arise from its existence!
For Kids' Sake, Let's Connect Schools and Parents
I agree with the article "For Kids' Sake, Let's Connect Schools and Parents" by Suzie Boss it asks the question of how "welcomed" parents feel into either the school or the classroom which I find to be very important. Being a special education teacher, I am constantly in contact with parents in regards to day to day activities. I am constantly updating parents on what we will be doing in the future and find time to contact parents when there is a concern that needs to be addressed. I also ask that parents do the same with me so that together, we can best meet the needs of the student. One of my students, I will name him Ander to keep his identity concealed, I have had for 3 years now. When his mom can't get him to do a chore around home, she will call me and ask that I handle the issue. Not that she feels this is my problem or that I need to do it, but she knows the relationship I have built with the student and how he will listen to what I tell him. We have also set it up that consequences that are needing to be given at either school or home will be followed through at both places. This connection with the school and my student's mom, has helped him progress so that a simple call to me, will immediately change his behavior. It also helps me know that mom is trying to work on the same skills I am working on.
Often times I even have parents just walk into my class to talk to me. I have never asked that they first report to the office, but instead, allow them to come talk to me directly. Parents have no problems coming to me with concerns and it has made a tremendous impact on their students' progress within my program. Those parents who are not as involved in the classroom, tend to have a student who does not make as much progress on their goals and frequently changes in behavior do not occur.
My classroom is pure evidence that parents and classrooms need to work together. As a group, goals can be worked out in and out of school and a student can be held accountable for any behaviors they may have.
Reference:
Boss, Suzie. "For Kids' Sake, Let's Connect Schools and Parents." October 21, 2010. Edutopia.org. Retrieved on October 20, 2010. Link to article: Connect Schools and Parents
Often times I even have parents just walk into my class to talk to me. I have never asked that they first report to the office, but instead, allow them to come talk to me directly. Parents have no problems coming to me with concerns and it has made a tremendous impact on their students' progress within my program. Those parents who are not as involved in the classroom, tend to have a student who does not make as much progress on their goals and frequently changes in behavior do not occur.
My classroom is pure evidence that parents and classrooms need to work together. As a group, goals can be worked out in and out of school and a student can be held accountable for any behaviors they may have.
Reference:
Boss, Suzie. "For Kids' Sake, Let's Connect Schools and Parents." October 21, 2010. Edutopia.org. Retrieved on October 20, 2010. Link to article: Connect Schools and Parents
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