Last night, when I should have been catching up on endless piles of homework and studying for my impending midterms, I decided to blow it all off and play on the internet- just for a little while. Well, a little while turned into almost two hours once I discovered a video documenting the first year of a new teacher. What an informative, terrifying, motivating and enlightening little piece of cinema that was!
It followed a first year teacher through her new teacher training, planning, first day with students, meeting parents, observations, school at various points in the year, new pregnancy (yes, what a surprise that was for her to have an unexpected pregnancy thrown in there!) It reminded me that no amount of preparation can really calm the nerves and jitters of that first year.
I became so engrossed in her nervousness just watching it that I was relieved when I was able to float back in my body and remember that I still have 2+ more years to prepare for that moment.
This girl seemed like such a good teacher, but she ultimately ended up leaving the profession for a while to stay at home with her baby. There was a lot of talk throughout the film about teacher retention and how many new teachers don’t make it in the field because it just wasn’t what they were expecting. This girl was certainly not disillusioned, in fact she reminded me a lot of myself. She was also fortunate enough to have an extremely supportive school district. I couldn’t believe the extensive support network and resources provided to new teachers. I can only hope I am so lucky as to have that support my first year!
I just can’t help but wonder why she left teaching though? I suppose that much of it has to do with being a new mother, and maybe that is what gets to me- since I am waiting to have kids myself until after I finish my degree. Will I also feel this way? From my perspective now, I know I need to work in order to help pay the bills, and I have always thought teaching will provide me with much more time with my kids than my current career, since I will have holidays and breaks that coincide with my childrens'schedule. But will this practical thinking get tossed out the window once I hold my own baby for the first time? Maybe age has something to do with it. The girl in this video is only 23, where I am several years older and would like to get moving with my career before its time to retire (and while I still have time to save for retirement!)
And speaking of parenting, I also have a new teaching anxiety- parents. I am sure that as I get to know some of the parents, this anxiety will dissolve a bit, but as district taxpayers, they all will essentially be my boss, and on top of that, the most precious person in their life will be in my care. I don’t know, but I think parental anxieties might trump all my other anxieties at the moment! I am trying to think of some things I could do before starting to teach where I will get some experience communicating with and working with parents in an educational setting. Any suggestions? Would tutoring give me this opportunity? Or maybe volunteering to help out with local school events?
I am glad I stumbled upon this video though; I hope I can find some others like it. It gave my the inside perspective that I am always looking for. If there are any other ELED students reading this, I highly recommend watching this documentary for a very candid representation of what to expect that first year.
Showing posts with label Observation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Observation. Show all posts
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Virtual Observation
Last night I had a bit of insomnia so I went online to watch some education videos. I love watching anything that puts me right inside the classroom during a lesson plan so that I can observe how the lesson plays out, how the teacher approaches it and what the response is from the students. From these videos, I get some great ideas of lessons that I would like to implement someday.
Since English is my concentration and I look forward to working with young writers, I loved this lesson on “Lifting a Line” using student journals. I am a big proponent of journaling. Maybe that is why I love blogging! A journal is a great way to sort through thoughts, order priorities, track goals and deal with the complexities of life. With respects to writing, it keeps a constant creative flow that can help young writers find meaningful topics from every day experiences. I definitely plan to use journaling a lot during my teaching career. A video posted here shows how to clearly explain the concept of “Lifting a Line” to students. I also like how the teacher pulls something from her own journal which is a bit personal because I think it shows kids that their journal can be a safe outlet for their feelings and that writing can be a therapeutic process as well as a creative process.
Another video I watched last night demonstrated a collaboration of a group combined with the delivery in a game show format. I was impressed with how excited the kids were, literally on the edge of their seat! I also vaguely remember a game like this when I was in elementary school and could relate to the sense of anticipation and excitement that the students are clearly feeling during this lesson. This would be a great game for review prior to a test or to leave for a sub if you know that you will be absent.
I also love seeing the different teachers, how their personalities translate to the classroom, what their techniques and styles look like and how the children respond to them. This teacher (video- "Managing Literacy") has a great style to learn from. I love the rhyming instructions she uses that appeal to children, and the animation in her voice. I also notice that she repeats what she says then asks one of the children to repeat the instructions, but she does this all in a way where they feel like they are helping her rather than being told to do something. She has a very kid friendly character she uses in the classroom and the children are completely fixated on her every word.
The videos really put me in a comfortable frame of mind, where I can see what day to day operations in the classroom are like and how real children react. Not that I don’t learn a lot from all the reading I do, but this gives me a concrete experience to relate to.
Since English is my concentration and I look forward to working with young writers, I loved this lesson on “Lifting a Line” using student journals. I am a big proponent of journaling. Maybe that is why I love blogging! A journal is a great way to sort through thoughts, order priorities, track goals and deal with the complexities of life. With respects to writing, it keeps a constant creative flow that can help young writers find meaningful topics from every day experiences. I definitely plan to use journaling a lot during my teaching career. A video posted here shows how to clearly explain the concept of “Lifting a Line” to students. I also like how the teacher pulls something from her own journal which is a bit personal because I think it shows kids that their journal can be a safe outlet for their feelings and that writing can be a therapeutic process as well as a creative process.
Another video I watched last night demonstrated a collaboration of a group combined with the delivery in a game show format. I was impressed with how excited the kids were, literally on the edge of their seat! I also vaguely remember a game like this when I was in elementary school and could relate to the sense of anticipation and excitement that the students are clearly feeling during this lesson. This would be a great game for review prior to a test or to leave for a sub if you know that you will be absent.
I also love seeing the different teachers, how their personalities translate to the classroom, what their techniques and styles look like and how the children respond to them. This teacher (video- "Managing Literacy") has a great style to learn from. I love the rhyming instructions she uses that appeal to children, and the animation in her voice. I also notice that she repeats what she says then asks one of the children to repeat the instructions, but she does this all in a way where they feel like they are helping her rather than being told to do something. She has a very kid friendly character she uses in the classroom and the children are completely fixated on her every word.
The videos really put me in a comfortable frame of mind, where I can see what day to day operations in the classroom are like and how real children react. Not that I don’t learn a lot from all the reading I do, but this gives me a concrete experience to relate to.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Getting a Grip
I’ve been thinking a lot about the little ones I worked with for my observation hours. I really miss the time in the classroom. What is sticking with me at the moment, however, are some particular moments with specific children. I guess the reason is because I have been catching up with some reading and one of the blogs I read has some very enlightening stories about a new teacher’s first year on the job. I love it because it really paints a picture of what that first year is like, without sugar coating and without over dramatizing. Plus, the writer offers several lessons learned which are good to take note of.
Since discipline, structure and respect have been on my mind a lot, I keep thinking about a particular incidence that occurred when I was doing my observation. This was between me and one of the children with a behavioral disability. This particular child was set to be moving into a LRE for fall. On the surface he seemed like a great kid, and he is extremely bright, but when something triggered him he was out of control with anger. We had a particular problem with him on the playground, where he would often start fights (particularly with smaller and more vulnerable children), he would run away, throw things, and act out in several different dramatic ways. We managed the playground by each taking a post on one side so that we could keep count of the children in our class, know where each was and keep an eye on what they were up to. This child happened to have a meltdown in my area and I had to deal with the situation.
As a student early in my career, and not trained in dealing with ED, I felt very uncomfortable with the task of confronting this child, but in the moment, I had no choice. Even more uncomfortable was the fact that there were other teachers standing nearby watching my interaction. Talk about pressure to do the right thing! At first the child would not listen to me. I felt as if I was telling a brick wall what to do. Then it finally hit me that asking politely doesn’t work the same way with children as it does with adults, and definitely not with children who have a dysfunction in their processing of emotions. So I told him he has a choice to make, he can either do what I asked him or go inside and not be able to watch the Magic School Bus (which was that day’s reward for positive behavior.) Then I stepped back and said the choice is yours, I hope you make a good choice. He proceeded to do what I ask, but not before he screamed “I hate you” and then ran off in a mad fury, pushing down a small child on his way, at which point I yelled for the TA to catch him when he ran by. I felt like I took one step forward, then two giant steps back. His behavior problems escalated that day, and the days surrounding that one were just as bad. He had been showing up to school in a certain form and getting worse as the day went on. We finally figured that something must be going on at home that triggered him before he even got to school. None the less, I felt like a failure. I didn't know how to handle the situation myself.
Lately though, I wonder how much of this problem is the ED, or how much of it is typical problems that I will encounter with kids. It’s easy to think that this boy was different, but maybe he isn’t as different as I think. Just because he had the ED label placed upon him doesn’t mean there aren’t other kids just like that who don’t have that label but do have the problems addressing their emotional needs the same way he does. Plus, when I consider that this child was being moved into an inclusive classroom, I realize that he has now become part of the mainstream and those problems will not be dealt with by someone with specialized training in behavioral disorders, but are now the responsibility of the general education teacher.
The big question hangs in my mind, how does one prepare themselves for dealing with difficult children? I don’t think positive re-enforcement is enough for this child. I’m not sure what will be most effective. I kind of wish I could observe him for a while longer and see how he reacts to his new environment. I wonder if it will be better for him or if it will be a trigger? There are so many questions floating in my head as I think about his journey into the second grade. I really wish I could be there to learn some more from him. I can’t even express the lasting impression all those children have had on me.
Since discipline, structure and respect have been on my mind a lot, I keep thinking about a particular incidence that occurred when I was doing my observation. This was between me and one of the children with a behavioral disability. This particular child was set to be moving into a LRE for fall. On the surface he seemed like a great kid, and he is extremely bright, but when something triggered him he was out of control with anger. We had a particular problem with him on the playground, where he would often start fights (particularly with smaller and more vulnerable children), he would run away, throw things, and act out in several different dramatic ways. We managed the playground by each taking a post on one side so that we could keep count of the children in our class, know where each was and keep an eye on what they were up to. This child happened to have a meltdown in my area and I had to deal with the situation.
As a student early in my career, and not trained in dealing with ED, I felt very uncomfortable with the task of confronting this child, but in the moment, I had no choice. Even more uncomfortable was the fact that there were other teachers standing nearby watching my interaction. Talk about pressure to do the right thing! At first the child would not listen to me. I felt as if I was telling a brick wall what to do. Then it finally hit me that asking politely doesn’t work the same way with children as it does with adults, and definitely not with children who have a dysfunction in their processing of emotions. So I told him he has a choice to make, he can either do what I asked him or go inside and not be able to watch the Magic School Bus (which was that day’s reward for positive behavior.) Then I stepped back and said the choice is yours, I hope you make a good choice. He proceeded to do what I ask, but not before he screamed “I hate you” and then ran off in a mad fury, pushing down a small child on his way, at which point I yelled for the TA to catch him when he ran by. I felt like I took one step forward, then two giant steps back. His behavior problems escalated that day, and the days surrounding that one were just as bad. He had been showing up to school in a certain form and getting worse as the day went on. We finally figured that something must be going on at home that triggered him before he even got to school. None the less, I felt like a failure. I didn't know how to handle the situation myself.
Lately though, I wonder how much of this problem is the ED, or how much of it is typical problems that I will encounter with kids. It’s easy to think that this boy was different, but maybe he isn’t as different as I think. Just because he had the ED label placed upon him doesn’t mean there aren’t other kids just like that who don’t have that label but do have the problems addressing their emotional needs the same way he does. Plus, when I consider that this child was being moved into an inclusive classroom, I realize that he has now become part of the mainstream and those problems will not be dealt with by someone with specialized training in behavioral disorders, but are now the responsibility of the general education teacher.
The big question hangs in my mind, how does one prepare themselves for dealing with difficult children? I don’t think positive re-enforcement is enough for this child. I’m not sure what will be most effective. I kind of wish I could observe him for a while longer and see how he reacts to his new environment. I wonder if it will be better for him or if it will be a trigger? There are so many questions floating in my head as I think about his journey into the second grade. I really wish I could be there to learn some more from him. I can’t even express the lasting impression all those children have had on me.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Coming to a Close :(
My forty hours of field experience are over after tomorrow. When I first started this experience I felt completely inadequate and overwhelmed, but once I went to the private school for a day, I had a new appreciation for the public school experience and all that it offered me.
Now I feel very sad to see my time coming to a close and I feel each day like I am just trying to take in every moment that I have to interact with the kids. I feel like I have developed a good relationship with a few of them and also understand their disability much more than in the beginning. I have been having some successful interactions with the autistic kids. .
I also thoroughly enjoy working with the T.A.s, teacher and speech pathologist assigned to this group. I also really love being in the school environment. If I didn’t have to work, I would probably continue to volunteer my time until the end of the ESY in a couple weeks.
I also found out that as of the end of the year, I can apply for the IL state approved and NCLB approved Paraprofessional program. It would be great to get a TA job and gain a lot of experience before I get my teaching certificate. Financially I am unable to make that career move now, but jobs opportunities are not abundant now anyway. Probably my last year of school would be a good time to make the transition.
Now I feel very sad to see my time coming to a close and I feel each day like I am just trying to take in every moment that I have to interact with the kids. I feel like I have developed a good relationship with a few of them and also understand their disability much more than in the beginning. I have been having some successful interactions with the autistic kids. .
I also thoroughly enjoy working with the T.A.s, teacher and speech pathologist assigned to this group. I also really love being in the school environment. If I didn’t have to work, I would probably continue to volunteer my time until the end of the ESY in a couple weeks.
I also found out that as of the end of the year, I can apply for the IL state approved and NCLB approved Paraprofessional program. It would be great to get a TA job and gain a lot of experience before I get my teaching certificate. Financially I am unable to make that career move now, but jobs opportunities are not abundant now anyway. Probably my last year of school would be a good time to make the transition.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Day Seven Surprised Me
Today I went to the private Special Ed school. It was a completely different experience. The entire day was organized and structured and the children are incredibly calm & well behaved considering that they have ED and/or Autism. There were two teachers in a classroom of six children. Both teachers are 20+ year veterans and I really learned a lot of great lesson on content delivery and classroom management. They had great transition structure and clear and defined rules.
The entire school is high security. When I first arrived, I almost felt as if I was visiting a prison. I had to get let in by a staff member at the front door because it’s locked with pass code entry. Then I was questioned and had to sign in. I was given a visitor tag to wear and was escorted to the room.
The only thing that rubbed me the wrong way is that after months of planning this with the principle, when I arrived, he seemed to have no idea who I was or why I was there and had nothing set up for me. I decided for this reason that I am not going back. Although the teachers were great and the observation extremely educational, I spent the majority of the time just sitting there and I don’t think that I will see much of anything different tomorrow. I feel much more productive and comfortable at the public school. I know what is expected of me and my role and they really need the extra help. Plus, I kind of missed the kids; I think I may be getting attached to them a bit after having some small breakthroughs that really touched that inner teacher in me.
There were a couple students I bonded with today and got to teach math and vocabulary to a couple of the students. Also, since there were two teachers, I spent a lot of time getting background info on the kids and understanding of the goals of the program.
I don’t regret having this day at the private school at all, I think I really needed that different perspective, but as far as the rest of my hours, I’m anxious to go back to my crazy and chaotic classroom!
The entire school is high security. When I first arrived, I almost felt as if I was visiting a prison. I had to get let in by a staff member at the front door because it’s locked with pass code entry. Then I was questioned and had to sign in. I was given a visitor tag to wear and was escorted to the room.
The only thing that rubbed me the wrong way is that after months of planning this with the principle, when I arrived, he seemed to have no idea who I was or why I was there and had nothing set up for me. I decided for this reason that I am not going back. Although the teachers were great and the observation extremely educational, I spent the majority of the time just sitting there and I don’t think that I will see much of anything different tomorrow. I feel much more productive and comfortable at the public school. I know what is expected of me and my role and they really need the extra help. Plus, I kind of missed the kids; I think I may be getting attached to them a bit after having some small breakthroughs that really touched that inner teacher in me.
There were a couple students I bonded with today and got to teach math and vocabulary to a couple of the students. Also, since there were two teachers, I spent a lot of time getting background info on the kids and understanding of the goals of the program.
I don’t regret having this day at the private school at all, I think I really needed that different perspective, but as far as the rest of my hours, I’m anxious to go back to my crazy and chaotic classroom!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Day Six
Today was pretty good. I am finally starting to get used to the kids, although I only have one day left with this group and I think that some of them I might really miss now :(
Tomorrow I go to the new school. It’s a private school for IEP students only. I think it will be different and interesting. The day is much longer, however I imagine that they have a much more structured program which is probably geared more specifically to each disability and I expect to get to see several different therapies in action as well. I am at this other school tomorrow and then two days next week and my hours will then be complete (cue the “Hallelujah” music.)
This experience has been interesting to say the least. There has been far more involvement than I ever anticipated and I am getting a crash course in Special Ed for sure! I must admit that despite the fact that I am using my vacation hours for this work, I enjoy being outside and around the kids. They make me smile and laugh several times a day and that is one of the things I really look forward to more of in the future. I am no longer exhausted by the end of the day. My body has acclimated to the extra activity and chaos.
The potty mouth child was out today and without his behavioral issues, all of out activities seemed to last a little longer before the crowd lost interest. It was interesting to see the change in the classroom dynamics without him. One of the kids who does have some behavioral issues did seem to act out more today, and all were very wild, but we were able to get all of them to spend a significant amount of time engaged in learning play, which was nice. One of the kids wanted me to read with him, which was awesome. We read about 5 books together. After we finished one, he would go and get another. It made me feel really good because I have been paired up a lot with this child and helping him with his computer reading program. I have been trying to encourage him to slow down and read things, sound out hard words and cheer him on. It felt really good when he chose to read with me. I felt like in some small way, maybe I had something to do with his excitement to read books! And another wonderful thing today, our resident grumpy kid smiled at me and wanted me to work with him. So all in all it was a pretty good day.
Tomorrow I go to the new school. It’s a private school for IEP students only. I think it will be different and interesting. The day is much longer, however I imagine that they have a much more structured program which is probably geared more specifically to each disability and I expect to get to see several different therapies in action as well. I am at this other school tomorrow and then two days next week and my hours will then be complete (cue the “Hallelujah” music.)
This experience has been interesting to say the least. There has been far more involvement than I ever anticipated and I am getting a crash course in Special Ed for sure! I must admit that despite the fact that I am using my vacation hours for this work, I enjoy being outside and around the kids. They make me smile and laugh several times a day and that is one of the things I really look forward to more of in the future. I am no longer exhausted by the end of the day. My body has acclimated to the extra activity and chaos.
The potty mouth child was out today and without his behavioral issues, all of out activities seemed to last a little longer before the crowd lost interest. It was interesting to see the change in the classroom dynamics without him. One of the kids who does have some behavioral issues did seem to act out more today, and all were very wild, but we were able to get all of them to spend a significant amount of time engaged in learning play, which was nice. One of the kids wanted me to read with him, which was awesome. We read about 5 books together. After we finished one, he would go and get another. It made me feel really good because I have been paired up a lot with this child and helping him with his computer reading program. I have been trying to encourage him to slow down and read things, sound out hard words and cheer him on. It felt really good when he chose to read with me. I felt like in some small way, maybe I had something to do with his excitement to read books! And another wonderful thing today, our resident grumpy kid smiled at me and wanted me to work with him. So all in all it was a pretty good day.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Day Five- Pass the Tissues Please
Welcome to the teaching profession, here’s a nice bacterial infection to get you off to a fine start! My gift from the children is a terrible cold which left me bed ridden pretty much all weekend. Ugh! I can’t afford to miss any time, but I did have one hour too many scheduled, so I took off an hour early to take care of this cold today. I have decided that the longest hour must be that last one, because leaving early, the day went super fast. I pretty much sat out most of the morning, so as to not infect anybody with my sickness and just helped with the big stuff, like bus duty and recess. Nothing special happened today, although I am so hopped up on cold meds to get me through the day that I don’t think I’m qualified to even be writing this blog. I guess this comes with the territory.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Day Four (and the last day for this week- phew!)
Today was a pretty good day in the multi-needs room. It left me a little time to reflect on what important things I am learning by being there (besides triage!) I feel like I should really be absorbing the lessons I am learning about behavior management and engaging students.
Behavioral management is something that I have had much anxiety over and it is something that is of great focus in job interviews (as I am told) and that it is one of the reasons that many teachers quit the profession in their first couple years. All this makes the obvious point that behavior management is a large factor in successful teaching so with that in mind, I think this experience could hold great value.
I would have to say that the behavior management that is being used at my clinical site is working, but is not efficient or consistent enough. During group work, treats are used to lead involvement and deter distractions. Bad language or inappropriate actions are not directly addressed (we are supposed to ignore first) unless it escalates to the point where is becomes dangerous for other students and then behavior specialists are called to take over the situation. I don’t really know what that consists of too much since the child is removed from the room, but what I have seen is that the child is separated from other students until he/she is able to calm down and address their feelings appropriately. If hitting doesn’t stop, the behavior specialist holds the child in a way that mimics a straight jacket so that they can not hit or throw objects. They BS works with a partner, one restraines while the other talks to the child. I imagine that they have some particular techniques they use to calm the child but I have not been able to see. This is obviously only in extreme cases, something I may not ever encounter or if I do, it will likely be rare.
In class, things like “no thank you,” “use your nice words” and the old stand by of taking away something fun, like recess, or choice time is used. Most of the time, with the ED kids, these things escalate the child, but with the others, it works just fine.
I have been trying to decide if a classroom full of children who are all developmentally delayed and behave badly several times a day as a manifestation of their disability, or a classroom full of non-disabled students with maybe one or two children who misbehave, but have the capacity to plot and scheme their actions, is worse. It’s a tough call, but I think that it’s been difficult trying to discipline kids who are motivated by a factor (their disability) beyond their control. Discipline is a huge part of keeping the multi-needs room safe and under control. Today we managed to do that pretty well. I think that today was successful due in part to a couple of factors (and also maybe some beyond our control too). Today we used a healthy balance of compassion and dominance. Rather than smile or show vulnerability to something incredibly adorable, yet slightly mischievous the child may do, we used ignoring, and the disapproving glare. That might be something that if I was a parent, or had spent more time around kids, I would have known to do right away. However, I have learned over the last four days that just because I think it’s adorable, doesn’t mean I want it to keep repeating over and over and over again, so its best to keep it to myself. After 17 times in a day, that same adorable behavior becomes particularly irritating and wastes a lot of time that learning could be taking place.
“Winging it” with behavioral management just does not work. This is something else I’ve learned. The most important thing I can do as a new teacher is have a strong and clear plan, and to also have a strong and clear plan B, and plan C because I can’t expect that plan A will always work with a particular group, and what if plan B doesn’t work. I have to have several options in place and ready to be enforced. I also need to have emergency plans for special situations, and those must be consistent as well. Also, these plans can not be based necessarily on my own personal philosophies, since I don’t have enough experience to rely on my philosophies. These plans must be based solely on what works.
This weekend, I will be doing some thinking about how I am going to approach the class next week. Now might be a great opportunity to test my own mettle when it comes to behavior management.
Behavioral management is something that I have had much anxiety over and it is something that is of great focus in job interviews (as I am told) and that it is one of the reasons that many teachers quit the profession in their first couple years. All this makes the obvious point that behavior management is a large factor in successful teaching so with that in mind, I think this experience could hold great value.
I would have to say that the behavior management that is being used at my clinical site is working, but is not efficient or consistent enough. During group work, treats are used to lead involvement and deter distractions. Bad language or inappropriate actions are not directly addressed (we are supposed to ignore first) unless it escalates to the point where is becomes dangerous for other students and then behavior specialists are called to take over the situation. I don’t really know what that consists of too much since the child is removed from the room, but what I have seen is that the child is separated from other students until he/she is able to calm down and address their feelings appropriately. If hitting doesn’t stop, the behavior specialist holds the child in a way that mimics a straight jacket so that they can not hit or throw objects. They BS works with a partner, one restraines while the other talks to the child. I imagine that they have some particular techniques they use to calm the child but I have not been able to see. This is obviously only in extreme cases, something I may not ever encounter or if I do, it will likely be rare.
In class, things like “no thank you,” “use your nice words” and the old stand by of taking away something fun, like recess, or choice time is used. Most of the time, with the ED kids, these things escalate the child, but with the others, it works just fine.
I have been trying to decide if a classroom full of children who are all developmentally delayed and behave badly several times a day as a manifestation of their disability, or a classroom full of non-disabled students with maybe one or two children who misbehave, but have the capacity to plot and scheme their actions, is worse. It’s a tough call, but I think that it’s been difficult trying to discipline kids who are motivated by a factor (their disability) beyond their control. Discipline is a huge part of keeping the multi-needs room safe and under control. Today we managed to do that pretty well. I think that today was successful due in part to a couple of factors (and also maybe some beyond our control too). Today we used a healthy balance of compassion and dominance. Rather than smile or show vulnerability to something incredibly adorable, yet slightly mischievous the child may do, we used ignoring, and the disapproving glare. That might be something that if I was a parent, or had spent more time around kids, I would have known to do right away. However, I have learned over the last four days that just because I think it’s adorable, doesn’t mean I want it to keep repeating over and over and over again, so its best to keep it to myself. After 17 times in a day, that same adorable behavior becomes particularly irritating and wastes a lot of time that learning could be taking place.
“Winging it” with behavioral management just does not work. This is something else I’ve learned. The most important thing I can do as a new teacher is have a strong and clear plan, and to also have a strong and clear plan B, and plan C because I can’t expect that plan A will always work with a particular group, and what if plan B doesn’t work. I have to have several options in place and ready to be enforced. I also need to have emergency plans for special situations, and those must be consistent as well. Also, these plans can not be based necessarily on my own personal philosophies, since I don’t have enough experience to rely on my philosophies. These plans must be based solely on what works.
This weekend, I will be doing some thinking about how I am going to approach the class next week. Now might be a great opportunity to test my own mettle when it comes to behavior management.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Day Three
Today seemed to go much quicker, however the behavior problems were horrible. Two of the students had some serious problems with fighting, destruction of the classroom and swearing. One was pulled out of the room twice and both had to be restrained at one point by the behavior specialist. The nice thing is that it is usually only one or two a day that cause problems, not all of them at the same time. We also had a new student.
I feel like I am learning so much and yet nothing at the same time. I am definitely learning about the public school environment and procedures. I am also learning how to deal with young children. I am not, however, learning how to appropriately handle children with behavioral disabilities. The reason I say that is because I found out today from one of the aides that the teacher and both the aides are not trained to deal with kids that have severe behavioral problems. I knew they were struggling with this, but now I realize that they are feeling similar to the way I am, which is inadequate and under prepared. What they do have, however, is experience with autistic children and with teaching, so they are doing the best that they can with the situation that was given to them.
I haven’t learned anything much about teaching, though, which is disappointing to me because I was hoping to get some insight on how to make inclusion work in my own classroom someday. There are 2 work periods on the schedule everyday, however work time is when things really get out of control. The kids don’t want to work, they are all at completely different developmental stages. When one see what another is doing, then jealousy and fights begin, when the fights begin, the autistic children get upset and then everything is complete chaos.
I’ve been thinking that this group may be an exception to the norm, but I ran into one of my classmates who is also working there, but in the early education multi needs room and she looked about as overwhelmed and stressed as me! Everyday though, I feel quite a bit more confident with interacting with the children, which in and of it self is good. I love children, but I am one of the youngest in the family, so I haven’t had very much experience with kids. That worried me a little when I decided to go into teaching, but I know now that I will be just fine in that respect.
I feel like I am learning so much and yet nothing at the same time. I am definitely learning about the public school environment and procedures. I am also learning how to deal with young children. I am not, however, learning how to appropriately handle children with behavioral disabilities. The reason I say that is because I found out today from one of the aides that the teacher and both the aides are not trained to deal with kids that have severe behavioral problems. I knew they were struggling with this, but now I realize that they are feeling similar to the way I am, which is inadequate and under prepared. What they do have, however, is experience with autistic children and with teaching, so they are doing the best that they can with the situation that was given to them.
I haven’t learned anything much about teaching, though, which is disappointing to me because I was hoping to get some insight on how to make inclusion work in my own classroom someday. There are 2 work periods on the schedule everyday, however work time is when things really get out of control. The kids don’t want to work, they are all at completely different developmental stages. When one see what another is doing, then jealousy and fights begin, when the fights begin, the autistic children get upset and then everything is complete chaos.
I’ve been thinking that this group may be an exception to the norm, but I ran into one of my classmates who is also working there, but in the early education multi needs room and she looked about as overwhelmed and stressed as me! Everyday though, I feel quite a bit more confident with interacting with the children, which in and of it self is good. I love children, but I am one of the youngest in the family, so I haven’t had very much experience with kids. That worried me a little when I decided to go into teaching, but I know now that I will be just fine in that respect.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Day Two
Day two- another hectic day in the multi-needs room. This morning started out pretty bad. A couple of the kids got in a fight, I heard several words that should never come out of a child’s mouth. Even more surprising is that the child is unable to learn basic concepts such as word sounds and the alphabet, yet knows exactly how to use the “F” word and many others in the derogatory context that they are meant. Hmm, it makes me wonder things about his home life, yet as an observing student, I don’t feel it’s appropriate to ask the teacher personal questions about the student-or is it? It’s hard to determine my place exactly in this situation. When I am there, I am helping and working as if its my normal job, because it needs to be done that way, but I try to ask questions when ever I can, since I am a student and there to absorb as much about the students and the environment as I can.
I feel like for an introductory course, of which all teaching candidates, not just special education majors, are required to take, that 40 hours is completely excessive. This experience has thrust me into very serious classroom environment of which I feel completely under prepared. I think I am doing well considering the circumstances, and maybe the circumstances have a lot to do with it. The class may not be organized and divided as it would during the regular school year, since it is ESY. There are kids in the class, particularly the Autistic kids, who couldn’t learn in that environment if they wanted to. The amount of sensory input is ridiculous with all the stuff thrown about and the screaming and hitting that the children with behavioral disabilities inflict; one of the autistic children tried running away 3 times today to escape the noise, and his ears have soars from him pushing them forward in attempt to block the noise. I can’t help but wonder why this kid doesn’t have earphones or plugs or something to help drown out sound. Where is the assistive technology? I am glad that I will have another school as a comparison because I really want to know if this is the reality of special ed, or if this is an atypical classroom because its summer.
I give the teacher and aides much credit for handling this room everyday. I often feel completely lost on how to educate anyone in this environment, and when violent behavior begins, I don’t know how to handle it, and when the autistic children are “on” as they say, I don’t know what to do about it. I am learning a lot, but I really feel very, very inadequate when I am working with a child and don’t know anything about their disability, what level they are performing at, what their goals and objectives are, ect. I am quickly getting comfortable in the school environment in general, comfortable with interacting with children, it’s just handling the manifestation of the disability that I struggle with.
I feel like for an introductory course, of which all teaching candidates, not just special education majors, are required to take, that 40 hours is completely excessive. This experience has thrust me into very serious classroom environment of which I feel completely under prepared. I think I am doing well considering the circumstances, and maybe the circumstances have a lot to do with it. The class may not be organized and divided as it would during the regular school year, since it is ESY. There are kids in the class, particularly the Autistic kids, who couldn’t learn in that environment if they wanted to. The amount of sensory input is ridiculous with all the stuff thrown about and the screaming and hitting that the children with behavioral disabilities inflict; one of the autistic children tried running away 3 times today to escape the noise, and his ears have soars from him pushing them forward in attempt to block the noise. I can’t help but wonder why this kid doesn’t have earphones or plugs or something to help drown out sound. Where is the assistive technology? I am glad that I will have another school as a comparison because I really want to know if this is the reality of special ed, or if this is an atypical classroom because its summer.
I give the teacher and aides much credit for handling this room everyday. I often feel completely lost on how to educate anyone in this environment, and when violent behavior begins, I don’t know how to handle it, and when the autistic children are “on” as they say, I don’t know what to do about it. I am learning a lot, but I really feel very, very inadequate when I am working with a child and don’t know anything about their disability, what level they are performing at, what their goals and objectives are, ect. I am quickly getting comfortable in the school environment in general, comfortable with interacting with children, it’s just handling the manifestation of the disability that I struggle with.
Monday, June 15, 2009
One Down, Nine To Go
Today was my first day of ESY observations; although I shouldn’t really call it observation because I was highly involved in the classroom experience.
It may have been the longest three hours of my life, although it was not because it was boring! The class consisted of only 6 kids, which was actually two less than normal. The disabilities ranged from moderate to severe, Autism, behavioral problems, Down Syndrome and development delays. Today, according to the teacher and 2 aides, was a mild day. I happened to have found it chaotic and draining. I just arrived back at my regular job an hour ago and I feel as if it should be 10pm. I am so completely exhausted and drained, and I just dosed up on ibuprofen to deal with the tension headache that has formed.
My exhaustion aside, it was a very rich learning experience. I worked individually with each child and really enjoyed the time with each of them. We did crafts, read books, matched pictures and studied the alphabet and letter sounds. Some of the kids did real well, others I struggled just to keep their attention on me.
I really am certain now that choosing to be a regular classroom teacher was the best choice for me. I originally had an interest in special education, but changed my mind when I did more research. The reason I changed my mind then is exactly the reason that I feel the same after experiencing it first hand. There were many moments where I felt just like we were filling time with anything we could. The environment doesn’t seem to suit some of the students, and they do really well at things they already know, but the next developmental step could take all year. Most of the time, I was quite certain that some of the students didn’t have a clue what I was saying or just didn’t care. I think it takes a special individual to have the patience and perseverance to get through to these kids. Plus, it’s heartbreaking to know that you may never get through to some of them. I felt restricted and frustrated. That was after only 3 hours mind you, and I have an entire career ahead of me. I also think that I definitely need to work with 2nd grade or higher, I don’t think that kindergarten or early childhood education would fit me as well. First grade, I think I would do alright but I know that I am drawn to a higher developmental stage.
So tomorrow, I will be more prepared, but I know that I did alright today. My plan was just to watch for a day, but there was no way I could just stand there and not be involved and help. There was clearly too much happening around me, and the teacher and aides need the extra help! Each child requires individual attention, not one of them was independent enough to work alone.
It may have been the longest three hours of my life, although it was not because it was boring! The class consisted of only 6 kids, which was actually two less than normal. The disabilities ranged from moderate to severe, Autism, behavioral problems, Down Syndrome and development delays. Today, according to the teacher and 2 aides, was a mild day. I happened to have found it chaotic and draining. I just arrived back at my regular job an hour ago and I feel as if it should be 10pm. I am so completely exhausted and drained, and I just dosed up on ibuprofen to deal with the tension headache that has formed.
My exhaustion aside, it was a very rich learning experience. I worked individually with each child and really enjoyed the time with each of them. We did crafts, read books, matched pictures and studied the alphabet and letter sounds. Some of the kids did real well, others I struggled just to keep their attention on me.
I really am certain now that choosing to be a regular classroom teacher was the best choice for me. I originally had an interest in special education, but changed my mind when I did more research. The reason I changed my mind then is exactly the reason that I feel the same after experiencing it first hand. There were many moments where I felt just like we were filling time with anything we could. The environment doesn’t seem to suit some of the students, and they do really well at things they already know, but the next developmental step could take all year. Most of the time, I was quite certain that some of the students didn’t have a clue what I was saying or just didn’t care. I think it takes a special individual to have the patience and perseverance to get through to these kids. Plus, it’s heartbreaking to know that you may never get through to some of them. I felt restricted and frustrated. That was after only 3 hours mind you, and I have an entire career ahead of me. I also think that I definitely need to work with 2nd grade or higher, I don’t think that kindergarten or early childhood education would fit me as well. First grade, I think I would do alright but I know that I am drawn to a higher developmental stage.
So tomorrow, I will be more prepared, but I know that I did alright today. My plan was just to watch for a day, but there was no way I could just stand there and not be involved and help. There was clearly too much happening around me, and the teacher and aides need the extra help! Each child requires individual attention, not one of them was independent enough to work alone.
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