ELL

This is the first year that we have had a dedicated ELL teacher on our campus.  I have had the opportunity to work with her students a couple of times on a pull out basis.  My job, when I have worked with the kids, is to reinforce vocabulary that has been introduced in class.  I do not speak Spanish, and all the kids in her class are Spanish speakers, so it has been challenging.  When working with the kids, I have stated the vocab words and drawn (rudimentary) pictures or pulled pictures from the internet, then I have had the kids draw their own picture or "act out" the words.

strengths, weaknesses and hopes for the future

This has been quite a journey.  I have given up and thrown in the towel, only to realize that neither of these options were realistic or acceptable.  Luckily, the many amazing people that I have met at RIO set me straight.  I am doing exactly what I want to do.  I love my job, even on the bad days.  Eventually, I would like to get my masters, I just don't think right now is the time, I have too much on my plate.  I have come to realize that my strengths are building relationships and my classroom management.  My weakness is time management.  I hope that as time goes by I will become more adept at capitalizing on my strengths and remedying my shortfalls.

IEP

What is your most stressful part of the IEP for you to deal with or work on?

The most stressful part of writing an IEP for me is getting the necessary information from the student's gen ed teachers. There are times when I have to hunt teachers down to get their input.  I have begged and pleaded with usually the same one or two teachers and tried to make them understand that I cannot do my job without them doing theirs...our director has even had to send out emails regarding personal liability...to little avail :(

Do you have someone on your campus that you can go to for assistance and support in writing the IEP?

We have three sped teachers on campus; between the three of us we can usually come up with a correct answer without the need for someone at the district office.  However, at the DO, we have a specialist that is really good about answering phone calls and responding to emails...it's a pretty good support system :)

Classroom Management

What is something you want to change about your classroom management?

Be specific and use specific example(s) for this change.

There is nothing that I would like to change about my classroom management.  I was told from the very start of this program that rules, procedures and behavior consequences must be established and understood from the very first day of school.  Luckily, I listened to that advise and I have had no major behavior incidents.  I have established rules, but there are times that I bend them.  The kids know that I am tough, but flexible.  I am fortunate to be in a very low student/teacher ratio setting.  I am not sure that my techniques would work with a class size if 30+ students.  I would like to think they would but I don't know for sure. 

Students with ED

Did you receive training regarding children with emotional disturbance? How was it helpful or not? Does your school have an “Emergency Team” for a student with Emotional Disabilities?

I took a class through RIO as part of my TIR program,  I have not had any formal training.  Prior to last year we had a self contained ED classroom on our campus, it was moved to the other local middle school.  When we had the ED room here I'm certain that there was some protocol for an emergency situation, however, I was not involved with the plan and I'm not 100% certain that one existed.

Blog 5

1     How will you address classroom management in the final weeks of school?  Will you change anything?  What kinds of positive incentive plans will you implement in your classroom?  How will you communicate it to students and parents?

I don’t plan to change the management of my classroom for the last weeks of school.  I have always expected my classroom rules to be adhered to and mutual respect for everyone in the classroom.  I will offer computer time for a few minutes if the kids have been working hard throughout the week.  I do not plan to make it a daily activity, it will be given once the kids have earned the “free time”, I don’t want it to become an expectation.  I did send a letter home with my students reminding parents of the fast pace of the final quarter and upcoming AIMS and that students should get plenty of rest, consistent attendance and be ready to finish strong.

Blog 4

1   How do you plan to implement active engagement strategies into your classroom?  How will this impact your instruction?

  

I really like the “think pair share” strategy.  It takes the stress away from a student who might not an answer.  It gives opportunity for students to share what they know and to learn from their peers what they might have missed in a lesson or comprehension.

Blog 3

1   How can you incorporate the STEM concepts to a particular project or lesson plan in your classroom (or a classroom you’ve been in)? 

 I observed a science class where the students made models of a cell.  I think they learned quite a bit from the hands on learning; hands on activities work well for most students, for this project the students were given the parts of a cell, they had to cut them out and glue them in the correct place while looking at a picture of a cell.  They had several types of learning going on in one project which reinforced their learning the concept.

Blog 2

1.     Have you had to go to your school counselor to assist in a situation?  What was your experience in working with the counselor?  Were you able to get the student or parent the resources they needed?  If you have not had an experience with a school counselor, after hearing this webinar what scares you the most about the topics discussed?  What thoughts did you have reflecting on the content of this webinar?  

I did have to go to my school counselor to assist me in making a CPS call.  There was a student with huge open welts on the backs of his legs.  It was my first year teaching and the whole thing was very upsetting to me.  I did not know if I was doing the right thing.  The counselor talked me through the process and assured me that anytime there is a concern of abuse, it is morally and ethically right to make the call.  I was also informed that if nothing out of the ordinary was noted the CPS worker would close the case and if it was legitimate then I was doing what was in the best interest of the child.I do not know what came after my call, as I have gained more experience, I know I did the right thing and I am glad I had the counselor to go to.

Blog 1

1 Common core and you.

     

     The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be relevant to the real world.