Teaching... — Page 4

Sorry Kel, most of the ones I've dealt with are the type who are more easily distracted by the music and loud noises. I do know that there are music programs out there for working specifically with kids with a much more profound state of autism than I'm used to working with.

I know it's extremely frustrating to have a student who so obviously shows signs of needing additional assistance and whose parents won't or can't help. I remember one child who was consistantly drawing extremely violent pictures and writing very disturbing stories, and yet, the parents forbid him to be seen by the guidance counsellors or school psychologists, and so they all had to step back, because at that point he was not really a threat to others, so they really couldn't do anything.

We also have several students at our school right now who would benefit immensely from being in our "learning support" rooms, but the parents refuse the testing, and so the regular classroom teachers are forced to remediate and alter the curriculum. Of course, on the other hand, we also have parents who push for testing just to get their kid assigned a label so that he can have an IEP and recieve special treatment!

Glad to hear things are going well. Establishing a good routine should also help your challenging student to succeed in your classroom. Keep us posted!

yay . . . I am SO proud of you, Kel. I hope you enjoy each and every moment of this.

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Kel, I am sure you are an AMAZING teacher, it sounds like you are to me! If you need any supplies, please let me know! My mom has taught for 24 years so I see how little she is given by the school!

You picked some great books! I wish my teachers picked books like that! Your classroom looks great I can't wait to see pictures with work up there!

And i understand you frustration a little. My mom taught special ed for 23 years (now she is Title 1) and she saw the students who needed extra help and didn't get it because parents were in denial or have some issues, it is a really difficult situation but I know you of all people will still be able to make a positive influence on that student!

"Stay away from bitter teachers. Ignore them"

This is AWESOME advice! Trust me, you'll have days when you step into the faculty room and completly go off on something a student or administrator did...it's OK , we all do that from time to time. Just be careful of the ones who do it daily. Or who just don't seem to care anymore...they ones for whom anything new is just too much work. If you're not carefull, the can, and will infect you.

Also, ascribe to the school of what David Elliot called "subterfuge teaching". Give the administration what it wants....at least on paper, and then teach the kids what they really need to know. With creative thinking, anything you really want to teach in your room can ascribe to the curriculum. That might not be too much of a problem in a "regular classroom" setting, but it's come in handy in my music room!

Yeah for you Kel! We need all the "secret mission" teachers we can get!

You know, in graduate school we read an educational philsopher (whose name escapes me right now...maybe Elliot Eisner?) who talked about "the art of teaching". How over time, teachers learn what needs to be taught and how to teach it, and when to draw from teachable moments. In other words, teachers having the freedom to know what their kids need and give it to them. And that not every teacher will do that the same way, and that's OK!

Unfortunately, we are now in an era that preaches individuality of instruction but demands standardization for testing purposes. If you aren't all teaching the same thing on the same day in the same way, you are reprimanded. I am fortunate that most of the time, as long as no one complains, I am left alone to do my job, unlike our classroom teachers who are constantly under the gun with changing curricula and standardized tests. I praise everyone of them whenever possible, because I personally know that if I was given so little freedom and creativity in my classroom, I'd have given up teaching a long time ago!

So......you've made it to your first Friday! Hope you've planned something relaxing for the weekend!

I am so loving this, Kel. This thread is going to pop up from now on. I want to see how you progress and what you experience.

What a wonderful thing to watch unfold.

So I almost broke down in tears today...


I have a student who tries really hard and still barely makes Cs, but she wants to do better. Today we took a spelling test and she didn't do so well. So we talked about it and I could see that she had cried through the test. She had jut psyched herself out too much. So I let her retake it. As she was taking the test I wrote a note to her mom saying what a hard worker the student was and how lucky I was to have her in class and I wrote one to the student saying "I believe in you". We graded the test together and she passed. Then I handed her the notes. When she read them she started smiling, gave me a hug and said "You're like my second mom!" How amazing was that? I will never forget that moment with that student.

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>>>"I will never forget that moment with that student."<<<

Oh please! Remember you're in a classroom, not Sunnybrook Farm!

You've got a job, KelRel, not a Love-In!!!

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Hello all-I've been MIA for awhile (okay, a really long while) as well because I'm getting ready for my first year of teaching on the West Side of Chicago--I meet my kids tomorrow (eek!). Second grade in one of the city's poorest areas. Anyway, I just logged on to post what I think is an amazingly inspiring testament to what teachers do. Congrats on getting through your first days teaching, Kel!

What Teachers Make, or
Objection Overruled, or
If things don't work out, you can always go to law school

By Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.com

He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about
teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it's also true what they say about lawyers.

Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.

"I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor," he says.
"Be honest. What do you make?"

And I wish he hadn't done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won't I let you get a drink of water?
Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven't called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?"
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.

I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you?

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Thanks for those kind words of encouragement, Dolly...

I'm going to follow the "stay away from bitter teachers" advice...

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My daughter in fourth grade likes her teacher this year. She and my sixth grade son just started a new school. I'm glad to say they both love their school and more importantly, feel like their teachers like them. My son repeatedly said last year that he didn't think his teacher liked him and since she's now retired from teaching while only in her thirties, I have to wonder if she didn't take some of her resentment out on him.

Hope you have a wonderful school year. Teachers can make or break a kids' confidence. I'm sure you'll be an inspiration to all your students.

I have to marvel at how an idealistic person completely ignores the advice of someone who has survived 36 years in the classroom! The next thing you'll know, KelRell's students will be hugging and kissing her because she's like "a second mother to them".

IRON CLAD RULE: NO PHYSICAL CONTACT WITH THE STUDENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will not allow a student to shake hands with me, hug me or even pat me on the back. It's unprofessional and it can lead to big trouble later on.

And, Miss KelRel, I have received many notes of commendation from parents and students and former students (several of whom post here). I have read the notes but then I discarded them because I never wanted to overstep the boundaries of teacher and student. You may even recall that when Yenta posted a thread about the positive influence I had on her life, I had the moderators delete it. I even burned the yearbook that was dedicated to me in 1976. If you gloat over your accomplishments then you lose sight of the goal which is ahead of you: to teach and not to be a buddy, a parent of a chum.

Do not allow cheap sentiment to be part of your teaching strategies. You are there to teach, not to chum around with your students.

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Updated On: 8/18/07 at 10:02 PM

Dolly, what is the purpose of you posting in this thread? So you can spread negativity because you're frustrated as a teacher? Really, this thread was positive and actually pretty uplifting at parts, and you have to be negative.


Really, go spread your negativity somewhere else.

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