Transitions in Teaching, Lenten Reflection #12

Probably the most significant change that took place within the last year is that I changed schools, changed classrooms, changed students, and moved. So the past seven months or so have been spent getting to know an entirely new population of students: teaching years 1-3 were spent in an MD classroom with a variety of…

Meditations on Hebrews, pt 2

I think this means that we need to constantly be evaluating what we hear. Too many Christians are content to take in everything they hear unfiltered.

500 Words Per Day: Changing

I've been reading this book called The Myth of the Spoiled Child by Alfie Kohn. I'll be reviewing it on this blog soon so I won't spoil much with this post, except to say that if what Kohn is saying is true, and at this juncture of my reading I'm leaning towards that particular assessment,…

500 Words Per Day: Long Days at School

Today was a long day at school, hence the title of this post. It was a long day of teaching that began as most of my days do: waking up from a night of restlessness and nightmares. The day ended with me sitting here at my laptop writing about what a long day it was…

500 Words Per Day: Bus Duty

It probably sounds somehow wrong, but I am one of those sort of teachers who actually enjoys bus duty at school. I love it so much that I do it twice per day: once in the morning when all the little children are arriving at school full of joy and happiness and songs (0nly to…

500 Words Per Day: Testing Anxiety

I read an article today that had something to do with Jerry Seinfeld. I'm a huge fan of Seinfeld to the extent that I still laugh out-loud when watching the reruns in syndication. The article had something to do with something called the 'Seinfeld Strategy.' I haven't the slightest idea if there is any truth…

Thoughts on Education Reform: Teacher Preparation

I believe strongly, and I will preach this as long as I teach, that student teaching and resident educator practices need to be changed. They do not make better teachers; they make bitter teachers.

9 Tips for (new) Special Educators

There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about the work I do and how I do it. More than once I have heard from other staff, who have spent any time in my room, that all teachers ought to spend a day in my self-contained, multi-disability resource room. I…

Teacher Resources: We are Teachers

A quick post to alert readers to a new resource (new to me that is). The website is called We Are Teachers and from a quick look, there is a lot to enjoy. There is a brief registration one must follow in order to access all aspects of the website. It took me about 3 or…

Thoughts on Education Reform, Pt 1: Athletics & Academics

All I’m saying is that maybe a switch of emphasis will help bring about the reform folks are looking for. Maybe it’s not reform of the same tired methods we need, as much as an utter revolution of ideas and emphasis?

Loving my Students

Special Education is, on the contrary, about helping the students to function in the real world as freely, as fluently, and as and as frequently as possible.

I Love Old Shoe-Boxes: Recyle, Reuse, pt 2

I am a special education teacher. It's a calling I heard late in life so I am only now, at the age of 43, learning the joys of creating curriculum and finding ways to recycle stuff that others think is junk. I love what I do: I get the educate those who have the most…

Latest Post at Reality101: Data

I love what I do. I love seeing ‘my’ kids, I love when they pass a spelling test on the first try, I love seeing them make a discovery on their own, I love when the light clicks on in their mind, and I love when a student with an ASD looks me in the eye first thing in the morning and says ‘hello!’ What’s more is that every single one of these events is a mine full of data and evidence that I can use to make important academic and/or behavioral decisions for the student.