1....I changed the name of my blog because not all of my posts are solely about teaching, and I don't want to always be a newbie teacher....someday I want to be a great veteran teacher!
2....I also changed my background...I like the new look, at least for now!
3.... Husband man and I are running away for the weekend...starting tomorrow after work. We both are taking Monday off. To say I am looking forward to it is an understatement. We don't even have anything big planned, but I love running away once in a while.
4.... The run away weekend couldn't have come at a better time.
K has begun to transition back into my classroom for as much of the day as he can handle. The amount he can handle depends on the day :) Monday was a HORRID nightmare. He didn't make it through our first rotation before we were escorting him to the quiet room....where he went in and out of for the remainder of the day. Tuesday was a GREAT day! Such a different child! I was so proud of him! Wednesday we had his IEP meeting...he only had two short trips to the quiet room and was able to send most of the day in my room again. Then we went to leave.....he wasn't able to get on the van. My aide and I were in the quiet room with him for almost twenty minutes until he calmed down. We had to call his mom to drive back for the second time that day to pick him up. By the time she got there, he had cried and exhausted himself to sleep. I looked in on him frequently and my heart felt something I hadn't felt for a long time. A little tiny bit of emotion. I saw my fourteen year old ASD and ID student curled up on his side sleeping soundly. Such a different picture than I usually see of him. In those moments I didn't have to be "on guard" or constantly reinforcing or redirecting; I was just a girl who fought the battle of the day and saw the result of a severe autism meltdown: I was exhausted and would wake up stiff the next morning....he had worn himself out to the point of just simply falling asleep.
He had a good day today....until he had to go to the van to go home. He didn't want to. And into melt down mode he went. Mom had to come again. And for a second day, I saw a very heavy child looking very little and just longing for love.
In the middle of today's meltdown he ripped my hair. It hurt. Thankfully I have an enormous amount of thick long hair....no permanent damage. Just a headache a little bruised pride.
My coworkers have been very encouraging this week. I think they see the desperation in my eyes. I think they know I'm running out of steam. They tell me it will get better...it might take a few years, but they say it does. Someday I'll be able to teach more and my days won't be as filled with behavior modification...or therapeutic holds.
Tomorrow I will go to school and I will do my best with the 6 sweet boys God gave me for this time. Pulled hair, bruised pride, lack of energy, patience, or strength....I will care for them.
Then I will run away for a few days :)
Happy Teaching!!
-M
1.10.2013
1.04.2013
20 Things About 2012...
The idea for this post came from Walk with me by faith and Tickled Pink Mandy. They both did a great job with theirs...hopefully I can review as well.
1. What did you do in 2012 that you have never done before?
*I taught fifth grade
*I survived my first parent-teacher conference
*We bought a puppy :)
*Husband man and I moved our entire home/life
*I started teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
2. Did you keep your New Years Resolutions and did you make any for this year?
*I didn't make any last year
*I don't plan on making any this year
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
*Nope
4. Did anyone close to you die?
*Husband man's grandma....what a sweet lady. See my post here...
5. What places did you visit?
*West Virginia
*Lots of towns in our home state because of the move
6. What would you like to do in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
*Show more appreciation for the people I'm around. I suppose just saying thank you for each little thing....just so someone hears it and knows they are appreciated.
7. Which dates will be etched in you mind from 2012 and why?
*January 3rd....first day in my fifth grade classroom
*January 8th...our first wedding anniversary <3
*January 27th...the day we brought our baby pup home and became a family of three
*June 6th...last day with my fifth graders
*June 10th....brothers birthday and the day we found out we were going to move
*July 8th....the day we left our little nut hut
*September 17th....the day we closed and moved into our new home
*December 31st....the day the craziest, most unstable year of my life so far came to a close :)
8. What was you biggest achievement this year?
*Teaching fifth grade ... sounds like a simple concept right? It was harder and much more worth it than I thought it would be. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!
9. Did you suffer any illness or injury?
*Husband man hit his head...ugh....what a story! Thankfully I was pretty healthy and strong this year!
10. What was the best thing you bought?
*My iPad....it's wonderful!
*Our new home...it's an older house and it's not all perfectly level...but the wood work is beautiful. It has a bay window and a sun room. It made the crazy move just a little easier!
*Our new home...it's an older house and it's not all perfectly level...but the wood work is beautiful. It has a bay window and a sun room. It made the crazy move just a little easier!
11. Where did most of your money go?
*School loans and moving
12. What song will always remind you of 2012?
*This is always a hard song for me. I would sing "Somewhere over the rainbow" and the sunshine song to my fifth graders. But for me...Laura Story's song "Blessings" will always stay close. There were a lot of tears this year.
13. What do you wish you would have done more of?
*Hugged my fifth graders
*Laughed more this summer through the stress of house hunting/moving/change
14. What do you wish you would have done less of?
*Nothing. It was hard, there were stressful times but I wouldn't eliminate any of it if I could.
15. What was your favorite TV show?
*White Collar
*Bones
*Alias
....I may be a big fan of Netflix!
16. What was the best book you read this year?
*The Help....hands down. I loved it! It took me almost 10 chapters before I really got sucked in, but then I was hooked.
17. What was your favorite film of the year?
*Being a Netflix fan, I watched more movies than I care to admit. I don't know if I have a favorite one.
18. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?
*It was over a weekend :) So, probably writing lesson plans and planning the next week. I turned 23. Nothing super exciting!
19. What world event stirred you the most?
*Osama Bin Laden's death....husband man was in the military for a while. I'll never forget the look on his face when we heard the news. Justice was finally served. There was a little glimmer of peace that went across his eyes.
*Sandy Hook School Shooting....the scariest thing that could ever happen during my days as a teacher would be to have someone come and threaten my kids. There might not be anything I can do to stop them, but I will try.
20. Who was the best new person you met?
*I met a LOT of new people. When I went from a day to day sub to teaching 5th grade full time I met some amazing teachers...including my partner teacher. He helped me grow into a stronger teacher and a more balanced one (well...I'm still working on that!). He encouraged me to keep dreaming up lessons and to at least give things a try..."The worst thing that can happen is you dump it part way through and start with something new," he would say. He was right; it was worth it. When we moved and I started my job at the Autism Academy, I worked with an amazing aide! She has continued to help me with my new group and my most difficult boys. She is an encouragement to me and always knows when to offer advice! I couldn't have asked for two better people than these two.
Now....onto 2013.....
I spent three evenings working on this post. I've never spent that long on one post. I'm not sure why; I think I wanted it to be extra special. Prior to this post, I usually would stop remembering when I got to the point of ending 5th grade and having to move. That's when life got crazy and stressful and some days plain ugly. This reminded me about a lot of good things that happened; things that I had forgotten about. It wasn't a horrible year. There were some rough weeks; but overall I would be crazy if I weren't thankful for all God provided for me, husband man, and our baby pup (who turned 1 a few weeks ago!). He blessed us through it all; even when I wasn't deserving of the blessing.
Happy New Year!
-M
1.02.2013
a new year dawns....
Oh how I don't like change. Never have and I can't say that I ever have the desire to like it. Guess I'm a little bit like my current bunch in that way. January 3, 2013 is going to be so different than January 3, 2012. I suppose it'll be okay.
I've seen these posts a few times and they look like fun :) So I thought since tomorrow's going to be different...might as well start today and join my first link up :) Currently....
I've seen these posts a few times and they look like fun :) So I thought since tomorrow's going to be different...might as well start today and join my first link up :) Currently....
That was fun :) Maybe I'll stay on top of this and continue next month as well. Happy New Year!
Link up with this awesome blog here:
Happy Teaching!
-M
12.12.2012
A day off and a phone call...
It was a blessing to lay in bed until 8 am :) WAHOOOOO sleep and laziness! My baby pup joined me though I think she thought it was play time not lazy time. I was able to go pick my sister up and we've had a great day together! We bought some new nail polish and I now have blue nails (which is crazy for me but I love it!) I made pie crust dough and I'm planning on making it into an apple pie tonight!
In the afternoon I got a phone call from school. We're going to try something new with K because of the amount of meltdowns he is having everyday. So for the next few weeks he will have his own little space in a different room and with someone who can be one on one with him all day everyday. He truly needs this individual constant attention and I can't give it to him with 5 other kids that need me too. So for the next few weeks myself and classroom aide will have 5 sweet boys who we are to focus on. K will be the responsibility of a few others until he is ready to come back into my classroom.
My heart is a bit relieved because I knew my other 5 were suffering, but I didn't know how to be everything to everyone.
God provided. Tomorrow, will be a good day.
Happy teaching!
-M
In the afternoon I got a phone call from school. We're going to try something new with K because of the amount of meltdowns he is having everyday. So for the next few weeks he will have his own little space in a different room and with someone who can be one on one with him all day everyday. He truly needs this individual constant attention and I can't give it to him with 5 other kids that need me too. So for the next few weeks myself and classroom aide will have 5 sweet boys who we are to focus on. K will be the responsibility of a few others until he is ready to come back into my classroom.
My heart is a bit relieved because I knew my other 5 were suffering, but I didn't know how to be everything to everyone.
God provided. Tomorrow, will be a good day.
Happy teaching!
-M
12.11.2012
My sweet boys...
Yes, I do refer to them as "my sweet boys" ... It makes them smile and sadly it might be the only positive verbal love they hear for the remainder of the day. Some of them do not have the loving and supportive home like I grew up in.
Some of them carry a lot of anxiety.
Some of them are afraid of other students.
Some of them need more positive reinforcement more often than others.
All of them need love.
I always seem to amaze myself when I come to this conclusion (you would think that after the first few times, I would catch on....nope, still amazes me) concerning myself and teaching.
I'm not like a lot of teachers. Somedays that's a good thing and somedays it's not. I'm fairly simple (though I can be terribly confusing) in how I view the world and the humans that live on it. I have come to the simple conclusion that all anybody really needs is someone to love them. Not just provide for them physically and/or emotionally....but to truly love them. To be amazed at the things they do week....to provide structure, consequences, and rewards consistently...to be patient with them when they mess up...to hang their artwork on the wall....even if its not the nicest!
Last year my partner teacher was frequently concerned about my attachment to my students. Some days he warned me that I would burn out very quickly or wouldn't be able to move on at the end of the year. I fought him on this because I kept telling him that the attachment and concern I had for my students kept me going and made me work harder to be a good teacher. He was partially right and I was mostly wrong....about one thing. I couldn't move on. I struggled through our move and the entire summer with letting go of my 5th graders. I wasn't planning on not being there this year when I sent them home for the summer. Even when I started the sub position at the autism academy, I still fought it. I didn't belong here. My kids were back there. What my partner teacher probably didn't realize was that he was preparing me more for my own classroom now than he was in dealing with my classroom then. I will always care for my students, but I understand the importance of having some detachment. K wouldn't survive if I couldn't detach myself from him. I am capable of teaching my six sweet 15 year old boys with autism because of the classroom management he taught me how to use consistently. And because for so many months he showed me how to balance caring for my students but not carrying their burdens. He taught me how to be strong for my kids when they needed me to be able to hold it together. Sure, some nights I bring school home...who doesn't? But most nights I can let my frustration at school.
Today I realized this again. We were in the middle of meltdown #2 of the day, and I was verbal to K and three adults were holding him. Once he started to calm, I had to count to 100...out loud...sheesh, it's a long way from 1 to 100 .... But in the middle of it, thinking back to the mean things K screamed at me in the middle of his anger, and the spit he spewed that was running down my neck, and the bruise that was certain to appear on my leg from him kicking, I realized that I found that balance. I can keep my voice calm for him because he needs me to be calm. I can keep my touch gentle because he needs to feel something kind. I don't take his mean comments personally because I know when he's finished being angry he'll say he's sorry. I can let go of the morning tantrum so that when the second one comes, I can be strong for him again.....now by the time the 4th one was over, I was out of patience.
I savor the moments when one of them smiles. Ja smiles when I call him my sweet boy. Je loves to have his hands tickled. To really enjoys helping me and is always offering to organize my messy table! Ty just wants one of us to listen to him....and let him make copies...he enjoys tasks and making copies is one of his favorites! M just wants individual attention. K loves cookies and playing tic-tax-toe....See, even when they throw fits; hit; spit; kick; say mean things; and flat out disobey me....I can still love them through it. Not by giving into them but by teaching them how to become better at using coping skills and making better choices.
I am thankful that God created me to be a teacher. He made me in such a way that I can love these sweet boys and take on their tantrums. He gave me a great partner teacher that I could lead from so that I would be ready for these boys at this time. I don't know how long they will be mine. I don't know how many tantrums I really have the strength to weather, but I know that God has been gracious and faithful in providing me with just the right amount of patience and love for each day. Very much like the manna, He gives me what I need for each day.
And through it all, start to finish, we all just need a little bit of love. See, love covers a multitude of things.
Tomorrow I have a day off. I plan on sleeping and enjoying a few hours with my beautiful sister. I am thankful for the supportive staff that was encouraging me to take the day to rest. They have been a big help in teaching me how to work with K. I am thankful that every morning we gather as a staff of people and pray for patience and strength. We pray for safety and health for our kids & staff and we pray that in their most horrid fits, we are able to remain calm and compassionate. Tomorrow I will rest and be ready to finish the week out with my sweet boys! Field trip on Friday...we're going bowling!!
Do you have any stories? I love stories!
Happy teaching!
-m
Some of them carry a lot of anxiety.
Some of them are afraid of other students.
Some of them need more positive reinforcement more often than others.
All of them need love.
I always seem to amaze myself when I come to this conclusion (you would think that after the first few times, I would catch on....nope, still amazes me) concerning myself and teaching.
I'm not like a lot of teachers. Somedays that's a good thing and somedays it's not. I'm fairly simple (though I can be terribly confusing) in how I view the world and the humans that live on it. I have come to the simple conclusion that all anybody really needs is someone to love them. Not just provide for them physically and/or emotionally....but to truly love them. To be amazed at the things they do week....to provide structure, consequences, and rewards consistently...to be patient with them when they mess up...to hang their artwork on the wall....even if its not the nicest!
Last year my partner teacher was frequently concerned about my attachment to my students. Some days he warned me that I would burn out very quickly or wouldn't be able to move on at the end of the year. I fought him on this because I kept telling him that the attachment and concern I had for my students kept me going and made me work harder to be a good teacher. He was partially right and I was mostly wrong....about one thing. I couldn't move on. I struggled through our move and the entire summer with letting go of my 5th graders. I wasn't planning on not being there this year when I sent them home for the summer. Even when I started the sub position at the autism academy, I still fought it. I didn't belong here. My kids were back there. What my partner teacher probably didn't realize was that he was preparing me more for my own classroom now than he was in dealing with my classroom then. I will always care for my students, but I understand the importance of having some detachment. K wouldn't survive if I couldn't detach myself from him. I am capable of teaching my six sweet 15 year old boys with autism because of the classroom management he taught me how to use consistently. And because for so many months he showed me how to balance caring for my students but not carrying their burdens. He taught me how to be strong for my kids when they needed me to be able to hold it together. Sure, some nights I bring school home...who doesn't? But most nights I can let my frustration at school.
Today I realized this again. We were in the middle of meltdown #2 of the day, and I was verbal to K and three adults were holding him. Once he started to calm, I had to count to 100...out loud...sheesh, it's a long way from 1 to 100 .... But in the middle of it, thinking back to the mean things K screamed at me in the middle of his anger, and the spit he spewed that was running down my neck, and the bruise that was certain to appear on my leg from him kicking, I realized that I found that balance. I can keep my voice calm for him because he needs me to be calm. I can keep my touch gentle because he needs to feel something kind. I don't take his mean comments personally because I know when he's finished being angry he'll say he's sorry. I can let go of the morning tantrum so that when the second one comes, I can be strong for him again.....now by the time the 4th one was over, I was out of patience.
I savor the moments when one of them smiles. Ja smiles when I call him my sweet boy. Je loves to have his hands tickled. To really enjoys helping me and is always offering to organize my messy table! Ty just wants one of us to listen to him....and let him make copies...he enjoys tasks and making copies is one of his favorites! M just wants individual attention. K loves cookies and playing tic-tax-toe....See, even when they throw fits; hit; spit; kick; say mean things; and flat out disobey me....I can still love them through it. Not by giving into them but by teaching them how to become better at using coping skills and making better choices.
I am thankful that God created me to be a teacher. He made me in such a way that I can love these sweet boys and take on their tantrums. He gave me a great partner teacher that I could lead from so that I would be ready for these boys at this time. I don't know how long they will be mine. I don't know how many tantrums I really have the strength to weather, but I know that God has been gracious and faithful in providing me with just the right amount of patience and love for each day. Very much like the manna, He gives me what I need for each day.
And through it all, start to finish, we all just need a little bit of love. See, love covers a multitude of things.
Tomorrow I have a day off. I plan on sleeping and enjoying a few hours with my beautiful sister. I am thankful for the supportive staff that was encouraging me to take the day to rest. They have been a big help in teaching me how to work with K. I am thankful that every morning we gather as a staff of people and pray for patience and strength. We pray for safety and health for our kids & staff and we pray that in their most horrid fits, we are able to remain calm and compassionate. Tomorrow I will rest and be ready to finish the week out with my sweet boys! Field trip on Friday...we're going bowling!!
Do you have any stories? I love stories!
Happy teaching!
-m
12.10.2012
a boy called K...
Some cookies are tougher to crack than others. I honestly prefer the puffy soft cookies but I can understand why some people like the hard cookies that have to be dipped into milk in order to have a bite taken out of them.
K is a tough cookie. It's going to take a lot more than a little milk to crack this kid. Two meltdowns, three adult men, and one teacher desperately trying to keep her voice calm and 45 minutes later......he was calm enough to walk down to the sensory room on his own. He didn't make it in time for the van to take him home so his dad had to drove over an hour to come pick him up. Ruins my after school plans and it ruins his afternoon/early evening because he has to drive so much.
K's a sweet boy with a high pitched voice that sometimes makes me smile. He's also got a set of lungs any opera singer would be jealous of. A boy does he know how to wale when he wants to :)
The veteran staff keep telling me "he's a hard one" "it's going to take lots of time" "keep doing what you're doing".....that's great, but how do I keep myself going. One travel mug of coffee and a low calorie lunch doesn't seem to be cutting it.
Not to mention my family at home...I don't feel like walking my dog (mind you it's also raining...ugh) nor do I feel like attempting the new casserole I had planned to make for dinner tonight. I definitely don't feel like arguing about why I'm tired....because I had a child screaming and spitting and fighting us for 45 minutes today. Yes, he's a spitter.
I love it. I thrive on it and during it. I do have a little bit of pride in the fact that I can keep my voice calm and gentle throughout his fit. I want to be good for these kids. I want to learn how to be an excellent teacher of students with autism. I want to sometime come to a point where I can offer other people suggestions, ideas, tips, comments, and know that I have an idea about what I'm talking about.
I suppose if I stick around long enough, that will happen. There's a battle in my head. I idea of starting a growing family and having a baby has been floating around in my mind for a while...husband man's too. We have a few things we'd like to do first, but we're close to that decision. But then the bigger decision of whether I stay home or come back to school has to be made. It's what makes me hesitate about having a baby. I want both. I want to be a good Mom and be able to care for my children, but I want to be a good teacher. I don't want to walk away once I finally get a handle on this crazy Autism disability. What if I put all of this time and energy into learning how to teach these kids and then just walk away from it? I'm not okay with that right now. Most people know one way or the other what they want to do. I thought I knew. This job changed that. I know what my family and friends are expecting me to do. Sometimes I think that's the only reason I would pick that....because I don't know if they would be okay if I chose something else. But that's a later decision for a day that's not even close.
Now, I'm packing my bag; going home; walking my dog in the rain, and yes, making a casserole for my little tiny family of two....oh, after I go to the Dollar Tree to pick up a large eraser that K was supposed to get for a reward last week :(
Happy Teaching!
-M
K is a tough cookie. It's going to take a lot more than a little milk to crack this kid. Two meltdowns, three adult men, and one teacher desperately trying to keep her voice calm and 45 minutes later......he was calm enough to walk down to the sensory room on his own. He didn't make it in time for the van to take him home so his dad had to drove over an hour to come pick him up. Ruins my after school plans and it ruins his afternoon/early evening because he has to drive so much.
K's a sweet boy with a high pitched voice that sometimes makes me smile. He's also got a set of lungs any opera singer would be jealous of. A boy does he know how to wale when he wants to :)
The veteran staff keep telling me "he's a hard one" "it's going to take lots of time" "keep doing what you're doing".....that's great, but how do I keep myself going. One travel mug of coffee and a low calorie lunch doesn't seem to be cutting it.
Not to mention my family at home...I don't feel like walking my dog (mind you it's also raining...ugh) nor do I feel like attempting the new casserole I had planned to make for dinner tonight. I definitely don't feel like arguing about why I'm tired....because I had a child screaming and spitting and fighting us for 45 minutes today. Yes, he's a spitter.
I love it. I thrive on it and during it. I do have a little bit of pride in the fact that I can keep my voice calm and gentle throughout his fit. I want to be good for these kids. I want to learn how to be an excellent teacher of students with autism. I want to sometime come to a point where I can offer other people suggestions, ideas, tips, comments, and know that I have an idea about what I'm talking about.
I suppose if I stick around long enough, that will happen. There's a battle in my head. I idea of starting a growing family and having a baby has been floating around in my mind for a while...husband man's too. We have a few things we'd like to do first, but we're close to that decision. But then the bigger decision of whether I stay home or come back to school has to be made. It's what makes me hesitate about having a baby. I want both. I want to be a good Mom and be able to care for my children, but I want to be a good teacher. I don't want to walk away once I finally get a handle on this crazy Autism disability. What if I put all of this time and energy into learning how to teach these kids and then just walk away from it? I'm not okay with that right now. Most people know one way or the other what they want to do. I thought I knew. This job changed that. I know what my family and friends are expecting me to do. Sometimes I think that's the only reason I would pick that....because I don't know if they would be okay if I chose something else. But that's a later decision for a day that's not even close.
Now, I'm packing my bag; going home; walking my dog in the rain, and yes, making a casserole for my little tiny family of two....oh, after I go to the Dollar Tree to pick up a large eraser that K was supposed to get for a reward last week :(
Happy Teaching!
-M
12.05.2012
the [yucky] side of autism...
For the most part, any time a student (one considered "regular" or "special needs") changes environments this thing called a "honeymoon period" occurs. The length of the honeymoon depends on the student. Kids with Autism can and cannot fall into this category. For the most part, you'll have at least a few days of great behavior and you'll swear this new student is awesome. And then the honeymoon ends.
Last Wednesday (yes, it's only been one week since I started my own room...) K entered our school and was placed in my room. He has an Autism/MR diagnosis and he's reading most words on a first grade level but not usually comprehending; he can do wonders in math when given a calculator. He LOVES playing computer games and his DS. Both are allowed to be used during breaks and are usually what we picks. He had a great start last week and I was surprised to see where he was at and how well he was behaving. Prior to his arrival the "horror stories" about his fits and destruction came to me. I do my best to take them lightly because 1 (it's pride) but I want to give the chance to do well with me because I want to be that good of a teacher and 2 who wouldn't want a clean slate when they went to a new place.
This week the honeymoon ended. The stories were true. For the first time I watched first hand how terribly controlling and angry an autistic fit is. Monday came with two trips to the quiet room both required multiple adult escorts. He ripped his worksheets over and over and over; broke pencils; threw pencils; kicked his shoes off; and spit :) I was spit on and he hit my leg a few times but we all survived and laughed about the ending of the honeymoon. Newbie teacher only got 2 good days :) funny, right?!
We had two rounds of it today. Today he hit my jaw. And he bit my arm. And he bit my aide's arm. He didn't break skin but I've got a great headache and my aide has an awesome full mouth bite mark on his arm. It took three adult men in the therapeutic hold. It broke my heart. And yet they tell me this is the best way to teach him that he needs to stay in the classroom and complete his work when asked.
Everyone has their thoughts and opinions about how to handle it. I'm trying to listen to them mainly because they have been here longer. Some of the things I do not understand and it's so backwards of what I feel like I want to do. The plan is to keep K in the room and remove everyone else when he is having a fit; I guess it avoids him escaping the room. So I think I'm going to create a "leave the room" box/bag/bucket because today we were out of our room for over 30 minutes and I was very flustered.
I'm going to clean up my room. Fill their folders for tomorrow. I'm going home. I'm going to walk my dog and ask husband man if we can go eat Chinese tonight. Tomorrow I will come back. Because good day, bad day, terribly ugly day, that's what I do. I always come back. Today I don't know why I'm here. Possibly because there aren't very many teachers that really want to teach in an alternative ed Autism school. I'm understanding that more. But it might also be because God thinks I can handle it. I think He's a bit nuts; and I'm not going to lie, having never been in a fist fight before I think I need to learn some moves!
It's amazing to me how physically exhausting teaching can be. Unless you've done it, I don't know that you can understand it. My brain hurts, my body hurts, my heart aches, and I'm tired. Tomorrow we get to do it all over again....
....except K has an appointment and won't be here tomorrow :) good or bad, I'm a little bit relieved about that!
How was your Wednesday? Do you have any physical wound stories? Or any room destruction stories? Or any words of encouragement?!
Happy Teaching!
-M
Last Wednesday (yes, it's only been one week since I started my own room...) K entered our school and was placed in my room. He has an Autism/MR diagnosis and he's reading most words on a first grade level but not usually comprehending; he can do wonders in math when given a calculator. He LOVES playing computer games and his DS. Both are allowed to be used during breaks and are usually what we picks. He had a great start last week and I was surprised to see where he was at and how well he was behaving. Prior to his arrival the "horror stories" about his fits and destruction came to me. I do my best to take them lightly because 1 (it's pride) but I want to give the chance to do well with me because I want to be that good of a teacher and 2 who wouldn't want a clean slate when they went to a new place.
This week the honeymoon ended. The stories were true. For the first time I watched first hand how terribly controlling and angry an autistic fit is. Monday came with two trips to the quiet room both required multiple adult escorts. He ripped his worksheets over and over and over; broke pencils; threw pencils; kicked his shoes off; and spit :) I was spit on and he hit my leg a few times but we all survived and laughed about the ending of the honeymoon. Newbie teacher only got 2 good days :) funny, right?!
We had two rounds of it today. Today he hit my jaw. And he bit my arm. And he bit my aide's arm. He didn't break skin but I've got a great headache and my aide has an awesome full mouth bite mark on his arm. It took three adult men in the therapeutic hold. It broke my heart. And yet they tell me this is the best way to teach him that he needs to stay in the classroom and complete his work when asked.
Everyone has their thoughts and opinions about how to handle it. I'm trying to listen to them mainly because they have been here longer. Some of the things I do not understand and it's so backwards of what I feel like I want to do. The plan is to keep K in the room and remove everyone else when he is having a fit; I guess it avoids him escaping the room. So I think I'm going to create a "leave the room" box/bag/bucket because today we were out of our room for over 30 minutes and I was very flustered.
I'm going to clean up my room. Fill their folders for tomorrow. I'm going home. I'm going to walk my dog and ask husband man if we can go eat Chinese tonight. Tomorrow I will come back. Because good day, bad day, terribly ugly day, that's what I do. I always come back. Today I don't know why I'm here. Possibly because there aren't very many teachers that really want to teach in an alternative ed Autism school. I'm understanding that more. But it might also be because God thinks I can handle it. I think He's a bit nuts; and I'm not going to lie, having never been in a fist fight before I think I need to learn some moves!
It's amazing to me how physically exhausting teaching can be. Unless you've done it, I don't know that you can understand it. My brain hurts, my body hurts, my heart aches, and I'm tired. Tomorrow we get to do it all over again....
....except K has an appointment and won't be here tomorrow :) good or bad, I'm a little bit relieved about that!
How was your Wednesday? Do you have any physical wound stories? Or any room destruction stories? Or any words of encouragement?!
Happy Teaching!
-M
11.27.2012
It's Here! It's Here! IT'S HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, the time has arrived [finally] to open my own classroom. While there were some paper work items I could gather ahead of time, I pretty much had to wait until last Wednesday [the day before Thanksgiving] to begin working on the room. I had to continue teaching the 10 older students who I was filling in for the maternity leave with. It was a juggling act; one I hope I do not have to do again; but we made it through. I was able to hand over progress monitoring completed through the 3rd week and all work graded when the teacher I was in for returned. She had three non student days to ready her new room and once the students left on Wednesday, I began "remodeling" the one I was staying in.
My group is [currently...though rumors are floating of an addition coming before the end of December] 6 boys, all 14 or 15 years old and one male aide. Two have a TSS who comes daily/multiple times per week. *Speaking of TSS...I should probably pull in some extra chairs! oops....* You'll notice from the photographs that I did my best to tone down my girliness and make sure the things they are going to be using on a daily basis are "boy friendly" and not all pink and purple....though my stuff is :)
I hope you enjoy this first tour of my new classroom!! I still have a few items, which I'll post in the coming days, to add, but overall....we're ready for tomorrow :)
...well, the room is! I'm still working on my nerves!!!
I'm in love with this room already....I can't wait to see what the kids think tomorrow :) Happy Teaching!!!!!
-M
My group is [currently...though rumors are floating of an addition coming before the end of December] 6 boys, all 14 or 15 years old and one male aide. Two have a TSS who comes daily/multiple times per week. *Speaking of TSS...I should probably pull in some extra chairs! oops....* You'll notice from the photographs that I did my best to tone down my girliness and make sure the things they are going to be using on a daily basis are "boy friendly" and not all pink and purple....though my stuff is :)
I hope you enjoy this first tour of my new classroom!! I still have a few items, which I'll post in the coming days, to add, but overall....we're ready for tomorrow :)
...well, the room is! I'm still working on my nerves!!!
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| Math Station |
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| Quiet Zone [aka...sensory corner]? First Classroom Rule! |
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| Reading Station Second Classroom Rule |
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| Spelling Station Third Classroom Rule |
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| Writing Station |
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| Bookshelf: Student Supplies Mapping Station Door: "Finished Work" Folders and Visual Schedules |
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| Classroom Aide table for Aide Time Morning Meeting board |
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| Information Station Earn your field trip chart and behavior chart! |
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| My zone :) SMART Board and Birthday poster!!! |
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| Teacher time table Group schedule table LOVE my little green [dollar tree] bucket!!! YAY!!!!!!!! |
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| Right side of the room |
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| Left side of the room |
I'm in love with this room already....I can't wait to see what the kids think tomorrow :) Happy Teaching!!!!!
-M
11.22.2012
the overwhelming joy...
"I thought this was your dream." was the remark from husband man's mouth after I told him I'm just stressed about opening this new room.
It stung a little. It was (still is, I think) my dream to have my own classroom. That doesn't take away the stress of starting a brand new one :)
After numerous class list changes and four room rearrangements, I will have a full time aide and 6 wonderfully 14/15 year old boys :) all have autism + something else! Five of them attend my school already and I have been getting to know throughout this year. One of them will start brand new with us next Wednesday! The cool thing is, that he'll start on the very first day of our new classroom.
The overwhelming this is, he'll start on the very first day of our new classroom...
There are so many more aspects to a classroom than I realized. I know I have the essential parts in my head, but executing them and having them in place is taking more than the fifteen minutes I feel as though I have :)
The catchy part was that I was still teaching the 10 high schoolers in this room up until yesterday. As soon as they left, I started to tear apart Kerry's room and shift what was left of her stuff down to her new room. I left because we were traveling home for Thanksgiving....leaving a HUGE mess for me to come back to.
The good news is that I have Monday and Tuesday to work on my room. I am beyond grateful the change is happening over a long break because I wouldn't have been able to do it all in a weekend. I also have a great aide who has offered to help with anything I need!
Any suggestions for how to make a large change a little easier on kids with autism??!!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
-M
It stung a little. It was (still is, I think) my dream to have my own classroom. That doesn't take away the stress of starting a brand new one :)
After numerous class list changes and four room rearrangements, I will have a full time aide and 6 wonderfully 14/15 year old boys :) all have autism + something else! Five of them attend my school already and I have been getting to know throughout this year. One of them will start brand new with us next Wednesday! The cool thing is, that he'll start on the very first day of our new classroom.
The overwhelming this is, he'll start on the very first day of our new classroom...
There are so many more aspects to a classroom than I realized. I know I have the essential parts in my head, but executing them and having them in place is taking more than the fifteen minutes I feel as though I have :)
The catchy part was that I was still teaching the 10 high schoolers in this room up until yesterday. As soon as they left, I started to tear apart Kerry's room and shift what was left of her stuff down to her new room. I left because we were traveling home for Thanksgiving....leaving a HUGE mess for me to come back to.
The good news is that I have Monday and Tuesday to work on my room. I am beyond grateful the change is happening over a long break because I wouldn't have been able to do it all in a weekend. I also have a great aide who has offered to help with anything I need!
Any suggestions for how to make a large change a little easier on kids with autism??!!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
-M
10.26.2012
...the crazy world
Autism - noun - a variable developmental disorder that appears by age three and is characterized by impairment of the ability to form normal social relationships, by impairment of the ability to communicate with others, and by stereotyped behavior patterns
^as defined by Meriam Webster's online dictionary.
Wouldn't it be a better world if that statement were fully true. Is it true? Yes, absolutely. Is that all that autism is? No. Not in my little experience.
Just because a school is labeled as an autism spectrum disorder school also doesn't mean every student there is going to have a (correct or most prevalent) diagnosis of autism. Many of the students have emotional behaviors that far out weigh their autistic tendencies. Some days I am so frustrated and exhausted that I want a sensory break to bang my head on the wall and scream. Yet something inside me reminds my crazy un-restful soul that they are just kids. Some could be found in the Children & Youth Services database. Some have great families. Some have lots of siblings and some only have a few. Some are above their grade level academically and some are years behind. But at the end of the day they are just kids. Normal high school kids that want to do some of the normal high school kid things. They have crushes; and boy do they fixate on those crushes :) They are hormonal. They want to drive (scary thought!) and they want to go to prom. They want to fit in; belong; be head of the pack. The boys showcase their "manliness" in an attempt to over power the others...sound like a small football team yet?! 9 boys and 1 girl....10 in all. It's so easy to forget they are just kids yet. Sure, 19 is "technically" an adult...but experiences differ and he's not ready to be an adult yet. He still needs people to care for him.
Sometimes I forget this. Sad to say, but I think that was our problem the last two days. I had forgotten that at the core of my teaching belief; the foundation; the reason why I come every day; is the belief that all anyone really needs is a little bit of forgiveness, a decent amount of individual attention & quality time, and a whole lot of love. Because at the end of the day, do any of use want anything less than that? Why would my students not need those same things? Today, today I will remember that first and foremost God has called me to love them. Not to fix them; not to be harsh with them; not to constantly correct their autistic behaviors....but simply to love them as they are. Encourage them and provide a safe environment when there isn't one anywhere else.
I feel very overwhelmed in this new world that I find myself in. I love my job. I am so thankful that in a few weeks I will have my own classroom to decorate, arrange, and teach in. I don't know if the overwhelmed feeling will be more or less then.
^as defined by Meriam Webster's online dictionary.
Wouldn't it be a better world if that statement were fully true. Is it true? Yes, absolutely. Is that all that autism is? No. Not in my little experience.
Just because a school is labeled as an autism spectrum disorder school also doesn't mean every student there is going to have a (correct or most prevalent) diagnosis of autism. Many of the students have emotional behaviors that far out weigh their autistic tendencies. Some days I am so frustrated and exhausted that I want a sensory break to bang my head on the wall and scream. Yet something inside me reminds my crazy un-restful soul that they are just kids. Some could be found in the Children & Youth Services database. Some have great families. Some have lots of siblings and some only have a few. Some are above their grade level academically and some are years behind. But at the end of the day they are just kids. Normal high school kids that want to do some of the normal high school kid things. They have crushes; and boy do they fixate on those crushes :) They are hormonal. They want to drive (scary thought!) and they want to go to prom. They want to fit in; belong; be head of the pack. The boys showcase their "manliness" in an attempt to over power the others...sound like a small football team yet?! 9 boys and 1 girl....10 in all. It's so easy to forget they are just kids yet. Sure, 19 is "technically" an adult...but experiences differ and he's not ready to be an adult yet. He still needs people to care for him.
Sometimes I forget this. Sad to say, but I think that was our problem the last two days. I had forgotten that at the core of my teaching belief; the foundation; the reason why I come every day; is the belief that all anyone really needs is a little bit of forgiveness, a decent amount of individual attention & quality time, and a whole lot of love. Because at the end of the day, do any of use want anything less than that? Why would my students not need those same things? Today, today I will remember that first and foremost God has called me to love them. Not to fix them; not to be harsh with them; not to constantly correct their autistic behaviors....but simply to love them as they are. Encourage them and provide a safe environment when there isn't one anywhere else.
I feel very overwhelmed in this new world that I find myself in. I love my job. I am so thankful that in a few weeks I will have my own classroom to decorate, arrange, and teach in. I don't know if the overwhelmed feeling will be more or less then.
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