It's been a long time since I put in a post; call it lack of what the students say they are doing when they want to listen to their music ("I'm multitasking"). For the last 3 months, I had the privilege of working for a special education teacher who cannot be replaced, and I had to "walk in [her] shoes."
I can tell that this educator is a phenom; just by the way the students refer to her all the time! I am not special education certified; I'd like to think I am exceptionally certified though (and because of my diverse background I think I have that covered from my previous blogs, though there are those that see that diversity as instability, but I won't go down that road again). Understand that I did work only in the academic setting of her workload, not her CASELOAD which is so much more paperwork, time, and energy. Working her schedule made me realize how much I am NOT differentiating to students who may have significant deficiencies in the regular classroom. I had to reconstruct what I knew about best practice with exceptional students.
Now, I had taught concepts about this superficially in college last year, since that was all the time I had to teach everything about educational psychology in 1 block class. I really learned my field work by working with these dynamic students. Any educator that doesn't think special education teachers do not do much should spend a day with them following them around (I believe I made this comment before).
She is returning soon and the students are getting excited about her return. I cannot blame them; I am a substitute and she is their teacher. It took about 3 weeks to get their trust, which will probably be easily forgotten once I walk out that door. Math can be more FUN though in this setting; only if you let it.
I continue to forge onward after this assignment to attain my A+, Windows Server, and renewed MN licensure to see what I can do to affect more minds with mathematics.
Til I chalk again,
Mr. Shel
I can tell that this educator is a phenom; just by the way the students refer to her all the time! I am not special education certified; I'd like to think I am exceptionally certified though (and because of my diverse background I think I have that covered from my previous blogs, though there are those that see that diversity as instability, but I won't go down that road again). Understand that I did work only in the academic setting of her workload, not her CASELOAD which is so much more paperwork, time, and energy. Working her schedule made me realize how much I am NOT differentiating to students who may have significant deficiencies in the regular classroom. I had to reconstruct what I knew about best practice with exceptional students.
Now, I had taught concepts about this superficially in college last year, since that was all the time I had to teach everything about educational psychology in 1 block class. I really learned my field work by working with these dynamic students. Any educator that doesn't think special education teachers do not do much should spend a day with them following them around (I believe I made this comment before).
She is returning soon and the students are getting excited about her return. I cannot blame them; I am a substitute and she is their teacher. It took about 3 weeks to get their trust, which will probably be easily forgotten once I walk out that door. Math can be more FUN though in this setting; only if you let it.
I continue to forge onward after this assignment to attain my A+, Windows Server, and renewed MN licensure to see what I can do to affect more minds with mathematics.
Til I chalk again,
Mr. Shel
Comments
Post a Comment