Reality 101: CEC's blog for new teachers

Reality 101: Bloggers Wanted!

Are you a special education professional who loves to write? Want to share your stories with your colleagues?

CEC is searching for members to chronicle their teaching experiences on Reality 101, CEC's popular blog for new teachers. With Reality 101 acting as your online journal, your stories will give readers a chance to get to know you, offer advice, cheer you on, and share their own stories.

Apply today! Deadline: June 25.

Please e-mail your completed application, including your resume and a photograph, to Andrea Elkin, andreae@cec.sped.org, by June 25. Applications will be accepted by e-mail only.

Allisence: Not Saying Goodbye

One of my students has a social/emotional behavior goal that focuses on salutations and valedictions — responding to hellos and goodbyes in an age-appropriate manner. Consequently, we make it a big deal in the classroom for everyone to remember to say hello or goodbye when they enter or leave a room respectively. The funny thing is the one day I really could not bring myself to practice what I preach as my students were walking out the door was on the very last day of school.

The room was already pretty much boxed up thanks to the help of my students, IEP progress reports were sealed in manila envelopes in each of their backpacks, and I was holding on to the small possibility that summer homework would be returned come August though I’m guessing the chances of that are slim. Everything was all set and done.

Jessica: Go With the Flow

Last week, due to the number of overnight field trips taking place (science camp and 8th grade graduation trip), I wound up subbing with third, fourth, and seventh graders.  At a small rural school, it’s sometimes hard to hire substitute teachers, and it’s also hard to be the substitute teacher at our school, particularly when it’s close to the end of the year and the students are restless. I willingly agreed, and even thought myself prepared.

All the students had research to do on their countries that they will be presenting for International Night this coming Thursday. Third and fourth graders had France; seventh had Egypt.

Theresa: Taking Learning Outside the Classroom

I feel like I have been going nonstop these last couple of weeks—between wrapping up the state audit, all of my new responsibilities as union rep, and keeping my students busy and interested in learning this last month or so of school. To break up the weeks my students and I have gone on three fieldtrips in the last two weeks, and we still have one more coming up this week!

While taking a group of students with special needs on a field trip can be somewhat hectic, I know it is worthwhile because they get so much out of it. My students rarely leave the neighborhood that they live in, so any time they leave it’s like leaving the country for them.

Allisence: Field Trip Fun – Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Did you know that helicopters have two rotors — one main rotor and one tail rotor? And did you know that helicopters can seat anywhere between two and 60 people? Well, these seemingly random facts are now things my students can rattle off at a moment’s notice thanks to our most recent life experience trip, otherwise known as a field trip.

As the self-declared Queen of Field Trips, the school secretary and I brainstormed all kinds of adventures my class could go on for our big end-of-the-year field trip finale. We tossed around the Children’s Museum, the Science Center, a light rail trip to the public library, and a few impossible ones too like Disneyland. In the end, we decided to take advantage of the fact that my husband is in the military and has connections at the local army aviation National Guard base.

Jessica: Fun with Word Clouds

Are you familiar with word clouds?

The easiest way to describe word clouds is to call them collages made with words. The fun part is that you get to decide on the words. When I was a kid, I used to cut words and pictures out of magazines to create collages that described me. This was a common art project used as an icebreaker to help get kids talking about themselves. Word clouds generated through websites offer a 21st century twist.