Reality 101: CEC's blog for new teachers

Introducing Reality 101's New Look, New Voices!

This summer, we set out to relaunch Reality 101, CEC's blog for new special education teachers. First, we recruited four newly minted special educators -- all in their first, second, or third year in the field -- to share their teaching experiences with the CEC community. Then, we gave the blog a whole new look!

We encourage readers, both peer and veteran educators, to get to know these bloggers, offer them advice, and share their own stories through the blog. Let us know what you think!

Jennifer: Report Card Season

Report card season is here again. Is it strange that I’m as nervous about it as I was when I was the person receiving one?

I’ve always felt guilty about sending home report cards, and I never understood exactly why special educators needed to fill out the exact same report cards as general educators. I’m not referring to the goal progress reports, but the actual report card form that accompanies them.

I feel that when a student who receives special education services (particularly in a moderate/severe setting) is graded on grade-level curriculum, it can appear that he or she isn’t making any progress. As an educator, it’s hard to give low scores when you know how much hard work is going toward building the student’s skills. I’ve always felt like I needed to strike a delicate balance when reporting to parents of students in special education; in spite of the lower academics or scores, I still want them to feel encouraged by what their children are achieving overall.

Ellen: Leaving the Kids at School

As a new teacher, one thing that was hard for me at first was my tendency to take school home with me. It’s inevitable to be preoccupied with your job sometimes, but I was engulfed.

Part of the problem was that I went straight from high school to college to graduate school right back to elementary school again as a teacher; school has been my schema since I was a baby. There’s also the fact that I never really literally leave work at work, because all teachers have more to do than can be done in the hours they’re paid to do it in, so stuff just gets done at home.

There was more to my inability to leave work at work, though. I simply didn’t let go of the thoughts of my students when I locked up my classroom at the end of the day. They didn’t go away when I closed my computer, sat down to dinner with a friend, or went to the grocery store. … In the busy moments and the still moments, my students from that first class were with me wherever I was.

Kathy: Help!

Our school just announced another round of budget cuts. This round was deep and we are still smarting from it. Teachers with master’s degrees have taken a $5,000 pay cut. Classroom budgets were slashed from $1,000 to $500 each (we purchase all our own materials and prepare our own curriculum). All professional development has been frozen.

My boss, the job coach coordinator, had her schedule cut to three days a week at a loss of 40% of her salary. She is the glue that holds 20 job coaches and their training sites together. Our principal now works only four days a week and I am assuming she took a 20% pay cut. One office staff person lost a day a week as well. The job coaches—that’s me—also had their day shortened, mine by one half-hour (we are paid an hourly rate). All staff must be out of the building by 4 p.m. to save on electricity. There are other smaller cuts as well.

Jennifer: Christmas Came Early This Year

Just when I thought I had everything under control, I got an unexpected Christmas present . . . a new student. This messes everything up: all my scheduling, all the lessons and groupings. It even screws up our recess and lunch, but I could not possibly be any happier. I’ve learned to love it when this happens; it’s like a fresh start.

Maybe it was about time to scrap the old schedule anyway, and maybe this is a chance to see necessary improvements that we would not have considered otherwise. Honestly, this student is going to need our help BIG time if we are going to meet her goals. She not only has academic goals, but also major behavior goals that are really cutting into our lessons right now. But my class is being fantastic about it and I’ve never seen a group work together and encourage each other the way they have these past two weeks. It’s an amazing thing to see.

Ellen: What Can We Expect from Ourselves, from Our Administration?

Some days, doing "the best we can” may still fall short of what we would like to be able to do, but life isn't perfect on any front — and doing what we can with what we have is the most we should expect of ourselves or anyone else.

—Mr. Fred Rogers

I believe in the capacity of students to learn and progress and be valuable members of the communities. I’m talking about students who are, for the most part, written off or ignored by even my large, progressive county with many resources. I believe in them, I champion them, and I help them succeed one day, one hour, one step at a time. I do my best.

I love these children. As you have probably learned by now, I am hard on myself when things don’t work for them, or between me and the other professionals who support them, in the way I want them to.

Katie: In Praise of Parents

As we approach the middle of the school year and the holiday season, I am reminded of how lucky I am to be a first-year teacher working with the BEST parents in the world! Throughout my coursework and interactions with other professionals I have heard many generalized complaints about parents and either their “lack of caring” or their over-eager “meddling.” However, I have been blessed to spend my first year as lead teacher with a group of parents who are open-minded, laid-back, appreciative, and friendly.

I was fortunate enough to enter this new frontier of lead teaching already having established a relationship with the parents in my classroom and the parents from the second-year classroom where I am now placed. This made for a smooth transition as I took on my new position and responsibility (and stress).

The parents were patient and understanding as I figured out what exactly I was doing with and for their children and families. When I was noticeably stressed they encouraged me in subtle ways to let me know that I was doing well. They would take the time to talk to me, ask me how I was doing, and let me know they were happy with me becoming the second-year lead teacher.