Tomorrow begins 2011, a brand new year full of new experiences, surprises, and opportunities. In the past, on New Year's Eve, I've reflected on the past year with mainly regrets. Regrets that I didn't find the right boyfriend, the right job, the right friends. I fought with family members, I was unhappy with myself and with those close to me. I longed for the coming year to be better, but I really couldn't specifically visualize what it was that I wanted. I thought that whatever you want to call it, fate, God, was going to either make the coming year a good one, or a bad one. I wasn't in control of my destiny. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen, and I had no say in it.
I have a lot of things going for me. And I have a lot of things that I want to change about my life. This New Year's Eve is different. Because for the first time in my life, I know that I have to power to make this coming year of 2011 awesome. I have a lot of things that I am working on, both professionally and personally, and I plan to set goals for myself and see them through. These are not your typical New Year's resolutions. No, I am definitely going to work on these, not just try to stick with them for a couple of weeks.
So no more feeling sorry for myself. No more blaming my problems on other people. No more missing out on things I want to do because I'm afraid. I'm not afraid anymore to let go of people that I don't love. As Lindsay Lohan said in Mean Girls, I have to "suck all of the poison out of my life". Sometimes the poison is other people. Sometimes the poison is yourself.
I hope that everyone who reads this (which isn't a lot of people but who knows!) I hope that you can find the courage within yourself to make some goals for the coming year and make them happen for yourself, rather than trusting it all to fate.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
:0)
A smile is an interesting thing. Because it means different things to different people and in different situations. If you smile at someone walking down the hallway, you do it to be polite, unless of course they are a good friend and you are genually happy to see them. If you smile during an interview, it's because you want the interviewers to like you and think that you are a happy and positive person who can do great things for their company. My mother is a very happy person with a very positive mindset. She smiles constantly, even when she may be having a tough day, basically because she cares about people and doesn't let herself get wrapped up in her personal problems.
So why do you smile?
Think about how much you smile every day. And when. How do you feel when you smile? Is it genuine, or fake? Are you doing it just to be polite and to make people think you are happy? Some people believe that if you smile enough, even when you are sad, you can actually change your mood from a negative to a positive one. I don't know about that, but maybe we should all try it once in a while.
Michael Jackson's favorite song was "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin. The lyrics tell us to smile even when our hearts are breaking. Some people may look at this song and think, "why would I want to cover up my real emotions? I'm not afraid to show people that I am sad or angry. People who are happy all the time are just fake." If you continue to listen though, you'll see that smiling actually gives you a little bit of hope, that "life is still worthwhile if you just smile." Can a smile expel the darkness like Harry Potter using a patronus charm to scare the dementors away?
We'll just have to find out! :0)
So why do you smile?
Think about how much you smile every day. And when. How do you feel when you smile? Is it genuine, or fake? Are you doing it just to be polite and to make people think you are happy? Some people believe that if you smile enough, even when you are sad, you can actually change your mood from a negative to a positive one. I don't know about that, but maybe we should all try it once in a while.
Michael Jackson's favorite song was "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin. The lyrics tell us to smile even when our hearts are breaking. Some people may look at this song and think, "why would I want to cover up my real emotions? I'm not afraid to show people that I am sad or angry. People who are happy all the time are just fake." If you continue to listen though, you'll see that smiling actually gives you a little bit of hope, that "life is still worthwhile if you just smile." Can a smile expel the darkness like Harry Potter using a patronus charm to scare the dementors away?
We'll just have to find out! :0)
Book Review-Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D
I would first like to say that I would normally never read a book like this. I would never pick it up off the Barnes & Noble table and purchase it, nor would I look for it in the library. However, reading this book was one of the best things I have done in a long time and here's why.
"Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" is written by Carol S. Dweck, a well-known and very knowledgeable psychologist. Her main focus is to introduce readers to two different types of mindsets: the fixed and the growth. People with the fixed mindset believe that everyone is given certain gifts when they are born and as hard as you may try, you can never improve upon those gifts. For example, James Galway, one of the best flautists in the world and one of the most popular, was born with a musical gift. He does practice to maintain his gift, but the knowledge that he posesses of how to play the instrument has always been with him. Very few people, according to those with the fixed mindset, can reach the level of success that James has. People with the growth mindset, on the other hand, believe that through hard work, acceptance of criticism, and the desire to succeed, people can achieve goals that some would consider to be impossible.
How can this book affect teachers, managers, coaches, parents, and students? Everyone either has a fixed or growth mindset. I, for a long time, have believed that I am just okay at certain things and that it is my personality that affects those things. I believed that a personality cannot be changed. After reading this book, I can at least say that I now believe that I can change for the better. That my negative traits are not just something that I have to deal with, but something that I can change.
I do recommend this book for really anyone who is unsatisfied with their life and the "cards they've been dealt" so to speak. I think sometimes it's hard for people to admit that they need help both personally and professionally. I hope that if you do pick up this book, whether you are a teacher or not, that it can seriously improve your outlook on life and yourself.
"Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" is written by Carol S. Dweck, a well-known and very knowledgeable psychologist. Her main focus is to introduce readers to two different types of mindsets: the fixed and the growth. People with the fixed mindset believe that everyone is given certain gifts when they are born and as hard as you may try, you can never improve upon those gifts. For example, James Galway, one of the best flautists in the world and one of the most popular, was born with a musical gift. He does practice to maintain his gift, but the knowledge that he posesses of how to play the instrument has always been with him. Very few people, according to those with the fixed mindset, can reach the level of success that James has. People with the growth mindset, on the other hand, believe that through hard work, acceptance of criticism, and the desire to succeed, people can achieve goals that some would consider to be impossible.
How can this book affect teachers, managers, coaches, parents, and students? Everyone either has a fixed or growth mindset. I, for a long time, have believed that I am just okay at certain things and that it is my personality that affects those things. I believed that a personality cannot be changed. After reading this book, I can at least say that I now believe that I can change for the better. That my negative traits are not just something that I have to deal with, but something that I can change.
I do recommend this book for really anyone who is unsatisfied with their life and the "cards they've been dealt" so to speak. I think sometimes it's hard for people to admit that they need help both personally and professionally. I hope that if you do pick up this book, whether you are a teacher or not, that it can seriously improve your outlook on life and yourself.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Self Improvement
So I would like to take a few minutes and reflect on life and how important it is to continuously improve ourselves, our relationships, and the way we feel about life in general. This is especially important, I believe, for anyone who works in the education world, but of course it applies to basically anyone.
This past week was a really tough one for me. I make some mistakes professionally and I had to go out of my comfort zone to apologize to my principal and it really made me think about myself and how other people perceive me. Ever since high school I've been particularly annoyed when people ask me, "What's wrong?" or "Why aren't you smiling?" or "Are you feeling okay?" I guess I just always panicked a little bit inside whenever someone said something like this because my first instinct is to think that something is wrong with me. And in my world, when people think there is something wrong with you, that's bad. You are inadequate. You aren't good enough. I admit that my facial expressions generally may lead some to believe that I'm angry or sad. I'm just not a very smiley person, and it really takes a lot for me (especially in the morning) to put on a face that reflects how I am feeling inside. I'm not a depressed person in general. But now I'm wondering if this characteristic is affecting my work.
A former principal once told me that teaching is like a dog and pony show. It is up to us teachers to stand up in front of the class and basically put on a show that will engage and inspire students. When I first heard this, I was appalled, because it went against my philosophy of student-focused instruction and the belief that students should be leading the class, not teachers. But now that I am thinking back to that time, there is some truth to it. You do have to put on an act as a teacher. You do have to show up to school with a smile planted on your face, and no matter what, it must stay there until the final bell rings. This is harder for some people than others. I know for sure that this is a challenge that I must accept and face.
Goals for the new year:
1) Reflection. I plan to reflect everyday using this blog. Read it if you wish, but this is going to be very helpful for me to reflect on my daily activities, how I performed at work, how my relationships with others are going, and how I am moving towards reaching my goals. I hope that this will be super-beneficial and will bring a peaceful close to each of my days.
2) Weight. Teachers and paraprofessionals are constantly bombarded with treats in the lounge, in the office, gifts from students, etc. I have lost about 12 pounds in the past 9 months, which might not sound like a lot to you, but for me, it has been the second most successful weight loss in my life (granted I'm only 24 but still). I would like to continue to exercise 3-4 times a week using a variety of methods, perhaps even join a Pilates class or some other workout at the fitness center where I work. I will continue to eat right and semi-follow (cause that's all I am able to do it seems) the Weight Watchers points system.
3) I will try to accomplish a personal goal of reading the Bible by reading a passage each day for the whole of 2011.
This week I will try to sit down and type of a couple of goals I have for myself professionally. As for now, I am going to let it go and enjoy the rest of my night.
By the way, I am starting to enjoy a book given to me this past week called Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck. This book, I think, is going to be so helpful because it is really helping me to pinpoint my weaknesses and refocusing my thinking so that I can work to improve upon those weaknesses.
This past week was a really tough one for me. I make some mistakes professionally and I had to go out of my comfort zone to apologize to my principal and it really made me think about myself and how other people perceive me. Ever since high school I've been particularly annoyed when people ask me, "What's wrong?" or "Why aren't you smiling?" or "Are you feeling okay?" I guess I just always panicked a little bit inside whenever someone said something like this because my first instinct is to think that something is wrong with me. And in my world, when people think there is something wrong with you, that's bad. You are inadequate. You aren't good enough. I admit that my facial expressions generally may lead some to believe that I'm angry or sad. I'm just not a very smiley person, and it really takes a lot for me (especially in the morning) to put on a face that reflects how I am feeling inside. I'm not a depressed person in general. But now I'm wondering if this characteristic is affecting my work.
A former principal once told me that teaching is like a dog and pony show. It is up to us teachers to stand up in front of the class and basically put on a show that will engage and inspire students. When I first heard this, I was appalled, because it went against my philosophy of student-focused instruction and the belief that students should be leading the class, not teachers. But now that I am thinking back to that time, there is some truth to it. You do have to put on an act as a teacher. You do have to show up to school with a smile planted on your face, and no matter what, it must stay there until the final bell rings. This is harder for some people than others. I know for sure that this is a challenge that I must accept and face.
Goals for the new year:
1) Reflection. I plan to reflect everyday using this blog. Read it if you wish, but this is going to be very helpful for me to reflect on my daily activities, how I performed at work, how my relationships with others are going, and how I am moving towards reaching my goals. I hope that this will be super-beneficial and will bring a peaceful close to each of my days.
2) Weight. Teachers and paraprofessionals are constantly bombarded with treats in the lounge, in the office, gifts from students, etc. I have lost about 12 pounds in the past 9 months, which might not sound like a lot to you, but for me, it has been the second most successful weight loss in my life (granted I'm only 24 but still). I would like to continue to exercise 3-4 times a week using a variety of methods, perhaps even join a Pilates class or some other workout at the fitness center where I work. I will continue to eat right and semi-follow (cause that's all I am able to do it seems) the Weight Watchers points system.
3) I will try to accomplish a personal goal of reading the Bible by reading a passage each day for the whole of 2011.
This week I will try to sit down and type of a couple of goals I have for myself professionally. As for now, I am going to let it go and enjoy the rest of my night.
By the way, I am starting to enjoy a book given to me this past week called Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck. This book, I think, is going to be so helpful because it is really helping me to pinpoint my weaknesses and refocusing my thinking so that I can work to improve upon those weaknesses.
Adult/Historical Fiction Book Review-Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
I'd been wanting to read this book for years, and now that I'm done, I'm sorry to say that I was disappointed. However, the concept for the novel is great. Cold Mountain is the story of Inman, an injured soldier fighting for the South in the Civil War, and Ada, his somewhat girlfriend who has lost her father and must learn to fend for herself before the coming winter. Inman decides to desert the Confederates, who by now are obviously going to lose the war, and head home to Ada. Ada is befriended by a rough woman named Ruby who knows everything there is to know about farming, clearing land, and preparing the house and land for winter so that Ada can survive. The POV shifts from Ada to Inman throughout the chapters. Inman meets interesting and comical people throughout his travels. At the end of the novel, Ada and Inman finally meet after spending four years apart, only to suffer the realities of war and life in the end.
On the positive side, I thought the writing of this novel was very beautiful, almost poetic. Charles Frazier obviously put a lot of research into this book, not just in the setting, but in the dialogue, the clothing the characters wore, their mannerisms, what they ate, everything was very true to the times. However, the book definitely dragged, and I really wasn't ever intrigued until the end in the final action sequence.
On the positive side, I thought the writing of this novel was very beautiful, almost poetic. Charles Frazier obviously put a lot of research into this book, not just in the setting, but in the dialogue, the clothing the characters wore, their mannerisms, what they ate, everything was very true to the times. However, the book definitely dragged, and I really wasn't ever intrigued until the end in the final action sequence.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Adult Book Review-The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
This book started out great and really had me glued for awhile, but then it got really depressing and dull. I thought that the story would follow the childhood and adulthood of Phoebe, the daughter with Down's Syndrome that Dr. David Henry gave away, but instead the reader spends most of the time learning about Dr. Henry's wife, Norah, and the son he chose to keep, Paul. I found Norah to be completely ridiculous, and I didn't feel sorry for her in the least bit. She obviously had no intention of making the marriage work, and the way she behaved compared to her husband's behavior was unbelievable. I think the point of this book is to examine marriage and children and how things may not turn out the way you expect them to. The reader knows that the Henry's marriage is doomed from the moment he gives Caroline the baby, so I think the time between then and the divorce was drawn out way too much. I wanted to know more about Phoebe and the struggles that Caroline had to face raising her. The most interesting part of the book for me was when Caroline had no where to go and she was stuck in a grocery store parking lot with a newborn baby and a truck driver she had never met. That part was a tough situation and it was interesting and I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen and what Caroline was going to do. The surprise death at the end left me shocked for a bit and then sad because it left some relationships unmended forever.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3567142-leane%22%3EView All my reviews...
http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3567142-leane%22%3EView All my reviews...
Monday, November 8, 2010
Book Review-A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
I finished this book a few weeks ago so I'll do my best to share what I remember. I was very surprised to find this book on the Lincoln list for high schoolers after I picked it up from the library. This book was definitely not what I thought it was going to be. From the cover and description, I thought for sure that it was going to be a murder mystery. However, it really is a historical fiction novel with some great characters by Jennifer Donnelly. Matt is a teenager growing up in the northern part of New York state in the early 1900s. She lives on a small farm situated in a lake area where guests come from the city to vacation. Matt's mother has recently died and she has taken on the role of caring for her younger sisters and father, giving up her dreams to go to college and someday become an author. Matt is torn between the promise she made to her mother to care for her family and following her dreams, a situation that I think teen readers may appreciate. Of course another factor is her budding romance with the boy next door which leaves Matt with the question, where do I go from here? The story jumps back and forth from Matt's summer working at a hotel and time spent in school and with her family. I think this would be a great read for middle school girls or even a book discussion group.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3567142-leane%22%3EView all my reviews
http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3567142-leane%22%3EView all my reviews
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Situation
I wonder how many people out there are in the same situation that I am? People working as paraprofessionals or substitutes because they can't find a teaching job. Are they fulfilled with their jobs? What are their plans for the future? I bet some people have a time limit, like, if I don't find a new job in 3 years I'm going out of teaching altogether.
My father basically ambushed me yesterday morning (happy Saturday!) and told me that my life is at a stand-still and that the situation in Illinois with teachers is not going to get better in the foreseeable future. Basically that I've wasted the past 3 years and that I'm going nowhere with my life. He wants me to meet with someone at a publishing company to see if I could work there. Basically it's my choice, but if I don't do it I'm giving up a huge opportunity that could change my whole life. I have spent the past two days walking around feeling like everything I do, from reading a book to taking a bath to working on my crossstich to working at my stupid part-time job is a complete waste of time. I feel like I have nothing. Everything I do is a waste of time.
Does anyone else ever feel like that? Like everything you once enjoyed is not what you should be doing? I probably shouldn't even be blogging right now because no one will read it and it's just a waste of time. I guess I'm struggling with this because I really need my comfort zone around me all the time. I have had 3 jobs in 3 years and I'm finally fitting into my school, getting to know some people, enjoying the kids. And while recess and lunch duty suck, I finally feel appreciated in my work place. Talking to someone at this publishing company would take me out of my comfort zone and I really just can't handle that right now.
It doesn't help that I talked to my dad tonight and he made me feel like an idiot. That my worries and concerns about this were not justified. I knew he would that. In the end, I didn't really even have a choice about whether or not I should go through with this. If I didn't, he would be so frustrated with me and basically ignore me. He's so business-minded that he can't get out of it sometimes. He's all about networking and making connections with other people and getting ahead of everybody else. To him it's not about doing good in the world and enjoying what you do but pushing yourself to the limit every single hour of every single day, climbing the corporate ladder, and impressing other people. The man hasn't read a fiction book since 1993. Yeah, 14 hour days sound like a lot of fun to me. Wait, teachers do the same amount of work but they enjoy it! What a concept!
If I wanted out of teaching I would tell him. I would tell everybody. It's like that guy that you keep in the back of your mind because you keep thinking he's going to pull up to your house someday and surprise you with flowers and candy and suddenly become all that you wanted him to be but then one day you snap out of it and realize that IT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN! One day I'll realize that teaching is never going to happen. But that day isn't today.
What's the point in talking to this publishing company if I have no intentions of leaving my current position? I just don't feel like putting in all that effort for something I don't want anyway. I'm sick of having to consider other options. There's only one option for me and that's teaching!
I just hope he doesn't stay mad at me forever. He tends to do that and takes things way too personally.
My father basically ambushed me yesterday morning (happy Saturday!) and told me that my life is at a stand-still and that the situation in Illinois with teachers is not going to get better in the foreseeable future. Basically that I've wasted the past 3 years and that I'm going nowhere with my life. He wants me to meet with someone at a publishing company to see if I could work there. Basically it's my choice, but if I don't do it I'm giving up a huge opportunity that could change my whole life. I have spent the past two days walking around feeling like everything I do, from reading a book to taking a bath to working on my crossstich to working at my stupid part-time job is a complete waste of time. I feel like I have nothing. Everything I do is a waste of time.
Does anyone else ever feel like that? Like everything you once enjoyed is not what you should be doing? I probably shouldn't even be blogging right now because no one will read it and it's just a waste of time. I guess I'm struggling with this because I really need my comfort zone around me all the time. I have had 3 jobs in 3 years and I'm finally fitting into my school, getting to know some people, enjoying the kids. And while recess and lunch duty suck, I finally feel appreciated in my work place. Talking to someone at this publishing company would take me out of my comfort zone and I really just can't handle that right now.
It doesn't help that I talked to my dad tonight and he made me feel like an idiot. That my worries and concerns about this were not justified. I knew he would that. In the end, I didn't really even have a choice about whether or not I should go through with this. If I didn't, he would be so frustrated with me and basically ignore me. He's so business-minded that he can't get out of it sometimes. He's all about networking and making connections with other people and getting ahead of everybody else. To him it's not about doing good in the world and enjoying what you do but pushing yourself to the limit every single hour of every single day, climbing the corporate ladder, and impressing other people. The man hasn't read a fiction book since 1993. Yeah, 14 hour days sound like a lot of fun to me. Wait, teachers do the same amount of work but they enjoy it! What a concept!
If I wanted out of teaching I would tell him. I would tell everybody. It's like that guy that you keep in the back of your mind because you keep thinking he's going to pull up to your house someday and surprise you with flowers and candy and suddenly become all that you wanted him to be but then one day you snap out of it and realize that IT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN! One day I'll realize that teaching is never going to happen. But that day isn't today.
What's the point in talking to this publishing company if I have no intentions of leaving my current position? I just don't feel like putting in all that effort for something I don't want anyway. I'm sick of having to consider other options. There's only one option for me and that's teaching!
I just hope he doesn't stay mad at me forever. He tends to do that and takes things way too personally.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
1st Sick Day of the Year!
So I'm home sick with migraine. The nice thing is that most of the time my migraines, which begin in the middle of the night, are gone by around 11:00am or so. This allows me the rest of the day to relax and enjoy myself. Yes I feel guilty that I'm not with my student right now (I'm missing mealworm centers!) but there's a game all new teachers have to play when they move from district to district each year. Last year I used each and every one of my sick days because I knew that I didn't want to stay for the next year. I wouldn't have used them so quickly if they went towards retirement, but one of the sucky things about being a teacher working as a paraprofessional is that your sick days don't roll over into anything. Anyway, I don't know where I'll be next year right now but I figured one sick day can't hurt. You have to spread them out over the course of the year so it doesn't look suspicious, a skill I am mastering as the years go by.
So you might like to know a little bit about what I do. My school district is located in the northeast suburbs of Chicago right on Lake Michigan. It's the nicest school district I've worked in so far with a very dedicated administration (from what I can tell so far), good teachers, parents who actually show up to curriculum night and conferences, and very sweet kids. Definitely a change from the highly diverse, low income school district that I student taught in, as well as the Title 1 school I worked in last year. Not that I didn't love those experiences; they were awesome and I learned a lot. Now we are on the other side of the coin working with parents who care A LOT more than before, even a little too much? I figure it's always something; you either have parents who don't care or parents who do care. Kids who are motivated or kids who aren't. All schools have challenges and it's how you approach those challenges that makes you a good or bad teacher.
The student I work with is in the special education program. This is the second year I have worked with a student who is autistic. I never thought in a million years that I would be so experienced with autism. I swear that I couldn't even come up with a clear definition of autism two years ago. I was so focused on what I wanted (to teach middle school reading/language arts) that I thought I was above everything else. After I was let go, I had to decide very quickly if I wanted to stay in education and whether or not I was willing to become a paraprofessional to do that. I never wanted to teach special ed., even though my college advisor was very optimistic about the profession. He told his class that if you are general education, you will end up with more special education students in your class than the special ed. teachers. He also told me that I was unemployable and that I didn't seem to care. I spent a long time after that wanting so badly to prove him wrong, but it looks like he was right. Dr. Bass, I still wouldn't choose special education. After two years of reporting to special ed. teachers and working in the sped. program, I still don't want to do it. Forget all that paperwork! I just want my own classroom and to teach the subjects I am passionate about: English, literature, and social studies.
Anyway, I work with my student on a one-on-one basis each day. I'm telling you, if he weren't so darn cute....I don't know what I'd do. His smile and long curly eyelashes definitely break my heart, as do the multiple hugs. Autism is the strangest thing. I've worked with two different students with autism and I still can't figure it out. It affects each person so differently, yet they have characteristics that are so similar. Another thing that gets me is the way it must impact families, especially mothers. How do you buy Christmas presents for a child that has no specific interests? Who can't communicate his feelings about what he likes and dislikes? My student last year had no concept of what the cabin of an airplane looked like because he had never been on one because his mother was afraid to take him on a vacation. He was so sheltered he vowed to never leave his family and often stayed home from school. I'm already worrying about my current student next year, and the year after that in new schools. How do people with autism get through their adult lives? Each case is so different, so how can we help them all?
So you might like to know a little bit about what I do. My school district is located in the northeast suburbs of Chicago right on Lake Michigan. It's the nicest school district I've worked in so far with a very dedicated administration (from what I can tell so far), good teachers, parents who actually show up to curriculum night and conferences, and very sweet kids. Definitely a change from the highly diverse, low income school district that I student taught in, as well as the Title 1 school I worked in last year. Not that I didn't love those experiences; they were awesome and I learned a lot. Now we are on the other side of the coin working with parents who care A LOT more than before, even a little too much? I figure it's always something; you either have parents who don't care or parents who do care. Kids who are motivated or kids who aren't. All schools have challenges and it's how you approach those challenges that makes you a good or bad teacher.
The student I work with is in the special education program. This is the second year I have worked with a student who is autistic. I never thought in a million years that I would be so experienced with autism. I swear that I couldn't even come up with a clear definition of autism two years ago. I was so focused on what I wanted (to teach middle school reading/language arts) that I thought I was above everything else. After I was let go, I had to decide very quickly if I wanted to stay in education and whether or not I was willing to become a paraprofessional to do that. I never wanted to teach special ed., even though my college advisor was very optimistic about the profession. He told his class that if you are general education, you will end up with more special education students in your class than the special ed. teachers. He also told me that I was unemployable and that I didn't seem to care. I spent a long time after that wanting so badly to prove him wrong, but it looks like he was right. Dr. Bass, I still wouldn't choose special education. After two years of reporting to special ed. teachers and working in the sped. program, I still don't want to do it. Forget all that paperwork! I just want my own classroom and to teach the subjects I am passionate about: English, literature, and social studies.
Anyway, I work with my student on a one-on-one basis each day. I'm telling you, if he weren't so darn cute....I don't know what I'd do. His smile and long curly eyelashes definitely break my heart, as do the multiple hugs. Autism is the strangest thing. I've worked with two different students with autism and I still can't figure it out. It affects each person so differently, yet they have characteristics that are so similar. Another thing that gets me is the way it must impact families, especially mothers. How do you buy Christmas presents for a child that has no specific interests? Who can't communicate his feelings about what he likes and dislikes? My student last year had no concept of what the cabin of an airplane looked like because he had never been on one because his mother was afraid to take him on a vacation. He was so sheltered he vowed to never leave his family and often stayed home from school. I'm already worrying about my current student next year, and the year after that in new schools. How do people with autism get through their adult lives? Each case is so different, so how can we help them all?
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Kid Quotes!
Hi! So I love sharing fun kid quotes with other educators. Kids do say the funniest things! Here are the best quotes so far from the 2010-2011 school year:
“These markers need batteries.”
-Nicholas after failing to find a dry erase marker that isn’t dried out.
“Can you move so I can sit on you?”
-Nicholas
Ms. Miller: “Eli, we missed you yesterday.”
Eli: “Yeah, I had Bieber fever.”
Nicholas: “You’re a Ms.! Ms. Snyder! Ms. Lane Snyder! You’re going to get married!
Ms. Snyder: “When am I going to get married, Nicholas?”
Nicholas: “October, 2011. You’ll be a Mrs.!”
Ms. Snyder: “Um, I highly doubt that, darling.”
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Premiere
Hello!
This is the premiere of Miss Tiger, a blog for educators, recent college grads who can't find teaching jobs like myself, paraprofessionals/teacher associates, subs, and anybody who likes kids and children's literature. I will be posting book reviews thru Goodreads.com and sharing my experiences working as a teacher associate in the northeast suburbs of Chicago.
Thanks for coming! Feel free to comment on any posts!
This is the premiere of Miss Tiger, a blog for educators, recent college grads who can't find teaching jobs like myself, paraprofessionals/teacher associates, subs, and anybody who likes kids and children's literature. I will be posting book reviews thru Goodreads.com and sharing my experiences working as a teacher associate in the northeast suburbs of Chicago.
Thanks for coming! Feel free to comment on any posts!
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