Red Skirt at Work

denim skirt from GAP, red calf-length skirt from Urban Outfitters, yellow pumps from DSW, gold watch by Guess

loving my funky manicure with Marie Nails

I did my eye makeup: gold shadow & green eyeliner  Fun!  A touch of MAC's fever blush and Sephora brand nude gloss.

 

How Not To Treat Special Educators

As an educator, I generally speak in positives. This how-to post is purposefully written in the negative. This guide is for all educators: teachers, administration, support staff, instructional coaches, all in the school building.

How not to treat special educators. Special educators include special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and related service providers.

1. Do not treat special educators as though they are special.  We are special, we all are in what ever way you take that word as, but not in that condescending way.  Yes, some of our students require below grade-level work. A special educator is able to take the skill and scaffold up for the advanced students, as well as scaffold down for the struggling learners.  This is an example of differentiation, creating multiple entry points in a lesson. Too many educators often forget that special education includes gifted education.

2. Do not treat special educators as though we do not know content, ie. English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science. We are licensed teachers, all with a specific content speciality, who also have the ability to work with struggling learners, or those labeled learning disabled, and students with emotional challenges, also labeled as emotionally disturbed. When we encounter the child with ADHD (Attention Deficet Hyper Active Disorder) we are able to focus his energy to this best of our ability; when we encounter an emerging reader in the sixth grade, we are able to assess his instructional capability further than his lack of reading skils so that we can teach him grade appropaite skills in creative ways; or when we encounter angry children prone to all types of tantrums, we know how to exercise preferientaio seating and diffuse highly-charged sotuations while demonstrating...

3. Lastly, do not treat special educators as though they are invisible.  The special education teacher in an ICT setting is also a licensed teacher whose name goes alongside the cotnent teacher when scores are releaded at the end of the year.

4.  

5. I am not the paraprofessional, I am the co-teacher. You may not remember my name but I do teach the class, not just the small group in the hi-low class. Even if I were the paraprofessional, I am still a professional in the education field.  

At the end:

Just as there are bad teachers, they are inadequate special educators who do relegate themselves to position of paraprofessional and assist one child, or paraprofessional who makes himself a part of the class body.

True role of a special educator:

As far as special education in ICT setting, in an ideal model students are not aware of who is th genera education teacher and who is the special education teacher. In my six grade classes this is the case.

True role of a paraprofessional: focus on student and small group, but work with all. Integrated into class, respected with same respect as genera education and specia. Education

The Children Will Learn

I lost my patience today.  I know that I teach sixth grade, and most of my students are actually eleven, but the tantrums coupled with a particularly disrespectful student was too much.  There are few things that get a rise out of me in the typical classroom.  One of them is when a student who is off task tries to either disrupt an on-task student, or even worse, attempts to instigate a situation between two other students.  It's one thing to sabotage one's own education, but it's another to do that to another.  Not on my watch.

I know this is a well-known story: A teacher frustrated by a student's lack of learning or distracting playful nature. We expect, hope the student sees the big picture, but often times they're too caught being ten, eleven, twelve, and thirteen to realize how today's lesson impacts their future. It all seems cliche, and not real. You're out to get me. You don't like me us. Regardless of how many times I say, I do, we do, they're just not ready to receive. Few are.

So with understanding, I continue on. Spewing my lessons, and occasional tirades, while doing my best to teach children who will learn.

TT: Address and Walk Away

The girl with the chip on her shoulder flipped me the middle finger today.  This was as she played with scissors nonchalantly.  She didn't expect me to catch it, but I did.  I addressed it privately and she denied it.  I always address and then walk away.  There's no sense in waiting for understanding when you're not likely to get it.

I then returned to her table twice. The first time, I told her to let it go and move on and the second,  I told her it's much easier to be pleasant. 

Teacher Tip: Address the situation, but don't always wait for acknowledgement or understanding. That way, students see you acknowledging the infraction, but you're not inviting opportunity for a power struggle.

Love,
Miss M

A Mix of Textures and Prints

Here's a quick photo update.  I've been busy, busy with graduate school, regular school AKA work, and maintaining my social life.  Loving it all though.  

I really enjoyed this combination.  The mix of flannel and tweed, as well as the mix of patterns, this is what I live for!

plaid, flannel button down from Old Navy; tweed J.Crew skirt; navy tights by Hue, brown leather pumps by Frye

Common Core

After many months of waiting and speculating, the Common Core-aligned, state ELA test has come and gone.  Boy, was it hard!  Three days, four books, 90 minutes for children without modifications.

At the Dog Park

Here is a candid of me chillin' at the dog park after a day of studying.  Ah, to be a graduate student again! The weather was nice, so we took Almond to the dog park.  He made a friend, and wrestled and played until he just couldn't any more.  A tired dog is the best kind of dog for a teacher to have.  Happy Sunday!

Love,
Miss M

green un-sweatpants & denim jacket from J.Crew, scarf from shop in Brooklyn, white chucks

Two More Saturdays of Saturday School!

Two more Saturdays of Saturday school!  This whole being in school again while working full-time with middle schoolers and working two per session jobs-- I'm over it!  But, I did pay for my tuition out of pocket over the last three months so I am grateful for the extra income and smart decisions, such as taking a three-month hiatus from shopping, and refraining from taking a spring break trip.

Today, I wore a comfortable weekend outfit to teach Saturday school. Dark gray jeggings, black asymmetrical tunic, light gold sneaker wedges and lots of bangles. As far how it went, I told one student to not come back next Saturday.  I told him this at least ten times in different ways. This teacher does not have time for the nonsense on Saturdays!

Afterwards, I met up with a good friend for brunch instead doing my homework. And then, I slept like a baby, cuddled up with Almond after one episode of Strange Addictions. I'll do homework tomorrow. I am a little behind in one class, but the professor is in Spain and definely not checking my assignments or anyone else's while there.

On that note, I'm going to get ready for a double date. It is crucial that a teacher maintain a social life, time with her own peers in a regular setting.

Love,
Miss M

Funky Miss M

It was warm Sunday, so I bought out my denim jacket.  I've been wearing a lot of pants as my weekend wear, so it was nice to pull out a skirt as part of a chill outfit.  Also, as you can see, I was feeling funky!

Jean jacket and navy polka dot tights from J.Crew, *Old Navy striped cloth pencil skirt, Express camouflage scarf

*The skirt was a pleasant and cheap ($9.99) find at Old Navy.  Old Navy bottoms don't usually do my body justice, but this skirt fit perfectly!

Standing Your Ground in the Face of Simple Manipulation

"Ouch," he said as I stood in front of the door before dismissal.

My small group as I call them, my permanent SETSS group of mostly self-contained students, has developed a bad habit of walking into the hall, which in my tiny school is also the office area, before the bell.

"What do you mean ouch?" I asked him.

"You're blocking the door. You're in my way! Ouch. "

I smiled calmly. "Where are you hurt?"

He hesitated before responding with a gesture. "Here," he said, moving his hand in circular fashion indicating the hurt was in his chest, heart, stomach, basically his entire torso area.

I stayed put.  This was a simple attempt at manipulation. There was more than enough space between us and he, and his classmates, were going to wait for bell this time.

Another instance:
There was the girl who I told discreetly to zipper her pants. She loudly replied, "You're thinking negative!"  My response, "no, you need to present yourself appropriately."  Then I walked away.  I was happy to hear another student tell her, that she was the one being negative. Unfortunately, things are easily misconstrued, so that was that was a conversation for a teacher not to engage in, but for a student to get the truth across.

Love,
Miss M