Happy Holidays

      Wow! Have I really been gone so long. So much has happened this last month, both in and out of the classroom. Where do I begin?! The kids are getting very excited for the holidays and are counting down the days to vacation. (not just the kids) We did a new type of project this year called "Pocket Books." We did one for Thanksgiving and another for Christmas. They are centered around art projects while teaching about the holidays and the various celebrations. They are kinda kewl but VERY time consuming.
      We have a real struggle this year with one of our 5th graders and I have to admit he has gotten the better
of us once or twice. Unfortunately, we get no help from home, only excuses and denial. Oh well....such is the life in SPED,  The other kids are doing great..we have a new third grader who is a real pistol. Smart as a whip, but severely lacking in social skills. So I am hoping to fix that this year and put him in a gen.ed. class next year.
     I did the neatest thing this weekend! I scanned the book "The Night Before Christmas" then created a presentation for my Smartboard. Then we are going to listen to a radio reading of it this week while I show the visuals on the Smartboard.  I am soooo excited. I will let you know how the kids like it.
     I also have set a new goal for myself and the class.....I want to get 10 of the XO laptops. I hear that they are designed for kids so I am going to start looking into them. If you want to help or donate or you work for a company that may, please let me know.

Have a wonderful holiday and remember how truely blessed you are!

Funny Happenings

      OK I have a couple of cute things to share with you today. This last week, one of my students has been exceptionally funny. First, I was walking back to the classroom with him and his mother for a conference. She said something to him, that I did not hear, but he responded with "That's not working for me." I almost choked laughing so hard and had to explain that that was what I said in the classroom when someone was doing something inappropriate.  She laughed and said that that was where he must have gotten the phrase "quiet hands" from as well.  I said: "guilty."
      The other thing he has started saying is "OH COME ON!" and complete with the Italian mother hand gestures...no he is not Italian. It cracks us up every time. He does it when he does not like what we are getting ready to do and if he is not ready to change to another task.
     The cutest thing this week was when he told me he was using his imagination more and I told him I saw that. He said....wait for it........that was because he was going to be like me - a teacher when he grew up. Is that the cutest thing ever......
    Well that is all I have for you right now...have a great Halloween and BE GOOD HUMANS!
    

Day 30

Well 30 days of school have past and it still seems like we are spinning our wheels.  Dealing with behaviours is taking so much time this year....and in 5th graders, not the 3rd graders!!!!! We have parent conferences this coming week and I am looking forward to those. I like talking with the parents and trying to get a team effort going.  Notice the word trying....

I have the cutest 4th grader this year...he is little and wired but cute as a bug. I know if we can slow his brain down a little he will really blossom. He loves working on the Smartboard and is becoming quite adapt at the different ways to use it. I am planning on putting together a set of lessons for each student to do on the board. Then they can just touch their name and the board will bring up a list of worksheets/activities for them to do. He is going to be the first I work on....

I can't believe the holidays are almost on us, we have not finished our Halloween projects yet LOL I guess I had better get it in gear.  I so hate being artistically challenged. Well that is all for now, back to planning the individual lessons.  BE GOOD HUMANS

Question

Ok Everyone,

     I have a question that I would like to post to you.....When did it become ok not to learn or make the effort to learn? I have been listening to the other teachers and am hearing some very disturbing comments like: "they just don't care" or "nothing motivates them" and before you say something always motivates lets not go there. I am talking the overall mindset of kids today and their parents. When did lack of education become kewl?????
     I know I face different problems with my students, but they seem to display the same mindsets, even in their parents.  "Its not my job to do their homework," "Its his responsibility to get it done," "I have to work.." REALLY!!!! Oh and my favorite is "I can't help them so I don't insist they do the homework." Oh well that is a good idea.
   Is it just me? Am I being idealistic?  Would love some feedback.

BE GOOD HUMANS!

End of the First Month

     Wow...where has the year gone. We are already through one month and I still feel like I am spinning my wheels...oh well, somethings never change.
     I have to say that sometime parents are the hardest part of my job. I have an open door policy and really encourage my students' parents to take an active part in their education ...that being said I have to say that when parents are a detriment or distraction they should not spend a lot of time in the room.
     I have one parent that is in total denial about her son's disability and blames everything on everyone else but him. He has no responsibility for his actions, misdeeds, lack of work production, nothing.?!?!?!?!?!?!  I makes me crazy...he is a bright kid and capable of sooooooooo much more but!!!!!!!
     I keep saying to myself that I have to bite my tongue and try and make the best of it but sometimes it is soooooooo hard...
     On a positive note, we are decorating for Halloween and hoping to win the decorated door this year. Ok, my aides are decorating and the students are contributing. I have absolutely NO artistic talent but my aides are great. I will post a  picture when its finished.

BE GOOD HUMANS

Pants on the Ground

Hi Everyone,

     Ok, I had to share this one. It was told to me by another teacher but it is so funny I had to share it. She has a 5 year old daughter who saw the American Idol video of the gentleman singing "Pants on the Ground." For those of you who have not heard it you really need to "You-Tube" it for a good laugh.
     Anyway, her daughter and friend were singing it at school, even though she was told not to, and mom gets a call. It seems that while the girls were singing the song the little boys decided to put their pants on the ground.  Now get the visual......two little girls singing and unknown numbers of little boys stripping.....I love it!
     My class had a good week for the most part. We had a meltdown on Friday over eyes. OK not real eyes, it was the leggo pieces that had eyes on them. I old a student to take apart the characters and put them away, he wanted to save them and I told him he could save the ones he made at home.   KABOOMMMMM.....after some calming and talking I found out that he did not have eye pieces at home. So we decided (him and I) that we needed to talk to his parents and ask for some eye pieces in exchange for getting green days. (that's a behavior indicator)

     So another week of challenges and laughs....more to come.
Be Good Humans!

    

Welcome to Year 2

Hi Everyone,

      Do you like the slide show I added this year. I love sunsets and thought they were beautiful and wanted to share them with you. Well, a new year has begun and we are off and running....literally. I have all boys this year since my only girl moved on to middle school. The room is sure different without her.  I have only 8 this year which is wonderful, as they are all pretty intensive and require an extreme amount of one-on-one. 
     One of my students who is basically non-verbal decided to grace us this year with a string of profanities that he has learned over the summer....what a treat!  His latest gem that was blurted out, for no apparent reason, was "Oh F%^&"....I almost laughed because it sounded funny coming from his mouth but we did not react. We are hoping if we ignore it he will forgot and move on.  Next door, the teacher told me that one of her 1st graders rolls his eyes and says "Oh Jesus" every time she hands him something.  He is cute as a bug and full of dramatics...would love to see it.
     Well, I am not going to promise to blog daily but will be here as much as possible. Feel free to add comments or suggestions.

Be Good Humans!