Since my first year of being in the Special Education program at college, I learned fast that not everyone totally understands special education. So many people out there do not see a disability but a suborn/lazy child. It's hard to want to look past those ideas and look into the child's history and see what could be the problem.
With Jane reeking havoc in the first grade classroom, that is what so many parents were doing also! Jane did not have an IEP and no one could figure her out. Finally I got to come into the picture to help her. Those were longs days of running back and forth from the first grade classroom to my students in my special education room. I'm not sure if that was the hardets part or hearing what the parents had to say about the student was... No parents even tried to explain to their child that Jane could have a disability... Parents were calling into the school and complaing that she should be out of the school because she is causing so many distruptions.
After getting to spend some time with her I was not totally convinced that she has Aspergers but there were definitely signs there. Eventually we got the forms filled out to have her tested and we were correct! Jane was another child living with Aspergers! She was not use to this classroom setting, the schedule and structure and we as teachers were not ready for her learning styles!
Luckily teachers began to want to understand her more and what would work best for her in the classroom. After we made some changes to her routine and ect. she began to be the student who knew so much about different subjects and was the interesting one to question and go off of.
Though there are still those day to day issues with her behavior... the school teachers she works with are finally understanding her cognitive development and how we can use it to her and the classroom advantage!!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Jane and her learning...
Since having Jane on my caseload for a year and a half now, I am just finally starting to feel like I understand her and how she learns. Everything is almost too simple for her. It's a job in it's self to make learning interesting for her everyday!!
When introducing Jane to some graphic organizers, this opened up a whole new light to learning for her. They helped her organize what was running through her head. Learning for her was never an issue... her grades were always A's and B's. However, now she had fun learning and doing her assignments!! They were more organized and made sense for her!!
Another thing that has EXTREMELY HELPED Jane survive school has been the structure we made sure would be there everyday! It relaxes Jane to know that after the pledge we will be doing morning calendar and then math and so on. Who would have thought that giving her an agenda of her whole day would help her feel more comfortable in this environment! Though we still have those moments when we are not sure whats going to happen next. Lunch Recess and P.E. are normally difficult but we are trying to help pint those down so we can have a smooth flowing day!!
Any ideas for lunch recess and P.E.??
When introducing Jane to some graphic organizers, this opened up a whole new light to learning for her. They helped her organize what was running through her head. Learning for her was never an issue... her grades were always A's and B's. However, now she had fun learning and doing her assignments!! They were more organized and made sense for her!!
Another thing that has EXTREMELY HELPED Jane survive school has been the structure we made sure would be there everyday! It relaxes Jane to know that after the pledge we will be doing morning calendar and then math and so on. Who would have thought that giving her an agenda of her whole day would help her feel more comfortable in this environment! Though we still have those moments when we are not sure whats going to happen next. Lunch Recess and P.E. are normally difficult but we are trying to help pint those down so we can have a smooth flowing day!!
Any ideas for lunch recess and P.E.??
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Jane's Recent Events...
This past week was a difficult week all around. Jane started talking more and more about her real mom and also about her dad (great grandpa) passing away. We could tell that this was really causing a lot of anger for her by her new actions in the classroom. "Everyone dies... I don't need to do my work.. I'll die someday anyways!" "No one wants me, I'm just going to run away!" It was so hard to understand because she has really started to do so much better in second grade than we could have every thought seeing her in first grade.
We would of course get her calmed down and then finally talked about why she was saying what she was saying. Also, how her words hurt others because we all cared so much about her. We did fun activities like inviting a friend to play inside recess with her and ect. Everything was going better until P.E. one day.
Jane has been great at P.E. because she loves playing hockey! Like most students who are autistic, she has a had time taking turns. Every class she wants to be the one who picks teams and since last class was her chance we had to take a turn at someone else choosing this time. Of course her friend didn't get on her team so she was screaming and yelling at the P.E. teacher. Her classroom aide tried to get her to calm down and understand the situation when... WHACK! Jane smacked her across the face and then broke to the floor in tears.
I was in a meet but as soon as I got out I heard about everything. Jane just wanted her classroom aide to back away from her and not stand so close. Instead of using her words though she smacked her away. Jane felt very bad about it and apologizes numerous times. Though, I thought it was very mature of her to apologize and not want to go home, because of your school rules she had to go home and not come back for two days.
I have mixed feelings about this... On one hand I think she should go home so she sees that there are consequences to our actions.... On the other hand, I'm not sure that she will see/understand that... also you always run into the issues of what are the parents doing at home, punishment or fun time?
Finally she got to come back to school and of course it was challenging to get her to do her work and not want to play all day... can you guess what mom let her do at home while she was gone from school???
In my second year of teaching I am slowing picking up on the fact that every day is going to be different. What worked yesterday might not work today. I am constantly having to be creative and think of a "fun" behavior plan for the classroom. Thank God we recently got a rabbit because she has been doing wonders. My students respond so well to doing whatever I ask so they can earn time to get the rabbit out of her cage. It's been a lot of fun and very helpful. The students also like to talk to her when they are upset and feel no one else would understand. :O)
We would of course get her calmed down and then finally talked about why she was saying what she was saying. Also, how her words hurt others because we all cared so much about her. We did fun activities like inviting a friend to play inside recess with her and ect. Everything was going better until P.E. one day.
Jane has been great at P.E. because she loves playing hockey! Like most students who are autistic, she has a had time taking turns. Every class she wants to be the one who picks teams and since last class was her chance we had to take a turn at someone else choosing this time. Of course her friend didn't get on her team so she was screaming and yelling at the P.E. teacher. Her classroom aide tried to get her to calm down and understand the situation when... WHACK! Jane smacked her across the face and then broke to the floor in tears.
I was in a meet but as soon as I got out I heard about everything. Jane just wanted her classroom aide to back away from her and not stand so close. Instead of using her words though she smacked her away. Jane felt very bad about it and apologizes numerous times. Though, I thought it was very mature of her to apologize and not want to go home, because of your school rules she had to go home and not come back for two days.
I have mixed feelings about this... On one hand I think she should go home so she sees that there are consequences to our actions.... On the other hand, I'm not sure that she will see/understand that... also you always run into the issues of what are the parents doing at home, punishment or fun time?
Finally she got to come back to school and of course it was challenging to get her to do her work and not want to play all day... can you guess what mom let her do at home while she was gone from school???
In my second year of teaching I am slowing picking up on the fact that every day is going to be different. What worked yesterday might not work today. I am constantly having to be creative and think of a "fun" behavior plan for the classroom. Thank God we recently got a rabbit because she has been doing wonders. My students respond so well to doing whatever I ask so they can earn time to get the rabbit out of her cage. It's been a lot of fun and very helpful. The students also like to talk to her when they are upset and feel no one else would understand. :O)
Sunday, January 15, 2012
My Amazing Student...
I have a student who always finds a way to amaze me every darn day!! She amazes me with her AWESOME behavior one day and then new negative tricks the next day. She is always coming up with something new. This student is in second grade. She has grown up with her Great Grandma and Great Grandpa. Her first year in school was first grade. She didn't go to school previously because her Great Grandpa was dieing of cancer, so grandma wanted to keep her home.
When little "Jane" first came to school she has no social skills! Never being around other kids, she was hating school. Eventually she got an IEP(Aspergers) and a classroom aide. The first year, Jane's favorite thing to do was run from school, cry and scream in the classroom, and take things from other students. Our goal was to get her use to the classroom environment. We could focus more on this because she was already SO SMART!!!!
Finally the end of the first year came. I was relieved to go on my summer vacation. However, I worried about her all summer... what was going to happen next year with her in second grade....
When little "Jane" first came to school she has no social skills! Never being around other kids, she was hating school. Eventually she got an IEP(Aspergers) and a classroom aide. The first year, Jane's favorite thing to do was run from school, cry and scream in the classroom, and take things from other students. Our goal was to get her use to the classroom environment. We could focus more on this because she was already SO SMART!!!!
Finally the end of the first year came. I was relieved to go on my summer vacation. However, I worried about her all summer... what was going to happen next year with her in second grade....
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