Happy Halloween!

To all those out there who celebrate Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Dia de los Muertos, or whatever you call it, have yourself a ball tonight and do whatever it is that you do!

The I.E.P. deconstructed – What is the Least Restrictive Environment (L.R.E.)? (4 of 6)

The Least Restrictive Environment was designed to level the playing field. This goes back to the reason why we have Special Education in the first place.
There was a time when there were an inordinate amount of blacks represented in Mentally Retarded (MR) classes, and/or the kids in Special Education were treated as second class citizens.
This [...]

L.A.U.S.D. training

I have been in training for the past two days. I had heard that it was boring, but that has not been the case with me. I am having a ball. We have a very small and intimate group and it’s a blast. I am learning a lot of good information. I feel so blessed. [...]

Leadership is a serious business!

I was just talking to one of my friends about the atmosphere of any given place. Most of it is dependent on the leader. The leader, for the most part, takes their organization in the direction that they want to go; whether it’s good or bad; positive or negative. The leader sets the tone for [...]

Happy 18th Birthday!

Today is my oldest son’s 18th birthday! He was just a baby! Where did the time go?

Unwritten!

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Unwritten, by Natasha Bedinfield has been stuck in [...]

Harping on that TFA thing! Part 2

Sometimes I have to stop and reflect on my life and how blessed I am. Today is one of those days. I was thinking about not getting into TFA again. Okay, I know I’m harping on that TFA thing again. This time it’s in a good way though.
Let me take you back to the beginning. [...]

What Your First Grader Needs to Know by E.D. Hirsch, jr. (2 0f 8)

I am very nervous about classroom management, so I have been asking advice from a lot of the veteran teachers that I know. One teacher whom I have become close with in the last couple of months told me about a surefire way to get the children under control. It is reminiscent of a [...]

I threw away a check for $3,999.99!

I just threw out a check for $3,999.99. Why? Why would anyone do that?
Remember what your mama said, “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.”
I threw it out ’cause it was as fake as a $4 dollar bill. There are so many scams out there. But I’m talking about one [...]

Thirteen things I love about my job!

Even though this job is not going to be easy, this is thirteen things that I know I will love about it.

I will make a difference.
I will get my own classroom.
The kids.
It’s never going to be a dull moment.
I feel like a real adult now.
Though it’s not much, I will get a regular paycheck.
I can [...]

The I.E.P. deconstructed- Special Education categories (3 of 6)

This is a continuation of the I.E.P. deconstructed series. There are a couple of different categories that a child will qualify for special education under. This is the L.A.U.S.D. website. It explains some of the terms that you may have been hearing.
**Taken directly from the L.A.U.S.D. website **
Special education is a program designed to meet [...]

Letting go!

It’s a sad fact of life that we have to let go of things that are near and dear to us. All things, no matter what it it, must come to an end. It’s especially sad when it’s a longtime friendship or marriage.

I was just thinking about the roles that people play in our life. [...]

Questions To Ask Yourself When Addressing Behavior Problems, Part 4 of 4

 
Here is the fourth and final part dealing with communication issues, #’s 49-57.
Communications issues
49. Do the individual’s communication skills/deficits lead to problem behaviors?
50.Does the individual have acceptable means of getting staff (and/or peer) attention?
51. Does the individual need a [...]

The end of the storm!

I have been in a really reflective mood lately. I have been thinking about the trial that I endured in the summer. As always, whenever I emerge from the storm, bruised, tattered and torn, I always wonder what the purpose was. Well, this time I kinda’ knew why I was going through what I was [...]

What is scaffolding?

In the past week, I have talked about scaffolding. This is a term that teachers use, but it’s not exclusive to teaching. People do it everyday without realizing it. To make it clear, think about a scaffold outside a building. It has many levels right?

Scaffolding, and the building of it, is one of the most [...]

Kindergarten is hard!

My little Kindergarten princess works so hard. When she gets home she’s tired. It’s because most, if not all, of L.A.U.S.D. has full day kindergarten. I really don’t like it because they don’t even get a chance to take a nap. So when she comes home, she is so tired. She can go to sleep [...]

What Your Kindergarten Needs to Know by E.D. Hirsch (1 of 8)

(The author’s explanation of the series taken from the book) The Core Knowledge Series is a grade-by-grade presentation of the knowledge young people should acquire in early grades. The books have been sequenced to help children make secure progress in learning; each book presents knowledge upon which later books will build. The writers of the [...]

I got the job!

I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I got the job! I GOT THE JOB!
So. What am I trying to say, you ask? I’m saying that I got the job and am proud of it. Even though it’s going to be more [...]

Deciding to get serious!

I have been such a slacker. I’ve barely been studying or doing my reading. Well, everything caught up to me for my mid-term. I got a “B”. While this may not seem like a big deal, it is. It was stuff that I already knew. I made simple mistakes. I was so mad at myself. [...]

Thursday’s thirteen

This is thirteen things that I like in no particular order.

Shopping.
Writing.
Reading.
Making new friends sometimes.
That “aha” moment in students.
Being an mom.
Being an auntie.
Looking forward to the future.
Living in the present, the best way that I know how, so that my future will keep getting better and better.
Some people call me crazy, but I like cleaning up. [...]

What is P.E.C.S.?

P.E.C.S. is a technique that I learned about while planning my lesson for the final part of my interview for a Special Education teaching position.

*Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is a form of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) that is typically used as an aid for children with autism.
PECS is a great tool for helping [...]

Engaged and not distracted!

For the lesson that I taught yesterday to my potential class, I scaffolded the lesson to include the two children who didn’t talk. This is where the scaffolding part comes in. I made a P.E.C.S. (more later) board for the two who can’t talk. After writing the words on the board, I had everyone make [...]

Upcoming Special Education informational meeting

Special Education Initiative: An informational meeting will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 23rd for those considering a career in the field of Special Education. Topics will include the employment [...]

The I.E.P. deconstructed – The Special Education process (2 of 6)

This is a continuation of my weekly series, I.E.P. deconstructed. In my boot camp at B.N.U., we were introduced to the stages necessary to qualify a child for Special Education services. Although I knew what they were, I just didn’t have the time to write it out. Thank goodness I found this page on the [...]

Sleepy & tired me!

I just woke up from a great nap. My couch is so comfortable. Anyway, I digress. I was tired because I was up until 4 a.m. planning this scaffolded lesson (more later). This is the final stage of the interview process.
I am so proud of myself because I had another lesson planned but scratched it [...]

I Still Hate to Read! by Rita Marshall

I Still Hate to Read (2007) was written and illustrated by husband and wife team Rita Marshall and Etienne Delessert. It was a nice read. After Rita Marshall left a comment for me telling me that she had written a follow-up to her 1993’s I Hate to Read, I contacted the publisher and asked for [...]

Questions To Ask Yourself When Addressing Behavior Problems, Part 3 of 4

This is part 3 in a weekly series, #’s numbers 43-48

Tasks Demands
43. Has the individual stayed with the same type of activities and reinforcers for too long? Are the “reinforcers” no long reinforcing? Is he/she bored?
44.Have I included only mastered [...]

The difference between a Caldecott Award and a Newbery Award

Basically the difference in the two awards is that one is for illustrations (Caldecott), while the other is for literature (Newbery). That’s pretty much all you need to know, but here’s a little history and background on the two awards.
These awards, given annually, are much sought after. They are the most prestigious children’s book award; [...]

What Your Kindergartner-7th Grader Needs to Know by E.D. Hirsch, jr. (1 of 8)

Next week will begin the first in a series of eight weekly installments. I will be reviewing and commenting on E.D. Hirsch’s core knowledge series “What Your ____ Needs to Know.” You can fill in the blank. In the books, Hirsch explains the core of a good education from Kindergarten to 7th grade. Be on [...]

The wheel! Oh, the wheel!

The basics are the basics. You have to have them. You need to understand them before you go off trying to tweak them. My husband and I were just talking about that oh so crazy wheel. Sometimes you just have to accept that a wheel is a wheel. Other times you have to reinvent it. [...]

What would Peter Parker do?

I am big fan of Stan Lee’s Spider Man. It’s full of tragic parts. The part that breaks my heart about Spiderman is when Peter’s Uncle Ben gets killed. Just in case you’ve been in a coma for like, forever, I am talking about Peter Parker, Spiderman’s real life self.
After getting bitten by a spider, [...]

Mission Impossible #3: Open Court Unit opener

I’ve been tagged by Mathew from Open Court Resources to post my unit opener. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. As we speak/talk/read, I am working on the Unit Opener for Monday.

For those of you who don’t know, I am in the final stages of interviewing for a special ed teaching job. I have been [...]

I can totally afford all this cheese!

Does anyone remember that line from the California lottery commercials when the lottery first came here? The commercial was shot from the vantage point of someone shopping in a grocery store looking at all the salami and cheese and thinking that it wasn’t out of their reach anymore.
He is so happy that he has [...]

The I.E.P. deconstructed (1 of 6)

(This is 1 of 6 in a weekly series deconstructing and demystifying the I.E.P.)

Your head is probably swirling from all the terms that you’re hearing. Hopefully you have a compassionate person at your child’s school who is helping to guide you through this. If you don’t, I’m here to help explain some of the terms [...]

I just sold myself!

“Call me a prostitute because I just sold myself,” I told my husband when I came home from my job interview yesterday.
“Okay, that didn’t come out right,” I said.
What I meant to say is that I potentially talked myself into a job. I sold my skills and qualifications to the Assistant Principals like a pro. [...]

Questions To Ask Yourself When Addressing Behavior Problems, Part 2 of 4

Here is the second part in a weekly series of 57 Questions To Ask Yourself When Addressing Behavior Problems, #’s 22-42. (I’m going to try to shorten it as much as I can by writing as little as I can, but, look, it’s just long okay ; but it’s good information if you [...]

I’m not signing that!

“Nice try, but no dice,” I said to my 16 year old son Dakota as he tried to shove a paper in my face to sign as I was walking out the door.
My children know the rules. I don’t sign anything in the morning.Why?
Because I was a teen-ager before and I tried the same thing: [...]

Handwriting worksheet generator

When I was subbing a couple of weeks ago, one of the teachers that I was working with had these handwriting worksheets that I thought were so cute. She bought the program at Lakeshore. This, however, is better. It’s free! That’s right up my alley. If you would like to create your own custom [...]

Homework help!

I found this great website to help those struggling with school work.
First choose your state and submit. Next, pick your subject. You have the choice of:

Reading/Language Arts
Mathematics
Scienc
History/Social Science
Spelling
Pre-K

Next, choose the grade level that you want. From there, it is a veritable smorgasbord of resources available to you. There are tutorials on the site. There are [...]

Teachable moments!

Hmm… what are teachable moments? These are the times when, unannounced, a moment presents itself to you to teach your child something. It just makes it that much easier to talk to them about something  that you have probably been wanting to talk about, but didn’t know how to do it. It’s up to you [...]

The Library by Sarah Stewart

The Library (1995), written by Sarah Stewart and illustrated by David Small, a husband and wife team, is an adorable little book. It was a fun read with nice illustrations.
Initially I was attracted to this book because of the front cover. The woman on the front cover, the title character, Elizabeth Brown, loves reading so [...]

Why I’m Not Bussing Anymore of My Children!

Since I don’t have that oh so elusive teaching contract in hand yet, I have been doing one of my favorite things, walking my daughter to school. It is one of greatest pleasures. So, while I have the time, I’m going to take complete advantage of it. I get a chance to talk to her. [...]

R.T.I. (Response to Intervention)-BOOT CAMP RESOURCES, Part 4

**P.S.- I wanted to develop this post but just have not had the time to do so. I will do a longer post on this later because it is such good information. Be on the lookout for it next week.**
This is a great website that was among some of the resources that I received @ [...]

Secret (social) agent (of change) man!

***I couldn’t decide on the title to this post. I was torn between six possibilities: A pile of sh#* by any other name, Reverse racism- what is that?, Secret (social) agent (of change) man?, Call it what it is, Prejudice Hurts!, or finally Education- Is it the Great Equalizer? Of course, I finally decided on [...]

Questions To Ask Yourself When Addressing Behavior Problems, Part 1 of 4

**This is the first in a four part weekly series**
This is yet another one of the resources that I received from my boot camp a little while ago. Since I will be working with children with autism, this will definitely come in handy. This is a list of 57 questions that you should ask [...]

Reluctant readers! Part 3

Hello, fellow bloggers out there. I am starting on my service learning project for next year. I am looking for reluctant readers. I want to do this for two reasons:

I feel that it’s my calling to help reluctant readers.
I am doing it for my Service learning project for AmeriCorps.

Last year I phoned in my Service [...]

Attention: Upcoming informational meeting for Special education teacher

Special Education Initiative: An informational meeting will be held at 2:30 p.m. on October 8, 2007 for those considering a career in the field of Special Education @ 333 S. Beaudry Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90017. Topics will include the employment process, special education credentialing [...]