Adventures in Special Education

Day one: we started at lunchtime and went to the end of the day. There was an extended homeroom to set the students up, there were welcome speeches from the admin, and there were a flurry of 15-minute classes to introduce the students to their core-subject teachers. I wanted to follow my 1:1 through this day so that I knew the teachers he'd be seeing, that I knew the teachers' expectations, etc. All of his teachers are the teachers that I will be dealing with all year for the students I work with. We part ways and I remark to a member of my team that things went well and that he was warming up to me by the end of the day.

Day two: upon entering the classroom, I am shown an email from 1:1's mom. I am babying him. Too much attention. It's a full page. I may have said three sentences to him in a classroom and three more in the halls. He has anxiety about me and what the other kids will think of him having an aid (I think we are legally responsible for having him have an aid).

I back off knowing I will not be able to speak with him until the end of the day when he comes to learning center. There are 5 other students in LC. I set them up with work and have a 10 minute tete-a-tete in the hall with 1:1. I think we have cleared the air. I think we have had our say, each of us. We'll see what email tomorrow brings.

Hey LilK... so wish we had PMs!

Errrrrrrrrm..... mmmmmm.......

1:1 is very difficult for sped kids who do not wish to be recognised as special needs. Which makes your job doubly tough... firstly, assisting the needs with a reluctant child, and secondly, making yourself invisible to the rest of the children in what you are doing.

Oh.... for PMs. I could send you info. to see thru the child's eyes.... and a Mom's.

well, when they have PM's... will do.

Hope all goes well tomorrow... and LilK - keep believing in you, right!!!!!

Izzie, I totally GET the being invisible thing. I thought I was being subtle. A little tap on the paper as I passed by, catching a little eye contact from across the room when he's not focused. God knows I have been spending plenty of time helping other kids in the classroom.

His issues with me are not so much with me as with what he thinks I am doing. Er. Let me explain. He doesn't see that I help other people. He doesn't see that when other adults help him, he doesn't cringe. I tried to point that out today after just watching for the day. Another thing I pointed out was that he wasn't getting things done the way they had to be done because I wasn't helping him today. He spent a lot of time scrambling to catch up.

I asked him how I was supposed to know when he needed help. Cutely, he told me that I'd start to recognize when he really needed help by the end of the first quarter. I said, what do we do until then?

So So difficult... he would probably rather scramble to catch up than let anyone see an "special persons person" within 5 miles of him... leave alone 5 feet.

mmmmmmmm..... what to do until the end of the first quarter..... you're gonna think my answer is mad.......... "gain his trust". That's all you can do.

(I have a blind email address.... I can send you an explanation.... entirely up to you hun [email protected])

No worries if not... you have your head screwed on tight girl and you also think with your heart, not just your head - you're gonna do good, trust in you too.

Trust gaining I know. But, I don't know how to read the kid yet.

A life in the LC room moment: Last period I have three of my team in the LC. Today they filled out sheets about themselves. One boy wrote that he'd spent some time this summer shooting animals with a BB gun! I am an animal lover extraordinaire. I said, oh, that's interesting? But, did you kill them? He sad sadly that he only injured them. I said, oh, that's terribly sad. After about 2 minutes of process time he interjected into a new conversation, "I have a bunny!" One of the other kids (I have to work on this!), sort of chuckled and said, "What are you talking about!?!" I tsk-tsked the second boy, pointing to the golden rule of respect and the first boy and I had a nice conversation about our pets.

He'd wanted to show me he was an animal lover too. His bunny is 7 years old. How dang cute is that?

Wow, littlek. It sounds like an interesting couple of days.

The mom's reaction seems a bit extreme after only one day of school. What grade are you working in?

One kid in Mo's class, who was in his class last year, has the same aid again this year. I thought that was pretty cool since they already know each other really well.

7th grade. If not a bit much, it did seem a bit too soon.

Looping with kids through the gardes is preferable sometimes, especially if the student has to acclimate to an adult over a long period (or vice versa, I suppose). But, going back to resiliency, it is good for students to have to work it out with a new aid when one can.

Sometimes aid loops just because it's easier that way for the school......

Listening -
I'm a little unclear. Are you still a 1:1 aid to him (I don't think so, just verifying). You are teaching a team group instead, right? This is just acknowledgement and intended to be similar help, in concept, to the others in the team grouping? You are backing off because of his reaction, right? And, guessing, with seventh graders, there must be a fine line to walk re "quit helping me" and their floundering, special needs or otherwise.

I guess I should say 'listening and learning along with you'. This kind of help didn't happen in 1954 for any in my class in seventh grade.. and people just floundered. Will mostly not add much to the thread, but will be here.

Hey hey

In the UK our LSA (learning support assistants) are child-named when a child is statemented. LSA's are in the classrooms to help those who need a little extra help.... but all those who require more than a little help, and may have specific or non-specific learning disabilities, then they are "statemented" - Individual /Personal Education Plans.

Depending on the need - it is determined whether 1:1 support or statementing is required through a long, horrendous 26 week consultation period. Any child with 1:1 support will have an LSA employed FOR the child. Their contract will state the child's name and the funding provided. This funding is renewed annually by the government / council (HA) - and will usually, if the needs remain the same (annual SEN review), continue throughout the child's education. This Statemented funding for Statemented children is in addition to the school budget and has to be justified and proven expenditure within the school - in other words - the funding belongs to the child - and cannot be used for any other school purposes. All school budgets have a percentage of their fiscal budget that is specifically ring-fenced for Special Educational Needs (normally around 5% of the total budget I think! - can't remember )

Contracts will state that an LSA has fixed term contract for the school life of the child - thus ensuring the child, with specific needs, will be able to go thru the school with their aid, and should the child leave the school, the contract is immediately terminated - as statemented funding is then pulled.

It's a reasonable system (if you can get the Statementing authority to agree the statement in the first place, which they try their damndest not to do- ppppfpfpppfppfstststs - nightmare!!!).......and all is well between the child and aid. However, if the child doesn't get on with the attached LSA, then.... it's not so good because the LSA's contract is in force.

Hey, littlek. Just here listening & learning. My son is ADHD, but this new year with a new teacher seems to (so far) be much better at least as far as teacher relationship goes. We're still in the honeymoon period though. Will be watching, listening, learning & encouraging! Congrats on the job. I know you'll do great. So far, so good, eh?

It's a fine line folks. Still haven't read all of te mterial Izzie sent me......

There have been 6-8 emails with the parents of one child already, by the 5th day of school. It's a sticky situation in which we are all clear as to what should be happening and the parents are also clear, but want different things.

The English teacher is disorganized and confusing (second year) and in one class she has 8-9 kids on education plans - most of them with issues in language output and disorganization. I am trying to put in my two cents with her and not offend her (mentioned a few ideas). I also took her guidelines and rewrote them from paragraph form to bulleted list for my kids. But, it's more than just my kids who need help.

The Science teacher had a lecture (and he does lecture) on goal-setting and steps for success. He sounds like an inspirational speaker. But it was weird. He has had side careers in modeling, tv ads, body building, and something else that put him on the cover of a local magazine. He showed pictures to the kids (including the body building ones).

Had the conversation about my schedule with an admin. I have two prep periods per eight days. I am supposed to have at least one per day. Working on that.....

Will be going on a whale watch with all (well, most) of the 7th grade (there are somewhere around 300 kids in that grade), I don't know how that kind of thing can work. But, they're trapped on a boat, so as long as no one falls over board, we're good.

And, there is construction going on to build a new wing. They are pounding metal pilons into the earth as re-enforcements. Also, they are doing something that vibrates the building. It's worse in the middle of the floor and better at the edges near the framework.

Enjoy the "Whale Watch" girlie ....




you are doing great.... big learning curves for all concerned.


You'll shine - no problem. x

How is it going, little k?

Your post to my fundraiser thread made me think of this one. Teachers probably do hate those fundraisers because of all the idiotic paperwork they face on a regular basis anyway.

Mo brought home a paper for a "request for IEP meeting" the other day. Huh? They already set up the meeting -- what do they need me to request it for? I filled it out anyway and turned it in to the teacher, expalining that I wasn't sure I was supposed to. She laughed and said "typical, totally typical of them.... I don't know if you really need it either....."

And so it goes! So bureaucratic! What's the date?

Next Wednesday - the 8th.

do you have any data from the school? Have you shared your data with the school? Were you given an agenda?

My mantra has become: "I work for the town, not for the parents." And alternately, "Discover what is best for the student." Boy oh boy! One set of parents is wasting a whole lot of man hours. If I paid taxes in that town, I'd be pissed.

In other news, after a few stressful weeks of out of control moms, I had some silver linings. One mom told me how her son finally appreciates the extra help he gets this year - he trusts me (swoon!). I actually teared up. And someone doodled a smiley face in the snow on my car hood for me to find as I left work. I like to think it wasn't a random doodle - that it was actually meant for me in particular. I have some fine 13-year-old support!

Your stock is rising in the tween set. It's already high with us.

Thanks Jes!