New Normal

The last time I taught/ saw students in person March 13, 2020..

Let that sink in for a moment... 

One would think that with that having been a Friday the 13 that it was some crazy prank, silly joke, start of spring break.. 

Nope- that was the day we walked out the building not knowing when we would return. We had hoped, planned for it being just a two week break and then Spring Break. Our plan.. return after Spring Break.. 

Here we are... May 1 2020  E-learning has become the new normal. To walk into school you are walking into a frozen moment in time. If you didn't know better, you would think we were on an all school field trip, or just out of the building and we would be back soon.. An eerie feeling none the less.. 

While the classroom may now be our kitchen table, home office, cleaned out closet.. the teaching and learning continue- it has too..

We are in a new normal.. we shall figure this out..we always do... we are teachers. 

What they don't prepare you for

Colleges and universities do a great job in preparing undergrads for the teaching profession, but they don't prepare you for everything.... 

May I offer the following... 

• student pregnancy
• student witnessing a murder aftermath
• student being murderded
• student being accused of muder
• allegidly of another students father
•  raids by the FBI
• talking to US Federal Marshall's and US Department of Education  
• watching a mayor shut down schools in a major metropolitan city for two weeks due to pandemic
• your own school being shut down for at least two weeks for pandemic
• don't worry though the state still expects you to complete state wide testing 
• state DOE promising 20 waiver days due to pandemic 

Erasers as emotional support

In my classroom I have giant size erasers that I bought at the Dollar Tree. My students love to use them. So much so that sometimes I have to hide them so they don't fight over them. 

This morning.. I learned that apparently these erasers are also emotional support items.. who knew.. 

One of my first graders was using an eraser and go to the essay portion of his reading test... all he had to do was copy the answer from his reading book.. 

Me. okay M all you need to do is copy your answer from your book and you are done. And no you don't need the eraser on your head. 

M: But it's so long..

Me: I know but you got this.. 

I look away and then look back.. 

Me: M why is the eraser on your shoulder? 

M: Smiles

Me: Is it helping you get the essay copied down? 

M: Yep I need it.. 

Well okay then.. I might add he had the essay copied in record time. 

Hmmm

So we are at almost the end of January... We have been in school since the middle of August..

My fifth grade teachers just realized TODAY that it takes me two class periods to assess the 5th graders because they are split  between both classes. Hmmm yeah, ya think?!?

They tell me that they will do better to send them all down at the same time. (There are 4 of them).. Okay...

What they really want - is for me to be in class with them for the other afternoon class... yep...

Carpool

Tales

Oh so many tales to tell.... 

I was told I was a buzz kill today because I told a student to rethink her math answer. So sorry..

I was told I have way too many minions and Mr. Potato head items in my room.. Too bad

 
Teacher: Can B no longer have a pack up buddy at the end of the day. She is doing so much better now that she is on medication. 
Me: I don't care, you're the classroom teacher, she's not on my caseload, not one that I keep track of  I don't care what you do. 
Teacher: Okay, I wanted to check with you before I did anything

Spoke with school psych, about when she was going to test a student she says she will let the teacher know. I let admin know, because heaven help me if I don't. 
Teacher at cluster meeting: Oh just so you know G is getting observed and tested on such day. 
Admin looks at me clueless.. Dude.. its part of the testing process... Oh okay
Day of testing: 
Office emails me - mom dropped papers off for you, G is getting tested today. 
Scanning in papers at copy machine to send to school psych - classroom aide oh you know G is getting observed today right. 
Lunch - my para - Oh P told me that G was observed and tested today (5 inches from my face) Me: yes I know she's in the testing process


Teacher emails parent to let parent know that student is missing 5 assignments and she is very concerned (this is week 1 of quarter 2. Also not a new problem)
Parent replies thinking organization and needs to be looked at. Parent then realizes I'm not included in on the email and responds again to include me
Me: How about we do an expandable folder, do away with all the folders. I can help with organization
Parent That sounds like a great idea
Teacher: we need to come up with a plan
 Ummm.. Okay

Later that day.. 
I'm writing down homework assignments, 
Teacher walking by -We need to come up with a plan, He's missing 5 assignments I'm concerned

Oh an I have confirmed that I will be at this child's parent teacher conference 


Student tells me that she was waiting for me outside my office working on her science test and someone called her fat and stupid for asking how to spell a word. 
After much research - and pulling video camera footage the situation didn't happen. 
Student was shocked that we have video cameras and that I thought to pull them and watch them. Amazing how quickly I got an appology. 


Parent email's staff giving some background information on student and update on doctor's appointment. Also gave perspective on how they think it is going. Parent is fairly accurate on some accounts. Not so much on others but that is typical. 

In the email parent ask for a meeting with the staff and gave several times they were available.  No response was made. So I took it upon myself to try and get it set up. Classroom teacher comes out and says that she has emailed parent to say the 5th grade can meet with parents is at 9:30 because the time offered by parent they were teaching. Keep in mind I offered to cover classrooms to get the meeting scheduled. Teacher failed to tell me she talked to mom and demanded to know what I had told mom. My reponse - no one said anything about meeting with mom so I took it upon myself to set it up.  Shocking how I got her email communication with mom when I included admin in on the conversation

The same teacher expects me to send her all communication that I have with parents in her room. Why? She sends me her weekly email to parents.  

We meet tomorrow with said parent. Will be so much fun!


Have a teacher insist that a child is dyslexic because he can't pass a reading test. Nope.. maybe it's a bad reading test. She is worried that he won't pass standardized testing this year. Well he did last year and I'm really not worried about what he gets on it If he were 100 points off I would worry 

Same teacher wants to send same student down to have tests in my room for two different reasons two different week
Teacher - I want to send him down because he can't pass his reading test
Me  great go for it. 

Teacher- I feel comfortable sending C down more than M. 
Me - Why?
Teacher - C has a diagnosis, M doesn't
Me- What diagnosis does C have?  
Teacher - He has dyslexia
Me umm no
Teacher - yes we have the documentation 
Me- nope- I don't have it not in his perm file I don't have any idea what you are talking about
Teacher - you mean mom just gave me the report 
Me - yep
Teacher - besides M doesn't have any diagnosis - I can't justify sending her down.  
Me - she can't focus to save her life. I don't need a piece of paper to have her come down. If she needs to come down send her down. It doesn't matter. 

Conversation turns into demanding to know why we don't have a building wide policy as to which kids come down and who don't and that it shouldn't he a teacher by teacher decision

Policy - if they need it come down.  

45 min later at cluster meeting teacher brings up that we need to have a building wide policy for who comes down to resource for tests. Which the leads to some teachers feeling bad for not documenting things. (Don't be) Which then leads to a whole argument on who decides and how it is decided who gets a 504 plan and arguing about why certain students have not gotten one. At one point I just stopped talking.  

I may have sent this after the meeting:

I got to thinking more after our meeting today. 

For students that you are concerned about, a great way to document your concerns for a student is through the TAT process. You can document your concerns and get some fantastic interventions for the classroom. As always make sure the parents are aware of this. 

Then at the end of the year we can sit down and determine if what was done is working and if it needs to continue or not. My wish is always that accommodations and supports are temporary and that one day won't be needed. There are times when students need the support of coming down to my room and then the following year they are fine. This is a sign of growth in the student. 

When students come down to my room, not everyone gets the same supports. Why? Each student is different. What is truly unique about all of the students I work with, is that they get that when they come down. They know not everyone is going to get/have/ do the same thing and they are okay with that. Why? Because they know that they are getting what they need for them. Students have always seen the area as a safe place, and have always established what happens in the room stays in the room mentality. 

We are very blessed here in terms of what support I can offer to students. A lot of the support I offer here in public schools would not be allowed. Partly because my caseload would be through the roof, and partly because in public school students have to have a parent signature to see me outside of the classroom. (Darn Special Ed license) ;) 

When we write plans for students, or even consider writing plans for students (IEP ALP) no two discussions are going to be the same. No two plans are going to be the same. Nor should they be. All students are unique individuals. Not all students need a plan or supports. Sometimes, students just fall into the area of school is just going to be hard and they are going to have to work a little bit harder than others. That's okay too..

Considering a student that needs some additional help? Start here with the TAT forms

Please don't hesitate for a student who you are concerned about. Please don't let outside situations influence what we do in the best interest of kids. Fair isn't equal, equal isn't fair. 

Okay I'm stepping off my soap box... 

At another cluster meeting I was told that a parent took their child to get tested over the summer and wanted to discuss the report. Teacher wanted to know what to do with this information. 

Me; Get the report and I will be at his conference to discuss testing 

Few days later got the report. It is not that great of a report. All of the tests fell in the average range. Accommodation recommendation were pretty much that since he is dyslexic, then he shouldn't be held accountable for anything. Nope not going to happen . 

Teacher feels that he needs more than a 504 plan, but also admits that he can do the work when he wants to. She thought she could outsmart me and show me NWEA. Reading he was in the 70th percentile.. nope Math for fall was weak but looked to be a fluke. Sorry not going to recommend testing for him



Email from today: 

Me:

Just a reminder for tomorrow.. 

I will be unavailable from 9:30 until about 10:15. I have a parent meeting that I need to attend. 

Chris will be doing her normal thing..

Let me know if you have any questions. 

Teacher 

I will be out tomorrow I am sure Vicki will use all the help that you can give her.

 

Me:

With tomorrow being Friday mass and test day... I doubt that I will have any time to come up and help.. sorry  

 

Teacher

  NP She can get it done.

 

Yes yes she can... 

New School Year

Ahh... welcome to a new school year!!! 

Teacher workdays start in the morning... and the end of the summer has ended on such a fun note... 

• Principal includes me in a response to a parent about speech services and says that I will get in contact with her next week when we are back in the building. Not a problem. Let him and the Admin Assistant know that I am on top of it. Email parent, then remember that the child already has an IEP so I email parent back saying oh wait never mind..I forgot she had an IEP.. and let her know we had it under control.. Let principal and Admin Assistant know she already had an IEP and this changes things but I have it under control 
• Admin Assistant replies to my second email telling me that I need to take care of this situation because I am the only one that knows how this process works.. Um mm... did you miss the message of I have it under control and I am in communication with parent?  
• Parent emails principal that her child who is going into first grade was diagnosed with ADHD over the summer and that the doctor feels as though that the child needs a 504 plan so how does mom go about that? Principal - not a problem thank you for following up with your doctor I am including the person to follow up with. (Me) She will follow up with you when we are back in the building and she will be able to write up the plan... Ummm... just cause you have a diagnosis doesn't mean you need a 504 plan Not even a child on my radar last year... 
• Met with a parent and child was diagnosed with ASD in addition to DS. At this meeting I am trying not to let my jaw hit the floor. As mom is explaining that ABA therapy works wonders (duh it was developed for people with DS) and my principal sits and asks dumb question after dumb question and gives mom everything she wants. We meet a staff after the meeting..\
• Umm.. what is our staff supposed to do with this therapist in the room full time? 
• Principal: So this was decided at the conference why wasn't I informed.. Umm No it wasn't decided at the conference. This is the first I have heard of it. Mom never even mentioned looking into ASD. 
• So when is her next conference? May 
• Principal: You need to reach out to HSE to get her diagnosis changed because it means more money for us. not that easy but okay... otherwise.. wow just wow
• Attended summer conference - staff demanded that I be in their room next year and was upset when I really had no reason to be. Sorry that you assumed... One literally told me that she can't teach without a second person in her room . 
• Principal hired a second part time aid for the year.. Didn't ask for one can't justify one but he wanted to spend HSE money so he decided to do it...mark my words there will be drama

Why?

Why?

Why does this need to be said?

Why do people think this is okay to do?

Why do others think this is okay to do?

Kid you not.. got an email from my boss to the whole staff with a few things for the day since he will be out.. This was #3 on his list..

March Madness is here.  In case you are asked to put a basketball game on I am giving you your reply:  "Mr. S said March Madness games are not allowed to be shown in the school during the school day at any time for any reason."


WHY??? 

Say what you need too

There are some days that you need to speak your mind, regardless of what the consequences may be. Today was one of those days. 

I work with a few staff members that LOVE to throw me under the bus when ever they can. Why? Because I am the special education teacher. They love making themselves looking like all that and a bag of chips. 

Today during a cluster meeting colors were shown. One staff member demanded to know why we don't get subs for me and the other special education teacher when we are out. Why? We are a team of 3 and we cover each other. This wasn't good enough. Staff was upset because she didn't have support in math for 4 days so she couldn't teach her math lessons and continue her math lessons into the next week because she didn't have the critical help she needed. It wasn't communicated that she wouldn't have help. She knew that reading would be covered by me but that she was never told about math. 

Ummm no no and no. You were told that schedules would be altered. That we would be in classrooms as we could be. You as a staff member NEVER called down to see if it was possible for me to take a group.  If you would have check we could have worked something out.


Oh and apparently she's upset she had to stretch reading out for two weeks too because of how we handled reading groups.. Not our problem you didn't send kids down. Not our problem there was 2 2 hour delays in a week and one day of no school. Not our problem 

Oh and do they forget that they also forget that they asked to change their non-Spanish time because one of the 5th grade teacher had to go and pick up a rental car? Guess not.. 
 
Another staff member tried to tell me how to run non-Spanish time. Um no... How about you teach and let me do what else is needed in my room. 

The irony in all of this.. the teacher that brought this up.. has not a problem sending down students when it is convenient for her doesn't check with us.  Assumes that we have nothing else to do. Prime example last Friday. Sends students down for a test. No problem we were expecting that. Then 10 min after sending students upstairs, same students were sent down. Why? They were doing reading groups and we were expected to do our reading group. Ummm... no... you know that Friday's we are unavailable in the morning. Long story short this teacher DEMANDS a time on Fridays that she can send the students down. 

The really ironic part of this.. after chewing me out.. the partner teacher calls down after the meeting asking if I could change my schedule because they need to change their schedule so she can have 8th grade help with the low SS students.  

My bosses interpretation... just make sure you over communicate. Communication is not the problem. Somebody just wants to teach who teach and wants the ones she doesn't want to teach out of her room. 

Honesty

I try to be an honest person in what I do. I may not always be able to tell you what you want to hear, but I try to be honest.

Today I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, typical day. Dropped a student off at the conference room to finish up some testing. One of the 5th grade teachers come up the stairs as I was walking away from the conference room.and calls my name.

R- Hey J is over at confessions with her class and she left one of her students in the bathroom, so I took her downstairs to find someone who could walk her over to church.

Me- Okay

R- S asked me who was covering my class since I was downstairs trying to find a way to get this child over to church. I told him that you were. So if he asks, let him know that you were covering my class.

Me - well I am standing next to some of your students (they were working in the loft area, no where near her room,)

R- Okay great! Thanks for covering for me!! 

Why do people find it okay to take advantage of me??

Schedule

Phone rings this morning, one of the 5th grade teachers calling because they need to change what time each of the classes has to go to Spanish.. This affects my schedule because I have several students that don't take Spanish. 

Let teacher know, it doesn't matter who goes when I can make it work. 
Teacher - well we don't want to mess up your schedule and you not be able to see students
Me- I'm down a person this week... It's already messed up.  

So schedule gets changed... 

Go down to talk with the Spanish teacher.. 

Me- so I was only half paying attention to why 5th grade had to switch times... Why are they switching?
W: I'm not really sure.. something to do with one of them needing to pick up a rental car.. you know always drama. 

Yes yes I do 

Back Again

I am happy to say that I am back!

I needed to take a break and delete some things. I didn't want to do either but felt it was needed. I have found that I need to get back to writing whether people like it or not. It's not for them... it's for me.

A little of everything...

Since coming back from spring break it has been a journey.

Homicide, DOE, CPS investigation all in the course of a week.

Girl fight (bad one), middle school kid drama, and a staff member out for 10 days for back surgery - and it's only Wednesday. 

Today was the first day in a while I got to be in all of my classes without having to deal with a crisis. It was kind of nice to be able have a calm day.

Everyone asks if I have a bucket list. My answer is yes, I have one for teaching. When asked what's on it, my response is well, I don't really know until I get to put it on to knock it off...

So far I have -

being involved in an FBI raid
getting to talk with FBI / US Department of Ed Agents
student death as a result of a homicide

This week I have also come to the conclusion that teaching is bad for my health. I have one school to thank for my anti-depressant medication, all of my jobs for my weight gain, and my current job for putting me on blood pressure medication. Good thing I have insurance to pay for the drugs. If not my boss would be getting a nice bill.

Conversations I have had lately...

- staff member will be later than she thought because she has to take her dog to doggie daycare and her normal one is closed on Monday.
-so we are only going to have someone here 2 days a week to replace the therapist that is leaving? But that's not fair! We need someone here full time! (in a very whiney voice

• umm sorry - I didn't ask the therapist to quit, I'm not the one responsible for finding her replacement and I'm so sorry I don't have one to babysit your students that you don't like
• Same staff member sitting playing on her phone 5 minutes later- oh I'm sorry I forgot I was sitting here! I'll leave now. 

On a personal note -  I work with a fantastic English teacher that is undergoing cancer treatment. I would like to share her go fund me page.

https://www.gofundme.com/chasidistrong