Last year got so crazy that I was not able to keep up on this blog as often as I planned. I am hoping to do better this year. Here are a few things I learned last year:
1. Connections are key - without creating relationships with the students you will get no where.
2. It's not personal - students can hit you where it hurts, emotionally, but it's not personal.
3. Students with disabilities have amazing abilities.
4. Stand up for these students, you might be the only one that will.
As a new year approaches I am looking forward to a few things as well.
1. Our school is rolling out the Positive Behavior Intervention System (PBIS) - I am looking forward to seeing how this helps the students I work with.
2. I have three new teachers to work with. I am the only high school special education teacher returning from last year. This will bring challenges, but I am excited about the women I am going to be working with.
3. We have a new superintendent and curriculum and instruction director that I am excited to work with.
4. I know the students I am working with well. I co-taught English 11 last year and really got to know the students that are seniors, and on my case load this year.
5. New English texts - I am co-teaching English 11 and 12 this year and am excited about the new text and resources we have.
This year will bring many challenges. I have a caseload of twenty students, but most will not be in my classroom. I have two at alternate settings and nine at our Alternative Learning Center. My district is building a new high school that we will move into next year, which will include much discussion and planning this year. I am on the PBIS committee, the Professional Leadership Community (PLC) Leadership Team, it is our IEP audit year, and I will be mentoring two of our new teachers. It will be busy, but rewarding.
Bring on the new year!
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