@smorzandoj Could you let the kids come up with an approved theme and decorate the bulletin board? I know my favorite boards when I visit my girls' school are the one displaying artwork or their writings. I'm always impressed and/or amused.
@smorzandoj Could you let the kids come up with an approved theme and decorate the bulletin board? I know my favorite boards when I visit my girls' school are the one displaying artwork or their writings. I'm always impressed and/or amused.
I have five - 60 minute classes for 7/8 math. I have no time to take from instruction because I have next to no kids at or above grade level otherwise I would do this. Sucks.
These are wanna be bulletin boards. And they line every single freaking hallway in our building. I hated bulletin boards before I came to this horror show and I hate them even more now.
That is horrific. I remember when I was in college thinking, "bulletin boards are my favorite. I will always have cute ones". Now, I dread them and always try to leave them up for as long as possible. Also, are those hallways concrete?
@magnolia305 , I can SO relate to this. I was and am the same way! I love that stuff, but school just gets so busy and there are so many other things on the top of my priorities list.
Hey, Ladies! I hope your school year is going well! I have a pretty tough group this year: at least 1/3 of my students are identified as needing learning support or emotional support. There are many, MANY behavior issues that have me thinking, "What if this is my kid?" As a FTM, I'm trying not to focus on the "What Ifs" and stay positive. Anyone else have similar anxieties and/or suggestions on how to calm those anxieties?
ETA: today was an especially rough day, so it’s weighing heavy on my mind.
@babybro218 , I hear you. My husband and I are both special education teachers, with some pretty high-needs students. To be totally honest, it scares the daylights out of me. I know that can be a controversial stance, given our jobs, but it's the truth. I don't know that I have any suggestions other than that we're trying to calm our nerves a little by assuring each other than *some* of our students have emotional/behavioral needs related to their unstable home lives, which is hopefully not something our daughter will have to experience. I don't know that this is helpful, but I wanted to say at least, you're not alone.
@babybro218 I was kind of thinking along the same lines as @lucylou214 too, in my (admittedly short two years) as a high school special ed teacher a vast majority of the kids on my caseload with the most difficult behavioral or learning issues had some pretty tragic backstories or currently unstable home lives. Of course that’s not the only thing that contributes to those issues and we had kids with wonderfully supportive families that still had pretty major issues, but even those kids had a pretty clear underlying trigger or diagnosis so it wasn’t just some random inexplicable behavior or learning disability. My BIL has autism and has pretty severe behavioral issues that are only now settling as an almost 30 year old adult, but my MIL has parented him with such grace and support that even though I know it was extremely difficult for her, he is only getting better and he has still been able to accomplish a lot and enjoy his life with her support. Plus his brothers (my DH and other BIL) certainly grew up with a much higher level of patience and understanding than a lot of people ever get to. So while I of course get anxious about having a child who might have some of those difficulties just because I know it can be so hard for both parent and child, I know a lot of the problems I witnessed as a teacher were directly related to bad home life which I doubt any of us plan to create, and the ones that aren’t can absolutely thrive and so can their families.
Married 6/1/13
BFP #1 7/2013 MMC 9/17/13
BFP #2 5/2014 MC 6/15/14
BFP #3 11/13/14 (Found in ER with ruptured cyst) Diagnosed MC 11/15/14
BFP #4 4/2015 MC 7/1/15
BFP #5 10/21/15 EDD 7/3/16 Praying for our rainbow!
Thank you @lucylou214 and @winnie1122 What you said does help. I know there is so much I don't see at home and I know I only see these children 45 minutes each day, and it might be the worst 45 minutes of their day (like today). When I get cursed at by a student for those 45 minutes I can only not let it get to me for so long...
Thank you @lucylou214 and @winnie1122 What you said does help. I know there is so much I don't see at home and I know I only see these children 45 minutes each day, and it might be the worst 45 minutes of their day (like today). When I get cursed at by a student for those 45 minutes I can only not let it get to me for so long...
Right now, those moments are likely harder because if you're like me, you're a little more emotional than usual! Be sure to get back up at school if needed, and use your resources there! It takes a village.
In terms of your own baby, that fear might not go away. It hasn't really, for me. It was one of the things that made me most scared to try to get pregnant, and it's just a reality we are facing. It's hard, and like I said, you're not alone if that helps.
One of my autistic boys had a really rough day today. As I listened to myself talk him down and remind him how to calm himself when he starts to feel his body get out of control, I thought how much being a mom has increased my patience with kids because all I can think in the moment is “how would I want someone to treat my DD in this situation?”. It really has changed how I work with kids.
Thank you, @mrsgunsta. I do try and treat every interaction with students thinking how I would want a teacher to treat my own children. And @lucylou214 is totally right. I'm definitely more emotional than usual thanks to all of the hormones. There is a lot of defiance in one of my classes and, thanks to budget restrictions, I have inconsistent support, if any at all, in my room. I truly appreciate the perspective you've given me! Today is a new day
ETA: It doesn't help when I call the head of this student's support team and ask what I can do to help him and the answer they give me is, "Just leave him alone."
Re: Teachers!!
ETA: today was an especially rough day, so it’s weighing heavy on my mind.
In terms of your own baby, that fear might not go away. It hasn't really, for me. It was one of the things that made me most scared to try to get pregnant, and it's just a reality we are facing. It's hard, and like I said, you're not alone if that helps.
Baby #1: BFP 1/30/14, EDD 9/28/14, natural MC @ 6 weeks
Baby #2: BFP 8/1/2014, EDD 4/9/2015, It's a GIRL: Addison Elizabeth!
ETA: It doesn't help when I call the head of this student's support team and ask what I can do to help him and the answer they give me is, "Just leave him alone."