Posts Tagged ‘special education’
The Problem with Favoritism
“I mean, honestly, the number of times she’s disrupted my class, she should have been suspended by now…” When one of my fellow teachers was talking about a student in her class who is a constant disruption and struggles to regulate her behavior, I cringed (on the inside) at how quickly she was judging this…
Read MoreWhen Students Admit They Need Help
We’ve all had that student. The one who pushes our extra help away because he doesn’t want his friends to know he struggles. The one who puts down teachers in front of peers to gain a few laughs. The one who acts like (and sometimes says outright) he doesn’t want to be in your class.…
Read MoreA Time When High Expectations and Inclusion Weren’t Enough
Friends, This week, I’d like to share with you a story about a young man with whom I have worked this year. This year, I had my hands full with Mark. Mark transferred to our school for 8th grade, and we did not know he had an IEP until 2 weeks into the school year.…
Read MoreSpotlight on Samuel
“Ms. Hopkins, you know Doctor Who?” Samuel asks me at the end of class about once per week. He always follows this question up with a conversation about a highly specific topic of the BBC show, which I admit I have not yet watched (despite much encouragement from lowed ones). Samuel is one of the most endearing…
Read MoreWhen All Kids Get What They Need
I’m going to be really honest about my feelings about inclusion in reading class this school year… I was really nervous. I wasn’t really sure how to give kids the supports they needed to be able to actually read (as in, decode) texts in front of them, while their classmates were moving on to deeper levels…
Read MoreThe Day When Even the Advocate Was Quick to Judge
Last weekend, I celebrated date night in a quaint, very romantic Italian restaurant. When we walked in, I immediately noticed the single red rose at every table and the flickering, slowly burning votive candles that set an inviting yet luxurious tone. The dining room had a fire crackling behind the stately stone hearth. I knew…
Read MoreAnd Another School Year Begins…
Tomorrow marks the start of the next school year– my second year of teaching. Though I would not want to repeat my first year, I am a bit envious of my one-year-ago self. She was about to embark on the most inspiring an powerful journey, during which she would meet students and families who would…
Read MoreEmpowering Through the Growth Mindset
Standardized tests can be really hard on kids’ self esteem. They send the message that a child’s worth is defined by a number. A few months ago, my school administered middle-of-year testing. Once the results came in, I had a conversation with one student about her performance so far during the year. She identified that her…
Read MoreIt’s Testing Season…
… And there’s a lot of tension in the air. At least at my school, teachers are constantly talking about standards and data and rigor. Everyone is stressed out! I needed to take a break from the testing madness and get some thoughts out about why I do what I do and who exactly I…
Read MoreA Day to Remember
Some of you may remember my post a few weeks ago about hearing the r-word in school. I teach middle school special education, and it’s such a challenge to think about how little 12-year-olds know about what might offend people who are different from them. We can’t get mad because they honestly don’t know what…
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