Journal 1

February 1, 2010

This will be my second year working as a special education teacher with the Kansas City Kansas Public School District.  This year I am working with Kindergarten, First Grade and Second Grade students with ranges of disabilities from learning disabilities, developmentally delayed and autism spectrum disorders.  Although this is not a complete list of the ranges in disabilities I serve, it gives a broad idea.  I came into this field through the long scenic journey.  By this I mean I began as a parent,  I then became a para professional, from there I worked to become a teacher.  I taught in the same school my children went to school for 5 years before taking the plunge into special education.  That gives you an idea of where I have come from and where I will be going with special education.  I believe I am more in tune with the parents needs and making them comfortable when trying to make them understand their power in the process of supporting their children. 
The classroom I am currently residing in is used in a variety of ways.  Currently all the special education teachers and para educators have desk and work areas and storage in this room.  The bridge teachers use the room for reading instruction.  The special education team works in general education classrooms at all times - we are totally collaboration with no pull out services this year.  It was a hard journey but it is beginning to work.  In the morning before school you will find the teachers here discussing students and building relationships.  During the school day you will be lucky to find us in the same area of the building together for more than 15 minutes.  We are a large school with 600 students. Of the 600 students we service 50 students with IEP's and other students in the classrooms who show the same needs and weaknesses as our identified students.  
Now my caseload - I have 9 kindergarten students who are in the same classroom from mild disabilities to autism spectrum disorders.  I have 6 first grade students who are primarily learning disabled students and I have 6 second grade students who range from learning disabilities to ODD behaviors. I have one student who has a shunt in his head and has been over protected his career in school.  I am fighting his learned helplessness, as we are finding he is able to do a lot of the work but tends to wait or ask for help instead of trying for himself!  I have another second grade student who exhibits the characteristics of an ODD child and he does not follow rules or behavior plans that have been developed.  Another second grade student refuses to believe he can do his work but when he has a good few moments, he is able to surpass the amount of work other students do - with accuracy!  The other 3 students have ESL concerns that work against them as does their disability.  The first grade students are wonderful!  They want to learn, they try and they just dont get it!  I do have one student who speaks spanish and tends to use the, "I dont understand what you are saying" card with me but she generally does her work and shows progress.  The kindergarten classroom has nine students with disabilities.  This classroom has had more than its share of disruptions for the year.  The teacher had maternity leave from Halloween to just before Christmas break.  In this classroom the students are ready to learn they want to do a good job and they put forth their best effort, usually.  I have noticed that a few of the students have ESL issues and wonder about the accuracy of testing as some of the disabilities (used loosely) are associated to their language and understanding.   In this kindergarten classroom is also one student who has autism and  needs structure.  Unfortunately his teacher is not that structured for him.  (That is a story in itself:)
The largest challenges I am facing this year are the challenges of servicing the variety of students within the time allotted and within the general education curriculum while still attending to the individual goals of each of the 21 students on my case load.  I am challenged also in that the powers that be believe that the 2nd grade group needs continuity of education, therefore I am required to teach the primary group of special education students without being the actual second dip which is commonly associated with the special education services from the past experience.  This does not allow me to see the first grade or kindergarten students during their reading times as all the reading times are the same and I am responsible for two reading groups with in the second grade classroom and then I also am required to lead two intervention groups within the second grade classroom.  I dont want to complain, I do like to structure of my schedule (its the same every morning!).  Yet, I have a hard time completing IEP goals for students who are not receiving services from me but from my paraprofessional.  Which, my paraprofessional is AWESOME, even though we dont get any time to actually talk with each other about expectations or how things are going, she is always putting forth her best foot!