More than usual, work has taken over this year. The school district has moved to a fully inclusive special education model this year. As usual, this decision happened overnight. Last year's special ed students were part of a pull out program where they were removed from the regular ed classroom for part of the day and given the necessary extra instruction and support. This year, special education students remain in the classroom all day, and a special ed teacher is added so that there are now two teachers in the regular ed classroom.
And nobody thought to offer any training to the regular ed teachers.
I have six students with IEPs (Individualized Education Program), meaning that they have formally been identified with a learning disability.
I have fourth grade students not yet able to read on a second grade level.
I have a bipolar student who, while medicated, still has almost daily outbursts.
I have a child with possible Asberger's Syndrome (high-functioning autism)
I have several students with ADD/ADHD
I have a child with a possible emotional disability, and it's not uncommon for him to have violent tantrums involving yelling, hitting furniture, hitting himself, slamming books, or slamming furniture.
I have 13 boys and 5 girls.
Several of these students are in a homeless situation at the moment.
To add on this, there is a special ed teacher sharing my room for the entire 2 hours in the afternoon that I have this group. She herself has also been a challenge. She doesn't want me to discipline the special ed students, she doesn't like the way my room is decorated, she doesn't see the need for doing guided reading on a daily basis, she has difficulty with time management, and she's extremely high-strung, adding to the already crazy mix in that room.
Having Kevin away means that there's nothing to come home to, so I tend to spend 11 hour days at work.
I'm taking a graduate class.
Something has to change. I'm burning out way too quickly. Weekends are not enough time to recharge. My first day off isn't until Thanksgiving break, another month and a half away.
I have to get better at balancing work and personal.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
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1 comment:
As I've been reminded by my husband when I have a lot of job issues: Everybody has a boss. Have you considered having a sit-down conference with that other teacher and her boss to iron out the discipline issues in your classroom? I suspect that will eat away at anything getting accomplished in your class. Afternoons, when she's there, could become organized graba$$. Perhaps you could have a home rule situation--like the American League and the National League when they play the All-Star game. If you're on Maria's turf, it's Maria's rules; and vice versa.
Finally, I have a friend whose 2nd grade daughter has Down Syndrome. In her school district [Minnesota], they had an IEP which the school repeatedly ignored. The daughter was left in the Special Ed room all day and her functioning went down. Now the mom and dad have to go to battle all the time to get the school to honor its contract [IEP]. I know you're burdened, but you are the front line in the war against ignorance. Keep the faith. You're doing the right thing.
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