Special Education Today

11 August 2010

Kathy: Mother/Daughter Job Hunting

Filed under: Blogger Kathy, Networking, Professional development — Anna @ 10:18 am

Kathy

I find myself in a new chapter of my special education career:  I’m an Unemployed Teacher. I was laid off and now am looking full time for a full-time teaching job.  What an eye-opening experience the application process has been! I got my previous job through connections I had with the school. It was painless and easy. 

   

The first thing I learned to do is use a job search site. I am getting most of my leads from www.indeed.com and www.K12jobspot.com. CEC’s job board, www.specialedcareers.org also is helpful because it is the only board dedicated to special education jobs. I also look up the employment opportunities on a specific school district Web site, for example Lakeshore Public Schools. Then I apply to anything that I am qualified to teach within a 50-mile radius of my house.

   

When I was applying for my first teaching job back in The Dark Ages, you sent a résumé and cover letter to the school you were interested in. Then, you followed up with a phone call or visit.



Now, most schools do not want a paper copy of anything and do not want you to call or visit. They want you to fill out your application online, attach your résumé, cover letter, letters of recommendation, transcripts, and teaching certificate. Some of the applications require taking a short multiple choice test about how you would handle certain situations in the classroom. 



I found this to be very frustrating using my six-year-old laptop that was on its last legs. It was very slow and wouldn’t do some of the attaching or the tests.  After trying the library and a friend’s computer, my dear parents suggested that I take a loan out from the “First National Bank of Mom and Dad” and get a new computer.



I now have a beautiful MacBook and can do all the required steps to apply. So I can truly say one must have a good working computer to apply for special education teaching jobs. 



I am also frustrated because I think that I make a better impression in person than on paper. On paper I am in my early 50s, have gaps in my résumé, and my most valuable experience--having a child with special needs--doesn’t show up.



In person I think I come off as young at heart with some gray streaks in my hair, articulate with a sense of humor, and passionate about students with special needs.  



A few things have helped lessen my frustration. I learned that some of the application forms allow you to use information from another application you filled out for a different district. I learned to have all my information (reference addresses and phone numbers, etc.) in one place so I don’t have to go looking for things when filling out yet another application. I now print out the application and put it in a folder with the school district’s name on it.



I also decided to go ahead and write a letter to someone at every place I applied. I included a picture, some information about myself, and a little humor. Kind of like a cover letter, but more informal. We will see if that helps me stand out in the crowd or not?



I am also learning to network. I do not like to network (I feel like I am imposing on people?), but in today’s job market it is a must. I contacted an old friend who works for a school district, I contacted some people on Facebook, talked to someone at church, and located my daughter’s former special education teacher for advice.



My job hunt has coincided with helping my 23 year-old daughter with special needs also look for a job. What a blessing to both be going thru this together. She sees how difficult it is for BOTH of us to get a job!  We have made her a  résumé and filled in online and paper applications. I wrote a letter of introduction and she wrote a cover letter. We have tried to stop in at possible places of employment. Most of them won’t meet with us, but we were grateful to the few who did.



I am teaching my daughter to have a Plan B (and C, D, and E). I am signing up to substitute teach as my Plan B; hers is a volunteer spot at an assisted living community in our neighborhood.



We are eager to see what the 2010-2011 school year will bring. Keep us in your thoughts!  Anybody have any other good ideas? Thanks!

 

25 May 2010

Kathy: Having Students Speak for Themselves

Filed under: Blogger Kathy — Anna @ 1:17 pm

KathyThere is one session from the CEC convention that has so inspired me “Project My Voice” is about helping young adult students make a video about themselves. It gives them the opportunity to show what they can do, what they like and what they dream of doing in the future. 



I love how it was presented.  The speaker has a sister who has special needs.  She started by telling us about her sister.  Then she showed us the video of her sister.  I was amazed at what I learned about this special person that words could not capture. 



One scene is of the young woman playing cards, but you soon realize that she looks at the cards before dealing them and gives all the best cards to one special player.  Think about what skills that requires!  I had underestimated this young woman. 



I loved the sense of humor that came out in the video.  I could hear the words “this student has a sense of humor” but seeing it made it come alive.  The student also picks the music that plays along with the images, again giving me a glimpse into this special person.

 

I see these videos as being useful in IEPs.  I can see them being used when a student transitions into a new program.  I wish I had one of these videos for each of the students I have worked with this year. 



I hope to make a video of my special needs daughter who is looking for a job.  I always think when she fills out yet another application that I wish the prospective employer could get to know her.  To know her is to love her…or at least understand her better and not underestimate what she can do.

 

I found the press release on line, check it out for yourself:

http://www.niu.edu/PubAffairs/RELEASEs/2007/june/myvoice.shtml





27 April 2010

Kathy: W.O.W. (Wonderful, Outstanding, Worthwhile)

Filed under: Blogger Kathy, Professional development — Anna @ 11:51 am
Kathy I am waiting for my flight out of Nashville after attending the CEC 2010 Convention & Expo. I have a couple of hours here to sort out my many experiences. I will try not to use the world "wow" too many times, but seriously, WOW!



First of all, it is big. There were more than 6,000 people in attendance. The sessions were so numerous, there is no way I could go to everything that sounded interesting. It took me three separate visits to the Expo Hall to cover all the booths.

Then there was the venue, the Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Convention Center.....WOW! (sorry, I couldn't help myself). It has more than 4,000 rooms, many restaurants, shops, a river running through it, tropical plants, waterfalls, and a conservatory. The venue was a bit tough on us directionally challenged folks, but I spent much of the time happily lost in the beautiful spaces.

The best thing about the CEC convention, however, was the people. I went alone and knew no one who was attending. It started at the Detroit Metro Airport, where I met Sarah, who was also going to the convention for the first time. We chatted and exchanged phone numbers promising to meet for a meal together; we ended up meeting for several. On the plane the women seated next to me was also going to the convention as a representative of the Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company. We discussed the interesting career path she has taken from teacher to the publishing world. I love to write, as you all know, so I picked her brain about the publishing world.



I had too many conversations to tell you about all of them. I learned about others' jobs, what a variety the special education field has to offer. I learned we are all in this together, learning, laughing, struggling, celebrating the world of children with exceptionalities. WOW!

11 April 2010

Kathy: Our Own “Dancing with the Stars”

Filed under: Blogger Kathy — Anna @ 12:11 pm

Kathy
Thursday night was our spring dance. It’s a pretty casual affair; it’s held at a golf club near school, which is also one of the job sites for our students. One of our teacher’s husbands, who happens to be a disc jockey, spins the tunes for us and has a good pulse on what the students want music-wise. Not everyone comes but it is well attended.

 

What a blast! Watching these kids dance is pure pleasure. They just let themselves go. They dance alone, with staff members, with same-sex partners, and with “dates.” More than once I witnessed two people dancing together and, upon realizing that someone else had no partner, grabbing his or her hand so all three could dance together. I saw a student go through the extra effort to get a classmate who uses a walker up and out on the floor. I found these acts to be just the sweetest things.

Some of these students had quite the moves! Staff members were now taking instructions from the students—what a role reversal, and what a good thing for all. In fact, the line between student and staff disappeared for an evening.

 

I think music and dance are so good for our students and staff. It takes extra effort and time to plan these events, but I must try to remember how valuable these extracurricular activities are.

For example, we all blew off a little steam to “We Aren’t Going To Take It Anymore” and I think the song had unique meaning for each participant. We were all the better for it on Friday as we returned to school. Enjoy the pictures as we enjoy the memories!

DSC_0091  DSC_0096DSC_0214

   

12 March 2010

Kathy: Are WE ready for Our Students to Date?

Filed under: Blogger Kathy, Life and Social Skills — Anna @ 9:57 am
Kathy I work with 18-to-26 year-old students. And what do most young adults spend much of their time thinking about? That’s right, the opposite sex.



My students, who have mild disabilities, are no different. One young man has a crush on one of the young ladies in our school. They started “dating.” Then one day, he came to school crying and told me that his parents did not feel he was ready to date. I thought to myself, maybe his parents are not ready for their child to date.



But I noticed that within a couple of days, their “dating” behavior returned. Our administrator has tried to ban any PDA (public displays of affection)—notice the verb “tried.” Ready or not, parents and teachers, these young adults are entering the dating phase.

Here is what I have observed from my own daughter with special needs, as well as my students. They want to be like their peers; they want to be able to say they have a boyfriend or girlfriend. And it is important to find out what exactly that means to them.

For many of our students, “dating” simply means that you tell others you are “boyfriend and girlfriend.” The dating couples sit with each other at lunch. They hug each other. They call and text-message each other after school and on weekends. Many of them cannot drive, so they do not see each other outside of school. If they do see each other during nonschool hours, parents are there to chaperone. We hold several school dances and often the “couples” will meet at the dance.

A few of our students, however, are sexually active, as evidenced by the occasional pregnancy or a baby at home. Some of our students have been taken advantage of sexually. This is such a scary area for me as a parent and a teacher. I have read that children with disabilities are sexually abused 2.2 times more often than their peers. Young women with special needs have a 65 to 80% chance of being sexually abused in their lifetime.

I think that good sex education for students with disabilities should begin at home. For example, I have tried to talk openly with my daughter about the subject. I try to give her good information — at a level she can handle, of course — but definitely solid information nonetheless. I think it is important for my daughter to be able to ask questions about sex and romantic relationships. And I have tried to teach her to speak up if she feels uncomfortable with someone’s actions toward her.

As educators, we have to teach what dating behavior is appropriate in public. I think we often have to fill in the sex education gap that may exist in our students’ home life. This is a tough area that I have just begun to explore.



I want to continue to educate myself in this area—maybe the CEC 2010 Convention & Expo will have an appropriate session? Maybe some of you have resources you could recommend? I want my daughter and our students to stay safe and enjoy appropriate relationships!

22 February 2010

Kathy: My Work with Emotional Disabilities – Then and Now

Filed under: Blogger Kathy, Interventions — Anna @ 5:44 pm
Kathy When I was in college, a hundred years ago, my plan was to get a regular elementary teaching degree and endorsements in what was referred to back then as M.I. (mentally impaired) and E.I. (emotionally impaired).



Everything went swimmingly until it came time for E.I. student teaching. I was assigned to a middle-school class of seven boys with emotional disabilities. Every day was a struggle. I would go home exhausted and in tears. Emotional problems seemed so complex and depressing to me.



About three weeks into the semester, I reached the breaking point when one of the boys went home and committed suicide. I quit and never completed my student teaching for the E.I. endorsement. I decided there was a special place in heaven for those wonderful folks who worked with students with emotional impairments—and I just wasn’t one of them.



Flash forward to the present and I find myself with two students with emotional impairments. One young man is untreated but shows all the signs of bipolar disorder. The other day he came to school saying he wanted to just end the pain. When I asked where the pain was, he pointed to his heart. He said he was not afraid of death. I immediately alerted the administration and his homeroom teacher.

I went home and read up on suicide in young adults. I learned that asking them if they are thinking of killing themselves is actually a helpful thing to do; often people falsely believe it will only encourage them. The next day this student’s mood was depressed again and so I told him I was worried about him and asked if he had thought of killing himself. He answered in the negative. I told him I was glad to hear that. Of course, I will continue to keep a close eye on him.

I think my age and experience helped me react very differently this time around. Instead of running away, I hit the problem head-on. I did my research because information is so powerful. I never want to find out that I did not do everything I could to prevent a student from taking his own life.



I also know that I cannot “fix” this student. I took the initiative by informing others in the system but accept that I cannot control what they do with the information. In this case, the administrator chose to minimize it while the homeroom teacher chose to take it seriously. The parent has been given information on where to go for free mental health services but has chosen not to pursue it.



I thought a lot about this student, took the actions I could, prayed for him, and then . . . I let it go. Letting it go does not mean giving up. Letting it go after doing what I could allows me to keep working with this student. That is the difference between Kathy at 21 years of age and Kathy at 51 years of age.



8 February 2010

Kathy: Winter Blues

Filed under: Blogger Kathy, Inspiration, Planning Ahead — Anna @ 4:57 pm
Kathy Let’s see, what to write? Well, it is February in Michigan. Those who live in Michigan would not need me to write anything more; they would just nod and know exactly what I meant. But for the rest of you, it’s grey . . . VERY grey, it’s cold, and it’s getting a little old!



My new semester has begun, which means new students. Our young adults (ages 18 to 26 with disabilities) are assigned to job sites typically for one semester at a time and switch to a different site every semester. Our students spend half the day on the job with a job coach (like me) and the other half at school taking classes that are geared toward independent living.



My group is In-House Custodial, fancy for “we stay at school and clean it.” I am assigned students who are new, are not ready to go out to other sites, or are difficult to place for one reason or another. I also take on stragglers who arrive at school late and have missed their ride to their normal job site.

My group this semester is going to be a bit challenging. I have a few students back from last semester. Pam* has a worsening visual impairment and now uses a cane, but she has a wonderful attitude and works very hard to compensate for her sight loss. Bridget* has food issues and needs to be in a controlled environment like ours, but just when I think I am making progress with her, I find out I have been lied to again! Tim* has an inoperable brain tumor and is undergoing oral chemo; he is now using a wheelchair because his balance has been affected. He is a sweet young man who never feels sorry for himself (just needs to take a nap now and then, which is just fine with me).

Among my new students is Doug*, who resides in a group home and has been suspended already in his first two weeks! Craig* is also new and seems like a nice young man when he is able to actually get out of bed and get to school.



This semester I have had to set some new boundaries. For example, I set the limit of students I can take at once at six. Because I have been assigned one student who is partially blind and another who uses a wheelchair, I asked for some extra help and received two wonderful parent volunteers for two days each week! I really appreciate having those extra hands around.



I am trying to get my group to gel, but so far there have been so many disruptions that I do not feel we have properly begun yet. This week I got the flu and missed two days -- that certainly didn’t help the “gelling process.”

It’s February and I must be really low on vitamin D because everything is a bit of a struggle right now! How are you all getting through the winter blues?

*Names have been changed.

23 January 2010

Kathy: How My Job Has Changed Me

Filed under: Blogger Kathy, Inspiration, Professional development — Anna @ 4:02 pm

 

The "old" Kathy

My new job sure has changed me.

First, a little history. I was home raising my children for quite a while; my last full-time teaching  position was in 1984. I did some part-time work in between but mostly was at home. I have a 25-year-old son, 23-year-old daughter, and 13-year-old son. I was married for 25 years when my husband decided a young woman from work looked better to him. I was devastated, to say the least. I had to sell the house, help the kids through the trauma, and finally get a job. So at 51, here I am, returning to the workforce.

The "new" KathyThe job has changed me because I realize “I can do it!” For starters, I have much experience with children and my own daughter with disabilities. And even though my formal education took place years ago, I remember more than I thought I would.

I still love to learn and am catching up on the many changes that have since occurred in the field of special education. I love the CEC SmartBrief that is delivered daily to my e-mail inbox. I have even printed out some articles to keep in my files for future ideas. I ask questions, lots of questions. As an “older” educator I don’t mind questioning the system. As a parent myself I can relate to the parents of my students.



On a personal level, I feel more professional. I look more professional. Check out my school picture—a little different than my original profile picture, huh? I have some decent work clothes now. I act more professionally. I don’t feel intimidated by the other professionals I meet in my job. My resume now has current experience on it.



I feel more independent. I have my own money coming in, instead of just trying to live on the alimony and child support. I see hope for the future, that I will be able to support myself when the divorce payments end.



I guess that is it . . . I have hope. Hope that I can support myself fully someday. Hope that I can make some difference in the lives of my students. Maybe because I have hope for the future, I can give these young adults hope for their own futures.

14 December 2009

Kathy: Help!

Filed under: Blogger Kathy, Teacher Support — Anna @ 2:03 pm
Kathy Our school just announced another round of budget cuts. This round was deep and we are still smarting from it. Teachers with master’s degrees have taken a $5,000 pay cut. Classroom budgets were slashed from $1,000 to $500 each (we purchase all our own materials and prepare our own curriculum). All professional development has been frozen.

My boss, the job coach coordinator, had her schedule cut to three days a week at a loss of 40% of her salary. She is the glue that holds 20 job coaches and their training sites together. Our principal now works only four days a week and I am assuming she took a 20% pay cut. One office staff person lost a day a week as well. The job coaches—that’s me—also had their day shortened, mine by one half-hour (we are paid an hourly rate). All staff must be out of the building by 4 p.m. to save on electricity. There are other smaller cuts as well.

The morale at school is, understandably, low. The rumors about our future are plenty. Will our school survive? Is everything possible being done to get us grant money, stimulus money, any money? Why haven’t the parents been informed in this whole process and why are we not asking them for donations? Why are we not doing more fundraising? What other cuts are going to be made? Every staff member is asking him or herself, “How secure is my job?”



What are other schools doing to make ends meet? I know the state of Michigan is particularly hard hit, but what can be done? I do not know how much thinner or leaner we can become without destroying our program completely. We need HELP!



23 November 2009

Kathy: A Special Part of My Story

Filed under: Blogger Kathy, Inspiration — Anna @ 12:42 pm
KathyI have a daughter with special needs. Those words are so easy to write, but they were so hard to accept.



Dana lagged behind other children her age; the doctor called it “delayed milestones.” I hoped that she was just a late bloomer. Starting school was a nightmare for both of us. She was shy and scared and did not participate. She just wanted to be left alone in a corner and talk to herself.

I worked hard with her, trying to catch her up to her peers. Every year teachers would raise concerns and I would work even harder. Eventually she was tested and we discovered her IQ was below normal. I decided I wasn’t going to let a test dictate what my daughter could do. She was behind her peers, but not enough to qualify for special education. One school psychologist even tried to label her as ADD (which she is not) just to get her special education services. I did not appreciate this gesture. I was so afraid of a label defining my child.

When Dana started fifth grade, I was told that she could qualify for special education classes once she tested two grade levels behind. I was not about to sit around and wait for that to happen. I took her out of the public school system and home-schooled her for the next five years, concentrating on reading and social skills. Those years were wonderful years of progressing at her own pace, one-on-one attention, and the two of us having a much less stressful relationship. Instead of working with her in the evening when we were both exhausted, accompanied by plenty of tears (hers and mine), we could now work in the morning—in our pajamas if we wanted to—and she could even have time to play and attend Girl Scouts!



By the time she was in the tenth grade, our local public high school had come up with a wonderful program for at-risk kids like Dana. She went back to a formal education and stayed in that high school program for four years. During that time I went through a divorce and some counseling. I had to face some things in myself and in my life. A side benefit of that experience was coming to grips with the fact I had a daughter with cognitive impairments. No matter how hard she or I worked, that was not going to change. I was finally facing a future that wasn’t bleak, just different. It was freeing.



Now Dana is almost 23 years old and for the past three years has attended the vocational school where I now work. This is our first year there together and it is going well. She loves not having to ride the bus to school since she can now ride with Mom. She dreams of getting her driver’s license (she has her permit), finding a job, and having a boyfriend. She collects angels and wants to paint her bedroom purple. She makes the best chocolate chip cookies ever. She and I have a “girl’s night” every other weekend, which usually involves take-out food and a chick flick! I try to encourage her while also helping her face the reality of her disability. I enjoy her!



Dana is part of my story and this has helped me immensely in my teaching. I sense that each young adult I work with has parents who, like I do, struggle with the reality of having a child with special needs who is growing up but in some ways will never BE a grown-up. I try to work with students in a patient and loving way, like I want my child to be treated. I have learned that information needs to be broken down in simple steps and in different ways to accommodate each individual student. I have learned that there is fine line between pushing too hard and encouraging just enough to help them become as independent as possible. Most of all, I enjoy my special students — just as I do my daughter.

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