Thursday, September 13, 2012

Day 9...and first grade

This morning, I was sitting around in my pj's looking forward to an easy day spent with Mom and Jules.  Then I got a text message from Abs's teacher, asking if I could work this afternoon and tomorrow for another first grade teacher in the building.  After a moment's thought, and checking with YaYa to be sure it was ok, I took the opportunity.  I am glad I did.

I am currently enrolled at Walden University in a Masters of Education program that focuses on Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment.  Basically, it teaches us how to be better teachers.  I really like it, but it has been a lot of work.  I will talk more about this program later, but my point is that right now, I am enrolled in a class on students with special needs.  Today, I worked with a little girl who is severely ADHD.  She has an aide who checks in on her from time to time in the afternoons and she spends her whole morning in a self-contained classroom.  This was eye opening for me - not because I have not worked with special needs students before, but because I am starting to know what I am doing when it comes to these children.  I have a whole new appreciation for special education teachers.  This child tries soooo hard.  She gets soooo frustrated.  And she just needs to know that her teacher, whoever it may be, is going to stick with her.  I even got frustrated, but I took a deep breath, and while everyone else moved on to math, she and I worked on one social studies worksheet all afternoon.  I still taught the other children, but I kept her near me and I would work with her about every two minutes.  We got that thing done - it had six questions on it.  It took us over two hours.  Bless her heart.  She was so proud of herself when she finished.  It was not perfect, or anywhere near it, but her effort was phenomenal and the sticker I put on her paper was huge and sparkly, as is her heart.

The lunch for tomorrow is......


Sugar free Jello pudding (chocolate/vanilla swirl)
Swedish fish
Whole wheat goldfish
Pepperidge Farm Pirouette French Vanilla rolled wafers
Dried, diced plums and banana chips
Oven roasted turkey and provolone cheese on Arnold sandwich thins bread
Carrots
Honest Kids Goodness Grapeness juice

A smaller lunch than normal, and a little on the sugary side, but what the heck - it's a Friday lunch.

Mindi

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