Weekly Nutshells
I am going to try to write these "weekly nutshells" to remind myself of things that happened and most importantly the good things that happen.... you can't forget those good things as a special education teacher.
My week in a nutshell:
Highlights:
I have a very wide range of students in my classroom. I have students who are learning to read and recognize letters and students in wheel chairs with feeding tubes who are tracking objects with their eyes or using a communication device to say good morning. I have students who can use the restroom independently and who students who have diapers. I have students who are verbal and students who are non-verbal.
It is my hearts desire to teach and love every child in my classroom. I am sure I set unrealistic expectations for myself sometimes, but I strive to make lesson plans that accommodate every child. That hard part is that it take lots of time and energy. Some of that time and energy just seems not humanly possible and I get easily discouraged.
Today, thankfully was a day of so much encouragement from co-workers. They love our classroom. I worry about not getting to know certain students as well because they are less mobile or vocal. I am up there teaching and the students who are verbal respond quickly and the students who are not doing what they are supposed to do are quicker to draw my attention.
This afternoon, I was reminded of how the Lord looks at his children. He knows every hair on their head. Psalm 139 says, "You [Lord] know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from far away." I feel like that way about my students sometimes and the Lord knows way more about us than I know about my students. He is omni-present. He can be will each of his children at all times. I can't. I am human. I am limited. But thankfully as a believer in Jesus, I have his grace that allows me to be like him. While, I can't exactly be omni-present and have clones of myself in the class getting to know every child, I know as I read those verses this afternoon that he was saying that he'll give me the grace and strength and eyes to know all my children in my classroom. I am not exactly sure what that means. But I can choose to trust him. And so I will.
My week in a nutshell:
- One of my assistants was out the first 3 days of school. We had no sub Tuesday, and a sub Wednesday and Thursday. One person out for the day= crazy days. First week of school+person out for the day= CRAZY DAYS!!!
- First cry of the year... BUT only one cry this week... that's a step up from everyday last year :)
- Made some positive schedule changes. Snack in the morning instead of evening.
- Had my first student who is on a feeding tube (we are going to be best friends with the nurse by the end of the year because she's coming in multiple times a day!)
- House church was moved to 6:30 instead of 7:30... Hallelujah!
- I got a new students. What?! That makes 11 in a TMD special ed classroom. That's almost unheard of.
- I had to redo some paperwork for my 3 IEP meetings I had this week... boo.
Highlights:
- cooking activity: microwaved cinnamon apples (letter of the week was a... a for apple!)
- my student for the week did a simple folder game by himself matching colors to color words after we'd worked on it all week
- I have awesome assistants
- Aaron left a sweet note in my car on his way back into work yesterday
I have a very wide range of students in my classroom. I have students who are learning to read and recognize letters and students in wheel chairs with feeding tubes who are tracking objects with their eyes or using a communication device to say good morning. I have students who can use the restroom independently and who students who have diapers. I have students who are verbal and students who are non-verbal.
It is my hearts desire to teach and love every child in my classroom. I am sure I set unrealistic expectations for myself sometimes, but I strive to make lesson plans that accommodate every child. That hard part is that it take lots of time and energy. Some of that time and energy just seems not humanly possible and I get easily discouraged.
Today, thankfully was a day of so much encouragement from co-workers. They love our classroom. I worry about not getting to know certain students as well because they are less mobile or vocal. I am up there teaching and the students who are verbal respond quickly and the students who are not doing what they are supposed to do are quicker to draw my attention.
This afternoon, I was reminded of how the Lord looks at his children. He knows every hair on their head. Psalm 139 says, "You [Lord] know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from far away." I feel like that way about my students sometimes and the Lord knows way more about us than I know about my students. He is omni-present. He can be will each of his children at all times. I can't. I am human. I am limited. But thankfully as a believer in Jesus, I have his grace that allows me to be like him. While, I can't exactly be omni-present and have clones of myself in the class getting to know every child, I know as I read those verses this afternoon that he was saying that he'll give me the grace and strength and eyes to know all my children in my classroom. I am not exactly sure what that means. But I can choose to trust him. And so I will.
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