Jobs

The students in my room learn a bit differently than other children.  Doing a typical "basal" program with them is not really effective or helpful.  There are either huge gaps in their learning or they do not retain things long enough to be able to move to the next level of a given skill.  So because of that my kiddos have jobs that they do every day. 

To give you an example of what I mean I am going to put some of my kiddos jobs below.  They do these same jobs every single day until I know they have the skills.  Data is collected on the skill and I go by the 80% rule.  If they get it 80% of the time independent then they can move to the next level of said skill.  Here are a couple of examples

For Math:

Student 1 -

• 1:1 correspondence count to 5 using various objects
• Identify numbers 1 - 5 of a puzzle and put number and number of objects together, counting the objects each time
• Write and name numbers 1 - 5

Student 2

• Adding two picture tiles together then giving answer.
• Reading and following directions with numbers 5 - 15.

The jobs they do are based on their needs.  I have some pictures of a few of the activities I do, including file folder games I use within the classroom setting.

The repetition helps the students and the jobs, once made, are laminated and there for several more years.  It is a lot of work up front but in the end it pays off.  :-)
     

Thanksgiving Projects

So today's special was Art.  And we had fantastic things to do.  There were 2 projects but one of them had multiple steps.  This was great for my kids who have a shortened attention span and yet want to have something to take home.  So today they made two things: turkeys and a Native American headdress.  The headdress I LOVED.  My kids had a a great time making it and we had an even better time watching them make them.

These are the turkey's my kids made today in class.

The turkeys above were made of paper plates.  They had to color around on the outside of the plate, cut out a circle for the face and circles for the larger portion of the eyes.  The smaller circles were already done for them due to some fine motor difficulties.  I think they came out very nicely.

Now on to the headdresses.

Here is a picture of their art teacher wearing the headdress. 

There were several steps to this project:

• Color the black band with chalk, drawing "designs"
• Cut out feathers (if fine motor is too difficult have precut feathers for them to choose from)
• Glue feathers on to the band
• Put pipe cleaners through pre-punched holes (about 4)
• String beads onto the pipe cleaners
• Fit to head and staple.

What is nice about this particular project is it works on several areas: fine motor, color skills, cutting, gluing.

And the kids love it.  Here are some pictures of them working on the projects:

Carefully stringing beads

It was a lot of fun and they looked really cute when they were done. 

Until next time, keep your chin up and know that you are a fantastic teacher and each day, you are only going to get better. :-)

Fall Art Work

I have asked my classroom be allowed to have the specials of PE, Music, Library and Art.  This has been difficult for some of those working with my kiddos since they can be a bit more challenging than a regular education classroom.  I have had a couple of teachers really step up to this challenge. 

The one I want to mention in this particular post is one of my art teachers.  She has made activities that were perfect for my kiddos.  She has had multiple conversations with me and has been very open minded about what htey were going to do and how they were going to get it done.  Here are a few things that we came up with together regarding art:

1.  Art is about the journey, not about the destination. 

• The point of art for some of these kids is to build up tolerance of certain textures, smells, etc.   
• What you think the art piece is going to look like....well give up that idea.  They are going to make it look the way they want and it is going to be beautiful.

2.  Do not use two similiar items and have rules for one that are not rules for another.  An example of this is using shaving cream for the kids to draw in on the table.  If you use shaving cream then don't switch over to whip cream and tell the kids they can eat it.  This will simply confused them.  This also goes with regular play-doh and then introducing edible play-doh.  They can't see a difference and will try and eat the regular play-doh.

3.  Think outside the box.  The simpliest activities like stringing beads and rolling out playdoh can be great fine motor activities that can be very easily set up. 

4.  Be Flexible and HAVE FUN!!!  If you aren't having fun then they aren't either.  Monitor how they are doing.  They aren't going to like everything but if they like nothing....then readjust.  It's ok to adjust on the spot and make changes as you go. 

Here are a few of the projects my kids have done to this point:

Happy Spider (made of a top and pipe cleaners)

Spiders attached to spiderwebs (spiderwebs are string pushed through large foam boards)

Scarecrows and pumpkins

Turkeys

Fall trees (Trees already drawn, kids used q-tips to dot paint on then put on glitter)

Pumpkins

Tissue Paper Pumpkins

Just remember it is about the journey.  :-)

Overview

So this year I was provided a classroom that has 5 students in it.  2 are in kindergarten and 3 are in 3rd grade.  I was asked to take this classroom and set it up a bit blind.  I didn't know what I was getting into, I had an idea of a schedule (that has been changed about 4 times now) and I had an idea of what I wanted to do (all of which has gone into the trash)

The empty room...so much potential.

My circle area

The work spaces

General Calendar and Back room

Another view toward my desk and back room

Here was my classroom layout at the beginning of the year.  I will take updated pictures so you can see how things have adjusted a bit since then.

New Direction

So I have been thinking about this blog and how I want to use it.  I have noticed there is not a lot out there for classrooms that are self contained.  I am brand new to this whole thing of teaching a self contained classroom and I figured why not?  Why can't I start a blog regarding teaching in a self contained classroom.  It might give someone else ideas and also help me make connections that would help me as well. 

So here we go.

3.....2......1......let's learn!!!

Ready to Fly

So tomorrow is my last official day at my school. I am sad, excited, nervous, and many other feelings all at once. I am going to miss friends I have made although I will still see them in the district and work with them when they come to my new building. I just won't be there, in the building, as part of that family.

I am joining a new family, a bigger family, an unknown family. It will be ok. I know it will. I just have to begin and know that this is another door that has opened.

This is a beginning to a new journey and I am ready to fly.

Dreams

So last night I had a two part dream. Perhaps it was more just in two parts since they weren't really related in any way except for the fact that I was in both. They were both so vivid though that I woke up wondering if either or even both had happened.

Dream 1
This was is not as in depth as the second. I remember starting the dream in a gun fight of sorts. And the person I was with was The Rock. He was moving all Jason Bourne like and it was odd. I was running around with him as people fired on us. Then he got into hand to hand combat with this bad guy and ended up getting hit into a table. The bad guy then came after me and the Rock shot him. That was the first dream. Odd huh?

The last dream ended around 4 something this morning when I woke up suddenly. I turned back over and went back to sleep and this is what then happened.

Dream 2
I was at Disney World even though it didn't look like it. I just knew that is where I was. I was then suddenly in my own wedding but it was not a wedding where I knew the groom but one that had been arranged between my parents and his. I was at the alter waiting for him and then he came in a white tux. I don't remember much about him excet that he had spiked hair that seemed to be dyed blonde more than it's actual color.

Then suddenly the ceremony was over and I had to take part in this weird play outside in a gazebo that everyone in the ceremony could see. It was something about bringing me to meet the mother. My bridesmaids were there but it was his sister, her best friend, another girl and her best friend. The mother came around and looked at me and said "You will need to get all napkin choices approved by me."

I looked at her and told her "Any choices in my household will be made by me. You can have an opinion but that is about it." Then I walked off.

So those were my two dreams. Odd huh? I haven't seen anything with the Rock in it recently, especially not fighting like that. -laughs- Who knows? Dreams are odd and sometimes are just that....dreams. No meaning, no deep background....just dreams.

Ah well. Thought I would share. :-)