Education Podcast
I listened to a podcast from the Special Education Inner Circle with Catherine Whitcher, M. Ed.. It was called "Classroom aides and accommodations, What Needs to Happen Next?" This podcast was super interesting and was with someone who not only sees it from the teacher side but as well as the parent side. This was super helpful to hear from both perspectives. She talked about how it's important to get input from the parents and hear what their goals are for their kids and students.
This was recorded during quarantine time but I still agree with what they said especially during long breaks like summer and winter. They talked about how not to necessarily "baby" the kids but make sure they are working on simple life skills like throwing stuff away. This is important during those breaks so that the transition to school is easier. Sometimes it might be hard but you need to step back and give them their independence, helping them gain that independence and giving them the tools they need to be independent are important.
As a teacher you should be advocating for the tools and needs of these students with individualized education plans (IEP'S). It is the schools responsibility to help give the students with IEP's what is necessary to help these students gain the skills that are needed. Still most teachers, even when people don't realize it, have to find their own materials and tools for these students. So it is important to be prepared and never assume what the students need is there or provided.
This was recorded during quarantine time but I still agree with what they said especially during long breaks like summer and winter. They talked about how not to necessarily "baby" the kids but make sure they are working on simple life skills like throwing stuff away. This is important during those breaks so that the transition to school is easier. Sometimes it might be hard but you need to step back and give them their independence, helping them gain that independence and giving them the tools they need to be independent are important.
As a teacher you should be advocating for the tools and needs of these students with individualized education plans (IEP'S). It is the schools responsibility to help give the students with IEP's what is necessary to help these students gain the skills that are needed. Still most teachers, even when people don't realize it, have to find their own materials and tools for these students. So it is important to be prepared and never assume what the students need is there or provided.
Webinar
I watched this webinar with a group of future educators. Our first takeaway was how to set our expectations within the first year. It is important to know your glows and strengths so that we can be the best for our students. Nobody expects us to be perfect right off the bat, but it is important to properly fix our lessons if things go wrong. We thought that it would be important to make our classroom a place for students to collaborate and feel connected with their fellow students and ourselves.
Our second takeaway was also about how disappointments happen, you can’t control that. You just have to own your mistakes. The most effective resource to bounce back from a disappointing experience is reflection and to remember all of the edumagic moments. Some ways to really help with this is to use a planner, lesson plans, a notebook, and write down improvements as well as document the positives. Disappointments are going to happen but you just have to stay positive and reflective.
Our third takeaway involves how to structure our teacher lives. It is important to remember to take time for ourselves and remember that we are more than just teachers. Time should be carved out so we can build relationships with our students and the community. This can be an effective part of teaching as well. Creating plans is necessary to be successful as a teacher. A good example of structuring our time is setting a timer so that we don’t overcommit to social media, TV, or any other thing that we use for a break.
Our second takeaway was also about how disappointments happen, you can’t control that. You just have to own your mistakes. The most effective resource to bounce back from a disappointing experience is reflection and to remember all of the edumagic moments. Some ways to really help with this is to use a planner, lesson plans, a notebook, and write down improvements as well as document the positives. Disappointments are going to happen but you just have to stay positive and reflective.
Our third takeaway involves how to structure our teacher lives. It is important to remember to take time for ourselves and remember that we are more than just teachers. Time should be carved out so we can build relationships with our students and the community. This can be an effective part of teaching as well. Creating plans is necessary to be successful as a teacher. A good example of structuring our time is setting a timer so that we don’t overcommit to social media, TV, or any other thing that we use for a break.