Intern Year: Fall 2013: Week 12

While co-teaching in the cluster, I noticed how difficult it can be.  Even though one class is quiet, if the others are loud, it is a distraction.  On the other hand if one class is loud and the others are quiet, it is still a distraction.  I feel there is a difference between being disruptive loud and learning cooperatively loud.  In some cases in the cluster I am co-teaching in, it seems as if two of the classes are constantly disruptive loud.  In these cases, I feel that it comes down to the teacher having control over her classroom and respecting the other classes around her.  It seems that these teachers do not have the control they need to over the students in their classrooms, and they are not respecting the other teachers around them.  One teacher actually said something to the entire cluster yesterday about how loud it was and that she could not hear her students.  The two classrooms that are constantly loud continued to be loud.  I am wondering how the other teachers handle this situation if it continues?  Do they address the problem with the teacher and her behavior management of the classroom?

            Today is my last day of full time teaching!  These six weeks flew by!  As I look back now, I see how much I have developed to being comfortable as the leader and educator of the classroom.  It became like second nature to create lessons for my students and to teach.  I learned that it is so important to listen and learn from your students.  I was able to develop lessons that better fit my students’ needs and interests based on what I learned from talking and listening to them.  I spoke to my mentor teacher this morning, and I asked her honestly what she thought about my full time teaching.  She explained that I did really well, and she was very impressed with how well I rolled with the changes and any situations that occurred.  Sometimes in our resource room it was chaotic with different groups of student, but my mentor teacher and I worked well together.  We really clicked as a co-teaching team and were able to step in for each other to help or take over.  I really understand the importance of creating a solid professional and personal relationship with your colleagues and your co-teaching partner.  My mentor teacher has already taught me so much about the land of special education, because truly it is one of a kind.  She really demonstrated that it is most important to do what is best for the students.  They need to be the first priority, and everything else should be second.  She is a strong advocate for her students, and I really admire that about her.  Also, she is very knowledgeable about the logistical paperwork side of special education, and there is a lot.  I really look forward to working with her during my contract hours on developing an IEP and the medicade billing process. 

            Before I started this semester in special education, I was not sure if it was for me.  I thought I would always enjoy the general education setting better.  Most of the other girls in special education had a story or driving reason that they were special ed.  Honestly, I did not have a reason.  When I went to my first education advising appointment, my advisor asked what I wanted my specialization area to be.  I had never even thought about it.  When my advisor read me the list of specializations, special education stuck out to me.  There was no reason or inspiration for me to choose it, I just had a feeling.  I now know what that feeling was.  I feel it every day when I am with my students; I know that special education is where I am supposed to be.  I am able to reach the students, and I feel that they teach me more than I could ever possibly teach them.  I want to be the one that is there for the students that are struggling academically or with difficult situations.  I would like to be the one that is there helping them reach their own individual goals.  After this semester, I now see why I chose special education.  I feel it is now my goal to advocate and be the voice for the students that sometimes get pushed through the system or to the back of the classroom.  I have learned so much about myself as an educator this semester, and this was one of the best experiences I have ever been a part of.