Okay, Here I go. I am getting ready to embark on a new adventure and I am scared to death. It looks like I will be teaching high school aged children who are at a functional learning level, but may also have emotional disorders as well. I want to keep this as anonymous as possible so I will not reveal where I am. I don't know where to start (blog, classroom, research). So any links that anyone out there on the world wide web can give me would be great!
This will be my 13th year teaching in the fall of 2013. I have taught infants and preschoolers, elementary aged children and most recently spent a semester with middle school students. Now I will be starting a new classroom at the high school level. I have a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. A Master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education, and an additional endorsement in functional teaching ages 5-21. I am a highly qualified teacher in special education (I believe that is what my license says). I am married, have no children but have two dogs. I have gone through a lot of change in my life this past year and need a new focus and a lot of support! That need for support can not be shouted loud enough. HELP!!!!!!!!!!
I know how to teach, that is not the question. However, the majority of my resources are elementary aged, so I don't want to insult my new students by being 'elementary cute'. The small amount of research I have done in my classes and on-line basically talk about getting to know the students, what their triggers are, laugh and don't take anything that they say personally. I can do the first three things great. It's that last one that will kill me. I take everything personally. Always have, probably always will. Any advice I can get I will accept, but please note I don't need negative criticism at this point. I can give myself plenty of that. Positive and constructive criticism will be accepted and read.
So here I go, opening the door to my first blog post ever. Any bets on how long it will take someone to read this and respond? I am guessing 3 months.
