I'm back with 3 tips to working with....PARENTS!

Hey everyone!

Ok so, PARENTS!!! Do parents tend to freak you out? I know that on Meet the Teacher I'm already assessing, watching, and analyzing ever parent interaction with their kid and other families. Their interactions with their own kiddos can SPEAK VOLUMES!!! Now, if you are in any grade other than Kinder (sorry guys) you have resources to ask about kids and parents...the previous teacher, right? If you're not using that person as a valuable asset, you should. So, here a few tips to ensure that you can and WILL have great relationships with parents.

1. Make them FEEL part of the team.
    Parents want to be heard. They give us their best everyday and they have a right to have a say in their child's education whether it is right or wrong, brilliant or stupid. Even if you don't do what they recommend, if they feel heard, they most likely won't get their panties in a wad about something later. So, hear them out.

2. Know something non-academic about their kiddo.
   Something. Anything. Show them that you are invested in their kid and their life outside of school. That doesn't mean you have to go to every baseball game or dance recital (although showing your face from time to time doesn't hurt). But the fact that you know that their child plays second base for the whatever team, will tell them that you actually listen to their kiddo. This is huge for parents who have a child has an IEP. A lot of those kiddos might NEVER be in your room. So? We need to be treating those families the EXACT same as we do others! They don't fit in anywhere a lot of the time and we need to make them feel part of something. They are so alone in their diagnosis that if you walk into that IEP/ARD meeting and have a funny or surprising story about their kid or know their favorite TV show or color, that mom and dad will melt. They might still be difficult, but they are going to go easier on you because you clearly took the time to get to know their child.

3. Send random happy emails to ALL parents at some point in the year.
Ok so you've heard this before, If you talk about the good most of the time, when you do have to bring up the not-so-good stuff, it will go over easier. So, one thing I am doing this year once I get my class list is write a student name in my #erincondrenplanner at the beginning of the week for the entire year. I will repeat my list probably once. Whatever name is tied to that week, those parents, both parents, will get an email talking about how much I love their kid and tell them good things they are doing in class. Now, my harder kids will get emails first so that they get one in the first month or 6 weeks  during the 'honeymoon' period and then again after Christmas when things get harder. If you can tell them great things, they will listen when you have to tell them hard things.

Ok so those are my tips for working well WITH parents. We are all in it for the kids. Even if their mom is Maleficent and dad is the Green Goblin, their kid is their kid and they want what's best for them. So as we're all starting to turn our brains back towards school, keep these things in mind.

What good tips to you have? I'd love to hear them and add them to my list!!! I'll see you next week with tips on having a collaborative relationship between special ed and general ed!

~Soney

Introduction....again

Hey y'all!

It feels like the last few years I have had the best of intentions to blog throughout the year and I guess life happens and blogging doesn't. However, with this thing that is PERISCOPE, I'm hoping I'll be held accountable to blog from time to time. 

Here's a little about me and who I am.

 I graduated in May 2009 from Texas Tech University  with a degree in Elementary Education and Special Education. I got a job teaching K-5 resource in the North Dallas area. After a year of doing that, I was given an opportunity to teach in a 3-5 partially self contained classroom. I stayed in that position (although it quickly became a 1st-5th and then ended in K-2) until the end of the 2013-2014 school year. In August 2014 I took the plunge to go to first grade and have loved it. As much as I do love it, I will go back to SPED at some point because that is where my heart is. 

I met my husband, we'll call him Chief (he was in the Navy and got out at that ranking) and got married in October 2011. We had a little boy, T, in January 2013 and had another sweet boy, O, in May 2015. 

I think I have a unique perspective on things in elementary because of having the SPED and gen ed frame of mind. Hint, hint!!! My upcoming blog posts that I have planned out are all about understanding the people you work with in education! 

Where are you guys from? What do you want to see on my blog? What topics would you like discussed. Don't forget to follow me on my social media outlets!!!

See y'all next time!!!

Soney

I am SOOOOOO close to finishing my classroom up and I am getting so excited about teaching 1st grade! My new principal is awesome and she let me print some color stuff at school (crazy considering our budget got slashed) but hey! I'm not complaining about it! I was able to get These great classroom managment signs from A Cupcake for the Teacher and can not wait to hang them on some ribbon and put them on my procedures wall. 

Then I got to thinking...know that I am going to have 20-something students in my class and that means like 35-40 parents plus their kids so maybe 60 people in my class on Meet the Teacher night (2 weeks from tonight!!!) I should probably have some signs up for them to store their supplies. So, I threw these together and you can download it for free here! There are more cards than are pictured here. I hope you can enjoy them as much as I am!

Do you see a theme? I am kinda SUPER OBSESSED with anything chevron. Wait until you see my classroom!!!! I will keep you hanging for now. 

Until next time...

Don't forget to stop by my TPT store August 4-5 for the BACK TO SCHOOL SALE!  My ENTIRE store is 28% off!

Making ALL kids matter: Special Education Students

Has your principal ever walked into your room and said, "So.....we have a new friend and I think YOU are the perfect teacher for her!" You know in that instance everything you THOUGHT you were going to do this year just went out the window. This may pertain to a student with an IEP, a very active 504 kiddo or my favorite: no label-needs a label to get some help, tears the classroom apart, class revolves around them, 'special' friend. Today I want to give you 5 super simple ways to include your Special Ed babies into your daily activities without recreating everything you do!

Now, I am a huge GIGANTIC proponent for inclusion. Now, inclusion does not mean, in my class when it's not appropriate and the kid doesn't know what in the world is going on. I mean, as Cara Carroll said in Vegas two weeks ago, "Sometimes you have those Sweet 'N Low babies and as sweet as they are they are looooooow." I loved it because she was right. Sometimes our lowest babies are so stinkin' sweet and we don't mind having them in our class because they just want to love on us and us on them. This isn't doing right by the student though. Every second of a child's day should hold value and meaning. If they are learning how to work with a partner in your room even though the concept be way above them, awesome. If they are actually understanding your science concept you are teaching, even better! However, it is an injustice for that sweet baby to sit in your class, alone, just because they are 'easy' and 'cute.'

So when do we incorporate these Sweet 'N Low kiddos then? So glad you asked!

1. In my district, my kiddos last year went to lunch and recess and specials (computer, art, music, and PE) with their grade level peers. They may have had an aide with them but it was imperative that they go and socialize to their max ability levels and within reason. Obviously, my guy that was in a wheelchair last year and is incredibly fragile wasn't going to P.E., however, you bet your bottom dollar he was in computers and art twice a week!
2. Invite them for special activities. Every student WANTS to feel a part of a community. Here in Texas, we rarely get snow and when we do it is a BIG DEAL! I'm talking everyone gets bundeled up and goes outside for pictures. This is a PERFECT time to include your other students that are not in your room all day. The worst thing in the world is for you to send the pictures to your parent distribution list (including your sped babies) and they are not in the picture. Yes, it has happened and it is not pretty. 
3.  Library time. Most students love books whether they can read them or not. Invite your student with exceptionalities down to the library with your group. What harm is there in that? They listen to a story, check in their books, check out books, and 20-30 minutes later, you have made that child feel a part of your class. 
4. The most important activities to go to was birthdays. Everyone has one and eventually they would have one too. I was imperative that the grade level teacher call down to my room and ask if Susie could come have a cupcake. Sometimes Susie didn't like cupcakes but I made sure her booty was in that room to sing and celebrate! 
5. Be participatory in the ARD/IEP meeting and have something good to say about the child other than, "They are so sweet," or "They are so cute." As a grade level teacher it is important that you see these kiddos are YOUR kiddos too because when you are sitting in that ARD/IEP meeting, the parent wants to know how they are doing with YOU more than with the special ed teacher. They want to make sure that YOU are holding them accountable and that YOU care about their kid just as much as the kids that you have all day. They need to know that their child is valued in your classroom as a member of the community so it is imperative that you get to know these babies just like you do the rest of your class. 

I know it is not the easiest thing to always have student in special education in your room for a variety of reasons, but, great teachers make all students feel special and valued. I'd love to hear how you incorporate all learners into your room! Next time, I'll post how to help your un-identified child that needs.....well....behavioral assistance be successful; not just in their academics but in self monitoring and self regulating their emotions and reactions too!

Until next time!

Feel free to check out my store on TPT!

New here

hi everyone! 

 i am going to try this bloggin' thing out here as we begin a new school year. i have taught for 5 years, one year in resource and then 4 years in a 50-75% self contained special education program in the north Dallas area. for the last 2 years i've been trying to make my way in to kinder or 1st and i have finally landed a 1st grade job! i am beyond thrilled. the purpose for this blog is to how what i am doing in my classroom as i have a variety of sweet students with special needs, sweet students with special behaviors or are just plain sweet students!

 last week i had the please of going to the TPT conference in Vegas with my sister Whitney from At Whit's End. it was AH-MAZIN! i learned so many amazing things from quick tips to create new products, how to make your own font or clip art and the importance of your blog/facebook/instagram/etc. i will say, i'm not much of an instagrammer or blogger but i'm going to try my best! most of the things in my TPT store right now are geared towards kinder as many of my students were on a kinder or pre-k level last year. I do have a ton of teacher organization binders and start up kits that I am currently revising for the 2014-2015 school year. i'm excited to begin this adventure in first and with bloggin! 

 Soney