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Jan - Is anyone else here tonight?
Mr. Shirley - 24.m.ohio.7th grade world geography
Jan - Hi, Star Turtle.
StarTurtle - Hi folks...
Jan - I teach 6th/7th grade looping special ed program.
Jan - In New York state
Mr. Shirley - what about u star?
StarTurtle - Ed interpreter right now, have taught BEH (in a prison once) and am getting sert in 6th grade science and Social studies.
Jan - Wow!
Mr. Shirley - either of u have any info on getting technology grants?
Jan - No, but have you subscribed to Marco Polo.
Mr. Shirley - never heard of it
StarTurtle - What state Mr S?
Justme - hi everyone
StarTurtle - What state Mr S?Ohio?
Mr. Shirley - ohio
Mr. Shirley - hi just
Justme - where in NY Jan?
StarTurtle - Justme? have you gone by *juuustme* before? I may know you...
Jan - It's a list serve focused on technology. It's really a great site. MarcoPolo.com I think that's the address.
Mr. Shirley - ok..ill look it up
Jan - Just north of Buffalo, east of Niagara Falls, west of Rochester....the middle of nowhere, but I love it.
Mr. Shirley - thanks
Justme - no StarTurtle
Mr. Shirley - to get an lcd projector for my classroom
Justme - I'm in eastern NY
Mr. Shirley - im tryin..it shoulda said
StarTurtle - ah.. ok Justme... Some of the corps will give discounts for schools...
Justme - so...tell me...how does one handle students who won't keep quiet???
Jan - Mr. Shirley, here's the address marcopolo.worldcom.com
StarTurtle - What age Justme?
Mr. Shirley - thanks jan
Justme - 8th grade
Jan - Middle school kids love to talk, that's for sure!
Mr. Shirley - yep...isolation...put them up by u...hall...ive tried a lot
StarTurtle - ahh.. tough one... I have set up a time before when they could talk...
Mr. Shirley - depends on the kid
Jan - Is it during class time or just before and after?]
Justme - ok thanks
Justme - I've got the class from he**
StarTurtle - and had a card system (sticky cards) I put on the board... green for go... talking, no yelling of course... Yellow for whisper, red for none at all... that worked...
Jan - This time of the year is tough. It might be time to revisit all of your class rules and maybe be extra tough for a little while.
StarTurtle - Bad mix of personalities, or did they stick you with all the trouble makers from last year? a friend had that happen... she was told it was so just one class would be disrupted... hers.*S*
Justme - yes they did
Justme - out of a class of 20...5 are repeators...
StarTurtle - yeah... we have just a month and a week left... but we started early... I am in NC again... was in MA last year.
StarTurtle - yuck Justme... I undersatnd the logic but that class should go to someone who volunteered or has extra support.. or both.
Jan - I had a tough class for two years and became so accustomed to it that when I started with new kids this year (who are so opposite of my other class) I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
Jan - Hi Daisy.
Justme - lol Jan
StarTurtle - Hi Daisy... you from NC too?
Daisy/NC - Yes
StarTurtle - I understand Jan... I had autistic deaf kids who were sometimes violent last year... and this year one-on- one interp for a senior who is college bound and a wisea**... I love it...
Daisy/NC - what part of NC are you from StarTurtle?
irish - hello all...mind if I join in
StarTurtle - I'm in the foothills... you?
peanut - Hello everyone.
Daisy/NC - I live near Wilmington
irish - Hey Peanut, I jus6t logged on too
Jan - This is the time of the year I start with "mystery bags" again. I go to the dollar store and buy a ton of cheap, crappy stuff, fill lunch bags with the items, seal them and number them. Each day my students have a chance to earn tickets to try to win a mystery bag. You get tickets for doing great stuff and the rule is you can't tell anyone what you have gotten...no one, not even God! LOL. I try to put together 20 or so bags and start out giving two or three away a day, then fewer and fewer. If behavior worsens, I look for those great kids and give them more tickets. It works.
Daisy/NC - Hello peanut and irish
peanut - I have an autistic child this year. This child's aid is more of a problem then the child.
StarTurtle - Ooh.. I am jealous..*S* we plan to head that way when I finish school again... Hi Peanut..
peanut - Hey StarTurtle and irish
StarTurtle - Good idea Jan... *s*
StarTurtle - Bye irish..?
Justme - go to go....lesson plans
Jan - Star, I teach special ed and usually get the behavior kids, no aide, but that's ok, because we end up having so much fun and learning so much together.
Jan - Bye, Justme
StarTurtle - What's wrong peanut? Just not doing what she needs to be doing?
StarTurtle - Bye Justme... good luck..
peanut - She thinks she is in charge
StarTurtle - oh dear... is she certified or a para...?
Jan - I assume you have talked with her about this. I had the same problem at the beginning of the year with an 1:1 aide for a student who has no mobility. She was "mothering" him and wouldn't listen to me. I finally asked a colleague to meet with us and discuss everything. It really helped having a third person involved.
peanut - She's certifiable...Believe it or not our system hired this woman who has a history of mental health problems and sees a psychiatrist twice a week.
StarTurtle - I had no problem with most the special ed kids I have had... but I do have a problem repeating myself more than... 10 times or so... *S*
Jan - Peanut, I can't believe she is appropriate!
Jan - Star, what do you mean? what do you mean? what do you mean? LOL!!!!
peanut - This is such a touchy situation. The principal is involved. Everytime she speaks with her, she out and out denies any problems.
StarTurtle - Oh jeez Peanut... I agree... being hard pressed for help is a problem but jeez..
Jan - Peanut, you have to document. Put everything into writing. You'll need to keep anecdotal records on her just like you do on your kids.
peanut - This child becomes very agitated around her. The few days she was absent were the best days I had with this child.
peanut - I have all of the documentation. Right now I'm in fear of my safety.
StarTurtle - Well... if she has mental issues the school can't dicriminate, but they can put her in a position that doesn't put her in charge of a child..
Jan - It might be time to talk to your building rep. If you are fearful of your own safety (and obviously the child's) then someone needs to do something.
peanut - She has been diagnosed bipolar and brags about it.
StarTurtle - And/or tape... do you have a blanket permission form to tape the students? Lay a cam corder down and put tape over the red light... we had to document and that was the only way we could do it once..
Jan - That's a great idea.
peanut - In twenty years of teaching, I have never come across anything like this. I just keep saying hang in there for forty more days.
StarTurtle - I have worked with a lot of autistic kids... they do pick up on emotions like you wouldn't believe... being calm is always best... that's sad for you and the child..
peanut - Thanks StarTurtle. That's something I never thought about.
StarTurtle - I know people who shouldn't be are hired sometimes but it seems someone would have weeded her out... how old is she?
peanut - I love this child dearly and we have a great relationship. I think that is the problem. She doesn't like the fact that he is happy.
StarTurtle - Some people can't stand not to be the center odf the world....
peanut - The woman has been in four different schools with the same problems and no one has ever done anything.
Jan - It sounds like you are doing everything you can to make this situation work for your student.
StarTurtle - That's bad... they're afraid of the lawsuit. I agree Jan...
Jan - Don't give up, Peanut.
Jan - Hi, Leecee.
StarTurtle - Leecee... hi..
peanut - I am so frustrated. It's nice to have this room to get some support. I do get all kinds of support from my colleagues. They are great.
peanut - Hi Leecee
StarTurtle - I tried to go back and see what your *What do you mean* question was about... how do I look at the first few messages?
Jan - I don't know, Star
StarTurtle - That's good peanut... maybe they'd be willing to help... we had a teacher who had some problems and was really frustrated. Close to retirement, had taugh summer school as well for several years... and needed a rest badly... she was striking a student who didn't have the language to tell, so we documented it.
peanut - Thanks for all of your advice. Have to work on tomorrow's plans.
StarTurtle - Good luck peanut...
Jan - Gotta go, too. Nice meeting everyone.
StarTurtle - Bye Jan... thanks... nice to meet you..
