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Pinkie - How do you determine if a student qualifies for special ed services if he/she has a diagnosis of ADD?
Chappy - I am teaching my first ED/SC class next year..any tips?
Chappy - there if the behaviors.....effects his academic and social abitlity
Pinkie - The rules for ADD are so vague. What does ED/SC stand for?
Chappy - emotionally disturbed/self contained
Kevin - Are u guys special ed. teachers?
Chappy - yes
Pinkie - yes
kan - yes
Aimee - I have just started... Will become certified in the next year and half...
Kevin - I'm a first year reg. ed teacher. I have some part-time special ed. students though.
Chappy - oh ok
kan - I have been for 5 years
Chappy - i have 4 years under my belt
Pinkie - I've taught Sped for 18 yrs.
Pinkie - Guess I'm the old timer here
Aimee - Did you start out in Special Ed, kan..??? or come from being a regular ed. teacher..???
kan - Yes Aimee
Kevin - I'm not trained in special ed. ...why would they put special ed. students in a regular classroom?
Aimee - Gosh, Pinkie....you are the one I need to visit with... **S**
kan - I have been thinking about regular ed though
Chappy - wow
Aimee - Why, kan..???
Nicole - To mainsteam the into the least restrictive environment
Kevin - Nicole, they can't read.
kan - There are a lot of reasons, but the biggest one is the garbage I have to put up with at my school
Pinkie - Kevin, didn't you have any intro to special ed at college?
Nicole - But you can't expect special ed to teach all science and social studies, BTW, I am reg ed
Aimee - Oh, I see....the district I am in seems really grateful to find someone to teach there... It is really small...
Kevin - I teach 6th grade. I have students on a first grade reading level
Chappy - kevin.......i know of teachers who do that...you should not take them unless there is an IEP meeting
Aimee - Do most of you think that reading is the most important aspect to concentrate on in Sp. Ed..???
kan - mine is small too, but some teachers just "don't get it"
Nicole - I teach 3 and have a MR for social studies. These students need to interact with their peers
Chappy - i would think that reading is important
kan - I focus on phonemic awareness and comprehension
Pinkie - Kevin, you should also be getting some support from your sped teacher
Kevin - The years is almost over now...I will recommend IEPs in the future
Aimee - I was regular ed. for 22 years... Do you have any suggestions on good phonetic programs...maybe something incorporating reading and phonics..
Aimee - I was regular ed. for 22 years... Do you have any suggestions on good phonetic programs...maybe something incorporating reading and phonics..
Kevin - I don't have any support
Aimee - Whoops..!!!
Nicole - Kev, Do you teach them reading? Are you self contained?
Chappy - my kids are only mainstreamed if they can do the work( no less then 2 grade levels below) and follow rules
Kevin - Does anyone have any good tips on classroom management?
kan - the teachers at my school use a program, but I don't remember what it is called. I use anything I can get my hands on, and make most things up as I go along.
Chappy - no more than 2 grade levels below
kan - We also are a 4 Blocks school
Kevin - I teach 3 science classes and one language arts class
Pinkie - You are entitled to see the students IEPs, especially the goals/objectives, accommodations and modifications. The sped teacher should also offer suggestions for strategies to try. Sounds like you are being dumped on.
Aimee - Most of the kids I have would fit that requirement, kan, but they have me for both English and Math...
Nicole - Do your students take an end of the year test such as TAAS?
wohgjunkie - Kan...what grade do "you" use 4 blocks in?
Pinkie - Our students take CSAP at grades 3,4,5, 8 and 10
Chappy - Do any of you all us class meetings?
kan - I work with 5th grade in an inclusion room, we mainstream everyone and the teacher and I team together
Aimee - I just finished "reading" the SAT 9 to mine... I kept thinking as I watched their responses, that if they could read better and more it would really help...
Kevin - Can someone here share a good classroom management strategy?
wohgjunkie - and they do 4 blocks? How do you like that with the older students?
Jody - what kind of problems are you having Kevin?
kan - Kevin, are you trying to manage behaviors or the way you teach?
wohgjunkie - Kevin...ever read anything by Harry Wong?
msdtchr - what is the topic?
Chappy - kevin.....level system...once the kids get used to it...works great
kan - wohgjunkie, we have found it very successful. One of my SLD students went up two reading levels this year!
Jody - as far as i see there is no topic
msdtchr - I teach the physically impaired
Kevin - Jody, nothing in particular. I'm just trying to improve my classroom managements skills. I have read wong's book.
Jody - I teach the hearing impaired
wohgjunkie - I have done a little work with it, I want to start implementing it more next year. I'll have a resource reading class, 6th grade.
Kevin - level system?
Jody - Kevin, what type of students do you teach?
Kevin - inner-city
Jody - We use a level or card system.
kan - I wouldn't do things any other way now. I love 4 Blocks!
Jody - If they are caught doing something good they get a green card.
Kevin - What's that?
Chappy - jody....it works great right
Jody - If they break a rule they get a blue card
Jody - Blue is warning
wohgjunkie - Jody...what do you think.....we have a HI student coming to us next year, she doesn't want to use her mic system and she doesn't sign....any ideas?
Jody - Red card is a time out, if they break rule twice
Kevin - then what?
Jody - Then black card they get a detention and are removed from the class
Kevin - Would I do this with 6th graders?
Jody - Most of the kids hate having that reminder sitting on their desk
Jody - And they know that there is no arguing about it and no talking about it
Jody - I have 6th and 7th graders
Chappy - wohgjunkie...i would ask for someone to pray for me
wohgjunkie - kan...would you be willing to converse through email. I would really like to hear more about how you are set up.
Kevin - Jody, where do u teach?
Jody - wohgjunkie: i would make it manditory for her to use the fm system and write it in the IEP
wohgjunkie - lol...thanks...I am not going to have her, I would have no probs if she signed.
Aimee - How do you break the block up, kan..??? 90 minutes seems like such a long time to me...
Jody - Kevin, I teach in ohio
Jody - wohgjunkie, I don't sign with my kids, they are oral
kan - My e-mail is messed up right now. I can't recieve messages!
wohgjunkie - Jody...she'll be a 7th grader.....no one else is wearing one...it meses up her looks. sigh
kan - We have around 20-30 min. for SSR
Chappy - my signing is ok for high school students who know it well....but younger kids its more difficult for me
Jody - wohgjunkie, I don't know if your district has money or not, but there are new fm systems(the ones we use) that are wireless
kan - then we have 45 minutes or longer for our reading
wohgjunkie - kan...bummer, I would really like to get some 4block ideas for next year.
Kevin - Isn't 45 min. too long?
kan - wohgjunkie, I sometimes post on the 4 Blocks chatboard
kan - then we do working with words for 20-30 min.
Kevin - I teach in Connecticut
Jody - 45 minutes is too short, I have my kids for reading for 80 minutes, talk about long
kan - we alternate our reading and writing blocks and do our conferencing on scheduled days during SSR
wohgjunkie - Kan...me too but there haven't been too many older SpEd classes that use 4blocks on there
Kevin - Jody, u have your kids silent read for 80 minutes?
Aimee - Does everyone have the kids reading out loud..??? I had heard that that might not be a good idea, but it is what I have been doing...
wohgjunkie - 45 mins...ha! I am lucky if I can get my kids to do 20.
Jody - No, I have them for reading class for that long, we are on block schedule, HATE it
kan - I am not self-contained, so I don't know how I would run 4 Blocks if I had just a few kids
wohgjunkie - well we are departmentalized too so that jst makes it even more difficult
Kevin - I have my kids read out loud at times
Jody - Aimee, one thing I do with my kids when we read aloud is that everyone reads with me aloud so you are not singleing out anyone and it is amazing how much they pick up that way.
kan - the 45 minutes is usually a mini-lesson, followed by the kids reading somehow and then an activity
wohgjunkie - My kids usually don't like to read aloud...however I discovered this year that they love doing plays, andw ill happily read then.
Kevin - Choral reading is an excellent to teaching reading
kan - in our room we have levels all the way from a non-reader to the 8th grade level
kan - reading aloud is not something we usually do, but they partner read
wohgjunkie - my resource reading class is all 1.0-2.9 readers
Aimee - Oh, that is a good idea, Jody... **S**
kan - wohgjunkie, you could focus on the words block. the kids would probably like the chanting activities
Kevin - I teach in an open classroom setting...so I don't choral read often
Jody - Kevin, how do you like the open classrooms?
Eddietheman - hello all
wohgjunkie - I have thought about that....I have also done alittle bit with making big words
Jody - Hello Eddietheman
Eddietheman - ahh...are you all resource teachers..
Kevin - I don't...well, not at my school anyway
Aimee - Hi Eddie...
kan - the kids reallyu like making the words, also we get on a website called wordplays.com
Eddietheman - any one work with CDC type students...kids with severe disabilities
wohgjunkie - Hi Eddie...I am
kan - you can type in a word and it will make smaller words out of the letters.
Eddietheman - cool...i am not the only one huh...what age wohg
wohgjunkie - resource that is
Jody - what do you consider sever disabiities
wohgjunkie - hmm...will have to look at that
Eddietheman - ahh...i have 5 students, all nonverbal..3 of them are violent...4 assitants...
kan - the kids love it. We have been using their last names, so they get to make smaller words and try to figure out the secret word
Eddietheman - ok, then i am the only one..
Kevin - I was thinking of getting my masters in special ed.
Eddietheman - i am thinking of getting my masters in puters...more money...less headaches
meeha/ece/tx - Hi!
Jody - no, my most severe is deaf, autistic, and ocd
Eddietheman - hi meeha
wohgjunkie - am working on my masters in reading
meeha/ece/tx - Kevin -- I will be graduated from the University of North Texas with a Masters of Science in Special Education on 11 May!\
meeha/ece/tx - I have thoroughly enjoyed my return to university!
Eddietheman - well all...not feeling well and htought i would stop in...have a good evening...
Kevin - I heard some of those puters out there are special ed.
meeha/ece/tx - Kevin -- mine wasn't special ed ... just old!
Jody - Well, off to bed, have a great evening everyone
Kevin - bye Jody
Aimee - I have to go too... Hope everyone has a good TGIF tomorrow... **S** Night..!!!
meeha/ece/tx - 'nite Jody & Aimee!
kan - bye Aimee
meeha/ece/tx - woh -- reading is a great specializataion area for masters' study!
Kevin - The biggest classroom management problem I have are students talking in class. Does anyone have any tips on keeping students quiet?
kan - Kevin, I don't know if I have any ideas that would work with your age group
wohgjunkie - Kevin...I do what the kids call..."Taking Time"
kan - I used to use a popsicle stick system with my biggest offenders
Kevin - Taking Time?
kan - they each had five sticks for the day and once they used them, that was it.
wohgjunkie - When the noise level is too high and they are having trouble getting quiet, or whatever...I stop and start watching the clock, I wait and watch to see how long it takesfor them to get quiet....
Kevin - Does that work?
wohgjunkie - However long it takes them is the time they loose somewhere else....They waste my instruction time they know I take thier time.
wohgjunkie - They HATE being late to lunch, and t hey get in trouble if they are late to their other classes....
Kevin - Hey, that is good idea
wohgjunkie - tarted it would take a couple minutes...now I just have to look at the clock and in about 10 seconds theroom is mine again
wohgjunkie - I don't have to yell, I don;t have to get angry, upset...
jess - karen?
kan - Our 5th grade class is on a card punch system
kan - jess, hello CA
wohgjunkie - When the bell rings they have to get quiet before I start making up my time...if they get lousd during that time, it just takes them longer to leave.
kan - they each have a paper card they keep in their trappers and after a warning or two, we punch their card with a hole puncher
jess - I've been learning a lot about reinforcement schedules, and I find that random reinfocement is the best means to elicit behaviour.
kan - they get a new card each 9 weeks and are allowed a certain number of punches. If they go over the amount, they are not allowed the reward
jess - Yet, we shouldn't reinforce children for something that they alredy enjoy doing or else they will soon feel that it is a chore. . .
kan - It makes them more responsible for their behavior since they have to bring you their card in order for you to punch it
jess - That's a great idea Kan!
kan - thanks!
Kevin - What if they loose their card?
kan - they are out of the reward
kan - we haven't had anyone lose their card this year
kan - they hang on to them because they know how important they are
Kevin - What's the reward?
kan - the kids get to choose, sometimes a movie, popcorn, dodge ball
kan - the kids who are out, go to another room ro to the office
kan - we vote for the choices
Monica - I am a candidate for National Board and I was wondering if anyone is getting ready for the assessment center?
Kevin - no
kan - nope
Kevin - Kan, what else do u do to manage or encourage good behavior?
kan - Good luck with everything Kevin
kan - let me think..........
Kevin - thanks kan
kan - In my resource room, I keep a chart system for my younger kids
Monica - I use a bank system with coins to manage behavior and the kids trade in each week with money in the class store.
kan - they each have a chart on their desks with a calendar and the rules in the classroom are numbered
kan - if they break a rule, the number of the rule goes on that date on their chart
kan - if they have a good day, they get a sticker on the chart for that day and one in their assignment book too
kan - it is my way of communicating to parents how behavior was and the kids love the stickers
kan - if they have 5 good days on Friday of each week they get to pick something out of the treat box
Kevin - that seems like a good idea
kan - it is candy and little toys i get at the dollar store
kan - the kids are very aware of the charts, they remind me about them all the time and wonder why I haven't put a sticker on the chart if they were absent
kan - they will even look at past weeks and ask me if they were there and why they did not get a sticker
jess - Your techniques sound really great, Kan. . . where did you come up with them?
kan - if the kids break a rule, instead of a sticker in their assignment book, we write the rule that has been broken and remember how to do better the next time together
kan - we have a school wide system called caught being good
Kevin - kan, thanks for the advice. I'm going to try some of the things you shared.
kan - that might work in your room to promote positive behaviors
kan - they get a slip of paper if you catch them being good and they write their name on it and give it to you
kan - you do a drawing each week and they get a prize or reward
Kevin - I do that now
kan - do the kids seem to like it?
Kevin - yes
kan - I hope some of my ideas work for you! you must have quite a class!
Kevin - I have raffles once a week
Kevin - My class is pretty good
Kevin - I have to go to bed now
kan - me too....long day
Kevin - bye Kan and Jess
Kevin - and thanks again
kan - bye
kan - you're welcome!
