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Ran/TN - I want to welcome everyone to tonight's special ed chat session. Our topic tonight is "Surviving the First Day of School"
Ran/TN - I will be the moderator for our monthly sessions this year. I am currently scheduling guest and topics for the coming year.
Ran/TN - If you know of a guest our have a topic you would like to have us discuss this year email it to me at rlprice@email.com
Ran/TN - I think we as teachers have first day jitters is because we may not know who our students are or what to expect from them. Our students have the same concerns about us as their teacher.
Jo - I always have way too many activities planned for the first day, but it helps me to feel over prepared.
Nan - I like to have seating already planned and take each student to their desk as they arrive.
Kidbiz - Overprepared is the WAY TO GO!
Newbie - Jo-could you share some of your favorite activities?
Kidbiz - I always do a bingo game....give kids a blank bingo sheet...they write in "school" words.....then I give out little prizes to the winners....Kids love it!
Ran/TN - One of the most important things you can do the first day is to expain your classroom rules or expectations. Explain any special procedures you have in your classroom. I usually spend about two hours Explaining those kinds of things
Jo - I like to start a read aloud book - usually a funny one to start (James and the Giant Peach, for example)
holk - my "behaviors for success" are posted and we discuss them the first day and then they take a copy of them home to the parents and bring them back signed so that everyone is on the same wave length.
Nan - If new teachers are having questions about routines or school procedures as another experienced teacher who has been in the school to be a mentor.
Kidbiz - I always have a good book going....you can do so many activities with it.
Jo - I let the kids tell me the rules, by fifth grade they know the "ropes".
max - I like your behaviors for success!!!
Ran/TN - I like the sending home your rules and having them signed by parents .
holk - at the high school level, the last thing they want to hear is "rule"
max - I always have my students create the rules for the room, strange how they almost always match the store-printed copy I like!!! (after lessening the severity of them!! kids are hard on themselves when they make up rules)
Nan - I have Educational Assistants so every Adult needs to be familiar with "rules" and "routines" before the students arrive.
Kidbiz - I usually have a little discussion about why we NEED rules.....so kids know they are not arbitrary
max - holk, that is soooo true, got myself into a bit of difficulity last year at the hs when I started out so strong with the rules
Ran/TN - There are several web sites list that have great first day ideas and activities on them
Jo - I read a super book , The Big Picture by Ben Carson. I got it on audio tape and I plan on having my students listen to some parts of it. Ben Carson is a world famouspediatric neurosurgeon. He had a rough beginning growing up, did poorly in school, etc, but "got it togther "through reading and working hard in school..
Nan - How can I get the list of web sites?
max - sounds good JO, helpful for us to read as well?
Jo - YES
Ran/TN - Go to http://www.teachervision.com/whatworks/
max - Ran, seen some of them mentioned over time on main board, could we get a list posted, ooopps, thanks!!
Jo - school.discovery.com
Ran/TN - http://teachervision.com/resources/
nell - What do you do with one group when another group is receiving instruction. That one group could be just one person in a class with very varied levels.
Lindy - I need help on poem translations!!!
Ran/TN - there is also a neat back to school word search puzzle you can print at http://www.eduplace.com/kids/games/wwf/puz10.html
¤êrã§êr¤ - I have a template for a monoply game based on homework assignments. Anyone interested? I will e-mail the Power Point template.
deb - anyone high school level here?
deb - I'm moving from 2nd grade regular ed to high school resource English grades 9-12. EEEK
joy - Hi, I'm at the high school level
jazz - I am elementary level, anyone else?
max - deb, i have taught 2nd and hs, can't tell you which I liked best....
joy - Deb, a lot of what you know about teaching basic skills will come in handy in high school.
Ran/TN - Any one else have any comments or questions oin surviving the first day of school
¤êrã§êr¤ - anyway, for a small class size the monopoly game board has been a HIT with students
jazz - Well, Randy, I try to start off with a bang. At my school, parents come first day too. ??
jazz - On the chatboard, I noticed a site called Teachertools - http://funbrain.com/teachers/index_teach.html. It has a lot of activities for the first day
Ran/TN - Some other type of activities to do on the first day are some icebreaker or get aquainted activities or games
Dawne - resource room 3,4 &5....We don't get to work with kids for the first two weeks!
jazz - Dawne!! What do you do for two weeks? Schedules don't take that long do they?
Ran/TN - Some of the other ideas for first day of school that I have seen include a "1st Day Celebration" class party.
max - I will be teaching high school, starting up a brand new autistic unit, three students presently
Dawne - at my school they do. Just when we think we have them set teacher change them and its back to square one!
jazz - such as cake and coke, Randy?
heather - but what do u do when u have the same class again
jazz - Max, how interesting. I had a deaf autistic boy 2 years ago.
Ran/TN - yes maybe with middle school and up pizza party.
max - I am a bit anxious, but excited about the job
max - heather, I have had the same SED students for three years in a row...a few changes
Ran/TN - Max I have just finished day 3 of a 4-day workshop on effective teaching methods for autistic students
tara - Does anyone here teach in Imperial County, CA?
jazz - you know Max, I attended my local autism chapter to help me better understand the child and where the parents are coming from. They were so delighted I started going to the meetings, they just dumped great things in my lap.
heather - im going on my second year with them...i start off with 4 on wednesday
jazz - Sorry tara, I am in Louisiana
heather - im in florida
max - Ran, so did I, but teaching communication with Dr. McGreevy
max - Ran, do you have any sites about the effecting methods; I have been told to look at TEACCH out of NC
max - jazz, what a great suggestion!!
max - heather, florida here as well
Ran/TN - I know the first days of school are a little different for resource teachers because they are usually spent running all over the building get scedules from all the regular teachers and then trying to coordinate their resource schedule with all the other teachers in the building.
max - Ran, I feel if I get through the "first week" I'll make it!!!
jazz - Does anyone run into the problem of "carrying" other teachers. I have been in special ed for 10 years and due to shortages, they hire anyone and they don't know anything about sp. ed. It is a lot of extra work....
meeha/ece/tx - max -- you can look into PECS ... mayer-johnson pictures for ideas, as well.
meeha/ece/tx - what age group will you be working with, Max? (I've not heard yet!)
max - jazz, that is who they often put into our sp ed positions as well
jazz - Oh Max, on the chat board here on T-net under the special ed. one, there has been some discussions about Autism you might enjoy. Do you know where I am talking about?
max - Yes, I do jazz, been watching it a little, but haven't been on for a few weeks very often....
jazz - Nice chatting with you all, I'm signing off to hear George Bush's speech. So long.
heather - try being the one fresh out of college with every one looking at you!!!
max - meeha, though I sent a post, don't see it, high school
tara - Max, Heather, Jazz, Thank you for your time. :)
max - keep coming to this site for support heather, lots of good advice and assistance can be found here
heather - how long have u been teaching max??
meeha/ece/tx - max -- look at the pro-ed web site -- they have a lot of good printed resources for autism information ... you can also check future horizons and the autism society
max - over 20 years, about 10 in sp ed
Ran/TN - We have about 10 minutes left. Maybe some of the resourse teachers would like to share some ideas on how they set up their schedules at the first of the year.
Inky - set up schedules?
max - consistient schedule and clear rules and consequences seem to be very important in any of our classes
deb - what are some examples of rules you use for high school?
Inky - I'm going from small rural school to largest inner city school in the district
meeha/ece/tx - Inky -- check out http://www.ldonline.com -- there is some wonderful info there ... let me double check the addy!
Inky - thanks, meeha.
meeha/ece/tx - Inky -- be sure to have them check out the sped chatboard here at teachers.net! - http://www.teachers.net/mentors/special_education/
Inky - On the first day, I believe I teach procedures & rules
Inky - actually, for the first week or two
Ran/TN - Well our time is up for tonight.
Inky - nice meeting you all, will we be doing this again, sometime?
Ran/TN - I want to thank everyone who came and particpated for being here.
Inky - Ran, will you host another SpEd meeting?
Ran/TN - I am in the process of scheduling guest and topics for our monthly sessions for the year. If you have any ideas for topics you would like to discuss or guest you would like to chat with email the to me at rlprice@email.com
