michelle - WHere is everybody? I'm ready to talk about entries.
michelle - Hi Lind this is my first time in a chat room. What do you teach?
Linda - I'm Career and Technical certified but I could help some?????
Linda - anyone there?
michelle - i teach emd Self-contained at a high school.
Linda - what is emd?
michelle - Educable mentally Disabled
Linda - ok. I'm in Florida and we will receive our first bonus in January and to obtain the other bonus, we must mentor 90 hours...
michelle - I was told you have to mentor someone from your state? I'm from SC
Linda - where are you?
Linda - I mean, what state?
michelle - South Carolina
Linda - oh, really. I didn't know that. I'm in a small district and there are not any other canidates now. There are 5 NBCT's so we will be fighting over anyone that announces they are candidates, ha.
Linda - I'm saying that we will have to mentor others outside our district, and I was thinking online like some others have done. I will check on the "in state" rule....
gitti - Hi Linda and Michelle
michelle - i may be wrong but someone from the exceptional needs group said his mentees had to be from florida too.
Linda - hi, gitti....
gitti - I've been working on my entries since August
michelle - Hi gitti, like the name
gitti - I'm ready to sit down this winter break and put them all together
gitti - Thanks Michelle....short for Brigitte bra get tea that is
Linda - gitti, when is your entries due? and what state are you?
Linda - I should have said where ARE your entries due?
gitti - My box is due Feb 15
michelle - I've been working since sept. but then my oldest had a ruptured appendix and just went back to school after six weeks of homebound. i feel like I really need to get busy. my box is due March 15.
Linda - your area is ESE?
gitti - I know what you mean..Feb seems so close and I've given myself 5 days to finalize each entry. and then I'm never looking at it again
michelle - Someone told me to give myself 10-14 days to pack the box.
gitti - LOL...to check and recheck..I bet...my house is just full of small stacks of books and papers
michelle - I wish I taught in Hawaii!
gitti - Oh michelle..the weather is nice..but it's a tough gig.
Linda - gitti, that is smart. My "box" was due June 3 and I set myself some deadlines, as you have done, but I just couldn't leave it alone. I'd read and read it and get mentors to read it. I packed my box in two days and delivered it to FedEx one day BEFORE because I just felt like I'd feel better about it all if I had given everything, up to the last minute!!
gitti - Have you ever heard of the Felix decree?
gitti - Linda...sometimes you can't help it..I've written and rewritten and stuffed it away and looked at it again..and wow..I just need to put it away and go.
michelle - I'm still trying to figure out is my accomplishments are really acomplishments and I'm filming my class.
Linda - are you talking about Entry 4?
michelle - Yes
ispy - greetings to you all...
gitti - Those accomplishments are a bear...I keep telling myself, I've been darn busy now figure out how it helped my kids...
michelle - Hello
Linda - I scored well on this. I think because of the writings of the Student Impact. I would get other teachers to read and help me explain the student impact better.
gitti - I ispy and Patrica
Patricia - evening all
Linda - hello, folks
michelle - It sounds like you guys have all finished your entries
Patricia - What is the discussion about ?
Patricia - Or is it a discussion?
gitti - Sometimes I think I should just ask my kids to say...hey remember when I came back from that workshop...how did I do > would you write that on my verification form John? tee hee
gitti - I have a question about that mentoring bonus...can someone explain it to me?
Patricia - oops did i scare ipsy off?
michelle - I have a few parents that can verify some things i'm calling accomplishments
Linda - I think this was to be Exceptional Needs discussion. But I'm CTE/EYA.
ispy - i am asking santa for a new computer......
gitti - I'm hoping parent verfication holds alot of weight.
ispy - everytime i get in here it acts up
Patricia - I didn't You just wanted a little colour
Patricia - Though I may have chased you ipsy!
ispy - well i figured since i got kicked out i would come back in style..
gitti - I thought it to be exceptional needs...hope so.
gitti - you look nice ispy
ispy - why thank you ....
Patricia - Exceptional as in exceptional students
ispy - at least someone thinks so
Linda - I helped a teacher with Entry 4 and her "Significance" and "Student Impact" was weak. Have several other teachers to read this and explain how the rubric works. That helped me.
Patricia - hello speced
gitti - can I ask a survey question...approximately how many iep's do you guys do individually per year?
speced - hello, it sounds like everyone is working hard!
ispy - hello speced
Patricia - Already gitti since August I have "worked" on 12 ...5 initials and 7 re evals
gitti - having others tell you how it impacts students is a good I dea I think. I've never been good at blowing my own horn and this entry seems to require it.
Patricia - have 8 more re evals and whatever new kids come
gitti - Pat..OHhh..that smarts...what state. My school is 21 % sped and this seems out of whack with the mainland...am I wrong?
speced - blowing you r horn is difficult for teachers to do, but you must do it, and show how it benefits students
Linda - yes, this is the time to convince them you have an accomplishment that makes a DIFFERENCE!!
gitti - speced and do it well I suppose if I ever plan on getting certified..
Patricia - Did i misread your survey question?
speced - yep, do it clearly, concisely, and convincingly
gitti - nope..you didn't ..I wondered how many iep's a year is average..
michelle - I usually have a big field day on subjects I've taught, Native Americans for example and invite parents and faculty and the students participate in team work,cooperation activities the use information we learned in class. Does this sound like an accomplishment or not?,
gitti - speced..ummm..where have I read those words..over and over and over..and asked myself ..did I do it? LOL
michelle - I have 15 IEP's in self contained EMD
Patricia - depends on distict gitti 21% SpEd !!!!! Must be something wrong there
speced - it sounds like you are on the right track gitti!
Linda - Michelle, this sounds like it is over and beyond a routine task.
speced - michelle- focus on how the collaboration enhances student learning
Patricia - OK colleagues not sure where you are all going
speced - show how it is a routine, and not a one time thing
Patricia - But you seemed to be blowing those self horns aplenty!
michelle - I do two a year and the faculty usually help myself and my students out a lot. OK I know I need to focus on how the students benefits
michelle - It's hard to look at this stuff as accomplishments, I do it for my sanity
Patricia - How many years have you been in teaching michelle?
michelle - 17 years
Patricia - Same district?
michelle - no I've been where I am now for 12 years
Patricia - Are you making over $50,000?
ispy - ok......i really need santa to come early...
michelle - Patricia, How long have you been teaching?
ispy - that new computer would be handy
ispy - isnt that true for all of us to some degree
Patricia - ispy is very fashion conscious
ispy - yes i am....
ispy - quite stylyish
michelle - I don't make anywhere close to 50,000.00 I wish!
speced - any other entry questions?
bec - How was the assessment? That's what has been concerning me lately...
ispy - well bec...it certainly is an up and down thing isnt it?
michelle - I feel like an under achiever now. I question everything i do to a point of insanity
speced - that's the right thing to do- know what you do and why you do it
stenz - I just received a letter from a parent that I did the Entry 3 on - and how she appreciated all I did - I paid attention to how a impact student learning.
michelle - positive feedback from parents is nice
bec - I know what you mean Michelle. It is quite an undertaking, isn't it?
stenz - it is better than any award
michelle - it sure is. I thought I could do this,I hope it won't take 3 years
ispy - ok friends.....it is time to go...
michelle - good nite!
stenz - don't think of it in years - you will do fine- and so what if it takes 3 you will see how it impact you positively.
stenz - bye!!!
michelle - I guess so, I won't quit
bec - how has it impacted you positively stenz?
stenz - good luck, Michelle
michelle - Thanks!
stenz - My colleagues, parents and kids see a new me - I guess I felt I was in the doldrums of teaching and needed to shake it up a bit
michelle - Well you did the right thing. I'm shook up
speced - it does have a way of re-energizing!
stenz - keep smiling Michelle
michelle - How long have you been teaching stenz?
bec - I can understand that...For me, it seems like something to aspire to. Going thru this, I realize what kind of teacher I want to be.
stenz - I liked the idea of setting new goals for myself - I guess I needed it-
stenz - I've been teaching 28 years
michelle - i'm all for improving in any way i can ut when you can't put students on video w/out a release What are those kids learning?
bec - WOW! Quite a lot of experience stenz! What state?
stenz - Illinois
michelle - how about you bec?
stenz - I've taught resource K-8, SC 1/2, 3/4 and 7th and currently a 4/5 resource teacher
michelle - For how long?
bec - I switched to teaching from social work. This is my 4th year teaching. You michelle?
stenz - I needed to change - worked in a co- op and I feel that has saved me from burning out.
bec - what's a co-op?
michelle - 17 years! I've taught Trainable,resource and emd
stenz - Special education districts of more than one - teachers go where they are needed
michelle - Cool!
michelle - Is that a lot of travel?
bec - What state are you michelle?
michelle - South Carolina
stenz - I find these kids challenging- and that's probably why I'm still in it - how do I accept the challenge"
michelle - I wouldn't do anything else but i have my days
stenz - I am currently in one school LD resource for the last 11 years.
stenz - Yes - we all need mental heatlth days and a monthly spa trip
bec - I wouldn't do anything else either. But I don't know if I'll be able to do 20 years!
michelle - I love EMD self contained but LD resource was a good experience too.
michelle - good Night!
