Morning comes at 4:30 tomorrow and I've been staring at the ceiling for the last 45 minutes. I have this list going through my head of all the things I need to get done...or that I didn't get done today!
We will finish up our second week of school Friday. (Two down and 34 to go!) I'm starting off the year with 8 kids which you wouldn't think is a lot but you would be wrong! So far I haven't figured out where to fit lunch and trips to the bathroom into my schedule.
I have two new 5th graders this year. Both of them come from a much rougher school than ours. It's being an eye-opening experience for both of us. I've forgotten what it's like to work with kids who are so used to the streets. Kids who have to be able to fight to make it home from school. Our campus is a very low socio-economic environment but we have very "sweet" kids. I think working at my school has spoiled me. I forget that all campuses don't work like ours.
We've also gone to a full inclusion model for special education. The behavior program that I teach has been an inclusion program for the last 3 years. This year though we've put all sped kids back into general ed. classes. It's an adjustment for everyone.
Inclusion definitely has its advantages. I think a lot more kids are pulled out for resource help than need to be. Some kids though do have severe learning disorders that make a general ed. class impossible. One of my 5th graders is reading on a 1st/2nd grade level. Asking him to read 5th grade material is asking for behavior problems. (I was thinking about that as I stared at the ceiling. That would be like asking me to read an advanced level math book. I could see what was written on the page but it would be a lot of symbols that I didn't understand.)
I'm flying by the seat of my pants right now. I have teachers asking me what to do with kids I have no history with. I don't know what strategies work with them and which don't. (I'll also admit they are both taller and stronger than me and they scare me just a little!) Maybe the xanax I just took will kick in and I'll be able to go to sleep!
Have a great school year. Keep Strong!