5 things teachers do during summer

Sure, there are lots of posts going around about teachers and their summers, but let's be honest, here are the 5 things teachers totally do during summer "vacation".

1. Sleep in

You know, they don't drag themselves about of bed before the sun rises in summer time. No! The sleep in until the late morning hours, like until 7:30! Can you imagine?!

2. They get to be lazy

No more teaching lessons, no sir, not for us! Instead we sit on the couch with laptops or iPads in hand... And search Pinterest for lesson plans, classroom decorating ideas, and classroom management strategies! Don't forget about signing up for all those super fun professional development courses - of course you won't have anything scheduled until after you go back to school, right? I mean, really.... Who actually works in the summer? 

3. Spend time with friends and family

Wait... Teachers have a life outside of school?!? Ludicrous!

4. Do things at a leisurely pace

Take 30 minutes to eat breakfast? Sure! Slowly chew your food at lunch with no pressing time constraint? Yes please! Head to the restroom at the first hint of needing to go? What, you can do that?!

5. Continually think about next school year

Yup, as much as we count down to summer we still can't stop thinking about next school year! We are teachers, after all, and our students and our classrooms are important to us. I've thought at least 15 times about different ways I will try to set up my room when I come back, how about you?

Bragging Rights

Time to toot my own horn today. I haven't done a great job keeping up with my blog but that is mostly due to the fact that I just can't seem to find the time. Between being a teacher and being a mommy and a wife I am dragging every day. Fortunately summer is here and this gives me some time to recuperate so that I am ready to give 110% to every aspect of my life again come fall.

Well, OK, that wasn't tooting my own horn, but don't worry, that's coming.

I never, not in a million years, thought that I would be teaching what I am teaching today. Now, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, but being a special education teacher had really never crossed my mind. When I decided to go back to school to get my masters degree I had every intention of just becoming an elementary school teacher, it's what I always wanted. But it seems like things were meant to go in a different direction for me. The program I was accepted into wasn't going to work for me and my family and I had to look elsewhere for schooling. That's when it all started. I had to think long and hard about the decision to pursue my degree in special education instead. The more I learned the more I realized it was actually exactly what I wanted.

Individualizing for students

Paying attention to their different learning styles

Yup - This was going to be exactly what I wanted.

Then life threw me another curve ball.

After I finished my degree and student teaching I was hired as a co-teacher. Perfect! But then I was moved to this position called "Redirection"... Working with students who display frequent mis-behavior.  - I cried. - And then I sucked it up and knew whatever life handed me I would always do my best. And wouldn't you know it, it was the perfect place for me.

Do I get hit, kicked, scratched, and spit on regularly? Yes, but I wouldn't change my job for anything. All I ever wanted from being a teacher was to make a difference and with this job I get to really see the difference that I can make. And the best part? (Here comes the horn tooting)

I've been told that I'm actually really good at my job. I have had my superiors tell me so, ask me for help in situations they are dealing with, and have been requested numerous times to have other redirection teachers come to observe my program.

All my hard work has paid off. The pain, the struggle, the crying at the end of the day, it's all been worth it.

I guess, the real reason I am writing this blog post today is to say that no matter what situation life hands you, even if it seems like the last thing on Earth you would ever want for yourself, you have to always do your best because it may be exactly the right place for you.

Transition Timer

Working with students who have special needs you often find students who have difficulty with transition. This year I encountered a student who was really struggling with the transition from a preferred activity (typically recess) to a non-preferred activity (lining up). I decided to try to create a transition timer to help this student, who is a very visual person since verbal warnings didn't seem to be helping. I created one and another teachers asked if I could make it more like a flip chart (the first one I used velcro) and so I took those ideas and ran with them. What I came up with has been a great help to this student and we have been able to implement the same transition countdown timer throughout classrooms where this student will be and displays a difficult transition time.

Flip chart transition timer

Directions for end of transition (Sit on the carpet, Line up, Sit at desk)

Velcro transition timer with specific direction (Line up to go to lunch)

Now, is this a solve all? No, the student still struggles at times but the difference has been drastic. We have seen an overall improvement which is all we can ask for.