I’ve recently had quite a few conversations with new
teachers about their first-year experiences in the field. The common theme of these conversations is
that most new teachers start out feeling overwhelmed, incompetent, and sleep
deprived! That’s exactly how I felt my
first year of teaching as well! This is
no reflection of how much you love your job or your students. It’s just a tough job, especially in the
beginning! I don’t think that any one,
or any educational program, can truly prepare you for your own classroom. It’s sort of like being thrown in the deep
end of a swimming pool. You feel a
little shocked, your feet don’t reach the ground, and you have to decide pretty
quickly if you’re going to sink or swim.
Not to mention that you’re not exactly sure how to swim! Sure, you’ve taken some classes, watched some
videos, but you’ve never had to do it on your own, you’ve never had to do it
without your life jacket. But, here you
are, in the deep end, with no lifeguard. It’s just you (and a bunch of children you’re
responsible for!) That can be a pretty
scary feeling, and is a feeling that I think a lot of new teachers can relate
to!
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
ABA Drill Sergeants: ABOUT FACE...
...and keep on marching!
Posted by: Natalie, Special Educator
Out of our wonderfully assembled team of brilliant, hardworking women dedicated to improving the lives of children with special needs and their families, I believe I am the newest one to the field. I dabbled in high school history, elementary school math, and middle school ELA. But then, I stumbled across this science called ABA in my graduate program at Teachers College, Columbia University and hit the ground running! Never having been more passionate about anything else in my entire life, I've dedicated myself to trying to be the best teacher, behavior therapist, and play buddy for all of the students I have had the honor to work with.
Posted by: Natalie, Special Educator
Out of our wonderfully assembled team of brilliant, hardworking women dedicated to improving the lives of children with special needs and their families, I believe I am the newest one to the field. I dabbled in high school history, elementary school math, and middle school ELA. But then, I stumbled across this science called ABA in my graduate program at Teachers College, Columbia University and hit the ground running! Never having been more passionate about anything else in my entire life, I've dedicated myself to trying to be the best teacher, behavior therapist, and play buddy for all of the students I have had the honor to work with.
I'm just an SLP livin in an ABA world... :)
Posted by Dani, Speech-Language Pathologist
Hello everyone! This is my first time blogging so hang in there! I am a part of a dynamic team of amazingly intelligent and passionate women who kick some major butt at their jobs (to quote Heather from Real Housewives of New York City- "HOLLAA!!") and I represent the "Speechie" of the group.
Like many speechies, I was groomed against ABA (applied behavior analysis) during my undergrad and graduate years (I more specifically remember my grad school childhood language professor emphasizing the unnaturalness of using ABA for language development). All in all- I was taught that ABA is this terrible old school way of teaching children.
Hello everyone! This is my first time blogging so hang in there! I am a part of a dynamic team of amazingly intelligent and passionate women who kick some major butt at their jobs (to quote Heather from Real Housewives of New York City- "HOLLAA!!") and I represent the "Speechie" of the group.
Like many speechies, I was groomed against ABA (applied behavior analysis) during my undergrad and graduate years (I more specifically remember my grad school childhood language professor emphasizing the unnaturalness of using ABA for language development). All in all- I was taught that ABA is this terrible old school way of teaching children.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Not All Therapists Are Created Equal
Posted by Ashley, Special Educator
This seems to be a regular topic of conversation with many
of the families we work with. I
cannot begin to count the number of parents who have expressed dissatisfaction
with one or more of their child’s home-based therapists (e.g. ABA, Special
Instruction, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech and Language
Therapy). In many cases, parents come to
us explaining that they feel that something is not quite right, but also doubt
their feelings and intuition. Some parents feel confident in their instincts, but feel unsure of what to do next. Especially
in the field of Early Intervention, when families are just beginning to
navigate this overwhelming world of special education, many parents do not feel
that they have the knowledge or experience necessary to evaluate a therapist’s
skills. I hope the information provided
here will offer guidance to any parents who find themselves in this situation.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Getting The Words Out
Posted by Ashley, Special Educator
Why this title for our blog?
It seems fitting to begin our posts with an explanation of our title, as it lays the groundwork for all that follows. This phrase was chosen because we feel that it encompasses who we are as professionals, the work we do, the needs of our learners, and the ultimate goal of this blog. The meaning behind this phrase is multi-faceted, so let’s start from the beginning.
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