A Little Alice Cooper - School's Out For The Summer

Whew!  I made it through the school year.  I barely made it but I made it.  I now have about six weeks to regenerate.  That's right, just six weeks.  The next school year starts on August 4th.

I learned a lot this school year about teachers, special education teachers, scholars with emotional disabilities, behavioral therapists and behavioral specialists, in-school suspension personnel, how making someone smile or laugh when they are struggling is so important, how to have some great conversations with someone who is less than half your age, and finally how to write a blog.

Teachers - a dedicated group of people and I feel good because I know all of them at this school.  So the next time you hear someone barking about teachers in the media and elsewhere ignore most of what they are saying.  I you want some first hand knowledge of the quality of teachers on your neighborhood do what I did, volunteer!  Spend a day in a classroom with a view from the back of the room and you'll soon discover that we don't have a teacher problem.  Before I move on I have to recognize two teachers:  BaseG who just competed his fourteenth year as a teacher and my friend Debby who has been a special education for a few more than fourteen years.  I could have used the actual number for Debby but I'm trying to avoid age issues. Ha!

Scholars - especially those in special education rooms.  Remember this no matter how crazy you read it can get in my classroom.  It's not their fault.  I don't know why they are like they are.  It may have been alcohol related, a chemical dependency, tobacco or maybe just the way God wanted it to be.  I just don't know. Here is what I do know.  When you see a special education scholar don't stare at them, point fingers at them or talk about them.  Just give them a hug and say a pray that God guides them onto the right path in life. With the ending of the school year below is the status of each  of the scholars.

1. CorP and Floss - both passed ISTEP math. Both failed ISTEP reading and I believe by one question. Although I'm not certain I believe both of them will be promoted to 5th grade.
2. Straw -  great when on his medication.  Very disruptive when he is not.   He failed both ISTEP math and reading.  Knowing this I'm not sure if he will be promoted to the fifth grade. 
3. The Collector - like Straw great when on his medication and horrible when he is not.  He failed IREAD3 by a lot and in theory should not be promoted to the fourth grade.  A little speculation on my part, I'm thinking I'll  see The Collector next year at the same grade.  By the way, I like The Collector. When he messes up I call him by his sister's name.  His usual response is to call me Mary.
4. Yo! - another scholar who failed IREAD3 by a lot.  He also struggles with math and hates to read.  I'm thinking I'll see Yo! next year at the same grade.
5. EM - can't read a lick and he is in the second grade.  He has maybe thirty words he can see and recognize when he is reading.  On the other hand he really increased his maths skills.  Given his very low reading level I'm pretty sure I'll see him again in August. 

Behavioral Therapists and Behavioral Specialists -  what a group of people.  They spend the entire day working with special education scholars.  That has to be a grind.  Their goal is to work on behavioral issues so that scholars can transition to a general education classroom.  I believe I have this part correct.  If I don't maybe PhD?Sparty who I bet is lurking in the background can correct me.  They have essentially six years (the grade school level) to accomplish this.  Why?  There are no self contained special education classrooms starting in the seventh grade.  Scholars like the ones I work with have to survive in a general education classroom.  If they don't, dropping out will mostly be the end result.

My final thoughts on this school year and this blog.  I started this on a whim.  When I'd tell my family and my Wednesday wine drinking friends at Vino Villa about my experiences in the classroom they would encouraged me to write them down.  I procrastinated for a long time before I started.  On March 19th I posted my first blog comment and since that point I have been amazed at what has happened.  To date I have had 1,269 individual page views.  I also had page views from these countries: Russia, Germany, Norway, Belgium, Ukraine, Lithuania, Brazil, Honduras, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela.  All the different countries is what truly amazes me.  I often wonder who are you people.  Maybe on day one of you will post something in the comment section and then I'll know.  I have a few more blog drafts started but completing them in a timely manner will be a little slow as I'm taking a break.  If you wish, check the blog every week or so for an update about My View From the Back Of the Room.

From my heart, thank you for taking the time to read as my daughter original posted a long time ago on Facebook the musings of a wise old man.  It has meant a lot and has been a humbling experience knowing so many people came back on a regular basis.

Allan