https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr By Amir Barnhardt en-us 2021-11-04 03:56:50 UTC 2021-11-04 12:00:46 UTC hello@padlet.com amirbarnhardt https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866523617 24 years ]]> 2021-11-04 03:59:52 UTC https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866523617 amirbarnhardt https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866525756 Teaching is a calling, it’s not just a job.  Taking an active interest in children’s lives and being present in their learning is essential.  You have to be able to encourage, support, and listen on levels that you can’t even imagine. I wanted to make a difference in children’s lives and for them to have a positive interaction when learning.  Children with special needs, need that even more than the “mainstreamed” child.  They require extra help, patience, and an indeterminate amount of understanding.]]> 2021-11-04 04:01:17 UTC https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866525756 amirbarnhardt https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866529120 My ideas have not changed; I’m still in teaching for the same reason-to make a difference and be a positive influence in a child’s life both academically and socially. I can honestly say, I love that classroom; that’s why I’m not in administration or working as a “specialist” for my district.  I enjoy the energy and excitement of working with the children, watching them learn and grow.]]> 2021-11-04 04:03:33 UTC https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866529120 amirbarnhardt https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866530018 Teaching is teaching.  When working/teaching children with special needs you still have to adhere to the standards and curriculum. However, you have to make sure that you have put in the time to plan thoroughly.  This is not a “wing it” exercise.  Planning and working with special needs students doesn’t mean dumbing down the work, it means rethinking how to present the work , and accommodations and modifications so that you can reach them on their level, and help them to be both productive and successful.  One of the greatest challenges is remembering that they will have behaviors that will get in the way of their learning and being successful.  That is where a whole extraordinary level of patience is essential.  They will struggle, and fail, but if you as the teacher put in the time and effort necessary for their learning, and to help them be successful, you will see the reward!]]> 2021-11-04 04:04:12 UTC https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866530018 amirbarnhardt https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866532707 My best advice is to remember why you chose to teach.  You will have hard/challenging days, and you will have amazingly extraordinary days.  You will go home at the end of the day bone tired, but knowing that you made a difference today in some small way with a particular child is an amazing feeling of accomplishment.  As far as having the special needs children in your classroom with the “regular” education children, my best advice is to building your bonds and relationships with all your students.  You need to build that classroom culture of respect, and that they are all in there to learn, and we don’t all learn at the same time and the same speed.  Not only are you an advocate for your students, but they need to be advocates for one another.]]> 2021-11-04 04:06:06 UTC https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866532707 amirbarnhardt https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866533620 Well, state education always needs more money!  Aa far as state assessments are concerned, I struggle with why I work to differentiate my lessons and tier groups, but then I’m required to give a standardized test that won’t accurately measure a child’s growth, whether it’s a special needs child or a “regular” classroom child.  Inclusion is necessary, even though pull-out programs have their necessity and use, it is important that those children with special needs are not entirely isolated for the majority of their learning time. They must be included in some level with their peers in a mainstream classroom. My two biggest changes would be to reduce class sizes for all teachers, and for those teachers with special needs children in their classroom all day, or the majority of the day – they need help!  Provide them with para support so help lighten the work load and share the responsibility.]]> 2021-11-04 04:06:43 UTC https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866533620 amirbarnhardt https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866534712 . No, I don’t believe I would choose another career field.  I love the work that I do.  It is rewarding, and I am fully committed to it.  I wake each day, anxious and ready to return to my classroom.  I enjoy the energy that the kids bring to my classroom.  I love that I get to spend my days with them, impacting their growth, rewarding their accomplishments, redirecting their less than favorable choices-helping them understand the consequences for the choices they make, both the positive and negative, and watching them achieve in ways even they didn’t know they could.]]> 2021-11-04 04:07:27 UTC https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866534712 amirbarnhardt https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866536205 This is a challenging career – not for the weak.  Know your “why”, keep it in the front of your mind when planning and and preparing for the challenges you will face.  Accept help when offered, and give help or assistance when you can.  Everybody needs help with something at sometime.]]> 2021-11-04 04:08:33 UTC https://padlet.com/amirbarnhardt/yqer9k3bklccowvr/wish/1866536205