Posts Tagged ‘Special Education Teacher’
I’m Sorry, Your Son Has Autism
These words hit me like a ton of bricks. Like a wrecking ball to my soul. It felt like my world came crashing down on me and I was drowning in quick sand all at the same time. Even though I already knew in my heart that my son had Autism. After all I was a teacher of students with Autism for 21 years at that time so I could tell Cole was not developing skills he should have had by age 2. He did not speak or make intelligible…
Read MoreTo my Son’s Teacher
Tomorrow my son will start in your classroom. It will be our first real time spent apart since he was born. I worry you won’t like him. I’m afraid he’ll be too much for you to handle. Everyone tells me this will be good for him…good for me. I hope you love him like your own. Chances are, my little guy will have no idea I’ve even dropped him off because he lives in his own world. He will probably grab your hand and happily go with you because he…
Read More10 Things Special Ed Teachers and Staff want Parents to Know
As so many of us parents prepare to send our kids back to school, or even to school for the first time, I know emotions are running high. Especially if you have a child with additional needs. The fear is real. I asked the teachers, aides, and paras in my audience to tell me what they wanted parents to know. Here are ten of my favorites. Click HERE to read the rest. As a special education teacher, I say to my students and parents that I love them like my…
Read MoreWhat your Child’s Teacher wants you to know…
Dear parents, I guess emotions are running high at this time of year; excited for back to school and some peace and quiet, but nervous about how your child is going to settle back into routine, what will his new teacher be like, will her SNAs be kind, will they understand him, will they manage if he has a meltdown? I imagine some of these questions are going around in your head at the moment and as a teacher I can tell you that we understand. We understand that these…
Read MoreThe Other Side of the Table
I am no stranger to the IEP process that’s for sure. I just finished my 12th year as a special education teacher in a small town in the thumb of Michigan and I absolutely love my job. I’ve known I wanted to be a special education teacher since my junior year of high school and I pride myself in always trying my absolute best to put the students first and try to create great relationships with my students’ parents. I can’t tell you how many IEP meetings I have run…
Read MoreA Teacher’s Message to Parent’s of Autistic Children
Often I read real life stories of what life is like for parents of children with Autism. As a teacher who works with children with AU, I would like to say I am here for them too. To the parents that trust me with their most prized possession for 6-8 hours a day I am grateful to you. I am grateful that you trust me, that you support me, that you can see when progress is made (and when it is not, because that is even more important). I wake…
Read MoreThank You to the Teacher who Loves My Son
Any parent who has sent their child off to school knows how emotional that first day can be. So many thoughts run through your head leading up to that big day. Will they find their way to their classroom okay? Will they know where to go to the bathroom? Will they make friends to play with at recess? What if they miss the bus to come home? When you have a child with autism, those thought turns in to fears, and they seem to quadruple in quantity. You have likely…
Read MoreThank You Influential Teacher
Dear Influential Teacher, I know what it’s like to live in a bubble of the typical. A typical day, a typical child, a typical life. I know what it’s like to go through the year, losing the will to invest in the kids we have trouble connecting with…those who aren’t self-motivated, involved, and actively engaged in the lesson…those who don’t see us giving our all, lesson after lesson, paper cuts, ink stains, broken copy machines, fire drills, back talk, and all. I know what it’s like to overlook those who…
Read MoreDear Autism Teacher
The bleachers are a sea of orange shirts. I push my one year old back and forth across the crowds of people as I search for your class. We search for about ten minutes before I finally spot the sign for your school. I’ve never experienced the Special Olympics before but it is way more crowded than I expected and I am thankful that I put my squirmy toddler in a stroller otherwise I am pretty sure I’d be chasing her around the crowds. As soon as Isaac spots me,…
Read MoreI’m Thankful For You: Our Son’s Teacher
(Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Cindy Heitman and is part of Cooper’s, ‘I’m Thankful For You’ Campaign.) This December I want to honor and thank our son’s teacher, Shannon Tackes. I am so very grateful for Shannon! My son, Erik, has non-verbal autism. Although he can’t speak, he doesn’t have any trouble letting you know what he wants. Erik is so sweet and his giggle will make you giggle too. Erik is 6, however, he wasn’t diagnosed until he was 4 1/2 years old. Because Erik had great eye contact, was…
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