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1st day at school.
A very cautious young girl goes to 1st grade at Berkshire Elementary School, a 1st through 6th grade school. This was a strict traditional learning environment. If we wanted to use the bathroom, we actually had to hold one or two fingers up. What was that????Where did this information go? -
2nd grade class picture
My second grade class of 43 students!...Our class listens and sits quietly throughout a very orderly day. I don't like to get into trouble so I follow all the rules and keep my head down to work. Recess is crazy as we run around the playground. By the way, I am holding the slate! -
Where did Billy go?
I remember Mrs. Wagstaff, my third grade teacher. Our class was lined neatly with rows of about 35 desks. Billy was funny and he made me laugh at almost anything. One day, after a comment, Mrs. Wagstaff ran to the back of the room, grabbed him by his ear (I saw the blood dripping as she pierced the lobe with ner nail, and dragged him out of the room. He never came back. -
No reading here!
We did not have books in our home. So, without school, I'm sure I would not have learned to read. My parents did the best they could; they both worked to provide for me and my brother. I do not ever remember being read to as a child.The only reading material in our house was the Reader's Digest and the occasional National Enquirer (haha!).I wonder how different my life perspectives would have been if I would have been exposed to more as a child. I was limited to "Walter" and my neighborhood. -
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Junior High School
Oh, my! The memory that always returns is walking down the crowded hallways and being pushed and shoved and listening to the wisecracks of the kids. You couldn't stop to really talk or you would be late for your next class. The bell would ring and students would pour into the hallways not unlike a cattle call. -
The assassination of President Kennedy
President Kennedy is shot! I am in Biology class and our teacher reports that the President has been shot and we are excused for the remainder of the day. Students are rushing and running through the hallways. Some are crying quietly... some are sobbing as they make their way through the halls. In the evening, my family watch silently as Walter Kronkite shares the details of this tragedy. -
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Holy High School!
Patapsco was a brand new High School and socially reflected the working class area. Academic tracking was prevalent and you only socialized with people in your own track...and those you knew fom sports. -
Dr. Martin Luther King is shot.
Dr. King is shot. I have several friends at school but I don't know their struggles. Sheila and Manny are friends but we don't talk about racism. I see and hear many racist aspersions and now I see sadness and heartfelt grief. -
Race riots in Baltimore.
Race riots in Baltimore There is a curfew and everyone is to be off the streets by 4:30pm. My aunt from South Carolina calls and tells my mom to "...drive fast and duck!" I think to myself that this is not a time to be funny. Does she not understand the significance here? The turmoil mounts and the news reports about controlling the
rioters. Dad complains about the looting and yells at the TV
set. -
Vietnam.
My brother is sending me letters from Cambodia as the news coverage reports there are no troops in Cambodia. He is an army ranger and when he returns, no one cares. There are no welcomes...only protests that tell him he was wrong to serve. "You should have fled to Canada!" he was told. -
High School Graduation!
I took advantage of the possibilities of that time. I was in the college prep track, participated in activities, captain of the lacrosse team, a cheerleader, and the prom queen! All of these activites defined me during those years and prepared me for college. In retrospect, the activities were as important as the academics; the same group of people participated, so what were the other 300 doing who did not? -
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Off to college!
Frostburg State Teacher's College. Here I am and wondering like many what I will do for the rest of my life. Given my working class background, teaching or nursing is the direction counselors suggest. Many of my friends in the business track are encouraged to become secretaries. -
Off to college...
I suppose because of the tracking system at my school, I was guided toward Frostburg State Teachers College in western Maryland. The guidance counselor was more in control than I. Once I got there, I felt unprepared. I was hired as an RA for the following year but with feelings of inadequacy, I decided not to return for my sophmore year. -
Skinner
Skinner published Beyond Freedon and Dignity which promoted the theory of control through behavior processes. His techniques of shaping behaiors were used in the classroom as behavior modification for students with behavior problems. I believe his techniques can be modified to present a gentle balance of positive reinforcement and learning self-control. -
PL 94-142
History of IDEAThis law provided a mandate for all schools to educate children with disabilities. Prior to this law, 4 of 5 children were excluded from access to public education. -
Off to college...again.
Listen to your mother and don't drop out of college! The good news is...you can always go back and I did! I started at the University of Maine, moved to Rhode Island and finished at RIC. PL94-142 was enacted so colleges offered teacher preparation programs for special education teaching positions. -
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A left turn and off to college again!
After a drastic left turn and lots of life experiences, I enrolled in Rhode Island College in Providence. I earned my teaching degree in special education and elementary education. I was immediately hired to work at a school for children with behavior orders. -
Love and Logic
This is a program developed by Charles Fay. I use this parts of method in my classroom and find that it is more successful coupled with positive reinforcement because it is not punitive and focuses on natural consequences rather than negative reinforcement. -
Bookshelves!
The den in my home is filled with bookshelves. Perhaps I married an avid reader to make up for the lack of literacy in my home as a child. My favorite author is Ayn Rand; I read Atlas Shrugged several times and each time, I read it with a different perspective. -
Yes! A degree!
Those left turns always help in forming my views and goals. The teaching degree means a lot to me as I continue my journey. -
Teaching...?
What is it?I am working at St. Aloysius Home for Boys. This a residential treatment center for children are abused physically, sexually, and/or emotionally. I am using a structured systematic approach to teaching but am told to use more behavioral management techniques as my class is not quiet. I remember it being a busy classroom with lots of activities. I believe that if engagement and learning is the focus, then behavior management can be secondary. -
The Pathways School
After a move from Rhode Island to Washington DC, I was hired for a special education position at The Pathways School, an alternative school for children who were expelled from public schools. My husband and I were to be here for two years for his internship. The students were a pleasure to work with and the staff was supportive and creative. We used the city as our
vehicle for learning with field trips. -
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Working...working!
I continue to work with children with serious behavioral disorders during most of these years. In 1987 I worked as an interventionist and Reading Recovery Teacher. I always connect with children and recognize that learning to read is the most important event in their life right now. -
Intervention Specialist
On to the Cleveland area! I am hired at Orange City Schools as an interventionist in a pull-out program. I convince several teachers to collaborate so the child does not leave the classroom and I act as support in the classroom. It was successful as all children involved improved. -
Teacher development...
I have the opportunity to be trained in Reading Recovery techniques. I am impressed with the focus and attention to the whole act of reading while breaking down phonological elements. This is a successful but expensive program as it is one-to-one teaching. -
Kids!
My daughter, Amy is born...beautiful in every way. I read to her every day but she only likes me to read Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. She is very strong-willed and as she grows, we realize she has some attention deficit issues. She struggles in school and never seems to fit in with the group. Her ADHD interferes with everything she does. It takes many years to help her (and us!) cope. -
Personal teaching!
As I continue to develop my teaching skills and my philosophy, I find that students want to be noticed and always have something they want to share. I find ways to create a relationship with each child by noting things they say, do, talk and read about. This connection is an important element of teaching and learning. It is very different from my own experiences as a student where the teacher was the authoritarian. My classes start with a morning sharing time to discuss issues and events. -
Kids!
My twin sons are born. Unfortunately, I realize how much work twins can be and decide to resign my teaching position. Children who are read to develop a greater sense of language and understanding. I read to them every day and they become avid readers at an early age. They graduated in the top 15 in their senior class. I'd like to think that had something to do with their success but I know that genetics also plays a big part! -
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Life experience!
I have the pleasure and opportunity to stay home with my children and enjoy watching them grow to be the responsible (almost) adults that they are becoming. -
Family time!!!
Family time at the Outer Banks! I am choosing to stay at home with my family. I am not a multi-tasker and am sorry I missed time working but also know I could not have done both jobs well. -
Awards Assembly
The awards assembly at Solon Middle School consisted of recognizing almost everyone in the 7th grade. As kudos were given the students were asked to remain in the front of the auditorium. As you might expect, at the end there were 15 students left in the audience. They all stared at each other and felt their failures. My daughter was one of the 15. This event defined her as a student for years after. -
Evidence-based practices
evidence-based practiceMy studies at JCU give me the opportunity to apply current practices to my teaching. This link reminds us of the importance of staying current in educational issues. Conferences, collaboration, and continuing credits all support the students and improvement as a teacher. -
Recertification at JCU
This is where my education grows on a personal level. There is a difference in teacher education today as opposed to 1980. It is a function of the availability of information on learning and teaching through educational research. It is also a function of methods that are currently supported by research. -
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Finally, I am home!
After returning to school, yet again, to get recertified as a teacher, I am now working with students in a residential and day treatment program. The one thing all the students have in common is their desire to become a better reader. A majority of the students are years behind their grade levels. Regardless of their background, as they peel away their layers of defense, their desire to learn to read is evident. -
Teaching...I'm home.
I was lucky to return to Orange as a long term sub. The city provides teachers for Beech Brook Residential Treatment Center. I enjoyed working with this group of 5-7 year-old students and did lots of relevant hands-on activities. The teacher aides told me I was "doing it wrong" and I should go and observe in other classes where the students are sitting at their desks. I recall kindly redirecting the aides but they were glad when the regular teacher returned! -
Hired again!
A position opened at Beech Brook and Orange hired me for a new position in a locked unit for children in crisis. This was a good match and usually I was able to build an easy rapport with the many children who were admitted to the unit. I had an opportunity to observe many types of illnesses, syndromes, and behaviors. I worked with psychiatrists, therapists, parents, county workers, and childcare workers with a goal of determining the best course of treatment for each child. -
Beyond Behavior
I am a member of The Council for Children with Behavior Disorders. I find that keeping up with current trends and ideas help as I work with this population. I try and change periodicals every few years to keep a wide perspective. -
Leadership!
A new principal was hired at school. What a difference leadership makes. The focus is on education first and behavior as secondary. My philosophy certainly fits better in this perspective. Prior to this, the principal gave little direction so I was able to teach using my ideas. Now, there is more direction and demands, but my beliefs align with those of the new principal. I'm looking forward to this coming school year. -
Conference!
I went to the Lakota Literacy Conference in Cincinnati. This was a time to hone some teaching skills, gather ideas and share. The Reading Workshop approach to teaching reading and writing is an interactive method that asks students to be reflective. This supports the learning styles of many students with behavior problems because they often feel no one listens to them. It is an opportunity for these students to have a voice and be engaged in learning. -
New Class!
I requested a transfer to a classroom for this coming school year. For the past 7 years, I worked with 55-60 children each year in the ITU. I'm ready for a change and will have a self-contained class of 4th and 5th graders for the whole year...I feel like a first year teacher. This will be a fun year!
