A little bit of dirt....

The other day my little Marcus got off the bus and went over to his spot in the dirt to wait for the others. Several adults passed by, each one telling him in one way or another to get up so he wouldn't soil his pants, etc. I, the teacher, ignored the other adults and went over and sat beside him to see what he was doing. This little boy was observing nature at its best. He was watching ants entering and leaving a tiny hole in the ground. I let him be after encouraging his efforts.

My question is this: since when has it become wrong for a child to sit on the ground? Is this not what children's jeans are for? They are tough pants. Children should not have to worry about messing up their clothes while playing and observing nature.

So to all the little Marcuses out there, please, go ahead: look at ants, follow worms, dig in the dirt, pick wildflowers, and discover the beauties of the wonderful planet called Earth!

On Being Alone

There...I said it. I am alone. Alone without family, alone without a team, alone without friends. I seem to just rub people the wrong way. Call it passion, but I take pride in developing activities for my students. I wonder what someone else would do.....would they make everyone sit at desks all morning and color? I try to work individually with kids or in small groups. The assistant has to keep the children in order. She has to not get so wrapped up in what she is doing that she isn't watching. Academics have to be done in the morning because they are tired after lunch.

But no one understands....I have no team. People wonder why I don't work in a team well. It is because I have never done it.....ever. I am always by myself, the lone class. I want to work with a staff with whom I can discuss issues.

It's Summer

Well, I know it has been a while since I wrote on this blog, but at least it means my life is busy. Summer School is one week down, four more to go. Most of my boys are there plus three more kids including two girls. We are taking an imaginary trip to Florida to see Mickey Mouse, learning and writing along the way. I unplugged the internet and added Pixwriter to the computer and don't hear any complaints. I see it this way: the kids are on the internet a lot at home so at school they need other experiences. Pixwriter encourages them to type and write. Writing and using their hands is much of what an adaptive class is all about. Which brings me to my latest creation. I can't wait to try their new name stencils with them. I used magnet sheet and art foam to cut stencils of their names. Then I stapled a loop so it could easily be lifted onto a metal slate on top of a sheet of paper. Now, add a pencil or marker and the highest form of personal pride can be done: that of writing their names. I am doing the same with dolch sight words, too.

Maybe this will help train their hand in letter formation.