It happens

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Home : 2008 : April : 27

It happens
By dancersmoon

Every so often you have a class that makes you wonder if there is something wrong with the drinking water. This class is the one that leaves you thinking that no matter how hard you run you are getting nowhere.
In reality you may not be accomplishing measurable academic goals but meeting needs in other ways. One year I had 38 students with 10 being some sort of special needs child. The only help I had was thirty minutes a week when the children were pulled by a high school special education teacher. The rest of the time they were all mine. Even PE, break, lunch, etc. This was before teachers

were given planning periods.
It was a hard year on all of us. I've had other years that weren't quite so bad but bad enough and I've had wonderful Mary Poppins years also. ;) If you are a teacher you are going to have bad and good years. No matter what you do, what program you follow, where you teach, or how much you work with parents. You are not alone.
Sounds like your principal is looking at the money side of it all. The only chance you would have is if you have parents who would complain because their child was not receiving the education that is being paid for due to the amount of attention that you have to give to the special children. Teachers are usually not listened to since we are the soldiers and administrators simply don't spend the time with our class we do. There was a time when our input was not only expected but acted on. That is more or less a fairy tale in itself now. Parents on the other hand, still have power. Harness and use that power if possible.
There are some things you can do that will make you feel better, even if you only think about them!
Tell your principal that you are trying a new program that matches needy students to administrators as mentors in order to build student confidence
Tell your principal that your class voted and really wants (him/her) to be guest teacher for the day. (hour, subject, mystery reader, whatever you could get!:)
Have your class write your principal and tell him/her how much they like him/her and want him/her to go as a special honored chaperone on your next field trip. Assign the most interesting students to your principal.
Feed the students chocolate before the field trip...:D
I leave this for you and others to fill in...