A New Design and a New Year

It’s been almost a full year since I’ve written, and I’ve decided to give it the old college try once again.

So, on this Thanksgiving weekend (we Canadians know when to celebrate the Turkey holiday!) I thought this would be the perfect time for a relaunch of ‘Underheard in Room 200′.

There have been some changes in my class this year….a couple of students have left, and new ones have arrived. So, let’s do role call:

The Class:

Russ, Peter and Ivy (all in Grade 6)
Tyler and Mira (in Grade 5 – new to our school)

Bernadette moved to another school part way through last school year, and Kenny is attending a signing program, which is a great move for him.

Other people you may meet in the blog:

ArtGoddess (the art teacher)
CyberSwami (formerly known as CyberGuy – a teacher and computer expert)
FitDude (phys ed teacher)
Ms. Rabies (the other teacher of the Deaf in my school)
Coordinator Man (the coordinator of the D/HH program)
Scientifico (the science teacher)
Ms. Veep (the vice principal)
PrincipalWoman (replacing last year’s admin., PrincipalMan)

and me, Ms. Education.

So….sit back, relax and join me as I travel through this year, my 7th as a teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Day One – How to Talk for 6 Hours Straight

A good day was had by all. I’m now EXHAUSTED and came home with a wicked headache. I have no stamina for school and children and talking anymore…must….build…strength….

I spent the day explaining EVERYTHING to the children. Countless forms to hand out. Some forms go home, never to be seen again. Some come back to me, signed by parents and students. Behaviour code of conduct. Computer code of conduct. Lunchroom code of conduct. Then…the form to end all forms…the giant super-form. This one is the long paper, and has about 15 different places to sign for a variety of things: emergency contacts, media release, allergies, and the one that caused all of the problems today….siblings.

My students didn’t know what a ’sibling’ was….we discussed brothers and sisters. Then I had to ask each child, “Do you have any siblings?” They finally figured out what I was talking about….took awhile. My day is spent explaining things to kids that other children, hearing children, simply overhear as they grow up. I have to explain all the stuff they’re missing. It’s actually the part of my job I like the best, because it feels like I’m really doing something important.

The day went quickly and was rather a blur. I’m going to write later in the week with reflections on the children (using pseudonyms, of course), because they’re such wonderful little characters.

On to Day 2 — only 179 more to go!

The Day Before the First Day

Lunch is packed, dayplans are ready to go and the backpack is by the door. Off to another school year tomorrow!! You’d think that with as much experience as I have, I’d feel like this was no big deal. However, I’m like a little kid going off for the first time. I know that I’ll have my annual ‘I-can’t-sleep-I-hope-tomorrow-goes-well-please-let-it-be-a-good-year- and-don’t-forget-your-lunch-in-the-morning-you-big-loser’ non-sleep. I’ll go to bed early, stick a post-it note declaring ‘LUNCH’ on the door, and hope for the best.

Now for the important stuff….What am I going to wear????

Isn’t It a Bit Early for This?

Welcome to my new blog!! I know, I know…it’s only August, so why am I thinking about teaching already? Well, damned if I know. I’m going to try to ‘reflect on my teaching practice’ this year (what a load of crap that is, I mean, isn’t that fabulous?!?) and see if I can learn anything about myself and my work.

 This year, I’ll be teaching 5 Hard of Hearing (HH) students, who are in Grades 5 and 6. A small group, to be sure, but generally a needy bunch! I’m starting to think about how to schedule things this year, because though I’ve been teaching for 10 years, I’m never completely satisfied with how things run.

Maybe this year, I’ll be completely organized! Maybe this year, I’ll have files in order, and all assessments done in a timely fashion! Maybe this year, I’ll have my long range plans done by the deadline!! Ok…you’re new here and you don’t know me yet….ain’t gonna happen.

A girl can dream, can’t she?