H.A.L.T.

Recently on a knitting podcast, the host talked about using the acronym HALT when making decisions. You shouldn’t make decisions when you are Hungry (H), Angry (A), Lonely (L), or Tired (T). You might run into obstacles if you feel this way also.

Usually, when I keep making the same mistakes over and over which results in frustration, the cause is usually tiredness (T). I know my husband tends to overdo a task because he wants to get it done but his blood sugar drops when he misses a meal (H). This causes mistakes and/or frustration with whatever he is working on. We always laugh and say he is hangry (hungry + angry). It’s a real thing!

This can happen with my students. Some of them don’t eat breakfast so by mid-morning they can’t concentrate and tend to make a lot of mistakes. When this happens, I try to get them to take a break and have a cookie and some water. You would be amazed at how this little thing can make a difference. Sometimes I make them go on to a different task and come back to the one that frustrated them later. They usually can accomplish things easier then.

Sometimes they are so afraid of making a mistake, that they are paralyzed with fear. Then I try to find them a buddy to help them. This usually works better than if I try to help them. When I help them, they see it as a sign of failure or weakness.

Many students come from dysfunctional homes and may not get enough sleep the night before. If they are really tired, I may let them put their heads down for 10 minutes. There is no use in trying to badger them into working on assignments when they are too exhausted to focus. If this occurs so much that it interferes a lot with their progress, I have to call home or set up a meeting.

Sometimes just these little adjustments can make a world of difference!

How do you handle situations like this? Please share.

Photo by Artur Kornakov on Unsplash

Just Keep Swimming

Most schools in my area have been going for about a month now.

The honeymoon period is ending and students are getting settled in. Teachers have found their groove and established routines.

Now students begin testing their limits.

Students are struggling. Some are falling further behind and behavior problems are starting to occur too often.

Both students and teachers are becoming frustrating. Some students act like they don’t care about anything.

It is about this time that students and teachers feel like giving up.

BUT WAIT!

As Dory says in “Finding Nemo,” – Just keep swimming!

Don’t give up! Just keep swimming. Now is the time to brace yourself and give it some extra effort.

This is the time for teachers to stay firm and be consistent with discipline.

Get to know the students on a more personal level. Find out what their interests are and what motivates them.

Think about your lessons. If they are boring for you to teach them, they are just as boring to learn them. Put some pizzazz in the lessons.

Call home often. Brag about the students as much as you complain about them. This will go a long way in getting parental support when you need it.

In the last 5 minutes of class, have a discussion about hypothetical situations such as “What would you do if you found a $100 bill on the floor?” or “What would you do if you saw your best friend steal something?”

At the beginning of class, give them 5 minutes to write in a journal. They have a choice of writing on a specific topic or how they are feeling and why. I usually require a minimum of 5 sentences but as the year goes on, they usually increase in length on their own. I collect the journals and read them. I correct grammar and spelling and even add some personal comments. The only grade I give them is a check for completing it.

What other suggestions do you have? Please share.

Different Directions

In Left Turns from Sioux's Page, Sioux asks,

“What kind of left turn have you experienced lately?”

When I decide that I’m going to knit a pair of socks, I get excited about the thought. I love knitting socks! In fact, this year, I’m hoping to knit 12 pairs of socks by the end of the year.

In January, I picked out the pattern that I wanted to follow and then chose the yarn that I had. This yarn was in my stash since last June. I love the colors and the feel of the yarn but I’ve been reluctant to use it in my knitting because it is so beautiful. But one of the knitting challenges I’m participating in is called Don’t Hoard The Precious means that I’m trying to use some yarn that I bought last year instead of just hoarding it.

I started on the foot and really loved knitting on my socks. I knit the pattern on the top of the foot but didn’t on the sole because I don’t like walking on the patterns. Once I added the heels, I started the pattern up the leg. When I finished the leg and was about to add the cuff, I stopped to try them on. I couldn’t believe that they didn’t fit over my foot! It was too small.

I ended up ripping out the socks all the way to the foot and reknitting the socks. I needed to make sure that I spread the yarn out more so they wouldn’t be so tight. I kept trying them on as I knit up the leg. They are still a little tight over the foot but I reused to rip out the socks yet again.

So, basically, I just about knit up 2 pairs of socks this month! I didn’t want to do this but I did it.

This reminded me of how many times I plan a lesson and it doesn’t go the way I had hoped. I’m usually more excited about before and sometimes disappointed afterward when the students aren’t as excited about the lesson as I was.

Sometimes a student hopes to learn how to do something faster than it actually happens. They get frustrated and lash out in anger.

It is important to explain to students that we all take different directions sometimes when we are learning. It is important to keep trying and not give up.  Sometimes when we find ourselves going in a different direction, we need to decide if we want to keep going that way or work our way back to the right road. It is also important that as a teacher I help them go in the direction that they need to go.

Have you ever ended up going in a different direction than what you intended? Please share.

Suggestions for a Frustrated Teacher

Recently on another site for special ed teachers who knit and crochet, someone asked the following questions. I thought I would share my answers.

· How do you keep control over your classroom? How do you deal with a couple of kids who act out on a regular basis, while not neglecting the others?
A: Have a behavior plan in place and be consistent. Stick with this plan for at least a month even if it seems like it isn’t working because students will test you to see who can give in first. Consistency is the key. I would call parents on a regular basis (at least every other week) and brag about their children when they are doing good things. I would also just touch base to see if they had any concerns and tell what we were working on. I would come into class and tell the kids that I called some homes to brag about them. The kids who act out always ask why I wasn’t calling their homes and I would tell them that if they were good that day, I would call home to brag and I would. This made them try harder to act appropriately.

· How do you keep them on task? E.g., for a fidgety student, a case manager recommended some silly putty to keep his hands busy. Instead, it just keeps him fully engaged in playing with the putty (which is a tolerable result because at least he’s staying in the classroom and isn’t disturbing others), but usually ends up with him throwing pieces across the room (then the putty is taken away, he starts throwing things, and has to be removed from the room).
A: I have used the rubbery squishy balls for a student to manipulate while I am talking. This has helped. I also allowed students to stand up in the back of the room as long as they weren’t disturbing anyone.

· How do you let your kids know that failure is ok? One or two go into anxiety attacks at the thought of getting even one question wrong, to the point where they not only refuse to try to answer it, but also refuse to move on to the next problem.
A: I would start off with some activities I knew a student would be able to do. The more successful they are, the more likely they are to attempt harder stuff. I also told my students that on some things, even if they got all of the answers wrong, I graded for effort and they wouldn’t fail. I also said that I could tell if they gave full effort or not and if they didn’t, they would fail.

· When situations are spiraling out of control, how to you break the cycle? A kid acts out, teacher reports it to mom, the kid becomes resentful and acts out more, teacher has to tell mom, to the point where even when the teacher want to email the mom about positive behaviors the kid panics.
A: This is why contacting parents on a regular basis is so important! Once you get in a routine about giving attention to the positive behaviors, many of the negative behaviors will fade. Check out Classdojo.com which is a free program on PC and free app for Ipad. It is fun and easy to use for behavior management.

· How do you manage all of the bureaucratic paperwork? Keeping track of unique IEPs for each student, teacher evaluation requirements, etc.
A: I have a spreadsheet with all of the things that have deadlines and list the deadlines. Each day I make a list of what needs to be done that day and then prioritize. It is important to stay ahead of the paperwork so I don’t get overwhelmed.

· Any other advice?
A: Exercise, take vitamins, and drink plenty of water. Stay healthy. When you get run down, you feel miserable and unhappy with yourself, your job, and others. Ask the students which teachers they like the best and then go observe these teachers. Ask other teachers who they think are the best and go observe these teachers. Both observations will help you see how other teachers do things and help you see strategies in action. Find a hobby outside of teaching so you can get some distance and perspective about your teaching. reading.

Do you have any other suggestions to any of the questions? Please share!

Image: 'Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh! .....' 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53211846@N00/404625070
Found on flickrcc.net

Frustrations of a Teacher

I recently heard from a reader and her email made my heart hurt for her. I wanted to share with you her email and then share my answer below it.

“While I try very hard to take much of your advice to heart, I find it can be very hard... I do not get a lunch break on more days than not. I do not have a planning period. And I find, no matter how organized I get, once I am in the building for an hour (or two, at best), I am no longer organized. (And I am borderline OCD about being clean and organized!!) I take vitamins (and use Airborne), but have been sick more this year than ever in my lifetime. I am exhausted when I get home and should keep up with school on the weekends, but I'm usually too drained to even BEGIN to think about work. (But really - I LOVE my kiddos, my classroom and my job!) 

I do not cry often, and I've cried twice in the past 48 hours over something work-related. I am stressed, frazzled, and frustrated... and it is NOT me! 

How does one continue at this profession without being worn out and worn down daily?! 

My biggest problem as of late is that I have 7 students - all kindergarten and special needs - and 5 of them have what I would consider major behavior issues. One in particular. She is, without a doubt, my difficult child. She came to me in October from a gen ed classroom setting where she was set up, basically, to fail. Mom pushed for the gen ed class, but she was not ready for that... She is diagnosed with Down's Syndrome, as well as Oppositional Defiant Disorder. She came to me kicking, hitting, spitting, biting and pinching grown-ups and her classmates. We've eliminated MUCH of that behavior - although she did slap me in the face last week, which resulted in a flip to red and being sent home. However, she continues to throw herself on the ground, kick over tables, throw chairs and refuse to do a multitude of everyday tasks that even my most stubborn students will do without so much as a flinch. She is also a runner, has to be accompanied by an adult staff EVERYWHERE she goes, and has pica. 

I believe shortly after she came, three of my other formerly well-behaved students (one Autistic, one non-verbal/OHI, and one ODD/CD) began displaying many of her mannerisms. Saying no instead of complying, being very loud and defiant, screaming instead of sitting on the carpet at morning meeting. 

I think my hair is turning grey as  I type. 

Any advice? 

I think the most frustrating part of this entire situation is that I WENT TO SCHOOL FOR THIS. I have a Master's Degree and cannot control my children! I can't imagine how their parents feel, because many of these kiddos display the same behaviors at home. 

Absolutely any help you can give me would be adored.”

First of all, don’t feel alone. Many times I have felt the way you described. Don’t feel like there is anything wrong with the way you feel either. I remember thinking that if I was a “good” teacher, I wouldn’t feel like this but I was wrong. Many of the “good” teachers feel like this but have found ways to deal with these feelings.

I’m also concerned that you don’t have a lunch period. I believe by law that you must have one so I’m not sure if not having one is one that you control or your administration. If the administration hasn’t given you one, you need to get that corrected immediately. If for some reason, you are working through your lunch time, then you need to stop. You need to make yourself stop and give yourself a break for your physical health as well as your mental health. I used to work through lunches and many evenings at home until one day I lost all my hair on my head. After many doctors visits due to this traumatic experience, it was determined that stress caused this. I began exercising and eating right and eventually my hair grew back. I realized that even though I wanted to be the best teacher I could be, letting my health decline was not the way I was going to do this. In fact, it made me a less effective teacher rather than more.

One thing I have done (and still do), is make a list at night of all the things I want to accomplish the next day. Then I prioritize them either by relisting them in order of importance or numbering them. Then the next day I follow that list. I don’t jump around the list unless there is something keeping me from completing a previous item. As I finish each thing, I mark it off. This visual of marked items keep my spirits up. I also gave myself pats on the back for doing a good job.

As for the copying behavior of the other students, I would give extra praise and rewards for times they are not copying her behavior. They may be doing this because they see that her bad behavior is getting her more attention.

Another thing I have done is calling up parents and bragging about their children when they have done something right. The more I did this, the more pleased the parents were and bragged to their children. This made the children get more attention for appropriate behavior and tried harder in class. At times when I was feeling discouraged or frustrated, I would make extra calls like this and the parents appreciating and excitement helped me realize that I was making a difference.

You talk about catching up on weekend but do you have any hobbies outside of school work? I think it is important to find something outside education to give your mind a rest. That is one way that I kept from getting so burned out. Over the years, I have had several hobbies and when I lost interest in one hobby, I found another one.

I know that it will take time for you to figure out a system that works for you. Every year you teach, you will tweak this system until it gets better and better. Eventually you will overcome this general feeling of confusion and frustration. This does not mean that at times you won’t feel this way but you won’t feel it every day you wake up. I know I felt this way every time I moved to a new school and it took me at least a year to settle in.
My last piece of advice is this: Don’t give up! If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t be worried. Knowing that you care means a lot but it isn’t enough. You need to take of yourself physically and emotionally.

To my other readers out there, have you ever felt like this teacher? If so, how did you deal with these feelings? Please share.

mage: 'Day 15--Frustration'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/58372737@N00/369649914
Found on flickrcc.net

My DirecTV experience

(Warning: Rant in progress!)

Every year I start my vacation on a bad note with DirecTV. I have been a loyal customer since 2006¸ paying almost $140 per month for this service. Keep in mind, I enjoy DirecTV and the programming we get with it but it is a luxury and not a necessity. When I called DirecTV to put a vacation suspension on my service, they say I need to have a zero balance to put this hold on my service. I just paid my bill in full on 11/19 and do not feel that I should have to pay the full amount in advance on 12/3 just to put a hold on my service. I feel this is a terrible way to treat loyal customers! It is not like I’m trying to get out of paying my bill because I pay my bill in full every month.

The first girl told me that it was impossible to do and got me her supervisor, Vanessa when I asked for her. She also told me it was impossible to do without paying the whole amount so I asked for my service to be cancelled. So, Vanessa passes me on to Solomon. We go through the same song and dance and I still feel that I am treated pretty shabbily when all I want to do is put a vacation hold on my service. I finally ask for the company president’s address and an email to file a complaint. Solomon gave me an address and told me to address to the attention of the “Office of the President” but would not give me a name (which I found out by looking at their website is Michael White, Chairman, President & CEO).

When I asked for an email address, he told me that he couldn’t give me a specific email address but told me to go through the following steps: Go to “DirecTV.com”, click on “About Us,” Click on “Our Company,” click on “Executive Team,” click on Executive Customer Care Contact,” then click on “Ellen Filipiak, Sr. VP of Customer Care.” Why did he have to go spend all that time when he could have just given me that final person’s name and email? I believe they hoped that I would be fed up and give up without cancelling my service! You would think that a company that can turn my service on and off by the touch of a computer should be able to handle this quickly and efficiently.

After all that, when I asked Solomon if he cancelled my service, he acted surprised, like he didn’t know that I still wanted to cancel my service. Finally, twenty minutes after I began this ordeal, Solomon says that he will put a vacation hold on my service but this is a onetime deal only. Again, I feel this is a terrible way to treat a long term customer and should not be made to feel like I’m begging for something that isn’t due to me.

I have to go through this ordeal every year when I want to put a hold on my service. Why do I need to have this aggravation when I start a vacation? I should not have to threaten to cancel my service in order to get good service.

When we return home, we plan to look seriously at this situation to decide if we want to continue with DirecTV. If they don’t value long term, loyal customers, there may a company out there that does want our business. Please let me know if you have a company you have had a lot of trouble with so we don’t put it on our list to consider.

Now it’s time to put this horrible experience on the back burner and go enjoy my vacation!

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original image: 'Day 15--Frustration'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/58372737@N00/369649914 by: Brandy

Is It the Right Time?

Recently I got a discouraged email from a friend who is unhappy at her current position and has been offered a position in a different district starting immediately and didn’t know what to do. I have another friend who is extremely unhappy with her position and says that if she isn’t offered a different position, she may quit teaching permanently. I have another friend who is leaving teaching to start her own catering business.

Earlier this month I read What Would Make Me Leave the Profession

from Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs by K who talks about leaving the classroom. Read the post to see what reasons K would leave.

These conversations made me think about working in a place/position where I’m unhappy. I think life is too short to stay in a situation that makes me miserable unless I knew it was only temporary. I have transferred from three schools during my public school career and each time I left because the Principal expected me to lie. Above all things, I need to be true to myself and losing my integrity for the sake of a job was not worth it to me. I was lucky enough that when I was unhappy with a situation or position, I worked at finding solutions to my problems because I wanted to stay at that school. I looked for people to support me and help me find the solutions necessary to make it a win-win situation for everyone. But I never could find a solution to lying.

At the beginning of my career, one principal wanted me to lie because he was stressed out and couldn’t stand up to fighting for the truth. He felt that I was still so new at my job (I had been there three years) that I would do whatever he asked if I wanted to keep my job. Needless to say, I needed a principal with some backbone and leadership skills so I moved on.

The next school I was at was a move from elementary school to high school but I enjoyed this switch more than I expected. I thought that I would give it a year and if I didn’t like it, I could always move to somewhere else. Unfortunately the principal that hired me moved on to greener pastures after a year. The new principal had different ideas and management styles but I could live with that. Until he told me that I had to lie to a group of parents about something being my fault even though I had proof that it was his fault and not mine. He stated that if I didn’t lie, it would be a sign of insubordination. Even though I had been there for six years, I decided it was time to send out feelers for openings elsewhere. Within hours, I was offered a job in another high school in a different district and got a higher salary.

The next school I was at was wonderful and I stayed there for eleven years and two principals. The last principal wanted me to lie in court. I loved this school and my colleagues but I was not going to jail because the school would come out looking bad. In fact, the student was right and I was being called in as a character witness. The principal wanted me to lie about the student and not say that he was wonderful, well behaved, polite, straight A up until this small act of rebellion. He had his hair shaved into a Mohawk and refused to shave it off as requested by the administration. Then when he used some profanity on the bus, the school had him arrested because he was 18. All of the other students on the bus admitted to using profanity but no one else was arrested or received any disciplinary action. When I explained to the judge in his chambers that I needed a note to cover my absence from school because I felt I would need documentation after my court statement, the judge was quite upset and actually called my principal and reprimanded him for trying to intimidate a witness. In fact, the words “contempt of court” came up in the conversation. Needless to say, it was time to move on again.

Now I was truly crushed because I thought that school would be the one I stayed in until I retired. I loved the kids, the parents, my colleagues, my courses and everything else about it even though I drove almost an hour one way to work.

Yet I was truly lucky because another high school really wanted me at their school (especially since I had won the state special ed teacher of the year award the year before). This school went out of the way to see how beneficial it would be if I taught there and anything I asked for was worked out. I truly felt this was a dream come true and I stayed there for 7 years before I retired. What I had thought was a nightmare at first became a Godsend. I had great students, great classes, great colleagues, and was only 15 minutes from my home. Sure, it wasn’t perfect because nothing ever is. It had its rough times and tough situations but nothing that I couldn’t live with.

So as spring arrives, and contract tensions arise, many teachers are wondering if they should transfer or quit. I think it is important to ask many questions first.

1. What would you gain from a new situation?

2. What would you lose?

3. What is the worst thing that could happen?

4. Could you live with the worst thing happening?

5. What do you really want?

6. If you found out that you only had five years left to live, how would this decision affect you?

7. I really think it is important to remember that life is too short to be miserable. But is your situation temporary or permanent?

8. Are there solutions that could take place that would make your current situation better for you? Have you talked to anyone about making these solutions?

If there are no solutions and you are truly unhappy, it is time to seriously think about finding a new position or school. Unhappiness is like an infection and will be evident to your students, their parents, your colleagues, your administration and nothing beneficial will come from this unless you take action. It is scary to move into a new and unknown situation but you owe it to yourself to have a successful career that makes you happy.

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original image: 'SAF#2'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52485003@N00/281640001 by: Roberto Ferrari