School for me

[MakinIT]

Well....it happened...Found out today that I've been accepted to the program to train teachers of the visually impaired!!!!! :D I'm so excited...of course...except for this summer, it's all distance learning so I can sit on my butt and do internet classes. Remember, I'm already a certified special ed. teacher so this is a year's worth of training to become a consultant to work with visually impaired kids/adults/teens. A woman I know already wants to hire me, used to work with me as my classroom consultant when I had visually impaired kids in my room. she knows I can't work full time and will work flexibly with me. If one week is awful, she'll excuse me for the week if I make up the hours the next. ( we talked about overall hours of 17 -20 per week, this wouldn't be until fall of 2005) This summer I have to work on Portland States Campus but because I have a cert, I only have to take 9 hours instead of 15, I start taking braille this summer. Should be interesting.

Has improved my mood!!!!!

:D

take care all

[kelly McC]

congratulations ! Good luck to you !:grouphug:
Kelly

[dyno]

That is great! This should be very rewarding for you and I bet you are looking forward to it.:) Good luck!

[MakinIT]

wow..John Lennon was a man with some pretty prophetic sayings...A year ago, I was in pain (from a burst ovary) worrying about a surgery that I had no idea was going to cause me this pain. In a way, it is good. I need a change from my job. not my kids...I love those munchkins like they were my own. I just can't handle all the paperwork and my hands put behind my back by requirements to do stuff but then no money or curriculum. SOOO...a consultant job is in my future,parttime but what can I say?

You all are wonderful...Why am I paying a counselor when youall help me solve my problems.? He just stares at me looking like Mr. Clean and waiting for me to talk...hmmphh...

bye........

[carla_2004]

Congrats!!!

I am so pleased to hear of your acceptance! What a wonderful way to gain an added expertise and re-position yourself to accommodate your own IC needs.

I'm sure that VI specialist are in high demand like special education teachers. Or probably even higher since it's a sub sub specialty?

:blink: Carla

[MakinIT]

Yes...the VI teacher is in high demand and I could go and do and write my own ticket. I really appreciate that the woman who wants to hire me will give me the hours I needs to stay within my fatique and pain level. I am excited, nervous, a little worried. The first semester will be the worst because I have to go to campus, the rest of the program is relatively easy. I can do it from the internet. I have to do a little student teaching once a week until the last term but otherwise...piece of cake...I hope. ;) I gotta do something or I will go nuts...I think that is half my psychological problem is needing to do something productive after being a special ed teacher for so many years. Ugh..makes feel old "After so many years" Yuck

Thanks for the encouragement.
Tracey

[tigger_gal]

congrats to you! I am happy fpr you
Brat

[ICNDonna]

That is great news.

Warm hugs,
Donna

[MakinIT]

Thanks all....you make me feel warm and fuzzy.

[arcticfox]

I am so happy for you Makin It! You should be shouting for the rooftops!

YAHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Arcticfox:hi:

[PikkuMyy]

Hi Tracey,

I, too, am a special education teacher, and I know exactly what you are talking about. I am lucky enough to work 1:1 with autistic children with their homes, which is a lot easier if I'm not feeling well than running classroom. Plus, I have a lot more autonomy and although it's a lot of paperwork, it's only for one child at a time.

I am currently getting my MA in special ed (which luckily consists of mostly classes that meet once a month and the rest is internet!) after which I must decide whether to become a supervisor/consultant in my current line or work, or go BACK to school (ugh!) to my my preliminary credential so I can teach in public school here in CA. It's frustrating since I already have a credential in elementary ed. and will have a MA in moderate/severe but if I want to teach, I have to go and get all these lower classes. At least their still grad classes.

Sounds like you've really got a great plan and I'm very happy for you!

Emily

[MakinIT]

Hi Emily

Are you telling me you aren't Hightly Qualified!!!!! GASP!!! Make it easy on yourself and keep your life flexible by being a consultant. I'm telling you, it is the way to go. I do have my MS in teaching, could also teach (besides all special ed sub groups...that's the way they do it in Wa...talk about a collasal F...up, once you have a special ed license in one area you can do any, but vision) early childhood special ed, biology, sociology, and history for god's sake...I only took two terms in college but since my BS is in a social science, I could, technically in WA, teach high school history. (The other areas aren't any big deal since I majored in them)

If you decide to get your preliminary credential, I hope you seriously think hard before taking on a classroom full time. Yipes. I couldn't do it anymore. Just not in me. I have to work (I mean, I am disabled and getting paid for that) but I am going nuts with nothing to do. And I miss the kids. Doing a classroom again would be a complete failure for me.

Aren't Autistic kids a blast? They are definately some of my favorites to work with...Do you do structured teaching with them? I have this great clock, it's called the Time Timer (there's actually a web site) where the kid doesn't have to hear a timer going "click, click, click" its a red line that you set that slowly disappears as it gets close to the end, and there is no "ding" or loud noise at the end that sets off kids. You should check it out. They are awesome. One of my best investments, I have a small hand held one, and a larger class size one.

"sigh" you can tell I miss the chatting with others who work with special kiddos.

Best to Emily- whatever decision you make, I'm sure it will suit you well.

Tracey

[PikkuMyy]

Hi Tracey,

Thanks for the advice. I'd love to chat about our line of work - you seem to have a lot of experience. If you want to, send me an e-mail at

littlemy@sonic.net

I have to laugh at myself when I looked over my posting to you because I've sometimes inwardly criticized teachers for their spelling/grammar mistakes. And yet there were several in my posting! And I noticed a few in an e-mail I sent to one of my classmates last week! Now I know very well how to spell the contraction of "they" and "are", and it isn't "their". Yet when we're not feeling well or in a hurry, one way of spelling it somehow pops out our fingers and we don't notice. So from now on, whenever I see typos, I'll remember that.


Cheers!
Emily

[carla_2004]

I just have to jump in and ask Emily what the ages are of your autistic students and what functioning levels?

I have two adult children along the autistic spectrum- one more impaired than the other. I encountered many wonderful teachers along the journey and I'm thankful that more is known these days about autism and best practices than when mine were young. These days we are working on transitional skills to hopefully get them as independant as they can be.

Tracey, Thanks for the tip about the Time Timer- I haven't ever come across that item. My youngest used to be driven nuts with auditory overload by the typical classroom clock. Oh yes, and the air conditioning unit in class.

I couldn't even begin to imagine having IC and being in a classroom environment. That would be a hard one to juggle- depending on your symptoms.

Emily, another teaching option besides public schools is at private schools. In the East Bay area there seems to be several private schools popping up for higher functioning kids- especially those dx-ed with Aspergers. (my daughter attended one of the schools a few years ago). I have heard they pay more than the typical private school.

Take care, Carla

[MakinIT]

Emily

I did not even notice the typo until you pointed it out. Anyway, online on this board, I'm usually so tired and have alot to say, it comes off my fingers before my brain spells it. Then I'm too dang tired to check it. (Also, the morphine and valium play havoc on my spelling and all)

Carla

did you say 2 kids with Autism? wow...bless you. I always say bless the parents. Very rough road to travel, but there certainly are some rainbows along the way. Much more is being learned about Asperger's now as well. There was a boy in my husband's gifted class who was obsessed with weapons, and was very solitary. Paced the classroom. I watched him one day and said "IMHO, I think the kid's Asperger's" Of course Roger said, "he has an IQ of 150 he can't be retarded." U can imagine my response. So I tried to get all these people to test him and no one would. They just kept saying he was the next "columbine kid". Bright, isolated, fascinated by guns..etc...BUT..he never physically fought, and had a sincere love of animals. Got the wild bunnies around our school to come tohim and actually let him hold them. They
never come near anyone! So, his mom comes to me one day and says she has him privately tested and guess what...he's got ASPERGER's. (No one had even mentioned this possibility to her because I never saw her and the rest of the school team said no way) She wanted info. How's that for "twice exceptional?".

Anyway...good luck to YOU all....I am just anxious about this pain going away. it's 1:00 AM and I can't sleep so I'm a little worried about going to school and possibly not being able to manage it.

Tracey

[carla_2004]

Tracey, Hope your IC pain is better today.

Good for you for getting the diagnosis correct. And for helping the mom. Tell Roger that many people with Asperger's IQ run the ful gamut, though there is a higher percentage of average IQ and above average IQ. Anyway the young man sounds pretty classic, even details like loving animals and the interest in military objects. I bet anything that he probably knows the make and model of every gun ever made- including the history. The pacing, I would guess, would be a self-coping skill he has developed- though maybe not an particularly effective one if it distracts from his ability to function appropriately in the classroom.


Be sure to post and let us all know how your pain is doing. Carla

[ICchell]

Congratulations!

[MakinIT]

Thanks for all your kind words and support, you all are making me feel like i can do this. It's tough..I have to go in next week and resign my current position with my current school district. I've had that job for over 9 years, but my doc reaffirmed, even with the nerve block I'm consiering, that I cant do this work any more with the severely disabled. Once I've resigned, I lose my medical benefits. (My husband will have to pick up my portion...Reallllly sucks).

Anyway, gotta go
T