MY CLASSROOM!!

I don’t think that I have ever explained on here exactly the position I have taken through the Coop. It was kind of "hush hush" for a little while, as to respect the teacher to left. This was the first year that Maize needed a middle school structured learning (autism, mostly) program. There are 5 wonderful hyper young men in this class! The coop hired a teacher, and helped her build this room from scratch... She made it two weeks and told the Coop that she could not do it and quit! Leaving the boys without consistency or structure and the Paras in charge, for lack of a better work. After going through a few long term subs the coop brought over an IR teacher to hold down the room until they could find someone. I received a call from one of the Coop directors while I was still student-teaching. She asked me if I would be willing to come in and interview with them, for a structured learning position?! I assumed it was for the high school, as I knew this teacher and just given her two week notice. I will be totally honest... I had no desire to take on middle school! But once you have met these boys, you just fall in love with them! I have worked with all five before as a para, and am not super excited to be their teacher. While working with my mentor (everyday) this week, I asked her if I was being naive and that these boys weren’t that hard?! She told me she would be very honest, and that they were super hard, the hardest class she has ever had in her 8 years of structured learning. However, she assured me that with structure and positive behavioral support they can be very loving and flourish, this is exactly what I had seen them do in the past. When the environment is structured appropriately for them! I have spent the last week, along with my mentor trying to make my classroom jus that!!

This is a before..

an in between..

  finished independent   finished one on one area

We are not yet done, but getting very close!! I am taking my camera in with me tomorrow so I can take a few picture for one of my kids who uses digital pictures instead of boardmaker for his schedule, so I will have better photos soon!!

God is good, and will continue to guide my steps. I would appreciate a your prayers Tuesday afternoon when my paras come in to see all the changes (eekkk), and Wednesday our first day back as Mrs. Dyke the teacher!!