"Ms. C, you know, it really bothers me when people think that resource means we're dumb. I think it's great. It just means we need a little help to stay focused and all...we're lucky! Like, have you heard the word 'special education'? That's not us is that? Because that makes us sound like we're stupid or something, and a lot of people say they want to get out of resource, but I would never want out of resource!"
JT said this to me after school today as he was finishing his global midterm, and my heart actually broke a little. I had a good long talk with him about what an IEP is and how students end up with them and why some students just don't understand because no one has ever explained it to them. He was also really bummed today because he got kicked off the basketball team since he's failing 2 classes, so I promised I'd help him work towards getting his grades up so he could get back on the team. I'm actually really glad that happened, I think it'll be a good reality check to get him back into gear.
Midterms week is almost over, and as hectic as it has been, it's also been really...interesting. I haven't gotten a single one of my prep or lunch periods all week, and I've had some students in my classroom 4 or 5 periods a day. I'm getting to see their personalities come through more and more.
I don't think I've ever mentioned Monique in this blog because she's not a huge character in my class, but I realized this week that if I was still in high school, I would want her to be my best friend. She's like a big sweet mom, and every once in a while she throws you this hysterical sarcastic comment that makes you just want to give her a big hug. I'm really worried about her because she's currently failing a bunch of classes, and she is not one of my students that goofs off and doesn't do the work. She's my only student not classified as LD (learning disability). Monique's classification is TBI (traumatic brain injury). Though I don't know the story behind what happened, she is perfectly perfectly normal, it just takes a longer for her to take notes and process information, and I think most of her classes move a little too quickly though. I absolutely adore her for her patience and am realizing that I really need to find a way to keep her up to speed!
I also just found out that I am in the weekly TFA digest under "corps member spotlight"! Check it out!
(way way way at the bottom) Teach for America Weekly Digest 10/28/2010
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