This school year, (which starts next week!!!), I will have all three children in the local public schools!!! My 3, almost 4 year old son, is starting his second year of “preschool disabled” for his oral motor dyspraxia (layman terms, he has difficulty forming the words with his mouth). My 5, almost 6 year old daughter, starts kindergarten!!! And, Amy starts the fourth grade, at a new school, and in a new classroom setting for her.
Amy and the little dude, are both going to be in a Team Teaching classroom. That means, that there is a general ed teacher and a special ed teacher in the class at all times, all day long! (in little dude’s class, the teachers are actually both special ed, but, one will be considered gen ed). Anyway, since we had Amy diagnosed earlier this year, she was pulled out of class during language literacy arts (or reading), for 44 minutes a day. There was nothing bad about this, as she really progressed, during that one on one time, and was taught utilizing an Orton Gillingham based method of teaching reading. She is now able to read first and second grade level books on her own. So, when we sat down during her end of the year IEP meeting, I brought up if placing her in the Team Teaching class would be beneficial. I felt it would be, since all the other parts of the school day require reading, and she isn’t a strong reader and struggles, and I thought, it would be perfect to have that person available to her all day long. Well, I thought that the team (notice, I feel out of the team, as they never listen to my suggestions) threw that idea out, and suggested placing a special ed teacher in with her only during the 88 minutes of Language Literacy Arts, daily, and then allow her to muddle through the rest of the day. Ok, this really didn’t make much sense to me, but, I was just happy that they were giving her services, and if a problem arose during the year, I could definitely fight for more assistance in the classroom.
Well, when the class lists came out last week, I immediately came home and pulled up the teachers web site. All our teachers have an e-board. Well, I noticed that there was also a welcome note from Amy’s special ed teacher from the end of 3rd grade, and started to put 2 and 2 together, and realized that she WAS placed in the team teaching class!!! I know, that CST should have told me their decision, and I plan on calling them and also changing her case worker, as she is nasty and has poor communication skills with all the parents that I have spoken to, including me. I spoke to this Special Ed teacher, and yes, I was so happy to find out that Amy will have access to special education ALL DAY LONG!!!! She is one of 7 students that this teacher has, and I am thrilled! I have been trying to get her into that Team Teaching class since first grade, after realizing her struggles in kindergarten, but, because she needed other assistance that wasn’t generally provided in that class, she was never placed in there, until this year. So, I am really hoping for some wonderful improvements this year.
AND THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR, SINCE KINDERGARTEN THAT AMY IS EXCITED TO GO TO SCHOOL! Yes, she is almost 10, and is starting to worry more about what to wear, she wants her hair perfect, and cannot stop talking about going to school. I am just so relieved that she is finally interested in the entire school thing, as she knows that she won’t be lost anymore, or very little.
As for Little Dude, well, this is his “PRE K” year, and even though he is 2 years younger than his sister, he technically could go to kindy next year. I don’t see him going to kindy, but, then again, it is at the same school he goes to now, and I can always have him do kindy 2x, right? He will most definitely need speech for a couple more years anyway, so, why not? And, him being in a TT class with up to 16 students only, is only going to prepare him more, and they know the curriculum, and what the kids need to know for kindy. So, this is an exciting year for him, too!
My kindergartner was fortunate enough to get a very animated, energetic and loving teacher. I have known her teacher for 5 years, and am absolutely thrilled that she is in this class. She is reading some sight words, and knows her letters and their sounds and numbers. She can count over 100 and is doing simple addition and subtraction. I know that she will be challenged this year, and if there were a gifted and talented program in our school, she would probably be there. But, I know that they use small group instruction for reading and this year, they are doing so for math, too, and she will be able to work at a faster pace if need be.
So, Team Teaching and a new school year here we come! I hope it is as successful as I am hoping it to be!
