This is truly one of the many benefits of being an active member of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). I had recently received an e-mail from CEC inviting special education teachers in the Washington, D.C. area to participate in a “Reform in the Classroom: A Conversation with Educators of Exceptional Children” at the U.S. Department of Education. The invitation only allowed for 15 teachers to be recommended to participate. I immediately replied and hoped that I would receive a confirmation to attend and what a blessing it was when I did.

I couldn’t help but share the news with everyone I knew. The round-table discussion was hosted by members of the U.S. Department of Education Teaching Ambassador Fellows and covered the following topics: new teacher evaluation systems, college and career ready standards (such as the Common Core State Standards), assessments and other areas of reform that are currently taking place in our classrooms every day.

I was bubbling over with an opportunity to share my voice on these areas of policy that directly affect my students and me. The good, the bad and the ugly! Many of the areas I had previously discussed in the Reality 101 blog, including teacher evaluation and Common Core State Standards. So I felt beyond prepared but nervous of what to expect especially since the intent of the discussion was to carry our concerns back to the U.S. Department of Education Secretary, Arne Duncan. 

On the day of the discussion, it was amazing to see so many other special education teachers represented from the various regions. The conversation flowed so naturally—filled with emotion and passion for our field and our students. It was great to hear so many of my concerns shared among my colleagues. Though differences may vary state to state, we all expressed some common themes we looked for in policy and reform in the classroom. Those policies should honor the diversity in our classroom and be more student-centered, as well as focus less on the deficits and more on the strengths of our students. 

We also want the data we collect to be meaningful in order to best support our students and ensure their success beyond assessment and the walls of the classroom. And for us, as special educators we want to have more support and time to teach our children rather than being buried in paperwork. I could go on and on just like our discussion could have but we only had an hour and half.

I can promise you this, I will continue to look for opportunities to participate in these conversations because there is no better way to be appreciated and honored for Teacher Appreciation Week than to have our voices heard.

I hope my next trip U.S. Department of Education will make a visit with Arne Duncan or President Obama himself. No harm, in aiming high.

There have been many things over the past couple of years that I never dreamed I would be doing, hence, my “Top Five Things I NEVER Thought I Would Do as a Special Ed Teacher” list.

1. Eat at a hibachi grill with my students.
   Last year, after a field trip to Helen Keller’s birthplace, my students and I experienced a little culture at a Japanese restaurant. They loved it! One of my students, however, did firmly scold the chef for playing with fire.
2. Become an expert on the carbohydrate counts of school cafeteria menu items.
   When one of my students was diagnosed with diabetes, we were instructed to monitor her carbs at breakfast and lunch. By now, I can pretty much recite carb counts for the menu items: chicken salad=14, ranch dressing=1, serving of grapes=10, etc.
3. Make cornbread in the microwave.
   As a part of life skills instruction last year, my class had a cooking competition for corn bread.  We split the class into two teams: one that made this traditional southern food the old fashioned way and another that made it using the microwave. I was in charge of the microwave team, and, for the record, we won.
4. Hold a quail and snake.
   On two recent field trips, I got to hold a small snake and a three-day-old baby quail (thankfully not at the same time). 
5. Have a chicken pen in my office.
   As a part of our 4-H club, my class is raising 21 baby chickens to show at the county fair in September. Since we leave them here at night and over the weekends, we needed them to be in a contained area in case of escapees. Of course, the small area of my office was the best choice.

So, for all of you aspiring special education teachers, see what you have to look forward to?! You’re getting ready to be in one of the most exciting fields ever! For all current teachers, please share what makes your lists of “Things I NEVER Thought I Would DO as a Special Ed Teacher”.

I recently read an e-book by Laura Vanderkam called What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast: A Short Guide to Making Over Your Mornings—and Life. The book was extremely helpful for me, and I highly recommend it if you are unsatisfied with your hectic morning routine. In the book she suggests three things that should be done before the rest of the world is awake: nurturing your career, nurturing your relationships and nurturing yourself. I have applied these three categories to my morning routine and have found them to be very beneficial.

Nurturing my career
Vanderkam describes this as time for “strategizing and focused work.” She recommends not checking e-mail or doing any of the things that will get done during the normal course of the day. As a teacher, much of our day is filled with interruptions. She recommends this morning time be used for things that require focused work without interruptions. IEP planning and development, in-depth lesson planning, reading research journals and grant writing for my classroom are some things I have found helpful during this time.

Nurturing my relationships
According to Vanderkam, the most successful people spend time “giving their families and friends their best.” Everyone in education understands that teaching is not an 8 a.m.-3 p.m. job. Even if you don’t take home papers to grade, evaluations to write and parent phone calls to make, you still go home at the end of the day tired and worn thin from the stresses of being a special education teacher. My relationships aren’t getting the best me at the end of the day. My wife and I joked that our entire first year of teaching went like this—wake up, school, nap, dinner, sleep, repeat.

Vanderkam recommends waking up early enough to have breakfast with your spouse or your kids. They get a fresher and less stressed you before you go to work. On mornings I don’t have soccer, my wife and I carpool to work. Instead of rehashing all the stressful events of the day after it happened, we spend the 30-minute ride talking about what we are looking forward to, special things happening in our class and what we hope to get done.

Nurturing myself
Vanderkam recommends “exercise and spiritual and creative practices” to rejuvenate you before tackling work. Many of my Reality 101 posts have been written pre-6 a.m. I also try to exercise before work on most days. I also enjoy reading for pleasure before going to work.

If you’re like me, getting all this done before work may sound daunting. The book was written towards business professionals and creative types who often don’t have to be at work until 9 a.m. For teachers who often have to be at work by 7:30 a.m., the plan may need some modifications. Some morning activities can help you meet two of the categories.

For example, if my wife and I eat breakfast together, I am nurturing myself by eating a good breakfast, but I am also nurturing my relationships by spending time with my wife. Exercising together and carpooling are other ways you can multi-task the morning routine. Vanderkam also recommends doing things the night before to save time in the morning. Laying out clothes and preparing lunch or breakfast can save time in the morning.

I have found that following this plan lays a good foundation for a successful day. What have you found to be a good way to start your day?

I'm not only in a new location but my teaching role has completely changed from being primarily a resource teacher and co-teaching to now working in a self -contained classroom. It is so much fun being with my kiddos all day long, but it has been hectic adjusting to the planning changes and demands.

I come to you, the CEC Reality 101 blog readers, for tips and tricks on how you meet your planning demands, especially if you are working in a self- contained classroom. Have any of you ever made the change from a resource classroom or co-teaching to being in a self-contained setting?

Another challenge I think all teachers face is time. Where is the time? Where does it go? Each day it seems like I never have enough time to get everything done.

Most of all I'm still working on dealing with behaviors that arise in the classroom and affect how some of my students access the lesson or even how we get through a lesson.

With the changes and lack of time to meet all the demands, I just can’t get enough of being in the field of special education because no one day is the same and each challenge presents a new opportunity to try a new strategy or teaching tool to solve the problem.

CEC is searching for members to chronicle their teaching experiences on Reality 101, CEC's popular blog for new teachers. With Reality 101 acting as your online journal, your stories will give readers a chance to get to know you, offer advice, cheer you on, and share their own stories.

Apply Today! Deadline: June 18.

Eligibility Requirements

To be a candidate you must:

• Be a CEC member in good standing.
• Be a special education or gifted education professional with three or fewer years of experience in the field. Students engaged in ongoing field experience are also eligible.
• Have the permission of your school principal or other supervisor (see Section B of the application).

Selection Considerations

CEC is looking for:

• Proof of excellent writing skills.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of blogs and other forms of social media.
• Creativity and enthusiasm.

Commitment

As a Reality 101 blogger, you will be expected to:

• Write concise (approximately 500 words) and compelling entries about your experiences as a new special or gifted educator. Blog posts should follow CEC style guidelines, use person-first language and are subject to editing by CEC staff.
• Contribute consistently (at least twice per month) from August 2013 through July 2014 and adhere to a pre-established publication schedule. Estimated time commitment is four (4) hours per month.

Incentives

Each blogger will receive:

• Complimentary one-year CEC Professional-level membership.
• $50 gift certificate for use toward CEC publications.

Questions?

Please contact Andrea Elkin at CEC Headquarters: andreae@cec.sped.org or 703-264-9481.