Keener, keener, keener!

Did I mention that I passed my first special ed class? Yay me! I'm being a keener because I've already started doing the readings for the next class, but it's all going to even out in the end because May and June are going to be insane months at school. Now that I almost have a social life here (well, two friends) I figure I might as well get started early.

I'm actually really excited about this next course. Here's the gist of it:
EDPSE 520.3 Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities in the Classroom
[Prerequisite(s): EDPSE 390.3, 414.3]
Designed to facilitate a broad understanding of issues in LD as well as research-based knowledge about several important elements in the field. Course topics include definitional issues in LD, a language-oriented view to reading disability, memory processing problems, reading, writing, and arithmetic instruction, metacognition, social issues, inclusion, and assessment issues of LD.

I wish I could have taken this class back in January. I think it would have been a lot more applicable to my current job than the "History and Philosophy of Special Ed" class that I took. I just finished reading an article about students with LD and self-concept. Aside from all of the statistical junk in it, it made me "reflect" (what a university word) on how I work with my resource room students.

I noticed at the beginning of the year that some of my students would mutter negative things under their breath as they were working and it really bothered me. Our Ed Psych suggested that I end the session with something they're good at, and it's amazing how well it's worked. One of my students is really good at multiplying so after we work on reading (which is really difficult for him) we finish up by doing some multiplication questions on the whiteboard. I've even taught him the BEDMAS thing and he thinks it's cool that he can do that when the other kids in his class can't yet. Seeing the improvement in his self-concept is one of those instances where you remember why you became a teacher in the first place. (Not to get all sappy and crap.)

I'm also really pumped to learn that the textbook for this class is $23.00. The $140 textbook from last semester was definitely not a highlight of the class. I get quite upset when I have to buy a textbook that is written for Americans. The $140 textbook was full of American statistics and policies, which I know I should still read about, but it was awfully hard to get through that info when it doesn't directly pertain to me at this point in time. I'm really hoping this next text is a little more useful.

Anyway, I'm off to read about emotional intelligence! How thrilling!

Oh, and thank you for redoing my blog Sean! It looks great!