Overcomers

Here is another start to a blog bragging about how much I love my job.  Sorry, but I'm not sorry about it and I never will be.

My kids are simply amazing.  That's all there is to it.  They have learned to do some of the same things gen. ed. kids do, but the process looks different, and it's taken longer to master.  Many of them have outlived life expectencies and keep right on growing and thriving.  Every day is truly a gift for many of my kids.  It is my job to push them to make sure that tomorrow is even a bigger gift and they can do more with it.

Our program has gone through many changes in the last few year.  Many happened before I came.  I was the 4th teacher to come in 3 years.  For you Potter fans, I like to compare it to the Defense Against the Dark Arts position at Hogwarts that was open every year.  BUT  I've made it to year two and I'm staying!  Stacy is the 5th to come into our program.  When Cindy and Ann came, there was a lot of learning for them and a growth in the program that occurred.  There was more growth last year for both staff and students.  Many teachers commented how different the program was looking and how glad they were to see our kids more.  This year has been HUGE!  Stacy and have split up our teaching time so that we are able to get out to gen. ed. when are kids are there to help their paras.  I am blown away everyday by how much they are learning, growing, and interacting with their classmates.

My kids are overcoming many odds and it is unbelievable some days what is happening in our room.  Some of my kids are independently subtracting, three are reading Dolch words and getting them mastered, and all but two are reading either words or whole books.  This is just academics!  That's not even mentioning one of my student's attention span more that doubling, or my student who is blind being able to zip his coat, or one of my girls being able to stay awake for almost the entire day when she used to take multiple naps, or one starting to talk when he only whimpered last year.  These kids are hilarious and their grins get me every time.  Sometimes they even know when you need a snuggle and plop themselves in your lap or lead you to the rocking chair.

Truly, I will never get tired of talking about my kiddos, my little overcomers.