yet another

CHANGE.

But this time, I hope, it is for the good of both me and my students.
After a semester of feeling overwhelmed, constantly behind, and alwaysalwaysalways tired, I gathered my ideas and concerns [and prayed a lot] and then very cautiously voiced them. When it comes down to it, the needs of my students are priority in my job. They just are. A wise professor once told me that if student need was in the forefront of all of my decision making and planning, I could never do wrong. So, I told the people who needed to hear that my students needed more than I can give them.

And you know what happened?

Those people who needed to hear the truth immediately got to work on hiring a second, certified special education teacher. They didn't question my work ethic, they didn't give me empty words of advice or offer to send me to yet another training from the region. They just got to work and they found someone to come teach in the special ed department with me and split the load of duties.

Starting in January, I am not the catch-all, solo special ed superhero teacher at my elementary school. I get to teach the preschool program for children with disabilities in the mornings (JUST PPCD... I am still having a hard time wrapping my mind around that designated duty in one classroom with one group of students), and case-manage/do administrative tasks in the afternoon. I could just about cry thinking about how the students I work with are going to get what they need because they need it, not just because it is what we have.

Let me know if you have PPCD classroom schedule/organization/curriculum tips to share, and if you have any great ways that you stay focused and on top of paperwork! Now that my life is slowing down and I'm kind of getting a handle on things, I am really going to try to be better at posting on here the things we do in my classroom and at my school to keep special education running smoothly.