Collaboration with Parents!

Some thoughts I have been having are regarding a support group I am trying to establish in my school. I am attending an Autism Training in Charlotte in October, and after this conference we will share strategies to teachers and parents with Autistic children. This will also be an opportunity for teachers and parents to collaborate based on what works best for their child. I think that it will be a great opportunity for students to share their insights, but also ask questions about best practices, IEPs and other goals they have for their child! I am excited to start this but realize how we will need to work as a team to implement this program successfully!

I do enjoy having parent teacher conferences, but I can find them intimidating, IF I do not have the material to back up what I am saying. But then it’s like, what can I send home, if I have to keep everything at school to keep as a record!?! Or sometimes, I send something home because I am so proud of them, and I won’t have that resource to share at conferences. Where do you draw the line of what to keep and what to send home!?!

When reading Crucial Conversations this week, I was a bit scared! After taking the test I discovered that I avoid or withdraw myself from crucial conversations. I wonder if I am negatively contributing to groups or conversations but I am also someone who tries to avoid confrontation. Actually the recap of page 55 sounded just like me it was scary! I feel like I to need to work on my conversation skills when talking to especially my boyfriend. Luckily, I think he is the opposite and handles most conversations so well! He knows how to direct me so I won’t get mad and always offers good advice! I definitely need to step back and look at my OWN reactions to situations. I need to self reflect upon my own actions in order to hear how I am handling situations.

Enjoyable Reading and Small Progress Made!

I was very surprised to read the area of listening in our readings for the week. I think that after reading how to be a good listener...I have determined I have many areas to work on. One being that I am quick to judge a person for what they have said rather than the content of their discussion. I also that that acting in silent cues, and pausing will allow me to gather my thoughts and speak concisely. I really felt that this chapter was most effective for the reading we did!

I also really enjoyed reading Crucial Conversations and found out that it also a book on tape that my friend had just read by the same author! The book was called 7 Habits of Highly Effective People which he loved! It has also inspired him to read this book when I am finished which is exciting because he is finally interested in my grad work!!! :)

I felt like I made small progress this week and scheduled a meeting with our Special Ed teacher to have her map out the math plans for 2 weeks. She was so appreciative and really felt included after we talked. I felt like I let her in our little 4th grade bubble and I feel FINALLY that we can start working together as a team rather than as them being outsiders pulling students out of our rooms! Yeya~!:)

Questions I still have: How can we specficially use concrete examples of communication in order to say what we need to say? Will our book explain useful ideas of specific terminology!?