Maria's Collective Thoughts

I am currently a graduate student studying for my master's in Childhood Special Education. This blog is pretty much for collecting my thoughts and experiences as well as finding anything interesting about education, or even on life as well. My goal is to become an elementary special education teacher through the NYC Department of Education and be able to change the many lives of children.

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Maria isn't feeling good right now...

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Maria will do anything for fudgesickles!

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School's out!

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Reality is hitting me.

So the breakdown...

Ton of school work expected of me.

20-24 days of student teaching each semester.

Subbing for only a few days to be ABLE to do student teaching.

Still need to do observation hours apparently, even though I'm 2nd year.

This is gonna be a tedious and expensive year. I will pray to God every night that by next year, I'll be a full-time teacher.

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Been a while...

So it's been a while.

I am in my second year of graduate school, and I just had to shell out $200 worth of text books! So expensive...could be worse.

I am now a substitute teacher for the NYC Department of Education. I'm waiting for their call so I can start subbing in September (I did 3 days in June, so the school knows me).

In other news, I still have to pass the two CSTs in Multi-Subject and Students with Disabilities. They're so difficult.

More to come.

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Tangrams...fun or frustrating?

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DOE Nomination!

Dear DOE, I need a nomination. Thank you! Sincerely, Ms. Papadonikolakis Future elementary special educator

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Stamina day!

In the school I'm observing, today was Stamina Day. From grades 3 to 8, every class had to read for as long as they can. Basically, these grades are taking their grade level citywide tests in Math and English/Language Arts. The test duration is 90 minutes, 180 if the students are in a special ed class, or if a student participates in a general ed class have an IEP. The teachers I've been observing during this period are having students build their stamina by reading 60 minutes a day and writing a log about it. I agree with that. Stamina day, on the other hand, I find that it's too much. The students are told to pick a few books on their reading level and to read as much as they can. When 15 minutes passed, I saw at least a few students with their heads down. Understandable, the principal wants to students to get used to staying in their seats for a duration of time to prepare them for the tests. I don't think most of the school should shut down and just read for a long duration of time. I feel that it is just adding pressure to the students and that they have to deal with the test itself. Any thoughts? I've said mine.

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Updates

Will be re-watching "Waiting for Superman" in my LRE class. I enjoyed it, but maybe watching it in class will open my eyes a lot more. Maybe I'll make a critique once I watch it again.

Sofar I've observed quite a few classes this past semester and a half. So many good things and so many not so good things I have seen. It is definitely shaping me up to the teacher I will be someday. Sofar observed two general ed, self-contained, and an ICT class. 

I hate to say it, but you learn almost everything from observing.

Also working on a book based on math material and science. A classmate of mine and I paired up. He's writing the story, I'm doing the graphics (yay my degree from SVA is in even more use!) A ton of contributing and collaboration going on. Stay tuned.

[rulesofthirds]

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After taking 5 years to get my bachelor's (switched schools, not all my credits transferred, had to repeat a year) and took a 2 year break before returning to school for my graduate studies after figuring out what I really want, I really do hops so. Not to mention the economy is still not in great shape.

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The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstance, than failures, than successes, than what other people say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is that we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I'm convinced that life is 10 percent what happened to me and 90 percent of how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitude.

Charles Swindoll

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A thought: Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts...

Nikki Giovanni

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I am from New York and currently a graduate school student studying childhood special education. Any tips on who to follow for insight? I love getting as much information needed while I'm a student.

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Trying out this whole Tumblr thing.