It has always been a dream of mine to be a teacher. I have worked several years to accumulate a BA in Elementary Education and a Masters in Special Education. It has taken me about 9 years of my life to accomplish this. I am currently teaching 4th grade special education. In order for me to teach I had to take a provisional liscense. I have not been able to succed in passing the Praxis exam. It has taken me 1 year in my undergraduate to pass for West Virginia. I now live in Virginia and have been trying to pass for the past 2 years. I hve spent over 2500$ with privat tutoring and courses in order to pass. I am now down to my last four months of provisional certification and I am only one point away from my dream. I continue to study and try to achieve my last point but i am not recieving alot of understanding and suppot from certain people(my boss). I fell so alone sometimes when I know I am a good teacher and I speak to my parents and studnets evey day about what it is like to live with a disability and how to continue to stive for what they want out of life. But it is getting harder and harder each day to be positive and t look past those who dont understand what it is like to always have to work harder than everyone else in the world. I guess I should go I have rambled enough. My kids are starting to show up.
Re: How can I survive in the real world?
All I can do is add a pat on the back.
You sound like a wonderful, caring, teacher. I hope your students and parents know how lucky they are.
Good Luck.
Re: How can I survive in the real world?
Nickole,
I am the Queen of rambling on. Dont wory about it, get it out.If there is any place were you are understued its here.
Please hold on. You are a frontersmen in the LDs comunity.Were would we be if Albert Instin or Jimmy Hindecks (Im preaty shoure Jimmy had LDs) ,had let the beast get them? As you well know, your children have to live with this for the rest of there lives.We need a posateve tangabel roll motell for are children. You have the opertunaty to prove that it realy can be dun.
For what its worth, Im proud of you.I asked the teachen LDs bord what they thougth about me trying to go for what you are doing. In all farnes I did get a cupele of the standerd (what ever you put your mind to) speches. Mostly I got, well……. Mabe you should look in to look in to cosmatolege or somthing a little easer and so on.
My queston, who beter to teach the crane to fish than anothere crane? The crane will never get the poll and line thin down. As far as your boss goes; I have notesed that fare to manny teachers still look at LDs, as a fauls disabilaty, when the truth is they dont know what eals they can do. Thus people tend to right it off as a lack of skills and efert on ower part.
Dang it, its time we are all tacken sereasly.Whin will we have throw anuph brilent mines in the trash to lern they are a valubel resors to sasiety all because they dont lerrn the same way the reast of the kids do?
What about your right to a reader or othere rights for testing? We all know tests are a completly diphrent world for us.Further more if your boss dosent suport you how is he/she at suporting the students?
Sorry I get a little caryed away on my sope box. Mainly I just want you to know That, I admier you, I wish I had the your cureg and Please, please dont give up, WE need you.
I would love to talk to you more,
Feel free to E-mail me; Toni
Re: How can I survive in the real world?
Nichole,
If there is a way to cheat or bribe somebody do it. LDers have been screwed blue and tatooed. So as far as I am concerned we should take it upon our selves to change or break the rules.
The fair thing would be for you to be given special consideration but if you go to the adults with childre with LD section you will see that the educational community cares less about people with LD.
There an old saying in football. If your not cheating your not playing hard enough. This may sound immoral but what is happening to people with cognitive disabilities is very immoral. Do what ever it takes.
Re: How can I survive in the real world?
Dear Nichole,
I am very impressed by your courageous stand. I have a learning disability, and I myself am training to be a teacher. The demands of teaching are great, but the rewards greater. I also have an interest of moving into special education. As learning disabled adults I believe we bring great insight into understanding the emotional and psychological impact of having a learning disability.
best wishes
Thomas.
Have you asked for and received any testing accommodations? Would that help do you think? You should be able to request this per the ADA section 504. It isn’t just for grade school kids. I hope you are able to do this, I think you will be a wonderful teacher.
Amy