Google image of student with dunce cap. You can find folks everyday who think all Special Ed students look like this. They do not.
Many teachers think our Special Ed kids can't do very well in life. Frankly, many of the kids agree. This constitutes a very real problem that may require a mentor in the “real world”. That mentor activity can take place in the school setting if you make a real effort. There may be some of that described here. However, it also might just be a certain teacher's contrary nature.
Experience tells me anyone can learn. How you are going to improve the problem by fitting a dunce cap or label is beyond me.
Sally and I have a daughter who says that some of these stories should be preserved for future generations. With that in mind I am writing this story which, in my opinion, is way too much about me. I went into teaching in 1992. My entry into teaching was through the alternative certification program that the state of Texas began to offer in about 1990. I had retired following a career in the Navy and spent eight years in the Air Conditioning trade. I learned enough about air conditioning to get a contractors license. As a career petty officer (SCPO/E8) and again as a business owner I had seen the broad range of graduate that our public school system produces. However my immediate incentive was personal. My son was having problems and I thought he was getting the dirty end of the stick. I still think he was.
My first job was with the Harris County Department of Education. There is (or was) a chain of three adaptive behavior centers. We took on the "lost causes" of the more traditional school districts in Houston and Harris County under contract. Early on in that job, I picked up a secondary certification to teach students who were Autistic or Severely Emotionally Disturbed.
I was cycled through the various campuses and became familiar with the difficulties in teaching this population. It was obvious that when they were allowed to learn in an interesting manner (not just reading/writing in their chair) the behavior improved. Most kids would prefer being thought of as bad over being stupid. See the dunce picture above and see what he was writing. When reading or writing became difficult they acted out.
Many teachers think our Special Ed kids can't do very well in life. Frankly, many of the kids agree. This constitutes a very real problem that may require a mentor in the “real world”. That mentor activity can take place in the school setting if you make a real effort. There may be some of that described here. However, it also might just be a certain teacher's contrary nature.
Experience tells me anyone can learn. How you are going to improve the problem by fitting a dunce cap or label is beyond me.
Sally and I have a daughter who says that some of these stories should be preserved for future generations. With that in mind I am writing this story which, in my opinion, is way too much about me. I went into teaching in 1992. My entry into teaching was through the alternative certification program that the state of Texas began to offer in about 1990. I had retired following a career in the Navy and spent eight years in the Air Conditioning trade. I learned enough about air conditioning to get a contractors license. As a career petty officer (SCPO/E8) and again as a business owner I had seen the broad range of graduate that our public school system produces. However my immediate incentive was personal. My son was having problems and I thought he was getting the dirty end of the stick. I still think he was.
My first job was with the Harris County Department of Education. There is (or was) a chain of three adaptive behavior centers. We took on the "lost causes" of the more traditional school districts in Houston and Harris County under contract. Early on in that job, I picked up a secondary certification to teach students who were Autistic or Severely Emotionally Disturbed.
I was cycled through the various campuses and became familiar with the difficulties in teaching this population. It was obvious that when they were allowed to learn in an interesting manner (not just reading/writing in their chair) the behavior improved. Most kids would prefer being thought of as bad over being stupid. See the dunce picture above and see what he was writing. When reading or writing became difficult they acted out.
Google Image of typical woodworking project. I taught there for eight years. I know a big part of the reason I was hired was because of the size of my neck not my head. When my principal realized I possessed some non-traditional skills she asked me to set up a program that would teach basic industrial arts to these special kids. When that worked well she asked me to challenge the certification exam for Industrial Technology. I was successful and started teaching industrial arts full time to a population that nobody thought had a chance in life.
I found this to be very rewarding. I believe that due to the subject being taught, I had less discipline problems than anyone in the system. The kids wanted to be there and some of the work was quite impressive.
We changed campuses after my first two years It was about this time that I married Sally and inherited several adult kids (one of my own) and not-so-adult grandkids. There is something about having skin in the game that changes some things. Having kids and/or grandkids in the school system causes one to question some things. That was important but the most important was the cheering section I had found in her. Adds to your spine rigidity when you think the kids need more.
Now in a new campus that had formally been a Lutheran High School on the south loop of Houston, I had a huge, empty classroom with no AC or heat. After setting up displays of working air conditioners and teaching car bodywork and basic woodworking among other things, I stumbled across an idea that could tie together most of the skills I wanted to teach.
I found this to be very rewarding. I believe that due to the subject being taught, I had less discipline problems than anyone in the system. The kids wanted to be there and some of the work was quite impressive.
We changed campuses after my first two years It was about this time that I married Sally and inherited several adult kids (one of my own) and not-so-adult grandkids. There is something about having skin in the game that changes some things. Having kids and/or grandkids in the school system causes one to question some things. That was important but the most important was the cheering section I had found in her. Adds to your spine rigidity when you think the kids need more.
Now in a new campus that had formally been a Lutheran High School on the south loop of Houston, I had a huge, empty classroom with no AC or heat. After setting up displays of working air conditioners and teaching car bodywork and basic woodworking among other things, I stumbled across an idea that could tie together most of the skills I wanted to teach.
Google Image of supplies being delivered. I drew out a basic shell of a house with a list of the needed supplies. With my principals approval I went looking for donations. I actually only requested permission to scour construction work sites for usable scrap that the kids and I could salvage. Royce builders in Houston said they wanted to help but couldn't let me roam due to their insurance. Instead, they donated the building materials to supply my needs. It amounted to several thousand dollars and it arrived on a flatbed truck with a forklift. I guess it proves that ye have not because ye ask not.
Google Image of construction somewhere. Not mine. When we began to construct the building my principal’s boss (Director of Campuses) showed up and told us to stop. He didn’t want the kids working outdoors. This despite his having signed off on the project ahead of time. He said he hadn’t realized the scope of the project. Obviously an education is no guarantee of ability to communicate.
We moved the building inside my big empty classroom and made a three sided building that exceeded 12’ x 20’. The front wall was missing and in it's place was a composite I-beam. We made that in the class and one of my kids did chin-ups on it to prove the strength of the beam. The three sides of the building were much like the three curtains on a stage. We learned framing, painting, drywall, roofing, air conditioning, electrical, tile, installed cabinets and probably more. As soon as the frame was up we used our building within a room as a more normally sized classroom. It helped with classroom management, then we moved the chairs and went to work.
At the end of the school year we had a job fair and my principal asked me to attend. She was there also and she showed me a letter. It was from her boss who said they needed to remove the access to power tools from my severely emotionally disturbed students. That meant all of them. I thought that showed me another thing that an education does not guarantee.
I managed to find a willing applicant for my job. Then I went home, typed out my letter of resignation, and mailed it.
I thought I would just go back to contracting but working with the youth group at church sealed my fate. Couldn't leave kids.
I applied to New Caney Independent School District and was called that afternoon by the High School Principal. I had asked for LIFE Skills (Living in a Functional Environment) or Adaptive Behavior classes but he wanted me for Industrial Technology. I spent four years teaching and playing in that capacity. I noticed some curious trends during that four years.
We moved the building inside my big empty classroom and made a three sided building that exceeded 12’ x 20’. The front wall was missing and in it's place was a composite I-beam. We made that in the class and one of my kids did chin-ups on it to prove the strength of the beam. The three sides of the building were much like the three curtains on a stage. We learned framing, painting, drywall, roofing, air conditioning, electrical, tile, installed cabinets and probably more. As soon as the frame was up we used our building within a room as a more normally sized classroom. It helped with classroom management, then we moved the chairs and went to work.
At the end of the school year we had a job fair and my principal asked me to attend. She was there also and she showed me a letter. It was from her boss who said they needed to remove the access to power tools from my severely emotionally disturbed students. That meant all of them. I thought that showed me another thing that an education does not guarantee.
I managed to find a willing applicant for my job. Then I went home, typed out my letter of resignation, and mailed it.
I thought I would just go back to contracting but working with the youth group at church sealed my fate. Couldn't leave kids.
I applied to New Caney Independent School District and was called that afternoon by the High School Principal. I had asked for LIFE Skills (Living in a Functional Environment) or Adaptive Behavior classes but he wanted me for Industrial Technology. I spent four years teaching and playing in that capacity. I noticed some curious trends during that four years.
Google Image of air conditioning training board. My first principal lasted two years. I started working for him with a cart in borrowed classrooms during the teachers' conference period. The second year I had a portable building classroom of my own. In the Industrial Technology class students learned some basic engineering with bridges and towers. We constructed with balsa wood and tested to destruction. We applied basic aerodynamics then we tested our designs with a wind tunnel we made from a scrap furnace. We had competition with homemade rockets and we did mechanical drawing the old way. We tried to make technology and learning fun. These were deemed "normal" kids but while I was there I noted an increase in the Spec. Ed. kids I was getting.
At the end of the second year a new principal was hired. He asked us to look for career and technology subjects we could teach that would lead to a certification and/or state license. I had been teaching Energy Power and Transportation and Basic Electricity classes in addition to Industrial Technology. The fourth year we removed those two and added basic Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning to the mix. It was to be a dual credit class in cooperation with the Lone Star college system. It certainly would lead to an AC license.
At the start of my fourth year, when I was preparing to start this HVAC class we again suddenly changed principals. She let me teach this class for one year, then put me back in special education. The kids had fun in that class and several of them were focused on a career in HVAC.
At the end of the second year a new principal was hired. He asked us to look for career and technology subjects we could teach that would lead to a certification and/or state license. I had been teaching Energy Power and Transportation and Basic Electricity classes in addition to Industrial Technology. The fourth year we removed those two and added basic Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning to the mix. It was to be a dual credit class in cooperation with the Lone Star college system. It certainly would lead to an AC license.
At the start of my fourth year, when I was preparing to start this HVAC class we again suddenly changed principals. She let me teach this class for one year, then put me back in special education. The kids had fun in that class and several of them were focused on a career in HVAC.
Google Image I found myself as the handyman teacher in Special Ed. I wound up teaching the science and technology courses and incorporated computers and videos into the process. I realized the odds were good that my principal wasn’t going to be around long and decided circumstances were ripe for getting more for the kids.
Principals come and go but teachers stay. That became my mantra and my cue to incorporate every “hands on” method I could think of into my curriculum. At this point I have to acknowledge that I probably would have fallen flat on my face with
Special Ed but for the efforts of a bunch of ladies who are unsung. The instructional aides were absolutely essential. Not just to do these projects but to do just about everything.
This picture shows one of the more interesting projects even though it is from Google images. I purchased some broken pieces of solar panel through Ebay. We took some thermostat wire and soldered them together. Then we shined a light on it and ran another light from it. We had about 30 dc volts and it taught a lot. Taking it outside taught even more.
My life skills kids learned how to make a hydroponics garden, a hanging garden, construct this solar panel from broken chips, make a trebuchet in the classroom, and the last thing we did was make an air cannon that launched tennis balls and rockets. We did a video on a DVD that had proof of all the lessons and subjects satisfied in the process.
The most interesting project, however, gets it's own story. It is shown below.
Principals come and go but teachers stay. That became my mantra and my cue to incorporate every “hands on” method I could think of into my curriculum. At this point I have to acknowledge that I probably would have fallen flat on my face with
Special Ed but for the efforts of a bunch of ladies who are unsung. The instructional aides were absolutely essential. Not just to do these projects but to do just about everything.
This picture shows one of the more interesting projects even though it is from Google images. I purchased some broken pieces of solar panel through Ebay. We took some thermostat wire and soldered them together. Then we shined a light on it and ran another light from it. We had about 30 dc volts and it taught a lot. Taking it outside taught even more.
My life skills kids learned how to make a hydroponics garden, a hanging garden, construct this solar panel from broken chips, make a trebuchet in the classroom, and the last thing we did was make an air cannon that launched tennis balls and rockets. We did a video on a DVD that had proof of all the lessons and subjects satisfied in the process.
The most interesting project, however, gets it's own story. It is shown below.
I asked permission for my class to construct a hybrid vehicle at no cost to the school. I thought my principal was more likely to approve if he figured he wouldn’t be there to suffer the consequences. Sure enough he approved. Sure enough he took another job. Then someone explained to him how many principals we had in the past 5 years and the effect it had on the whole school. He stayed.
I got to do my project anyway. The kids wanted to come to class.
Some kids could turn wrenches and/or screwdrivers. Frankly, when we started they didn’t know which was the business end of the screwdriver. Some would scrape rust with a putty knife for hours if requested. Some did their jobs by simply behaving and staying sociable. Everyone did something. Activity like that also served as an incentive for doing the mundane (but essential) work.
My favorite project was the hybrid car seen above. Look for it here: http://www.grangerlandrfd.com/almost-free-our-classroom-hybrid-ev.html
Some kids could turn wrenches and/or screwdrivers. Frankly, when we started they didn’t know which was the business end of the screwdriver. Some would scrape rust with a putty knife for hours if requested. Some did their jobs by simply behaving and staying sociable. Everyone did something. Activity like that also served as an incentive for doing the mundane (but essential) work.
My favorite project was the hybrid car seen above. Look for it here: http://www.grangerlandrfd.com/almost-free-our-classroom-hybrid-ev.html
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