Interpreters change

School is out but not without a sad note. The school system is moving our signing techs and interpreters around and I will be working next year for the first time ever, without my friend, soul mate, and co-worker. We have been together for 15 years and this is going to be a difficult change for all of us. To those that work with my friend next year, you are very lucky but I will miss her more than words can say. We don't know the plans that are our futures hold and we can only go on faith that there is a reason. This entry is dedicated to Mrs. Ramey. I will miss you!!!!

Schools out!!

School is out but that doesn't mean I will stop blogging. After a brief rest, I am sure I will be back on the internet looking at web sites. I have a lot of sites marked in my favs and on our wiki that I will have the time to become more familiar with. I am excited about how our hearing impaired department has started our own book study this year and how we are working together to ensure we are all working together. We have lots of cohesiveness when it comes to teaching such things as academic vocabulary and functional vocabulary, phonics and language arts.
Also, I have to say how proud I am of all the students this year. They have worked sooo hard and I think they all learned a lot this year! I think we all earned a well deserved break!! Happy summer, happy blogging and enjoy!

Deaf and Hearing- Music of the heart!

We celebrate the end of the year with some fun. Lots of pizza, chips and drinks to eat and then..we dance for joy!! Doesn't matter if you hear the music physically....you can hear it with your heart! We all danced together and had a great time...we are all unique and we are all equal today!

Awards Day at Key Elementary

Finally, after a year of hard work and play, the students are standing proud as Life Long Learners! I felt a little like the Mama bird watching her babies learn to fly...it's time to fly alone..they just needed a little nudge! I watch the students, both hearing and deaf, proudly accept their awards and realize this is what co-teachers do when it works! To have both teachers become part of all of these students education is what co-teaching is about. Mrs. Denham knows the hearing impaired students almost as well as I do and I know her students as well. As the year progressed, the hearing students learn a lot of signs. Often they use them even when not talking with the one of the hearing impaired students...cool huh??? This is just part of my emotional end of the year separation anxiety felt by the mother bird in the co-teaching nest of learning!

Memories of First Grade

Today we listened to a story about memories. We discussed what we think memories are and then we made a class list of things that we remembered about first grade. We shared our memories and then we each picked our favorite memory to draw a picture about. Tomorrow we will write about our memory. We will have some reflection time on what some of us wrote. It may be the last week of school but we still have time for writing.

Writing Using Schema

Writing

For writing on Thursday, my students just couldn't seem to muster up a topic. Yes, we have worked on writing all year and we are tired. What could be motivation for writing today???Reflecting on schema and what they knew, it hit me! One of my students lost her first front tooth. (She is now known as snag). What better schema so off to writing , drawing pics, labeling we go! They are all on different levels so writing for each child is different so I got out all of my writing hats and switched as needed from writing a story to only drawing a picture and labeling. They all made connections and had fun with Snag during writing time as well.

Co-teachers exhale

Co-teaching...ya gotta love it!!! Lori and I had a wonderful year..I believe that our students have, if nothing else, grown in maturity and learned to accept the diversity of children that are unique and that they grow friendships with these students that remain for years to come. I believe that we as a class (or family of sorts) celebrate small victories and cheer on those that strive for simple successes. Let give a big Hurrah!! for a great year!

Sliding into the last week of school

We made it..we are sliding into the last week of school!!! I don't know who is ready for school to end more...the kids or the teachers. We have a full week coming up and then Friday is the last day of school for the 2008-2009 school year. I think it has been a great year....but let's all get some much needed rest during the summer.

Field Day

Today was field day at Key. We had a great time...I am exhausted. The rain held off and it was overcast, which was good because it was MUGGY!!!! Kids played lots of games and ate lots of candy and all in all it was a good day at Key.