Organizing IEPs

This is really a sub section of general organization suggestions, but I thought it deserved its own little header.

I was at one time head of a catering department. We followed a system which was pretty common for event planning departments. We organized our functions by calendar date, in so far as placing their files in order, by their date, up until a year in advance. The odd event which was further than that, we kept in regular alpha order and pulled their files into the calendar system as needed.

I was briefly in special education. A challenging career, not without its own rewards, but certainly not the direction for me. I survived on the strength of my organization skills, which though important for teaching overall, was critical for my job as a resource teacher. Losing a document, or not knowing the date of a conversation could be the point of contention in an IEP meeting with parents, advocates and lawyers.

Date Order
IEPs, or Individual Education Plans, are usually lengthy documents with a lot of support materials. They are kept in folders. I am responsible for annual reviews, so to speak, of the student's needs. When you are juggling forty or more students or "caseloads", it can be quite daunting in addition to the other duties of a resource teacher.

I based my system on an the old catering system. The folders should be labeled with the student's last name, and the date of the annual and/or triannual. Then these folders are filed according to date first. The files are further divided into months, with month labels clearly posted. In this manner you can see what is "due" three months from now, four months, etc. I showed my system to the other resource teachers I was working with, and they immediately adopted it.


Contact Log
On the left side of the folder is a running phone and contact log, much like a sales person's log. I put the information in this order

date phone number person msg or result


If I were to do this again in the future, I would add another contact sheet specifically for observing when and how the IEP objectives were met throughout the year. When it comes time for the IEP meeting, I would have been better prepared.

Creative Use of Space

During summer, it's a great time to take stock of what you really need and don't need. Without being guilty, if you haven't used that resource book or statue of Zeus in a long time, get rid of it. Clutter is the deathknell of an organized room.

After clearing as much as you can, observe the layout of your classroom. Are your shelves keeping what you use? Are your closets packed with items you actually need? Is there a missing opportunity?

Double or Triple Use?
At our classroom, we store our students books within our classroom. They are stored there, during summer. I realized once the student books are removed, I have five shelves that I could utilize with teacher materials. These materials, in turn, I keep in plastic boxes within an empty closet. When the students return, the closets are full of backpacks, the plastic box is a storage for their playyard equipment which arrives from where it's stored at the athletic department, the shelves are emptied and then filled with my teacher 'stuff'. It's a circular path of storage!

Hang 'em High
I don't have much wall space. But students love (and I think need) to see their artwork. With the help of the plant manager, we created a 'cross hatch' of strong fishing wire, like multiple tic toe games. Until it's in use, the fishing wire is unnoticeable. Using clothes pins, I can hang student artwork or creations. The cross hatch allows more possibilities than straight simple lines. Using yarn, I can create vertical lines when needed to hang smaller artwork and this also lets me more arrange more student work than if I simply clipped them directly onto the lines.

Win with Cork Panels
Again, the wall problem. On the plus side, I have many closets. On the downside, these closets are not ideal for pinning or taping anything on them, as this destroys the varnish of the wood. Well, after a year of feeling guilty about pinning the wood, I dove in and "resurfaced" the doors of two closets by pasting cork panels. This gave me a lot more space for pinning than a simple corkboard. I paneled the doors from to to bottom. Before you think it's a 70s flashback (and it is) in my classroom it actually had a nice appeal. If I were to completely cork panel the remaining closets (and that is a goal of mine) I wonder if it will diminish some of the sound vibrations. Well, we'll see.

Now learn from my mistakes. First, sanding down the doors would have been better. It would have created a better surface for adhesion then the varnished wood. If I were clever, I would have sanded down only the areas being covered by the panels, leaving a nice varnished ring of wood around them. Second, use Liquid Nails brand 'glue' , specially marked for use with cork. Do not use those silly sticky back squares that the cork panel companies provide. In a classroom, cork panels will get heavy use and in a matter of weeks of pinning and unpinning, the sticky back squares will loosen and drop the cork, leaving an embaressingly pockmarked door. Thirdly, don't be afraid of using the Liquid Nails glue. Experiment with different amounts and find what works right. You may find as I did that I had to hold a panel in place for about thirty seconds to keep it from sliding down. Once I did that, it "stuck" and til today, is near impossible to remove.

Be Kind in Design
Oh, please note: you can cut the cork panels with sharp scissors. If you want to cover your surface completely, I suggest you measure your area carefully, and then lay out your cork panels on a large flat surface. Mark where you have to cut, then cut. My assumption here is you will want to see evenly paced cork panels, not large pieces then skinny pieces filling in "short" areas. Or you can do it the lazy way (which isn't bad) and start from the top, knowing that the bottom may be cut off short. Not too many people notice the bottom of an area, especially a door. In addition, any 'design' approach you use with the cork, do it consisently. If you've got a short bottom on one door, the door next to it should have the same short bottom. Haphazard patterns of any material is an eyesore. I've used tempera paint on the cork panels in small designs, like stamping, and it brightened up an otherwise plain cork area. I think an oil based paint would have been better, because the tempera paint gives off very tiny flakes after awhile.

Cloth is Boss
Some classrooms have built in bulletin boards. A nice touch is to cover your bulletin boards with cloth. Some teachers use paper because its cheaper or more available. This is an okay option, but with cloth your background lasts longer, looks attractive when papers are taken down (the pin holes disappear) and really isn't that much more expensive. If you are truly stuck for money (and what teacher isn't) shop at a local thrift shop for an old sheet or curtain with an interesting pattern. (You may wish to cover your cork panels with cloth, but these panels are thinner than a real cork board, and may not hold up the weight of the cloth. You decide. I haven't done it and can't comment but those are my thoughts on it.)

Use a staple gun to affix the cloth. And don't imagine you are Wild Bill Cody. Two or three staples along each side should suffice.

Other Things
I had too many coathooks in my closets. About sixty. I removed twenty and that left forty for my students on which to hang their backbacks without stabbing themselves on the arms. I also eyeballed the hook space, being careful not to plan a backpack to hang where the closet door should close.

A strong magnetic hook on the side of my filing cabinet holds my car keys. A second holds extra closet keys. (I never hang my school keys, for security reasons).

A magnetic curtain rod is hanging from my classroom door. Beneath it is a general poster of learning. I can hang seasonal "flags" from it, without using tape (which peels off my door paint) to change the "look" of the entry way.

Other Things I've Seen
I can't use these "chair backpacks" but I've seen them, in various teacher supply books. It's essentially a hanging wall of pockets for the backs of the student chairs, some pockets being large enough to hold extra books. These are better for self-contained classrooms, in my opinion. They are expensive, about $15.00 per chair (multiply that by 30!), but I've had the thought that a willing parent or other person with good sewing skills could possibly make the same thing out of canvas.

Coat hooks on the inside of some locking closets could work for my personal items.

Other Plans I have
I'd like to hang window boxes from my classroom windows so I can show off a student created garden. Since my walls are brick, I'm going to install a heavy duty adhesive style hooks to hold my classroom's set of broom and dustpan. I know I can use a cement drill bit, but you know, the adhesive hooks sound easier. I'd like to see a locking area above my closet so I can have additional secure space. I'd like a lateral two drawer filing cabinet so I could use the top of it as additional table space for books or files or decoration. These are very expensive so I keep an eye out for a used one. I hope one turns up!

There may be other creative ways to use your classroom space. You have to look and imagine all the possibilities.

Summer: Rituals of Renewal

I've been told that in order to feel like I've gotten anything out of summer, do it early in the season. Otherwise, you'll feel like you've never had a break. Teachers have to develop a nurturing "wall" when set with ten year olds all day. This wall needs rest to maintain. But after a frenzied June, it's sometimes hard to slow down the pace.

You could possibly find your zen in a summer opening ritual. In the past, my children and I have made a train trip to my husband's work in downtown Los Angeles for the joy of trains and for school ending. What would be your signal to the year's end? It has to be something special, just done this time of the year. You are telling your body, your mind and soul that it is time to rejeuvenate. It needs to be more than a long hot shower, less than a trip to Nepal, although if you can afford that trip, I will not stop you!

Here are some ideas, which can adapted to include any children. I have two, so that's always a consideration.

*Jelly Making. Is there a place you can pick the fruit yourself? Or a Farmers Market trip?
*A weekend camping trip to a very special place
*The beach! After collecting shells and driftwood, use them in art project
*Have the tallest, most expensive Banana Split Sundae you can buy (or make)
*Burn your used up pencil stubs and graded papers in the fireplace... or shred them to make recycled paper
*Get a henna tattoo
*Dye your hair
*An early morning (or nighttime) hike with a local group
*Day Spa (duh)
*One really, really nice glass of wine with a good friend
*Make homemade ice cream or juice popsicles and eat while watching a favorite movie

These rituals you can create with your children, if you have them, like I do. They like to be included. Can they help you paint a special "Summer is Here" flag or banner to hang? Can they weave daisy headwreaths with you? Can they plant your summer garden with you? Can they watch the "first sunset on a Monday of no school" with you?

Usually after spending the year with so much noise of children, I'd like to have a day of quiet, but with two children of my own, that's hard to do. So I minimize the noise: we play "Inside, Outside", my children play Inside when I am Outside... etc. Or, I request we have an afternoon of reading time and I am lucky both my children love to read. I have to remember not to "over teach" them during this.

I understand my children cannot be absolutely silent for hours, so I steal moments of quiet from them. I've talked about how Mommy needs her quiet time, and after a few years, they are getting used to it. Better my quiet time than their time out!

Of course, if you have created a Summer Opening Ritual... you should create a Summer Close Ritual... but I will leave that up to you. What are your ideas?

Keeping Distance Keeps the Peace

Sixth graders are at an interesting point in life: they are at the stage of disbelief.
"Nuh uh."
"No way."
"Sure. Right."
"Who said so?"
"Why?"

A nine year old can ask why, and you can bet he or she means: "Why?" in a really serious "Why does that happen? Why does that work? Why does that mean that?" kind of way.

Two years later, he or she asks, "Why?" in a "I don't think you really know what you are talking about" kind of way.

Two years later we are re-living the terrible twos in the form of something more frightening: the terrible tweens.

Of course, first let's re-spin this word "terrible" to "challenging". It's much more accurate and post-Dr. Spock.

As an educator AND an adult I have double-jeopardy in the world of sixth graders. They can hate me in two ways.

They are not mystified by adults at this point. I do not have the advantage of awe anymore. In fact, awe I think leaves around second grade and is replaced by tolerance through fifth. They would like to like me, but I represent two forms of authority which they can easily resent.

The best answer is keeping a friendly distance.

I often state, "I cannot be your friend. I can be your teacher." This is usually in response to a request to "Don't tell anyone" or "Don't tell my mom". I try to smile as I say it, to carry the message that being someone's teacher isn't so bad. (In fact, I secretly hope I am cool but it's a dim hope. I resent teachers who have the image of cool purely because I cannot carry it off. )

A common mistake in teaching practice is to be too friendly with students. It's a newbie error when starting out in all forms of industry and creates a particulary stressful nest of vipers when placed with children as an authority figure. I will not recount the horror stories I've heard about new high school teachers attending parties of students, new middle school teachers involving themselves in the personal social lives of their students, etc. It destroys any chance of respect when engaged in teaching students, and worse, diminishes all teachers in a small way.

In truth, older children do not respect adult "friends". As their AIC (adult in charge) to function as their leader, I need their respect. We should never attempt to be like their peers through joking or extreme behavior. Children need structure and respond to consistency, and as their adults-in-charge, we use those needs and responses to develop or "earn" their respect so we can do our ultimate job: teach.

I have a high regard for those teachers who can easily carry themselves in a lively fun debate with their students and then turn around and introduce the lesson. I don't have that skill (yet). In fact, I may hold myself a little too distant from my students, but, during these days of media-fed teacher-student scandals, that's the safest bet.

When starting out as a teacher, I've heard the advice: Don't smile until Christmas. It's a truism that smiling too much sends a message to students that "Hey, I won't be mad if you dump pencil shavings on a neighbor".

I don't know why, but three smiling Septembers later, that appears to the message. To combat that message I now start September with very FEW smiles. I can NOT not smile. That's not my nature. But I do smile less and I DO find that my classroom management has improved (meaning: the class does (often) get quiet when I ask them, a milestone in teaching).

In the beginning, I wasn't badly dressed, but a little casual. These days I dress more deliberately. That is to say, I match better and my clothes are less weekend mom and more shopping mall mom. I sometimes wear make up. On the days that I wear a suit, I have their complete attention. I am still exploring teacher dress styles. I am trying to find one that is "me" yet is still professional because I although I like suits, they are a little restricting.

I also make fewer jokes. I enjoy speaking with my students but "on the side" (of the classroom). I don't have personal conversations while I am "up front". I've found that if I start joking around up front, then it sends out a message that I am comedian inviting responses from the audience. But I don't need interruptions. I need their attention. This part is hard for me, because I am a natural jokester, but I've learned to adapt. I am trying to use my style, my placement in the classroom, as a signal. If I am up front, I expect quiet: the lesson is starting. If I am on the side, looking at your paper, I might admire your work, and then ask about your day. This maintanence of placement in the classroom as a signal is difficult to do but it's something I am looking forward to developing.

As a sociable person, it was a bit of a challenge at first to relenquish some of my need for their attention and allow them to have the spotlight of my attention. I am applauding at times, and laughing when appropriate. It is a universal human need to be wanted. As a teacher, I am predisposed to fulfill this need.

Without any disrespect toward this common shared human bond of need, I underscore the idea that we have two different roles in the classroom: teacher and student. I show this by respecting their privacy and, by extension, mine.

Being friendly and not a friend, in their sense of the word, will always prove to be in the best interest of both student and teacher.