When I was getting my special ed degree, I thought my teaching job consist of just teaching my students. Oh sweet, naive little undergrad. How utterly, completely, and devastatingly wrong were you. That reality hit me like a karate kick square in the jaw. Oh yes teaching my students was my job but there was oh so much more. Training my staff, creating my materials, collaborating with clinicians, and oh the paperwork. Good god that paperwork. This job ain’t for the weak. Well friends, I unfortunately have a new job responsibility to add to that near never ending list. You are a publicist. And not that cool I wear sweet power suits and stilettos while eating a $32 salad in California publicist. Sorry – those perks are not for you. You can steal a chocolate milk from the cafeteria if you want. But yes – publicist you are.
Take a second and think about what most of your school thinks about your students. Does the teacher down the hall know that Sam just mastered his colors after weeks of working on it? Do the other 3rd grade students know that Jenny knows everyone’s birthday in your class? Does everyone see the personalities, quirks, and other great qualities of your students that you experience on a daily basis? Probably not.
The other teachers and students in your school most likely remember the tantrum one of your students had in the middle of an assembly last month. The vice principal remembers that you running down the hallway with a bag of plastic gloves, wipes, and adult diapers when you need to toilet on of your students while your paras were at lunch. The rest of the 6th graders remember when your student went around and touched everyone’s ears at gym class. They unfortunately probably don’t have a correct perception of your class. You can’t blame them. People remember the bad things over the good things in general. And sometimes are bad things are pretty loud and dramatic to put it nicely.
I think most of the teachers in my hallway think I change diapers and do puzzles all day. So that’s when I put my publicist pants on. Time to change the way your school thinks about your classroom!
If you were reading this and cringing, thinking “I don’t want people to think about my student” – change it! Be the voice of your class.
Spread the word about the awesome, amazing, stellar, impressive, and down right fantastic things your kids are doing.
Hang work in the hallway, brag about it at the photocopier, and share samples at grade level meetings. Shove it in everyone’s face. I’m serious. We’ve got some work to do to make people forget when they saw you sprinting after your half naked student in the hallway last week. Make sure everyone knows that he just had a bad day. And the next day, he got the highest score he has ever gotten on his number fluency. Make this part of your job. Make changing the perception of your students a serious endeavor!
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11 Responses
Sasha, your posts give me so much joy to read. Thank you!
Love this!
Thanks for reading 🙂
Perfect timing! I was talking today about how I want the school to know how awesome my class it. I am personally working on building awareness and eliminating misconceptions. Huge goal, but yes that is what I am doing.
An awesome post Sasha!!!! Yes, I love this perspective! I’m adopting it for my ASD students!
So great to hear! The misconceptions are just scary sometimes. Love how you are taking this on!
Awww thanks Sherra! Thanks for reading 🙂
I totally agree- educating the learning community is crucial for true acceptance and diversity to coexist.
Each year, I do at least one Bulletin Board that gets the ENTIRE school involved! Last year I found the Todd Parr bulletin board on Pinterest: “It’s OK to be Different.” Such a simple book – with a powerful message! My students wrote things like… It’s OK to… have purple hearing aids, …bring your dog to school (service dog). Then, I invited EVERY teacher to have their students join in – the wall was covered with things that made the school stop and consider another point of view. I also order Autism Awareness T-shirts for the staff each year and we wear them each week during April – this year I ordered World Down Syndrome T-shirts. We are getting ready to have our 2nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day pizza party, each of my kiddos invites a typical peer to practice their social and conversation skills. Thanks Sasha for this great reminder!
LOVE all of these ideas. The bulletin board sounds amazing. Love how it brings everyone together. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Do you have a letter to send to their homeroom gen ed teachers at the beginning of the year? I would like to attach a letter to my student’s IEP to let the general ed teacher know to include them in field trips, parties, and provide a desk for my students, etc.
Great idea! I will work on one this summer and post! 🙂