Kindergarten sped teacher returning advice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would people quit in this economy?

I wonder at my age if I can stay in this role for a few years, and then go to work in Canada?

Would another country take a woman nearing the age of 60? I am highly credentialed with more than one graduate degree.

Thank you.

Because the working conditions are bad for teachers.

[Anonymous]

I'm curious to hear from the parents.

Are working conditions bad for the teachers? And does that mean classroom conditions are bad for the children?

[Anonymous]

Review toilet training because you nnay have a significant number of children that arent toilrt trained.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I only actually get kindergarten, this will be my dream job.

I'm prepared for almost anything.

I thought it was very sad there are openings for SPED teachers so close to the holidays.

Why is there a shortage? Retirements?

Because it's literally two full time jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Review toilet training because you nnay have a significant number of children that arent toilrt trained.

I have not ever seen kindergarten sped class with diaper duty. I might run out the door.

[Anonymous]

I asked Perplexity and 25% of kindergarten students are not potty trained.

[Anonymous]

I would still rather do that then work with people with dementia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please do NOT fall into the trap of using YouTube videos to read stories to your students. Read real books to them, stop and ask questions, ask them to make predictions. It’s easy to put on a 5 minute video and think it’s the same experience for them, but it’s not.

Except when you are exhausted, or not feeling well, or losing your voice. Then, turn on those you tube videos. Survival is the name of the game.

[Anonymous]

OP I left teaching 20 years ago too. One of the most positive changes in elementary education since then is the toppling of the "balanced literacy" movement. If you need to bring yourself up to speed, start with Emily Hanford's podcasts. Listen to all of them.

For authors to read/follow, I would start with Louisa Moats, Mark Seidenberg, Maryanne Wolf, Tim Shanahan, Dan Willingham, Natalie Wexler, Daisy Christadoulou, and Margaret Goldberg.

[Anonymous]

PP again. If you already know about reading research generally and need to bring yourself current on reading disabilities, start with materials/books from the International Dyslexia Association, U of FL Literacy Institute, The Reading League, Moats & Dakin, Shaywitz, Dehaene, Birsh & Carreker, Beck, Sedita and McKeown & Kucan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP again. If you already know about reading research generally and need to bring yourself current on reading disabilities, start with materials/books from the International Dyslexia Association, U of FL Literacy Institute, The Reading League, Moats & Dakin, Shaywitz, Dehaene, Birsh & Carreker, Beck, Sedita and McKeown & Kucan.

How about Jean Piaget?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP again. If you already know about reading research generally and need to bring yourself current on reading disabilities, start with materials/books from the International Dyslexia Association, U of FL Literacy Institute, The Reading League, Moats & Dakin, Shaywitz, Dehaene, Birsh & Carreker, Beck, Sedita and McKeown & Kucan.

How about Jean Piaget?

Piaget didn’t write about reading instruction or dyslexia, and he died in 1980 so, no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP again. If you already know about reading research generally and need to bring yourself current on reading disabilities, start with materials/books from the International Dyslexia Association, U of FL Literacy Institute, The Reading League, Moats & Dakin, Shaywitz, Dehaene, Birsh & Carreker, Beck, Sedita and McKeown & Kucan.

How about Jean Piaget?

Piaget didn’t write about reading instruction or dyslexia, and he died in 1980 so, no.

Yes, however, his theories on child development still form the basis for many other learning theories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please do NOT fall into the trap of using YouTube videos to read stories to your students. Read real books to them, stop and ask questions, ask them to make predictions. It’s easy to put on a 5 minute video and think it’s the same experience for them, but it’s not.

I am a special ed teacher, not OP. If I am putting on a video of a story, there is one of two reasons. One is that there is something going on like a kid melting down, or urgently problem solving something for a child, where I can’t sit down and read to them. In this case I am not under the impression that it’s the “same” as me reading the story. Because those aren’t the choices.

The other if is if it’s something that really isn’t available to me in another way. Maybe they’ve started a new unit in their general education class that involves African animals and it’s clear the kid doesn’t know an elephant from a giraffe. So I put on a 3 minute video and we spend 10 minutes stopping and starting it and making connections, asking questions, etc . . . With the video.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP again. If you already know about reading research generally and need to bring yourself current on reading disabilities, start with materials/books from the International Dyslexia Association, U of FL Literacy Institute, The Reading League, Moats & Dakin, Shaywitz, Dehaene, Birsh & Carreker, Beck, Sedita and McKeown & Kucan.

How about Jean Piaget?

Piaget didn’t write about reading instruction or dyslexia, and he died in 1980 so, no.

Yes, however, his theories on child development still form the basis for many other learning theories.

Sure but Piaget is Teaching 101. OP asked what has changed since she left the classroom 20 years ago. The recent changes in reading and reading disability research aren't from Piaget, they're from cognitive science.

The “Reading Brain” is Taught, Not Born: Evidence From the Evolving Neuroscience of Reading for Teachers and Society
https://www.thereadingleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/The-Reading-Brain.pdf