Getting Started!

I am a HUGE fan of blogs; there are so many interesting people with stories to share on just about any topic you can imagine! The other day I was chatting with a general education teacher in my building about a forum discussion thread I had commented on about using technology in my classroom. She remarked that before reading my comment, she even after three years in the same building didn't have a great handle on what went on in a Lifeskills class. Up until this point, I had been patting myself on the back for keeping my school webpage updated and sending out scads of pictures of my students in order for people to see the great stuff my kids have been doing. This conversation was a game-changer for me. This teacher was so excited to hear about the great stuff that's going on in Lifeskills and encouraged me to start a blog to share our experience with others who haven't had the opportunity to spend time in our room.

After clearing the channels (thank you to our awesome principal and our resident tech guru business teacher for helping me figure things out so quickly!), I started this blog. I specifically wanted to do a Blogger-hosted site to make our adventures accessible to not only teachers, but also support staff, friends, family, people whose lives have been touched by someone with special needs or even just anyone interested in learning more about what special education looks like these days.

There has always been a huge stigma attached to being in a self-contained (with some inclusion) special education class. We've sadly always been the class with "those kids".  Well, "those kids" happen to be some of the most hard-working, kind and hilarious kids I've ever met! For sure we have our moments (sometimes our moments happen to just be really loud!), but we work hard to learn just like any other kid does. I'm positive that most of the misconceptions about what we do in our classroom aren't caused by people being mean-spirited but are just due to lack of exposure.

Every special education program is different; this blog is just meant to tell the story of our class. Triumphs and tribulations, stories that will make you laugh and, hopefully, information that will make you think.

So without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to my class! We're excited to meet you and can't wait to tell you all about our adventures!