My random thoughts...Blog 2

There are so many topics to cover! So I will try to combine them as best as possible. Well, from everything that I know of about paras, they can be wonderful and they can be terrible. However, even those that seem to be terrible I believe have tons of potential. I mean, even our students who seem difficult or “terrible” have potential and it is our job to show them that. SO…as a teacher I will ask any para that enters my classroom to be willing to help me and the students in any way possible in order to create an positive, productive learning environment. This will entail assisting students with in class work, pointing out where modifications could be made in the classroom and helping me modify lessons for those who may need it.
The counselors are another part of the school that must be utilized. Most counselors love their jobs and want to help the teachers and students. So it is SO important that we constantly consult them on the best way to approach situations that we encounter in our class them and let them know when we think a student may need some extra attention. As human beings we usually try take care of everything on our own, expecting that we can tackle life’s challenges without any help. However, as teachers who can see those students who are struggling to do so, we must give them whatever assistance we can in order to help them be successful students who will grow into successful adults.
Now the other two topics that we covered can be assisted by paras and counselors. In order to effectively incorporate foster students into our classrooms we must remember that they are dealing with many other issues and need as much help and cooperation from their teachers as possible. One way we can do that is by asking the para to guide them through the first few lessons, answering any questions. Second, we must take the time to explain all procedures and expectations. They have most likely dealt with at least one other very different classroom and so we must MAKE the time to help them. They cannot be left behind or pushed to the side even if they will only be with us for a few days.
Finally, sexuality is a topic that I know will come up in my classroom, especially if I get to work with middle schoolers. If I am familiar with the scientific answers that answer the question then I will gladly answer “I will not be answering questions that distract us from what we are trying to learn today. If you are still curious and would like to discuss it after class then feel free to stop by after school.” If the topic/question is something that I am not comfortable discussing then I will refer the student to the counselor. As a math teacher, comments or questions relating to sexuality will not be pertinent to the learning at hand and so I will never answer a question during class. This will also let me know if the student is truly curious or is just trying to get the class off topic. However, I am pretty sure that in most cases I will ask the student if they would be comfortable talking to the counselor about it since they would have a better answer.
So, here is the mumbo jumbo of my thoughts from the past few days...I think everything else has already been voiced and discussed!