Tag: teachers

Strengthening School Community

~ wordancerblog ~ 6 Comments

The beginning of school is tricky to navigate for both students and teachers, and for students with a learning difference, moving through a new school day can be stressful. I keep that top of mind when I interact with children. I stop, pause, and listen to them. I troubleshoot problems with them. I encourage them to take risks and keep on going.

Connection: Only One You!

~ wordancerblog ~ 2 Comments

Now, while I may not work with all of them directly, I do make sure I know their names and find out a little bit about each one of them.  This means that my brain is on overdrive in September, and I have to remind myself to slow down and really connect – connect with faculty, students, and their parents. This means meeting with faculty and parents to discuss the best support paths for many students.  This also means connecting with students.  I spend the first few weeks of school inviting myself into classrooms, reacquainting myself with our students and getting to know new ones.

Champions of the Testing Season

~ wordancerblog ~ 5 Comments

As a Learning Specialist, my job is to monitor and support learning in early childhood through fifth-grade classes. This is the place of my ultimate joy and satisfaction - seeing children grow, witnessing their struggles, and their hard-fought accomplishments. The daily struggles seem like small roadblocks to adults, but to children, struggles loom large. And if you have a learning difference, struggles can seem overwhelming. We do all in our power to motivate and encourage the young minds in our charge. Sometimes these efforts work right away, sometimes it takes a long time to see the fruits of our labor.

Put Learning in Their Hands

~ wordancerblog ~ 5 Comments

I’m at a point in my life when I look back and reflect on my decisions, I think about all the steps (and missteps) I’ve made that brought me this far.  The one thing that stands out for me is how working with my hands has been a major theme throughout my childhood, teenage years, and all the decades of my adult life.