Let's Explain Pre-School.

Before I get into my post, I'd like to take a second in remembrance of September 11, 2001.

It's really hard to believe it's been 10 years since this tragic day in our history. I remember exactly where I was, as I think almost everyone does. I was in the 8th grade, at a brand new school, in science class. Our teachers were told to turn on the tvs and we all watched. School froze, no one changed their classes, and a lot of parents started showing up to pick up their kids. They came to the decision that school would close and everyone would go home to be with their families.

However you choose to remember the day, all of our thoughts go out to all of those whose lives were lost and their families.

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I can't believe the first week of Pre-School has come and gone already! I love all of my kiddos, a handful of them I had student teaching a year and a half ago. It recently dawned on me that I don't think I have ever actually fully explained how our pre-school program works, so now that our school year has started, maybe I'll do just that. (To help you wrap your head around some of the craziness!)

Here's what my schedule looks like:

Alright, you got all that? Moving on. Kidding. I'll explain. 

I have a M, W, F AM group of students (11 in that class). 

A T, TH, F PM group of students (9 in that class). 

And a T, TH AM group of students (currently at 4, but will get bigger).

This program is designed for special needs children. Most often children come from Child Development Watch (CDW) & they have been receiving services through them. Once a child turns 3, they are allowed to transition to us. In some cases we do get students from concerned parents making phone calls, in which case, we then do a screening. Our classes also have have 1-3 "role model" students in them. They are "typically developing" peers. 

As you can see in my schedule, I get Monday and Wednesday afternoons off for IEP meetings and paper work. I did not have that last year and seeing as I already have 4 IEP meetings this month, I am loving that time!!

There is one other teacher with the same schedule as me, although instead of a M, W, F AM group, she visits a homebound student. The third teacher has 2 groups of students that come 4 1/2 days a week. And the fourth teacher has a crazier schedule than the rest of us! Her M & F students come ALL DAY, and then those same students come half day on T, W, TH AM..and another group of students on T, TH PM. (I don't expect you to get all of that, don't worry!) 

You might be wondering what determines whose class the students go in? WELL we have a rubric for this. Based on a students needs, and the amount of services they receive, they fall somewhere on this rubric & it tells us an initial placement.

PHEW!!! That's a lot. I know. I expect you to still be confused, but hopefully as the school year goes on, you'll understand a LITTLE bit of what I'm talking about!!

To see some of what we did during our first week, click here to read the post on our classroom blog!