Welcome everyone. Let's first use this blog to get to know each other, and later, use it as a way of sharing ideas, resources, or other concerns we have over this month.
I'll start it off:
I'm KK. Nickname given to me by my sisters who were babies at the time, they couldn't say Kathleen. It stuck and I've always been called by that nickname except for when I was in 4th grade and the teacher said she refused to call me by a baby name (not nice!) and insisted the class call me Kathy. Needless to say, her power was only in the classroom because after school and after fourth grade, KK remained.
I was formerly the co-chair of the Sp.Ed. Department at Bank Street and was also the program director of the Middle School Programs. I was formerly a national instructor for Schools Attuned (Mel. Levine's program), and before that I was a fifth and sixth grade general/sp ed teacher in a regular classroom. And before that, I was a museum educator in an art museum.
I am married and have two grown children John, and Katie, ages 27 and 29 who live and work in NYC. I mention their names because a few years back, I had two students in my class who had gone to school with them and it was nice to have that connection.
My outside interests are working in a local food pantry and soup kitchen. I am also taking an online course in photography. I love reading 19th c. novels because I love the language.
My work ethic is that I like to get work done in advance. I like to get to know the people with whom I work. I like to think creatively and prefer creating to following. I am a good listener and enjoy brainstorming with others.
When chosing a group to work in, or a partner, I always look for a detail person, someone who will notice, what I left out in my work, typos, or spelling errors. I also look for someone who loves coming up with new ideas that are reasonable,doable, and interesting. Most of all, I look for someone who can laugh and take some time from serious work, to see the lighter side of the project.
One of my favorite classroom stories is when I came back into my class (after lunch) to find my students acting kooky, laughing, and pointing to one student who was crawling around the room on all fours with his rearend stuck into the trash can. The class hushed because they expected me to get cross. Instead I screwed up my face and said, "Johnny, what are you doing?" He answered, "Impersonating a turtle." We all laughed, and made good friends when I responded, see if you can pull your head into the shell then it will be perfect."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
All,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Chris Doyle and I'm in the Childhood General Special Education program. This is the second-to-last class I have to take before completing my studies at Bank Street.
I started in September 2007 coming from Washington, DC. There, I worked for a not-for-profit organization conducting education research, primarily in the field of reading. It was a unique opportunity to travel the country to observe in K-3 classrooms, interview school-, district-, and state-level folks, and see how schools are dramatically different. I came to Bank Street so I could work more closely with children. Writing reports is much less satisfying than actually teaching students.
This semester I'm working as an assistant teacher in a private school for children with autism. The students with whom I work have Aspergers. This year, I've had a chance to work in classrooms that use a team-based approach to teaching. It's been a great experience, and I can see so many advantages to collaborative format.
I'm originally from NJ and recently decided to return to the Garden State next fall to teach in a progressive charter school.
With the spare time that I have outside Bank Street, I enjoy cooking, photography, following baseball, reading graphic novels, and traveling with my girlfriend.
Oops, I think I put this comment in the wrong spot.
ReplyDeleteHi Chris,
ReplyDeleteThe experiences you have had, and are having will put you in a good position for teaching in a general ed. classroom. My experience has always been that in any gen ed. class 1/3 of the students need to be taught in a "different" way as many of them have undiagnosed learning difficulties.
Think your students clearly in mind as you develop curriculum for this course. This will help you and your team members.
KK
KK,
ReplyDeleteIt was so interesting to learn that you were a teacher at Ripp! I will most definitely give Susan Hurley your regards. I work closely with her, being that she is a member of the 3rd grade faculty.
She's a lovely lady! We did Schools Attuned Training together, and she and I were Schools Attuned Training Instructors one summer.
ReplyDelete