From now through May 31, you can buy the entire year of library lesson plans for just $99! That’s right – over 200 lesson plans for $99! That’s less than $0.50 per lesson plan! This is the best price I’ve ever offered on my library lesson plans, so don’t miss out!
Use coupon code MAYSALE at checkout to get the special price. Each person who uses the coupon code by May 31 will be entered into a drawing to win a Leap Pad Explorer! The winner will be announced on June 2. Good luck!
Today’s post is a follow up to last week’s post. This week, I’m saying some things I’d like to say to parents as a teacher. As I mentioned last week, there are two sides to every story, and I’m glad I’ve been able to experience both perspectives. Both jobs (teacher and parent) are much harder than people recognize.
Dear Parents:
Thank you for entrusting us with your children. Some days are harder than others, of course, but we truly enjoy teaching them, getting to know them, and playing a role in their development. Their innocence and carefree spirits are constant reminders of the true reason we chose a career in education.
Taking that into consideration, there are a few things you should know. First, your child is not perfect. 99.9% of you would probably respond with, “Oh, I know that.” Based on many conversations with parents over the years, you really don’t. Here’s a hint: if every teacher your child has ever had tells you the same issues with your child, chances are pretty good that there are issues. Don’t blow us off when we bring something to your attention. We would rather not be the bearers of bad news, but it’s a part of our job. Furthermore, please don’t make excuses for your child. There’s nothing that annoys me more. Just say something like, “I’m really sorry about his/her behavior. We will be sure to discuss it at home.”
Next, we would greatly appreciate it if you would teach your child to respect adults at school. Please keep your personal opinions about your child’s teachers, school administration, or board of education to yourself (or at least out of earshot of your child). If your child knows you don’t respect their school/teacher/principal, they will not respect them either. Please don’t tell your child that they don’t have to do what the teacher tells them. This undermines our authority and sends the wrong message to other students. I am constantly amazed and saddened by the total lack of respect many of our students have (and I work at an excellent school).
Finally, please remember that you are the biggest factor in your child’s success – both at school and in general. We can only do so much in the 40 hours a week your child is in our hands. The rest is up to you. We want to partner with you, but you have to do your part. Take the time to read with your child for at least twenty minutes each day. Ask how you can help with homework. Volunteer to help during extracurricular activities. Show your child that school is important, and your child will put forth that much more effort.
Thank you,
A Teacher
Would you like to add something to this letter? Share with us in the comments!
For the first time this year, I’m both a teacher-librarian and a parent of a school-aged child. I think it’s really hard to truly understand other people unless you’ve walked in their shoes for a while. I used to think that parents were unreasonable when it comes to their children in school situations. Since I’ve had a child of my own, however, I have to say I can now see both sides of the story. Today I’m writing the letter I wish I could send as a parent. As there are always two sides to every story, I’ll follow this up with the letter I wish I could send as a teacher next week.
Dear Teacher:
First, I’d like to thank you for what you do. It’s not said often enough, but I truly appreciate your investment in my child’s education. Thank you for the extra things you do, like staying at school after working 8 hours for training, meetings, and working various school events (often on your own time). I know these things are done in the interest of improving my child’s educational experience. Thanks for hanging in there year after year despite all the extra demands that have been placed on your shoulders at a district, state, and national level. I recognize your job is much harder and more stressful than most people give you credit for.
With that in mind, I’ve had some concerns throughout the school year that I would like to address. I would really appreciate it if you’d treat my child the way you would want your child to be treated. Sometimes I feel like my child is in prison school when I see you practically yelling at him for squirming around in line, not standing like a perfect little soldier. He should be expected to follow rules, but please make sure they are rules he is developmentally able to follow. On that note, I want to say I don’t even mind if he gets in trouble occasionally… when he deserves it.
While I’m fully aware of the fact that my child is far from perfect, it would be great if you could say something nice about him once in a while. I know your time is valuable and there’s never enough of it, but even a little bit of feedback on the work you send home is better than nothing. Parents never tire of hearing positive things about their children. It helps soften the blow when those negative things inevitably come up.
As a parent yourself, I’m sure you understand that I want my child’s school experience to be the best possible. Don’t be afraid to ask for my help. I know there are boundaries you need to uphold, but please know I’d be happy to work on things at home for you if it would enhance your instruction or even make your life a little easier. Please don’t make excuses for not having special events like class parties just because you don’t want to do them. Keep in mind that what might be old hat to you is a brand new experience for my child and me.
Furthermore, I’d really appreciate it if you would try to be understanding on the many days I don’t have it all together. Please don’t look at me like I have three heads when I shamefully admit I couldn’t find my child’s backpack or lunchbox while I was rushing out the door to get to work. Try to remember the days when you had a four-year-old and a two-year-old while working full time. I feel bad enough already.
Finally, and most importantly, try to think about the reasons you became a teacher when the days are tough. I know we all have bad days, but the children should never know it. It makes me sad when my child comes home saying he’s scared because you talked “meanly” to him. Teaching is not just another job. You are a role model for these little people – sometimes the only one they have.
Thanks for your consideration,
A Parent
Do you have anything you’d like to add to this letter? Think I’m being unreasonable? Share with us in the comments!
Today’s post is written by a good friend, John from ElementarySpecialEducation.org. I was approached by author Sharon Fialco about doing a book review and giveaway on my site a while back. I quickly agreed, but when I started thinking about the content (celebrating the differences of others), I thought it would be great to have it reviewed by a special education teacher. Please head over to John’s site and share it with your special education teachers.
It is my pleasure to write this Starabella book review. Based upon a real family and the experiences of their daughter in both social and academic settings, this book is wonderfully and compassionately written. Though each page features only a few sentences the words are saturated with descriptive details. The author, Sharon Fialco, does an excellent job of generating emotions from the reader. You heart feels pain when Starabella cries and likewise, your face bursts with a joyous smile when Starabella is happy.
This book series is a mirror replica of what the Fialco family experienced as they raised their first born daughter, Tara, who struggled with learning difficulties. These difficulties were later diagnosed as autism. Mrs. Fialco does not shy away from giving you her opinion in the introduction about the frustrations her family experienced in the school setting. Likewise, their struggles at public events and places are realistic circumstances and are displayed in the books by common reactions from outsiders and peers.
Artwork: Concerning the picture artwork within the book, only one word can sum it up: stellar. The cartoon characters are realistic in appearance. The color palette is bright and is appealing to children.
Audio Narration: Each book comes with a compact disk which is to be used as a read along with the book. This could easily be used in a classroom as a listening center because the narrator says “Turn the page” instead of the standard chime most audio books use. This makes following along with the story easier as a clear direction is given. Using the audio CD does make the books much longer, so if you are using this in a classroom you will want to break up the reading by only covering one chapter per day.
Music: The musical pieces are well composed and go along with what is happening in the story. In my opinion, the best song in the entire series is “A Mixture of Feelings” which can be found in the second book, New Adventures and Mixed Emotions. The music in this song goes along with moods and would be beneficial to a music teacher to use to show how music changes and the representation of the change.
In the first book of the series, Mystery Girl of Music, the main character, Starabella, is born into a loving family. Her parents love her but are puzzled by some of her behaviors. One day a family piano arrives and Starabella immediately falls in love with music. This is a good demonstration of both music as therapy and a sensory need. We all have sensory needs, whether the type of clothing you enjoy (tight fitting or loose) or noises that are calming to others bring about harsh feelings for others. This book shows that even at a young age, sensory needs are vitally important to learn and make the most of.
The second book, New Adventures and Mixed Emotions, follows Starabella as a slightly older toddler. This time Starabella attends both the circus and tumbling class. However, things don’t go ask expected at either event. This book shows the difficulties people with disabilities may have in social settings. Moreover, it shows how quick society is to judge without giving thought to the person or situation.
The series concludes with book three, Welcome to a Bright New World. This book is longer than the previous two, but fortunately, like the other two books, chapters are divided to help break up the passages. Starabella is entering kindergarten and experiences both and pros and cons of the educational environment. There is a full cast of characters in this reading, including a school bully and a helpful teacher. As a special education teacher, the best part for me in this series occurred in this book when the replacement behavior is being taught. The teacher gives the class scenarios to think about and select the proper choice. This helps students realize what behaviors are not acceptable and what proper behavior should take place instead.
Recommendation
I would recommend the Starabella book series for preschool, primary, and elementary schools. My assumption is that the vocabulary is on a 2nd or 3rd grade level. Likewise, I would use the material no higher than 3rd grade. Also, I would suggest using the read aloud instruction method as well as modeling when using this book in a classroom setting.
Furthermore, I would recommend this book public and school libraries, as well as for college professors to use in their elementary and special education classes as a model of how to better understand students with special needs, such as autism. It is good for other kids to learn about other students with disabilities, for the benefit of understanding that some kids are different than themselves.
In conclusion, if you’re a parent of a child with disabilities, primarily autism, purchase this book series. Your child needs to see that they are not alone in their struggles and now has someone to relate to. For more information on Starabella place visit the official site by clicking the link below.
Have you read the Starabella book series? Let’s hear your thoughts and opinions by leaving a reply in the comments section below. Also be sure to “Like” Elementaryspecialeducation.org on Facebook!
Would you like to win some Starabella books for your library or classroom? The author, Sharon Fialco, is partnering with Elementary Librarian and Elementary Special Education to offer the following prizes:
One winner will receive a grand prize of all three Starabella books and the Starabella soundtrack. Three winners will receive one Starabella book. One winner will receive the Starabella soundtrack. There are five prizes total.
Enter the giveaway using the options below. Remember that all winning entries will be verified! Contest ends on Saturday, May 11 at 11:59pm EST.
Sorry, this contest has already ended!
Today’s one of those days where I sit down to write about a particular topic, but I just can’t gather my thoughts and end up with something totally different. There’s a lot going on in my life at the moment! School is winding down, but my personal life is a little crazy. We are in the process of selling our house and buying another one, so that’s on the front burner at the moment. If everything goes as planned, we will be moving right around the last week of school.
Just wanted to let y’all know that things may be a little quieter than normal here at ElementaryLibrarian.com. I will continue to check email daily, but it may be once a day rather than multiple times.
I’m really excited about some things I’m going to be working on this summer. As soon as all the dust settles from this move, I’m going to be developing some exciting new products. I’m going to have an awesome customer appreciation sale to celebrate my website’s one year anniversary in July. I’m even considering starting a podcast!
Leave a comment and let me know what you’d like to see or hear on Elementary Librarian in the future! Would you be interested in listening to a podcast? Have a great week.