An Ode to my son's teacher

WHAT my son's teacher does....an ode to Ms. Debbie.

My son's teacher wakes up each day to go to work, just like you and I.
my son's teacher gets her two children off to school, just like you and I.
like some of you, she is a single parent and does this on her own.

my son's teacher gets to school earlier than other teachers,
because my son and his friends have to get to school before the rest of the kids.
some of them can't handle big buses.
some of them can't handle lots of kids, bells, and teachers directions in the hall.
my son is one of them.

my son's teacher has a schedule to follow,
scratch that.
my son's teacher has 5 schedules to follow
because each child is in a different grade,
has a different IEP,
has a different set of educational needs.

my son's teacher has two paraprofessionals.
so she has to know their schedules,
lunch times, break times and needs.

my son's teacher has a lesson to teach.
scratch that.
my son's teacher has 5 lessons to teach.
because, well, you know, there are 5 different kids in her class.

my son's teacher has LEGAL, law binding, I E Ps to follow
5 of them.
and I can hardly understand the implementation expectations of 1.

my son's teacher has BOARD OF ED requirements to meet.
hey guess what, some of her kids aren't meeting state standards.
can you believe it?
a non verbal child with autism can't read at grade level,
and that is a bad thing according to statistics.

my son's teacher has parent teacher conferences.
scratch that.
she has conferences plus weekly meetings with parents,
plus support groups,
plus communication folders,
behavior phone calls,
PPTs, annual, bi annual and in between.

my son's teacher can plan during "specials"
scratch that.
each child goes to a special with their "regular grade"
so someone is always in class.

my son's teacher can plan during "lunch"
scratch that.
my son's teacher sits with a child or two who
can't eat in the cafetaria and teaches them
appropriate behavioral skills for dining.

my son's teacher loves to teach.
over and over and over and over.
much like groundhog day for the elmentary kid.
because kids like my son, have to learn things
over and over and over and over.

my son's teacher uses a behavior modification program.
scratch that.
yeah, she has 5 different ones.
scratch that,
the clinicians have just decided to change the program.
scratch that.
they've changed it again.
scratch that.
they gonna change it every month to keep it fresh.

my son's teacher loves the hugs she gets.
scratch that.
if she is giving a therapeutic hug it is because my son
is standing on a table
kicking her
or throwing chairs across the room

my son's teacher gets a break.
scratch that.
there is a time out room when my son needs a break.

my son's teacher gets out early because our children are on
modified programs.
scratch that.
she attends meetings all afternoon, every day, while my son is
riding the bus home.

my son's teacher loves to talk on the phone.
she must.
she has to call parents almost daily.

my son's teacher gets sworn at with no apparent
"antecendent"....yeah, that's the term for what
triggers a behavior.

My son's teacher deserves whatever the school district pays her.
whatever days off she can take to sleep.
whatever medical benefits her family can have.
whatever vacation days she needs.

because I need her.

and like my son will tell her, if he is having a good day,

"Miss Debbie, you are the Best teacher in the whole world"

and frankly, she is not the first one, nor the only one.


Yours,

the mother of the most incredible and wonderful boy.