New School Year New Students New Theme and I’m Already Tired

30Sep
by Alicia Christiansen

As last school year came to a close, my thoughts drifted not to my summer plans, but to next year’s, this year’s lesson plans, and boy, I had a plan. I was and am teaching my students about character, courage, honor and loyalty, but how was I going to do that, make it meaningful moreover make it fun and memorable?

I was going to team up with my next door colleague and together transform our rooms to a “galaxy far far away,” where the light defeats the dark, honor means more than power and the best teacher is wisdom. 

June and July were spent planning my lessons and buying supplies to give my students an engaging learning experience in an environment right out of the movies complete with furry teddy bear looking characters that their parents and their teachers know as Ewoks. 

I entered my class a week before school resumed and began my space themed transformation. By Back-To-School night my inspiration remained incomplete despite my assistants working tirelessly, sharing my vision for our kids and my like-minded colleague and I collaborating daily after dismissal. Yet, parents and students alike were excited, really excited!! 

That excitement is what keeps me going as I continue to see my vision through while enjoying teaching my students about positive character traits in such an amazing way, and still putting the finishing touches on their learning universe!

So what advice can I give you, the tired parents reading this? What can I tell you about how your children’s teachers ready themselves to teach your little ones? We do anything and everything to reach your babies. We consider ourselves as only part of a team with you being the other half, Team YOUR Kid! 

We strive to build a bridge to you as much as we do your child, because we know you’re entrusting us with THE MOST precious thing in your life, a piece of you, your child. Most teachers don’t take that trust for granted, although we admit that there are those few that do. Still we need you to work with us, not against us. Your child will only benefit from us having a positive supportive relationship. Our camaraderie is integral, not because teachers need open lines of communication with their students’ parents to be effective, but because much of how a child views education starts at home. No matter how enticing my room environment or how enriching and meaningful my lessons, if a child goes home and perceives their parents don’t support their learning, moreover their teacher, they themselves won’t see the intrinsic value of education. 

You ARE the greatest teacher to your child. I’m just someone passing through hoping to make an impact. Let’s join forces because I desperately want to reach your child through your knowledge of them.

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Alicia Christiansen

Alicia Christiansen is the first college graduate in her military family and the only special education teacher to ever receive the Key to the District where she has taught special needs students for over 16 years. Since she was once a Special Education student in the district where she teaches, she feels that she can not only relate to the challenges within the population, yet also has added insight into the community where her students reside. Beyond instructing, encouraging and molding her students, she feels part of her job outside the walls of her class is dispelling the many misconceptions about special needs students. Contributing to La Comadre will provide her an additional avenue in assisting fellow educators, parents and families of Special Education students in the varied related topics that may seem overwhelming to comprehend often due to conflicting or misinformation. Alicia believes ultimately a teacher’s job is to forge a bond with the family as she helps their child build a bridge to the future.

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