Ok.  Future Hubby will tell you that I am a dedicated Special Ed teacher.  I was up until 2 am last night creating a Science test review for not just my students with IEPs, but for any 8th grader who was interested in reviewing for their test tomorrow.  I used QuizRevolution to create the review.  I already have a Quizlet account, but it didn’t allow me to create quizzes with images or video, like I wanted.  Quiz Revolution is fairly easy to use.  The most time-consuming part was trying to search the internet for images that were relavent and easy enough for my 8th graders to understand.  Basically, I took the test, switched some wording around, and put them on the review with pictures and a video clip.  I didn’t use all the questions on the test, either.  Here is the final product.  My goal was for my students with IEPs, as well as the other 8th graders, to utilize this tool to review their Science, since Science is hard.  The terminology is complex.  That’s why I wanted to add images and highlight key words in each question and answer.  I had my students practice the review during my Extended Core (Resource) class since I knew they were the ones that would need the most help.

Unfortunately, I was administering the MEAP test this morning (our state’s standardized test), so I couldn’t actually be in my classroom to observe fully how the students were engaged with it.  However, I was able to make it back to class within the last 5 minutes to see them.  I told all of them to study at home, using this as help.  That’s when the excuses started rolling in:

“I promised my brother he could use the computer today.”

“I can do good without studying.”

“I don’t feel like it.”

My response?  “I DON’T CARE! You all NEED to study for this test tomorrow!  If anything, dang it, I was up until 2 in the morning making this for you.  Do it for me.  YOU. WILL. STUDY!”

Silence.  Then, “Ok, Miss.”  Sometimes you gotta play hard-ball with these kids.

Anyhoo, the last thing I was able to accomplish today was create a Chirbit for the Science test tomorrow.  It is roughly 20 questions, multiple choice.  Some of my students’ IEPs state that they require their tests to be read aloud.  Chirbit allows me to record the test ahead of time and have them listen to it on their iPads or on a laptop.  Essentially, it clones me.  And if any of you have ever read a test aloud multiple times over multiple class periods, you know the toll it takes on your voice.  Hopefully, it goes well.  *fingers crossed*

Ultimately, I’ve hit a point where I’m starting to question everything:  my strategies, techniques, motives.  So many hours are put into creating all this stuff for my students, but it seems as if they’re indifferent to it sometimes.  I’m doing it to better explain what they’re already supposed to be learning in class.  Sometimes, (and GenEd teachers, no offense) teachers can present the material a little too quickly with not enough explanation.  That’s where I come in.  That’s my job.  But researching, trying, spending my own money on apps and memberships, taking away time from my own family to help my students has me rethinking everything.  Is this even working? Am I doing all this for nothing? I really, really hope not.  Waiting for the light at the end of this long tunnel….   🙁