S

dyslexia

Praxis

sociology

autism

As a licensed special Education teacher, I have had students with ASD. In helping my ASD students I created short assignments which I layered with their current knowledge and/or interests to hold their attention. My ASD students might write one or two sentences to show understanding from a reading assignment vs. the larger paragraph of their peers. Positive feedback was utilized even in cases where improvement was needed. Consistency and repetition also helped my students to lock new information into long-term memory. Note taking was a choice between using pictures, colors, and/or writing. Students with ASD are bright and curious and just need that extra carrot to bring them to the point of sharing themselves with others.

college counseling

ADHD

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

ADD/ADHD

As a certified Special Education teacher, I had a few students with ADD/ADHD. I found that quiet spaces, one-on-one instruction, clear examples that engaged the student, and short assignments held the interest. Most students’ with ADD/ADHD are very bright and move quickly through curriculum when they have the correct tools to do so. Adding to the engaging curriculum is teaching the student with ADD/ADHD to take short notes with 'Stickeys,' reading paragraph-by-paragraph instead of viewing the entire page as a massive reading assignment, taking short breaks after reading for ten minutes, and writing their essays a paragraph at a time. Reading and then writing to tell the story in their own words in three sentences, helps to build the bigger picture and not overwhelm (bore) the child with ADD/ADHD. Other skill building knowledge can be using brightly colored pencils, inks, or crayons (depending on age), and creating mind maps or fish bones. Sharing work in small groups as sections are finished helps to build not only social skills with the ADD/ADHD student, but also helps to create pride in ones work. This feeling in the brain creates both self-esteem and a desire to feel good again and thus students will work harder the next time to finish projects to share and take pride in again. (This can also be done at home with participating parents and siblings.)

study skills

Theater

theatre

I have taken five theater classes (Theater I, II, Stage production, and Drama I, II) at the college level. I have performed onstage in college, created brochures for the play, and done the marketing.

special needs

career development

Aspergers

As a special education teacher in NYC, I have taught to students with Asperger’s. Personally, I find them delightful. The Asperger’s student is both intelligent and curious and can open up a class discussion that might not have taken place without them. (It might be hard to get them to stop sharing however, and using hand signals to cue the students to stop is often done so as not to embarrass the student.) Aspergers students are much like a walking encyclopedia, especially in their preferred subjects. In working with children with Asperger’s, it is important to use consistency for behaviors and to be thorough with explanations for expectations, often repeating important information more than once, or writing it down with due dates. The term, Aspergers syndrome is soon to be discarded by the psychological community and simply labeled ASD. No one knows what causes ASD in general but these individuals are special human beings who deserve the same respect and considerations that any other human is entitled to. They are not "crazy" and without any co-mobidity, they are not violent any more than anyone else is. Working with a student who has Aspergers may take a bit more patience and a bit more time due to their inability to view social cues, but the information they bring forth is often vital in a classroom situation and other students may learn greatly from their intelligence.

world history

physical science

TOEFL

spelling

ACT English

elementary science

elementary (k-6th)

American history

biology

vocabulary

grammar

general computer

reading

writing

English

ESL/ESOL

psychology