As I've been part of the ISTE certification group I've been encouraged to join a few national and local social groups. Two are Special Education related, one for teachers in general, one for technology teachers, one for trauma informed teachers, and a few for foster parents. These give me a well rounded view of the struggles and benefits of working with the children I do. It's been wonderful to contribute my ideas (that I think work well), get ideas for things I know aren't working well, and most importantly to know that I'm not alone. There's power in seeing that when you have a rough day at work, others do too... but oftentimes their days were even worse. While it exposes me to more stories of pain and struggle around the world, I also have access to more resources. When I went to a local training on transition assessments, I knew I had a limited knowledge of them. But to have the presenters and others there want copies of some of my progress monitoring ...
As I get closer to fostering, I'm looking forward to welcoming a teen into my apartment. Some of you may know that it's been on my heart for a while to foster, but I've finally decided that the time is now. The need is great, especially for teens and I've been blessed to be around some on both ends of the foster care journey for a while. Fostering (especially as a single woman) requires a job with some flexibility for the appointments and court dates, a big enough apartment to welcome others, and time/energy to share. I believe I know fit those requirements, although I would welcome prayers on this journey. I am fully licensed for 1 teenage girl and will likely have someone move in very soon. I'm excited for this adventure and the chance to make a difference in the lives of teens who need it. The road won't be easy, but I trust it's where I should be at this stage of life. And for those who are going to ask, I'm not entering with the goal of adop...