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Not alone

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 (an area of weakness for me at this time) was exciting.  I learned a lot from those teachers and leaders while also being able to share my own stories.  The power to adapt others ideas to your own situation is very helpful as a teacher (and a parent) as no-one has the same situation.  I try to check in with the groups online at least 3 times a week (although more likely it's twice a day).  In person, I meet with the transition team monthly.  Knowing I'm not alone and having safe supportive places to ask for and receive help has helped me become a better teacher and parent.

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