Life in the IEP Tribe
Join us as we dive into the world of special education with two educators who have walked the same path as many of you. In addition to teaching in self-contained and collaborative settings, our hosts bring a unique perspective to the challenges and triumphs of raising a special needs child. From classroom strategies to heartfelt family moments, they offer practical advice, empathy, and a community of support. Discover how their personal experiences can shed light on your journey and gain valuable insights into navigating the complexities of special education both in and out of the classroom. Welcome to the tribe!
Life in the IEP Tribe
Finding Fulfillment: Miss V’s Transition to Special Education
The episode features a discussion with Gina Volstorff about her transition from general education to special education. She shares insights into the importance of collaboration, communication, and understanding the diverse needs of her students, showcasing how this transformative journey enriches her teaching experience.
• Gina's transition from Gen Ed to SPED
• Understanding specific needs of students with IEPs
• Enhancing collaboration with general education teachers
• Benefits of a diverse classroom environment
• The impact of communication on student success
• Recognizing and addressing behavioral challenges
• Personal growth and joy in teaching special education
hello, okay. No, we won't do it that way, that's just, it's like what is up, like have you heard? So let me ask you this have you heard the video of jacksonville's new coach saying do?
Speaker 3:I don't think I have no.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so if you spend any time at all around Jacksonville football, it is not odd to hear people like I mean, it could be back when people went to the mall. You could hear people from the other end of the mall screaming Duval, right, so Jacksonville gets a new coach. The guy steps up and this is you can look this up on YouTube. And and this is, you can look this up on YouTube and he says, like the creepy guy that drives around in the van with no windows, right, he's like Duval and it's like now.
Speaker 1:I got to go take a shower now because I feel gross listening to you say that. But we are going to jump into yet another episode and I know I've said this like over the last three, but I'm super excited about this one too, because we have another special guest Guest. Not plural, yeah, I'm a school teacher Guest, it's just Anyway, Laura.
Speaker 2:Was that whole thing recording? When you're talking about the Duval, absolutely.
Speaker 3:I thought we were riffing about like, like Jacksonville Jaguars. I was like, oh yeah, no.
Speaker 2:but it's true. Okay, all right, I didn't know you would push the button.
Speaker 1:Football is real in this house.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's true, all right. So today, tonight, whatever it is when you're listening to it, we have yet another coworker become friend on with us, or former coworker, I guess. Okay, and I'm going to say your name wrong. This is Gina Volstorf. You did great, all right, we always call her. Miss V, so I don't get much practice with it. So when we worked with Miss V she was a general education first grade teacher and she has made the leap from that to a special education collaborative teacher. Say hey, gina.
Speaker 1:Hey, gina, hi, oh, I misunderstood.
Speaker 2:So I guess we'll just jump right in. Why don't you tell us one? Why the change?
Speaker 3:So I've well, not always my first year I didn't have the inclusion class, but every year following I did have the inclusion class in gen ed and I always clicked with those students and you know, I really enjoyed watching them grow and I felt like that was kind of my niche, was meeting their needs and we've I mean, we've shared students in the past and I enjoyed the experience with those students in particular. So you know, when the opening happened I was like, oh, I would really love to try doing that exclusively, and I'm glad that I did. I love it. I love it more than I thought that I would. Honestly.
Speaker 1:So when I started teaching, my first three years was doing the co-teach thing and I got to tell you it was a great place for me to start, because it allowed me to have some experiences with some really great teachers and to learn students. And then I realized, you know what? I don't know that I want to be around gen ed kids anymore. They're weird, so let me go ahead and go. Okay, that isn't totally how it went, but much like you, you know, I've been able to see that side and it really is a different world, because what we find with students that have IEPs is that, you know, it's definitely not every kid with an IEP is not going to be even close to the same. You know what I'm saying. So it's not like well, I'm a special education teacher, so I'll know exactly what to do with any student that shows up with an IEP. But no, it's way different than that.
Speaker 3:It is and I think that it's. I mean, and you guys have talked about this, like you you don't unless you have a child in it or unless you are in it, like it's hard to kind of picture, but like every kid is so different in ability and in like the experience that I have with them, like gen ed or otherwise, they're just it's there's a very wide range of abilities and like needs and, um, honestly, I think that that's what I like about it is that it's so different kid to kid, like it's just it's exciting to get to know them and figure them out, I guess is the way to put it right that makes sense.
Speaker 3:It sounds more like scientific. And be be like I really want to pick their brains, but no, but I mean like it's. You know, it's exciting to get to figure out. And be like oh, this really works for that kid. And like, oh, if I present it this way, like he's really really getting it and it's. I feel like there's more of that in the sped side than there is anywhere else.
Speaker 2:Really, so what did you find? When you like, making the transition, what um was?
Speaker 3:some things harder, some things easier I um, I think on it, for me the hardest part is like so, for I mean, you guys know this, but like for listeners, like collaborative would be. Like I've come into somebody else's space and I'm sharing miss such and such's classroom and I've kind of like that was the biggest thing for me. I'm like I really don't want to step on anyone's toes, like I mean, because you know they there's. There's a portion of the day before I come in where they're like morning routines. These are the expectations, like this is what we're doing. And then I pop in and I'm loud and obnoxious and I'm like hey, how's everybody doing and they're like we don't do that in here.
Speaker 3:I have not experienced, but I thought would be the experience that I would have. So that was I think my biggest like roadblock was like oh, I'm coming into somebody's space and like what if you? You know, I approach things in a way that they don't appreciate. Or like what if I? What if I get mom and popped by one of the kids and then they're mad at me for it, like um, that was one of the biggest challenges was being like okay, this space is not mine and I don't want to upset anybody, and I think I mean, I think I've adjusted, but like initially, that's scary because you don't know. You don't know know what everybody's standards are, room to room. Everybody's adults are so different.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean.
Speaker 3:Right, how many different only do a reading service in first grade? So three different teachers, and then I have my planning, so like a six-segment day, and I really two of the teachers that I'm working with this year I have worked with in the past and I think you guys know who I am referring to yeah, we do. And then the third teacher I've never met before, like brand new to me. So that was kind of my nervousness was stemming from I don't really know her and I haven't built a relationship with her, and I'm just kind of like coming into her house basically and like sharing these kids. But I mean it has been a really positive experience, kind of like coming into her house basically and like sharing these kids. But I mean it has been a really positive experience. Like all three of them are wonderful. They've been very open and wonderful, great to work with, very accepting of me and my oddities all three of them, which I'm very blessed for that. Honestly, I mean it's been a very good experience overall.
Speaker 2:Very cool, yeah, and I know that that's one of the things I think Jared found a little unnerving when he first started too, because he's like, okay, I'm here in somebody else's room and I'm not quite sure one, but I'm supposed to do, and two, what do they want me to do and what do they not want me to do? So it was. I think it had a little bit of a learning curve and but similar to what you're saying.
Speaker 1:Uh, miss v, the teachers that I was able to spend time with and learn from, I mean there were, they were amazing teachers, and so I couldn't help but pick up you know a thing here or there from them and how they interacted with students, and I mean I could go down the list. But I remember walking into one classroom and it was a veteran teacher and this student would just not listen to her. He was acting the fool. So she called him up right, not like in front of the, but she called him up right, not like in front of the, but she called him up to her desk and I was standing next to the desk so I heard it and she chewed him out, like it was. It was like, but it was like so low like no other kids could hear it. And then when she got done, she said okay, now give me a hug. And the kid did. The kid hugged her. So it was. I was just like that is what kind of like? What kind of witchcraft is this?
Speaker 3:They give you whiplash to be like oh wait, you're like bad cop. Two seconds ago.
Speaker 1:How did that happen? But but there's just it's great to be able to have those do like you're saying that really care about every kid that walks through that door. Gen ed teachers and and sped co-lab teachers come together and and work for the betterment of the entire child. It's it's really exciting and it's fun to watch. Um, and wish we could see it more often definitely.
Speaker 2:Um, so you touched a little bit on what you do, saying that you go into the general education classroom and you're there for certain blocks. What does a typical collab block look like? For those that don't understand what it is, give us a day in the life of a day in the life.
Speaker 3:So I wake up, I have oatmeal, no, so, like, I will go in um during each classroom's small group instruction. That is that's the way that my day is structured. So, like for for anybody who doesn't know like, even though it is a kindergarten classroom, we're still doing small groups and I will come in and run a group. And there are some times where, like you know, the teacher already has the activity for my group out and says can you facilitate this? You know when your specific kids come, can you adjust it accordingly? And then there's other times where I'll come in and I'll say, okay, like, this is the skill we're working on and reading, I will do such and such, I'll come in, I'll run my group. It's a 45 minute block.
Speaker 3:Me personally, I try to get to a point where I can kind of let go of the group before I leave the room because I don't want to leave it in. You know what I mean. Like I don't want to leave the group in chaos and just be like okay, 45 minutes is up, bye, bye, yep, but I, and then I'll go it's on to the next one, like immediately afterwards. So my day is reading, reading, reading, math, math. And then my planning is at the end of the day, so it's just, it's each room boom, boom, boom. Um, before I get that time where I kind of like come back and find my resources and decompress and eat my lunch, you sit in the dark for a little bit.
Speaker 2:Right, just kind of.
Speaker 3:It's like man, I just need like 10 minutes. But I mean I love those days when I'm, when I have to sit in the car with no music on the triangle. They're wonderful days. A lot happened like that. That tells me that a lot has happened and I've done a lot. As exhausting as it can be.
Speaker 1:Is there anything that you really lean on that maybe you learned when you were running your own gen ed classroom that you have brought with you into this new role that you have found to To really make the transition easier? Anything specific?
Speaker 3:I mean and this is me as a person I can talk to a brick wall. And in the gen ed side, when I had the inclusion class, communication with the teacher that was coming in or that was for a time taking my students to another classroom was the biggest thing for me. It was just to say like hey, I've noticed such and such isn't working, or like I've noticed that you know so-and-so will really work for this. So that communication piece, I think, is the I mean really is the biggest thing that's helped me is being able to talk to people.
Speaker 3:Going back to the like discussion about like one of the teachers I've never worked with and that was foreign to me at the beginning of the year, like that, that, I think, was my biggest fear was that we wouldn't communicate in the same way or we wouldn't. It would be hard to kind of like make that connection with her quickly so that we can communicate. I mean, I mean like like I never felt, example, I never felt afraid to go to you guys when we were sharing students and be like hey, so I won't be here on this day, will this work out for this student?
Speaker 3:Um, while I'm not here, you know what I mean, Right Um I think that if I didn't do that and I think that if I didn't do that, it would have been much more difficult to feel like I was being successful and doing right by those kids If I didn't like go to you and say, look, I need help, I need guidance. You know what I mean. I mean that's I don't think that there's like a tangible thing that helps you to be successful. Me personally, I don't think that there's a tangible thing that helps me. It's just talking to people.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, and I agree, communication is huge. The more that you, the more that you talk about what it is that you want to accomplish, the better shot that the student has. You know, because you're aligning your vision, you're aligning your goal and, yeah, so it makes a huge difference.
Speaker 2:Well, and like talking about that, you know the effect of communication and collaboration and you're sharing that. Your schedule is boom, boom, boom, boom, boom and you have the one planning time. So how easy or difficult is it for you to collaborate with your teachers?
Speaker 3:easy or difficult is it for you to collaborate with your teachers? It's, um, it's okay. It's both easy and difficult. I feel like that's a silly answer, but it's, it's both at the same time because, um, my planning block doesn't always align with every teacher's, and so there's I mean, there's some times where that communication is happening while I'm doing the service time.
Speaker 3:And you know, do you ever have that like outsider looking in moment, where you're kind of like removed and you're like, why am I doing this? Um, sometimes, when I have that during the service time, I'm like I feel like I'm wasting their time talking about this now, but we might not have the same time to talk about it later. So it's, I mean, it's both easy and difficult to like do that, because then one of the teachers does have the same planning time, so it's very easy for me to walk right into a room and be like, hey, all right. So this is what I was thinking, um, and I don't have as many of those moments where I'm like serving kids and also being like, hey, I was thinking maybe we can do this, this, or like, hey, so tomorrow I'm gonna bring such and such so there's not really a.
Speaker 2:If you don't have that planning time together, it's difficult to ensure that you have that collaboration is it is because it's I mean it's we're in an elementary school, like there's things happening constantly.
Speaker 3:Um, am I allowed to ask you guys questions? Absolutely just don't expect us to give you the right answer all the time well, I just, I mean, I'm curious, but like I know that in your guys's setting you you don't have, or don't always have, a specific time for planning, how have you guys navigated that? Because you guys have been doing your roles for as long as I've known you, how does that affect your day to not have that blocked off time?
Speaker 2:So, as you know, we kind of have started that different model last year which has actually helped us to be a little more protective of that time, and so we are fortunate to have a team that can work independently when needed and help support the kids and their goals, and so we can step out a little bit and have some time. However, like you said, there's always things going on. There's, you know, kids got to get to the bus and then we've got. Well, this one doesn't want to do this and so we need support here. And, like yours, ours is at the end of the day, and so then, by the time we get there, we're like what were we supposed to do?
Speaker 2:Because before we were running the model that is generally what a lot of schools run where they have either like a K-2 with-5 or a K-1, 2-3, 4-5. When you do that, you have to try to send all your students to one grade level resource so you can have that time. There's been years where I've had a separation where that wouldn't work. I had kindergartners and second graders and it was just too many to go together, and so during our center time, because there were some younger ones, I could have my planning time then, but I was still in the room while they were in the room. So we got know kind of get creative yeah, it stays pretty fluid.
Speaker 1:Um. So we, we of course have the I don't know if it's a privilege or curse, but we'll come home and talk about stuff, I know between us and uh, but as far as working with other teachers and you know, we we don't really get that opportunity a whole lot Um. So all of our conversations because what we try to do in our setting is, is we work with the, the co-lab teachers and and try to kind of um just the word I'm looking for kind of mainstream everything so that it's not, you know, the self-contained kids over here and then the kids that just need some support in the gen ed setting over here. But what is a way that we can streamline it to really assist the student? Because it's real easy to get lost in the numbers, it's real easy to get lost in the busyness in the numbers. It's real easy to get lost in the busyness. But to be intentional about how to serve each kid individually, while it is incredibly hard, it's what's necessary to see the growth. And so there's a lot of times where we kind of just have to make decisions on the fly, and that even comes with instruction. Sometimes, too, that you hit these snags where all right. Well, this is not going in the direction that I need it to.
Speaker 1:With my group Now we got to shift and go with it, and so I think one of the things that has helped me the most and even when I was doing the co-teach model, like you do, well, I just I did a lot of listening I would watch these teachers and see what I could pull from them as far as the way they interacted with kids, because what I found is that, regardless of gen ed, special education, whatever the label is great teachers are great teachers.
Speaker 1:I mean, that's all there is to it. I've never met a teacher that was a Gen Ed teacher, that was a great Gen Ed teacher and was horrible with the SPED population. What I have seen is the complete opposite that the ones that are great in the Gen Ed classroom are great with all the students because they care about this, they love the students, and I'm not saying that people in Gen Ed classes hate special education students. That's not what I'm suggesting. However, there's compassion that you see in the lives of teachers that really are there for the kids, regardless of what their hangups are. So that would be that's my answer as far as protecting time, that's hard. So whenever I get the chance to watch somebody else, listen to somebody else and kind of take mental notes, that's what I've been doing over the last eight years, I guess.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, you guys are doing it really well.
Speaker 1:Well, that's kind of you to say Some days, I mean, you guys are doing it really well.
Speaker 3:Well, that's kind of you to say Some days no, I'm serious. Like I feel like my experience with you guys is kind of gold standard as far as inclusion and mainstreaming these kids. Like I really take my experiences with both of you and with any students that I came in contact from you guys and carry that over into what I'm doing now really Well, thank you Not to gas you up up, but I mean I do think very highly of both of you well, thank you well, listen, there's a, you know, definitely a lot of time, well, you know, maybe.
Speaker 2:Well, this is miss. You know, in my experience with this student, miss v did this, or my experience with this student, yeah, this one did this, and so well, true, because yeah, so like both ways.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what, like what laura's saying is you know, I'm telling you listen to other teachers, but at the same time, it's it's like we that we still do that. You know, I I mean, I think we're probably old enough to be your parents, but but we still pay attention, right, and we and we want to learn from people that have decided to make this their mission in life. It's like one of our guest couple that was just last week. We sat in a professional learning weather and she said I want to change the world. Well, that's a boat that I can get on right. I want to be a part of that. I want to be a part of changing.
Speaker 1:And it starts with each kid's life, and so, if I can learn from somebody who's only you know, who's been teaching maybe a couple of years, or somebody that's been teaching a couple decades, everybody has something to offer, and I think that we owe it to the kids to take in as much as we can from each other. But that's just me. What do I know?
Speaker 3:I completely agree Everything's a process. It's a learning process. I'm learning new things every day.
Speaker 1:So do you see? Do you see more behavior issues in the classrooms that you work with now?
Speaker 3:Are we talking just in general, or from students that I would technically call like mine?
Speaker 1:Like students with an IEP right.
Speaker 3:I don't think that I'm seeing more. I'm seeing more specific behaviors. I would say Specific behaviors.
Speaker 3:I would say Like there's, I mean the students that I have on my caseload, that have an IEP. When I see certain behaviors, there's an intention behind it. That being said, some of what I'm seeing is still five and six-year-olds being five and six-year-olds. You know what I mean. They're learning how to socialize and how to talk to people and how to problem solve and uphill battle some days, and so I don't think that it's more. I almost this is going to sound strange, but I almost feel like it's it's easier to come to the root cause. With the kids that I'm serving. You know what I mean To be like okay, the reason why we hit that person was because there was a need you know that wasn't being met. I feel like in my experience with my gen ed kids, when I was doing, you know, gen ed first grade, I would be like okay, look, why are we? Why are we hitting each other? And there's it's so much harder to come to the like root reason for that Does every once in a while, we'll just hit these spots.
Speaker 1:I'm like all right, um, your turn, because here's the problem, you know you talk. You say that you could just talk to a brick wall. This I can talk forever, like that's just what I do, especially if, um, I don't do well, like there's just a couple people hanging out, because I'm not really good at small talk. However, stuff like this I can just talk, talk, talk, talk, talk and we'll be done. I'm like so, laura, what did you think? She's got like three words in. So that's why I got to look at her and be like hey, I need to learn Listen, I'm the son of a preacher, so it's in my blood. I mean.
Speaker 3:I mean, it's true, that is true. Go ahead, Mrs Curtis.
Speaker 2:I'm not good at small talk but like we'll start the conversation and be like why'd you make your career? Let's just get right to it.
Speaker 3:So is this something that you foresee yourself continuing with? I've already I mean, I've already sent in my intentions to continue doing this and I really like it. I don't miss not having a home room as much as I thought that I would. I feel like I tell everybody this that I start talking about my job with, but I don't miss. I thought that I would really miss having my like nest of kids you know what I?
Speaker 3:mean and be like this is my room, this is my class, this is like we are a class family and I don't think that I do as much. I like to go every like the movement and I like being able to see so many people at in one day. It's, it's enjoyable to me, but again I could talk to a brick wall.
Speaker 2:I know we had one of the co-teachers that you worked with and I worked with. She kind of said the same thing. So, wow, I don't miss decorating the walls and doing, you know, the extras and doing this because I just want to teach these kids how to you know read. I said, do you read? And math, you know, and so, and that's because it takes all of us that have these desires or have these, you know this pull towards that, because there's people that I'm sure would tell you oh no, I couldn't do that, I couldn't have someone come in my room or, you know, I couldn't go into everybody else's room. I've got to be in my space. And so, you know, luckily, we all have different things that we want to do and together we can all hopefully serve these kiddos in the way they need to be served and meet their needs.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I don't think that the this is the other thing, like on the subject of oh, I want to like kind of have my own space. I don't even think that that's a negative. I feel like it's a very positive thing to know that that's what you need. You know what I mean. Know that that's what you need. You know what I mean. If you kid yourself and you're like, no, I would push into somebody's room and you're not comfortable with that, then you're not happy, the kids aren't happy, it's difficult.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean, they know when we're not happy and when we're pretending they know I'm not happy before I know I'm not happy. They're like are you bothered? The five-year-old.
Speaker 2:Are you frustrated? Are you angry?
Speaker 3:Are you hungry? You know, now that you mention it, I am, I kind of am.
Speaker 1:I mean just. I think it was. Was it today? No, not today, cause we didn't go outside for recess because of all the waters. But yesterday I'm standing over there watching the kids play and had a student mr garris, what's up, buddy, are you okay? Yeah, yeah, I'm good, okay, and then he went back to playing. So apparently I'm not wearing. Like something about my face is making this. This poor child think that I'm about to like eat myself or something.
Speaker 3:He's having a tough day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man.
Speaker 3:I get to tell.
Speaker 1:Oh goodness, so are you willing to say that you are done with the gen ed side?
Speaker 3:I mean, I feel like this is a trick question. I don't. I don't think that I would completely throw in the towel and be like, oh, I'll never do gen ed again. That being said, like I would follow my kindergarten group until they were done with elementary. I love that group of kids. So I feel like I'm saying a lot of yes but no. Yeah, well, you are In this conversation, but that's okay.
Speaker 2:I'm not going to commit Like right now.
Speaker 3:Right now you see yourself staying in this, but if the right situation came up, I mean possibly, but I think that generally I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed it. I figured I was like, oh, I'll take a crack at this. Like I've always liked these kids, I really do enjoy what I'm doing, though.
Speaker 1:Well, that's one of the things that in the co-teach model and then what we do now that we've really enjoyed is that you get to spend that time with the students.
Speaker 1:Where I was teaching co-teach, I had it was just fourth and fifth grade, but I'd get my students in fourth grade and I'd get to know them and we would, you know, grow this relationship, and then fifth grade, I have them again, right, and so we get to keep continuing that versus you know, I'm going to spend 180 days and then now I got to start the next, you know the next slew of them, and so that was, that was a really great experience. And then in our setting, too, we get to do the same thing and in that, to watch them grow and to watch them progress as as not just students but as people, and learning how to take care of each other and learning how to work with each other, and to watch them progress as not just students but as people, and learning how to take care of each other and learning how to work with each other. And, yeah, so that, I agree, is one of those aspects. That's just very cool.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So, Mrs Curtis, you got any more questions for Miss E?
Speaker 2:I don't think so.
Speaker 1:Because we've hit our half hour. Yeah, yes, sir, you got any more questions for Missy? I don't think so, because we've hit our half hour, yeah. So see, we try to keep this thing right around a half hour because, while I may really enjoy running my mouth, people don't necessarily want to listen to it for an hour. So we try to keep this thing short, and sweet and somewhat to a point, probably not the point but a point, kind of figure it out as we go. But, ms V, thank you for hanging out with us.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much for having me. This has been very fun, and thank you for asking us the question.
Speaker 1:I don't know, I'm still trying to figure it out, because you're just going to make me talk more, and that's never good question. I don't know, I'm still trying to figure it out, because you're just going to make me talk more, and that's never good. So, oh, I shouldn't say never, but it's usually not good, because the more I talk, the more opportunity I have to say something dumb.
Speaker 3:And I've done that like once or twice, If it's any consolation haven't noticed it's fine. And that's why you're my favorite. Oh okay, we have to end it now.
Speaker 1:We ended on, right, okay, okay, so with all of that said, again, thank you for hanging out with us and uh, so, uh, anybody that's checking this out, we do like social media stuff. Check it out facebook and all that other things and uh, I think that'll do it. All right, see you later. Thank you so much, bye.