13/31 (12th tip)

#DyslexiaAwarenessMonth The next few days will be on instruction, starting with a foundational topic: phonemic awareness. Then I will switch gears to accommodations & ways to make classrooms dyslexia friendly. If you have topic requests, please let me know! 14/31 (13th tip)

#DyslexiaAwarenessMonth

Thinking about all the really hopeful moves locally and nationally, designed to help students with dyslexia - long overdue, but now we're finally seeing movement 🎉 And... I've been an educator for awhile so I'm also wary... 1/ First of all - screeners - yay! Except, I'm already hearing politicians and educators say, 'After the screener, we'll know who has dyslexia'. Actually, no. We'll have more information for who might have trouble reading - which is important. But screeners =/= diagnosis. 2/

iCinco de Mayo! As a California-born Mex-Am I've noticed a lot of educators moving to undo the myth that 5/5 is Mexican Independence day (yay!) but also to underplay it as not a 'real' holiday (??). It is a real holiday we can teach - to celebrate solidarity. 1/10 Mexico abolished slavery in 1829. And was part of an underground railroad. There was a belief that when France invaded in 1861, while the Civil War was raging, that not only would France would spread imperialism - they would bring back slavery AND help the Confederates. 2/10

I'm going to try to add some online learning/teaching tips specifically for teachers who have students with IEPs to this thread whenever I can. Please add your favorite tips to the thread! 1. While it can be challenging depending on the platform you are using, consider ways to include visuals, besides just your face. A real white board you hold up to the camera, a chart, or slides with icons or sketches can go a long way towards supporting comprehension

A few thoughts for educators who are navigating the world of emergency online/distance learning (a thread) and have students with IEPs, from someone who is both an educator for and a parent of students with learning differences 1/? Many students are not going to be receiving their services for the foreseeable future. This is problematic for a few reasons: 1) services are often required to give skills and content 2) services give specialized help most caregivers are not prepared to give . . . 2/?

Lately I’ve been having a lot of conversations with teachers and caregivers where a tough stance was justified with, ‘In life you don’t get... (fill in the blank with accommodation this adult is not willing to give a child)’ I have thoughts. 1/? First of all, it’s patently not true. There is not a single thing we demand from children that doesn’t have an escape clause in adulthood. (If you have one, I’d like to hear it) Adults opt out of, work around or avoid countless things all the time 2/?