Found my FIGHT (NSV)

I'm in class crying!! You spoke my words... I've been unable to speak myself. We fight soooo hard for our kids (students, and natural born) we forget to fight for ourselves.. No more..I too am worth the fight!!

Thanks for posting this!

:flowerforyou:

Thank you everyone.

And, MsAnn, thank you!! Nobody can understand quite as much as another teacher, a colleague. Last year when I fought for the boy I suspected had learning disabilities the school Psychologist thought I was nuts. He refused to test him... preferring to wait until the child was in 1st grade. He ignored the fact that the boy, who was a spring transfer from another district, had already been retained in K and was working at a preK level. He poo-poo'd the fact that the boy still could only write the first 3 letters in his 8 letter name and of the 8 letters didn't recognize any of them, let alone any others. I should mention one of the letters was "o" which MOST kids know "o" and "x" on day one of school if nothing else. My heart broke for this DEEPLY FRUSTRATED boy. I wrote an email to the school psych and also sent it to the principal. My heart raced with ever word I typed for fear of backlash. I basically told him I was acting as that child's advocate and that if this came back to bite anyone in the *kitten* it would be HIM, not me, as this was now in writing. Reluctantly, sheepishly.... I clicked "send." Do you know after I sent that email my student was tested within the next two weeks!?!?!?!? He qualified for the maximum amount of resource (RSP) right then and there. In first grade, he was eventually moved into an SDC (special day) class that's how severe his learning disabilities were. Poor kid. If I hadn't been on the ball... If I hadn't forced my "team" to be on the ball... he would have had to wait til 2nd grade to be moved to SDC which is clearly where he belonged.

I have many similar stories, but that was the one I really thought I could be disciplined over. But ya know what? I DID IT ANYWAYS!!!!

I will continue to fight the good fight on behalf of my students but now it is time to fight for ME as well!! I finally realize that.... Even if my only worth is in being a good teacher and advocating for my students... that is ENOUGH to make me worthy of fighting for myself right there. But of course there are many more reasons and I have JUST realized them!! My eyes have been opened. Yay!

Thanks again everyone. And truly, thank you for listening!!