Welcome
to “On the Horizon”

Issue 92: New Year Resolutions for
Teachers

On the Horizon is an award winning weekly ezine for parents of children with developmental disabilities who want simple, effective strategies to reduce stress, support their child’s development, and improve quality of life for the whole family.

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New Year Solutions

A Note from Nicole: Resolutions?

Idea of the Week:  Walking Taco

Feature Article: New Year Resolutions for Teachers

The Horizons Team Recommends: Horizons Workshops; Schooling Minds

Upcoming Events:
CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar; Sibshop

Hi Everyone!

I hope 2010 is treating you well so far and that you are sticking to any resolutions you may have made!  I’m not sure how I feel about resolutions.  On one hand I think the start of a new year is a great time to reflect on personal and family goals, and to set intentions for the year ahead.  On the other hand, it can be too easy to make a list of all the things I know I should do but probably won’t, stick with it for a few days, and then forget about them altogether.  Can you relate?!  Regardless of whether or not you made resolutions for 2010, Courtney’s featured article this week provides some excellent ideas for teachers (and anyone else) to break out of stale routines and learn something new.

Some of you have been asking about our workshop schedule for this year, so I want to take a moment to spotlight that for you.  We are going to offer our popular 1-day workshop for educators and 1-day workshop for parents/family members in March.  You can also look forward to the return of our 3-day intensive Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Edition Workshop in early August.  All of our workshop information can be found at our workshop website: www.HorizonsDRCWorkshops.com.

In a few weeks I’ll be hosting a special teleseminar for educators and parents – and it’s FREE!  Stay tuned for details next week.

Enjoy the week!

Looking to the horizon,

Walking Taco

Here’s a great variation to a regular taco and a fun thing that kids can help make.  Get a small sized bag of taco or corn chips and crush them up before opening the bag.  Then put in all your taco fixings right into the bag – taco meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, salsa – whatever you like.  Use a spoon or fork and eat your walking taco right out of the bag of chips – they call it a walking taco because you can walk around and eat it but it might be best to still sit down and eat it so you don’t spill and make a mess.  What a fun way to create your own meal or snack right in a bag of chips!

New Year Resolutions for Teachers

By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.

It is hard to believe that 2010 is already here! The holidays came and went so quickly, and now we are on to bigger and better things in the New Year. As a teacher and consultant, I believe that starting a new year is always a great time to put into action our personal New Year’s resolutions. Now, many of us typically think about and plan our personal resolutions; but have you ever thought about making resolutions for yourself professionally as well? Making changes for the better in our professional lives is just as important as in our personal lives.

As teachers, we know there are so many things that we need to do day in and day out to keep our classrooms working efficiently and effectively. Planning lessons, managing schedules, and keeping up with grading are just a few of the daily activities that we are required to do. As you move through the rigmarole of our professional lives, do you ever stop and think about what you are learning or gaining from your professional experience? Have you learned a new strategy and implemented it in the classroom? Is teaching still fun, or have you fallen into the rut of the day in and day out routine? Here are a few simple suggestions and ideas for New Year’s resolutions for teachers that will help keep you fresh and moving forward in your professional career.

• Read a new strategy book or article for teachers. It is important for teachers to keep up on their reading and understanding of educational practices and procedures. Every month, new strategy books and research articles that share research based best practices come out for teachers. You can find these materials online through your preferred search engine or database. It is amazing to see all of the materials that are available today!
• Subscribe to a teacher friendly website.  The internet holds thousands of teacher websites that are available to assist you with learning new methods, gaining lesson ideas, and managing your schedule and routines. It is important for you to take the time to find a site that can benefit you and use it frequently throughout the week.

Continued…

Within this one site you will find EVERYTHING you’re looking for related to:

• Neurodevelopmental disorders—including Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, PDD-NOS, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, Nonverbal Learning Disability, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Learning Disabilities, Developmental Delays, Mental Impairment, Speech and Language Delays, Feeding Disorders, Sensory Processing Disorders, Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Tourette Syndrome, and many others
• Child development
• Educational strategies and treatment options
• Balancing the needs of all your students

Schooling Minds™ is the go-to place for professionals like you!

HorizonsDRCWorkshops.com

You Have Questions.
We Have Answers.

Join us for learning experiences designed to provide you with the information, tools, and motivation you need to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Horizons
Workshop Opportunities

• Evaluating for Autism: The Nuts and Bolts of Quality School-Based Autism Spectrum Disorder Evaluations

• Autism in the Classroom: Simple & Effective Strategies to Learn Today and Use Tomorrow

• Day of Change: A Groundbreaking Workshop for Parents of Children with Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders

• Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Edition

For more information, click here

Please
join us!

• CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar: Topic: Biomedical Information
  Dr. Wycoff as the guest speaker
  (Horizons Families Only)
  Thursday, January 21, 2009 from 11:00-12:00 PM EST
• Horizons Family Fun Event:
  Bounce Party – bouncing, climbing, sliding, fun, and more!
  (Horizons Families Only)
  Saturday, January 30, 2010 from 10:30am-12:00pm $5.00/per child
• CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar: Q&A with Michelle and Courtney
  Topic: Scheduling
  (Horizons Families Only)
  Monday, Feburary 1, 2009 from 1:30-2:30 PM EST
• Sibshop- Horizons Sibling Network
  Open to everyone!
  Saturday, Feburary 20, 2010, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST
• Workshop – Evaluating for Autism:
  The Nuts and Bolts of Quality School-Based Autism Spectrum Disorder Evaluations
  
• Workshop – Autism in the Classroom:
  Simple & Effective Strategies to Learn Today and Use Tomorrow
  Friday, March 12, 2009
• Workshop – Day of Change:
  A Groundbreaking Workshop for Parents of Children with Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  Saturday, March 13, 2009
• Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Edition
  August 4-6, 2010