I Can't Believe I'm Doing This!

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I graduated from college with a special education teaching degree in 2012... but aside from teaching Extended School Year every year, I have not been able to find a teaching job. I have trouble with interviewing, and I just stick out in general. You guys probably know what I'm talking about... even if I'm just standing there doing nothing out of the ordinary, people seem to be able to tell there is SOMETHING about me.
So finally I decided, I have nothing to lose. I'm just going to start my own school.
I'm starting it as a private business at first. I'm starting with just a preschool class for neurologically diverse children, and a sensory-rich drop in play center in the afternoons. I made an example website for it [url][url]http://angelsrainbow.weebly.com[/url]here[/url] if you want to read all the details about it.
I think being an entrepreneur will be good for me, because I don't have to worry about impressing anyone or "passing" for normal. I'm going to be open with families about my having Aspergers, and I think it is an advantage because I can especially understand the children and their needs.
If anyone has any tips or ideas for me, please let me know! I really want to hear people's thoughts!

- Angel

Lego Mindstorms. That is all.

_________________
"Standing on a well-chilled cinder, we see the fading of the suns, and try to recall the vanished brilliance of the origin of the worlds."
-Georges Lemaitre
"I fly through hyperspace, in my green computer interface"
-Gem Tos

It sounds really fabulous from the website. It sounds like you're planning to have staff. I'd want to know how they are (I didn't scour your website so maybe it's on there). I'd want to know staff:students ratio. In addition, you need a largish space. When I was choosing child care, a backyard was a must for me. In terms of toys, I would like to see more open-ended toys- I'm really not a fan of electronic toys that related to a movie and have one function, so it would entice me if the toys were mostly not that kind. I recommend investing in a fabric tunnel (maybe 2) because that's always a huge hit with little ones.

Anyway, it sounds awesome so I hope it comes to be! Good luck!! !

Thanks! I will look into whatever Lego Mindstorms are. The preschool program is half a day, and there will be staff... I haven't even started hiring anyone, but they will be on the Oregon Care Registry and everything. As for the toys, I am going to have very few electronic toys... maybe not even an iPad or anything. I feel like children play with nothing BUT electronics most of the time, and when they come here I want them to really have the chance to explore and learn. We'll have a lot of climbing toys and physical movement toys as well.
Thanks for your input! I appreciate it!

- Angel

It sounds like a wonderful idea. I wish you luck with it!

Mindstorms can help anyone of any age forget about the iCandy nature of most consumer gadgets. They're educational robotics for children. Even if you had to assemble the example builds I'm sure the younglings could learn volumes.

_________________
"Standing on a well-chilled cinder, we see the fading of the suns, and try to recall the vanished brilliance of the origin of the worlds."
-Georges Lemaitre
"I fly through hyperspace, in my green computer interface"
-Gem Tos

I think it's an awesome idea.

I have been part of a special school for people with high functioning autism. Most importantly would be to get a core curriculum down for each program, know exactly what you want to teach to whom in advance. Once you have this down you can start focussing on other aspects. In my opinion a very important part of supporting special needs children is to support a base of confidence. Focus on the individual strengths and reward them for their achievements. Support them in the parts where they have difficulties, and keep assuring them they are doing good. The more confidence and self esteem a person has the easier it will be for them to learn new things and the more open they will be to socialize with others in a positive way.

Yes, very good idea!

I student taught as part of my university program and realized that there was no way I was ever going to teach in a public school. That decision has been confirmed for me over and over through the years through my conversations with teachers.

I have done my own version of teaching privately (music.) The structure and politics of a regular school would not work for me.

Thanks for all your input and support so far, everyone! As for curriculum, it really isn't going to be as strict as most of today's preschools. I will have themes and lesson plans, but I would like to have a lot of time for the children to just play and explore. Definitely helping them boost their confidence is important! I plan on getting to know the children and incorporating their interests into the curriculum... to let them see all the unique gifts and strengths that they have. I think if we can start helping little kids with that in early childhood, it can help carry them through the more difficult times in elementary, middle school, and into adulthood. Although we will work on kindergarten-readiness skills, a large part of it will be encouraging them to be curious and enjoy learning.

I LOVE this idea, and applaud your heroism (cuz I certainly wouldn't want to have to coordinate all the things you have planned).

I'm thinking you have to have a special license for this----because it's more than a daycare----don't you have to be accredited by the state, or something? (I'm sure you have all that taken care-of, I was just curious.)

I looked at EVERY page on your site, and have a couple of comments.....

On your "Our Programs" page, why are the clubs "on a drop-in basis"? I thought clubs met at, say, 3pm, and everybody in the club came at that time, and shared their interest? Is this, maybe, in keeping with your "not structured" "theme"? Again, just curious.....

On your "Preschool/Kindergarten" page (P/K 1): I don't have any experience teaching kids so young (I've taught developmentally disabled kids, age 10 and up), but I was wondering if, maybe, you have too many activities planned, and not enough time, in each activity. You have only a half-hour for recess, cooking / science, and music / movement. I know kids don't have very long attention spans; but, in my experience, in a half-hour, they've only BEGUN to understand what you want them to do / learn. Maybe if you just had cooking / science, and recess, for 45 minutes, each (say, 2 days); then had recess, and music, for 45 minutes, each (2 other days); then, maybe, "Show-and-Tell", and recess (on the day that's left-over), that would work, better? 'Course that would work for 6-year-olds; but, maybe not 3-year-olds.

As for your "Family Events" page: All I can say is: "More power to ya, Honey!!" PHEW!! Reptiles and insects and bubbles----oh, MY!! Plus, the "Family Dinner Night" (CATERED----are you KIDDING me?), and the one-Saturday-a-month, thing!! You're not gonna have ONE minute to YOURSELF; BUT, I'm guessing this is your special interest----and really, what else do we need? (wink)

The best of EVERYTHING, to you!!

I think that's a groovy idea and I hope it goes well for you. I like unconventional ideas.

Campin_Cat, thanks for all of the questions! I like to hear questions, because it helps me think of things I might not have thought of before. Let me try to answer your questions in order.

1. The license. In Oregon you have to have a full license if you are providing child care for more than four hours. If it is for four hours or less, it is considered a class, and you only need to be "recorded," which basically means you have to send the state something letting them know you exist. This would be good at least for starting out, and then I could be working on all of the licensing requirements. But a lot of the licensing requirements wouldn't apply to a half-day preschool program, because the children won't be eating lunch or napping there, and they are too big for cribs and high chairs and diapers!

2. Clubs - They would definitely be at a specific time and date. By "drop-in," I mean that kids could come when they are able to... they don't have to, for instance, sign up for a specific block of weeks or something. It would be more like the clubs in schools, where you let everyone know when it is happening, and whoever wants to come can! You are right, it would be hard to have a club if everyone was showing up at random dates and times!

3. The schedule... You may be right about that as well, and I will probably shuffle the schedule around a bunch of times before I settle on a final one. It would probably be a good idea to have different activities on different days! I was sort of going off my experience teaching Extended School Year kindergarten, in which we had half a day to squash in a lot of work. You make a good point here.

4. I am going to make sure to make some time for myself! The Family Events would probably only be once a month or every other month, and I was thinking if I charged a fee per family each week, we could afford to have it catered. Not by a fancy company, of course... but like, by Portillo's or Brown's Chicken or something. They tend to be more affordable. Or, we could always maybe make it a pot luck!

This definitely HAS become my special interest, and I feel like it will also be a place tor me to feel at home and be happy... I'll be providing the children a place to belong and feel accepted, and also have that for myself. My hurdle right now is that MY MOTHER got wind of my plan and has tried to talk me out of it. You know how it is. 400 people could tell me this is a great idea, but if my mom thinks its a bad idea, it makes my stomach sink! I'm still definitely going to plan for it though!

Thanks again for your your great questions and suggestions!

Regarding your first point, what always works with people is HONESTY. I was once in 2 separate group interviews for 2 sales jobs, and during my pitch, I admitted that I was very introverted, and conversation didn't come easily to me, but I was prepared to do whatever I could. And BOTH times they accepted me.

But if you want to start your own place, good luck also. It is going to be DIFFICULT, but hey, Rome wasn't built in a day.