How ya feelin'?

Besides that other inevitable question, "When's the baby due?", this is probably the question I get the most in a typical day/week. Usually I find it best to say "I'm doin' fine" and move on. But here's the real deal on what the third trimester feels like on most days (at least for me--pregnancy is a highly individual experience, your own results may vary considerably).

Fatigue: For the most part this means, I'm just kinda out of it due to the lack of sleep (I haven't had a night of uninterrupted sleep in about a million years (preview of coming attractions?). This means that my brain is usually a bit sluggish, and probably contributes to the crabbiness I'm feeling about half of the time. I am finding it harder to walk long distances or climb stairs, but for the most part, if I'm doing "normal" stuff, I feel pretty "normal". The fatigue really comes into play at the end of the day, and by 8pm, going to bed is sounding mighty attractive. And you better believe I'm going to take advantage of the opportunity to get a head start on some sleep.

Back pain: I was actually having more problems with this at the beginning of the third trimester (a few months ago) than I am now that I've hit the home stretch. Now I feel like my body has adjusted somewhat to carrying around the extra load, and thanks to preventative measures (abdominal support belt, comfortable cushions), I usually am not as troubled with back aches.

Hemorrhoids and constipation: I've definitely dealt with this a few times, and it's about as fun as it sounds. ;)

Heartburn: The less pleasant aspect of having a nearly-done baby sharing (taking over?) your abdominal cavity is that it leaves little room for your digestive system to do its magic. Truth be told, I can't eat anything after about 5-6pm anymore, and those evening meals have to be pretty bland to stay put--but even that precaution is no guarantee of success. I can't drink most of my favorite juices anymore (too acidic), and carbonation is totally out. If I want to eat anything even remotely adventurous, I have to do it at lunch time. (Incidentally, if you are wondering where to invest your money, I'd recommend GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of Tums. I'm definitely doing my part to keep them in business...and I figure the extra calcium ain't hurtin' things either.)

Breathing difficulty: This goes under the category of "existing tendencies", and my whole theory that pregnancy just tends to exacerbate whatever tendencies you already have. Just as my entire digestive system has been compressed into smaller digs, the baby's also moved in on my rib cage/lungs. There's feet up there pressing on my ribs much of the time. While it doesn't exactly hurt (since there's no kicking involved--just a bit of stretching/pushing), it's not a comfortable sensation either. Now I get real out of breath from doing totally normal things because, well, there's just not much room for my lungs to do their thing any more...not that they were ever the most effective of respiratory organs. What this means is I huff and puff my way up the stairs (I'm glad I'm not subbing at Jeff this year), and even climbing in and out of bed tends to get me a bit winded.

The other thing that makes it harder to breathe is the "pregnancy rhinitis" which I've had for months. In case you ever wondered, it's like having inflamed sinuses that you can't alleviate in any of the usual ways. Imagine having a stuffy nose for several months that you can't simply throw some Sudafed at and forget for awhile...yeah, and the nosebleeds are a real good time as well.

Difficulty sleeping: The main impediment is finding a comfortable position. That is pretty hard from the get-go, but by the third trimester it takes some real skill and ingenuity to find something that works. The real dilemma for me is while you're not supposed to sleep on your back, laying on either side just aggravates the heartburn and almost assures that I'll be laying on my back anyway (so that the things I ate hours ago will stay where they should, and not spend all night partying in my esophagus). They say in nearly every publication devoted to the pregnancy-experience NOT to sleep on your back because it interferes with blood circulation, but you know what? When I wake up 2 or 3 times in the middle of the night to shuffle to the bathroom, guess what position I usually wake up in? The same one I slept in for most of my life--on my back. Sleeping on your side sounds great in theory, but I find it just makes me toss and turn, and I can't maintain it forever. Honestly, I'm not too inclined to "lose sleep" over this issue...I figure if my circulation gets cut off, the discomfort and ensuing numbness will wake me up.

Ironically, even though the baby is really active at night (it often feels like I've got Dance Dance Revolution going on in my abdominal cavity), it really doesn't keep me awake, or wake me up if I've been already asleep. This of course is fine with me.

The thing that DOES keep me awake, I'll mention next...

Frequent urination: Now that baby's down in the blast-off position (and thankfully seems to be staying there (in spite of those nocturnal acrobatics), I feel like I could easily go to the bathroom every 10 minutes. I'm really grateful that my school schedule is compatible with this reality (I can usually run to the bathroom anytime I need to). The baby's head is currently parked right over my bladder, but it hasn't officially "dropped" yet. I told one of my colleagues the other day, when that happens, you might as well just insert the catheter and be done with it.

So that's the scoop on what the third trimester "feels like", at least for me. An assortment of vague discomforts that aren't really bad enough to merit my continual attention, but these things all contribute to my desire to do as little as possible. Besides going to work (and doing my thing there, which keeps me busy and sufficiently distracted from thinking about any of the above for 7.5 hours a day), I tend to humor my reclusive tendencies at all other times. And while all of these things are inconvenient and at times, annoying, there's still the "coolness factor" of having a tiny human wiggling around inside of you. That part is harder to explain, but it's a very intimate and personal experience that makes up for a lot of the discomforts that you have to put up with.

Thanksgiving

Because neither of us was feeling all that great, this year was another Thanksgiving that we spent by ourselves. As tired as I've been lately, I didn't mind too much, and that gave me a chance to put some snowflakes I made on Tuesday up in my windows. Plus it rained all day long, and that made me feel that much less guilty about lounging around the house all day, doing a whole lot of not much.

This year we got a bit creative and decided to try some new things for Thanksgiving Dinner. On the Bureau of Environmental Services (Brian's new job) website, there are a few Native American recipes posted for Native American Heritage Month (which takes place in November). So here's what we made: (I'm also posting the actual recipes because I have a feeling the site will change.)

Butternut Squash With Cranberries

2 pounds butternut squash or sweet potatoes
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 1-1/2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup cranberry juice cocktail (or apricot nectar)
1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts (filberts), toasted
orange peel strips (optional)

Peel squash or sweet potatoes. Halve squash lengthwise and remove seeds. Slice squash or sweet potatoes crosswise into 1/2-inch slices.
In a large skillet cook squash or potatoes and cloves in olive oil covered, over medium heat for 8 minutes or until nearly tender. Stir occasionally.
Add cranberries, juice or nectar, and shredded orange peel. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until squash is just tender, stirring once or twice. Remove from heat. Gently stir in maple syrup and walnuts or hazelnuts. Garnish with orange peel strips, if desired. Serve immediately.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Green Beans with Leeks and Toasted Pine Nuts

1 leek, trimmed
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon pine nuts

Interesting presentation of green beans with Native American flavor, leeks (ramps) and pinenuts. The sweetness of fresh green beans is enhanced by cooking them with leeks. Pine nuts are a welcome addition both for texture and flavor. Preparation Time: 25 Min
1. Bring a medium-sized pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, slice the leek very thin and soak the slices in a bowl of cold water. Allow the dirt to settle before removing the leek with a small strainer without disturbing the dirt.
2. Blanch the green beans in the boiling water until very green and just tender with a slight crisp to the bite, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Using tongs, transfer beans to a bowl of ice water to stop their cooking. Do not pour out the boiling water.
4. Bring the water back to a boil and cook the leeks for 3 minutes; drain well. Heat the butter, oil, and pine nuts together in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Keep the pan in constant motion to toast the pine nuts, about 2 minutes.
5. Stir in green beans and leeks. Cook until heated, about 4 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper; serve immediately.

Both turned out quite good. We used butternut squash for the first recipe and I must say, the combination of the orange/red (squash/cranberries) is quite beautiful to behold. The green beans turned out perfectly--it's nice to have a non-mushy, non-casserole green bean experience at this time of year.

I didn't make any sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving this year because I already have 2 pies in the fridge. I will probably make one (or more) between Thanksgiving and Christmas instead...I need to eat more sweet potatoes anyway!

recycled lines, recycled moves

Working with kids is a lot like working with dogs. That sounds horrible doesn't it? What I mean, though, is that for those of us who happen to have both kids and dogs in our lives, you notice that the same set of skills comes into play. One thing I've noticed is that I use a lot of the same lines at home with my dog that I use all day long at school when working with teenagers. I had a good discussion the other day about how similar working with kids is to working with dogs, so I thought it would be a good (albeit controversial) topics to write about. Here's a few examples for what I mean by "recycled lines":

"What are we doing right now...What should you being doing right now?" (off-task student, dog isn't following directions.)

"Have a seat." (self-evident)

"It's not time for X yet." (student doing wrong thing at wrong time, dog thinks it's time for something to happen (but it's not).)

"Nice try!" (student is caught doing something inappropriate, dog is caught trying to get away with something)

"You don't have to like it, but you do have to do it." (students complain when asked to do something, dog looks at me like I'm crazy when asked to do something she clearly does not want to do)

"Oops, let's try that again." (student makes a mistake/dog makes a mistake)

At their most basic, these are just basic prompts--prompts to perform a task, to get back on task, or to end futile acts of pointless resistance to a reasonable adult request (something teenagers are especially good at).

Which brings us to my next topic--recycled moves. Working with dogs and working with kids can be quite similar in many ways. What I don't mean, by the way, is that you should invest in a shock collar or a leash to use on a recalcitrant student (even though, admittedly, there are days where that can be very tempting--and you do occasionally see new items where a frustrated parent has resorted to this). What it DOES mean, is that a lot of the same "moves" that work well with children, also are effective with dogs...and vice versa.

Consider the following:

One of the most common reasons people seek training (beyond basic obedience) for their dogs, is because they are dealing with aggressive/dominance issues. So let's take a look at some of the most commonly used, but least effective techniques that people use to "curb" their pet's aggression: (these are all aversive techniques)

Ostensible Goal: to reduce or eliminate dog's unwanted dominant or aggressive behaviors

-Hitting or kicking the dog
-Yelling at/Growling at the dog
-Forcing the dog to release an item from its mouth
-“Alpha roll” (forcing the dog onto its back and holding it down)
-“Dominance down” (forcing the dog onto its side)
-Grabbing the jowls or scruff
-Staring the dog down
-Spraying the dog with water
-Yelling “no”
-Forced aversive stimulus (forcibly exposing the dog to an unpleasant stimulus)

Now, humor me for just for a moment, and let's go apply this to a parenting or teaching context:

Goal: To reduce or eliminate acting out, or gain compliance from an out-of-control child

-Hitting or kicking the child (some would add spanking to this list)
-Yelling at the child
-Forcing the child to relinquish an object
-Forcing child into a restraining position (*note there are times when this is appropriate)
-Grabbing child forcibly by arms, legs, or hair
-Staring the child down
-Spraying the child with water
-Yelling “no”
-Forced aversive stimulus (forcibly exposing the child to an unpleasant stimulus)

A good test to use when evaluating a technique is to ask yourself if you would use it on your child. As you can clearly see, most of these "techniques" are either clearly abusive in nature, or at least would be considered by reasonable people as overly-aggressive, strong-arm tactics that would rarely if ever be appropriate for daily training, disciplinary, or teaching situations (after all, parenting is basically a type of teaching that occurs in the home). The problem with some of them is that they are just downright ineffective--they don't actually "teach", they merely inspire fear--but for how long? For some strange reason, lots of people think it is okay to use these types of techniques on dogs, but if you insert the word "child" for dog, you can easily see how inappropriate most of them really are. At best, a few of these "techniques" do have their place--for extreme situations only!

There are many different types of positive (non-aversive) methods of discipline out there. Truth be told, the majority of them work just as well with dogs as they do with kids because they're not really "techniques" per se, but rather philosophical orientations towards teaching behavior in the context of relationships.

(Note that I am not referring to "permissive" philosophies, where the "solution" is to simply allow the child or dog to have and do whatever it desires in order to avoid confrontation. I am also not talking about people who treat their dogs like pampered "babies"--that's not discipline, but rather a total lack of it.)

The premise behind most positive discipline schools of thought is that certain kinds of behavior are appropriate in certain contexts, and the goal is to teach the child (or dog) how to display and perform those behaviors more independently with consistent (and ultimately) loving guidance. These non-aversive methods of discipline result in much lower need for interventions/and greatly reduced incidences of acting out in students. They also notably reduce the frequency of aggressive behaviors in dogs. Seriously.

Let's talk for a moment about what this looks like when you're training dogs:

-Using treats or rewards to train the dog to perform certain desired behaviors
-Training the dog to sit or lay down for everything it wants
-Rewarding the dog for eye contact
-Food exchange for an item in its mouth instead of forcing the item out
-Rewarding the dog for “watch me”
-"Breaking" bad habits by removing the reward for the undesired behavior (For example, a dog that jumps up on people for attention--targets turn around or leave the room whenever the dog jumps up so that jumping up on people is no longer rewarding for the dog).

Now let's move this to a teaching/parenting context:

-Using incentives or rewards to encourage child to perform certain task (note this should not be confused with bribing--it's a much more subtle art)
-Child must do the thing that "needs to be done" before getting to do a preferred activity. (The First-Then Principle: for example homework first, then videogames).
-Rewarding the child for following directions/staying focused/on-task.
-Redirection: exchanging an item you don't want the child to have for an item that is more appropriate. (Works with actions/behaviors too...instead of doing X, let's do Y)
-Eliminating inappropriate behaviors by removing the payoff/reward for the undesired behavior (An extremely simple example: Child whines and complains whenever asked to do something. Adult ignores whining and complaining and child doesn't get what he or she wants. Child realizes that whining and complaining doesn't achieve desired results--whining and complaining behavior gradually disappear because there is no longer any payoff.)

(* note that since children are much more emotionally and cognitively complex creatures than dogs, the use of Classical Behaviorism principles like "rewarding" or "extinction" techniques is a much more complex and subtle art that requires continuous skill and refinement and ingenuity. Classical behaviorist techniques, while highly effective with dogs, are sometimes overly simplistic in that they cannot always be easily applied to situations involving human behavior because human behavior involves the interaction of many more variables.)

So what about extreme cases? Whether you're working with emotionally disturbed children, or severely abused dogs, these principles still apply.

1. Start small: use incentives or rewards for each small success. Motivation theory states that too much of this sort of thing can actually be damaging in the long run (too much extrinsic motivation kills intrinsic motivation), but they're talking about average populations. When you're working with absolute beginners (who haven't experienced much if any success), you really should start with lots of praise and incentives. Later you fade out the treats/rewards when it's clear they are no longer needed.

2. No Free Lunch: One of the best techniques to teach a desired behavior is to reinforce the idea that NOTHING happens until the behavior is learned and displayed appropriately.
For example, in the case of a dog that pulls on walks, walking simply doesn't happen unless the dog stops pulling. If the dog starts pulling again, you simply stop walking--as many times as necessary to drive the message home. Eventually the dog realizes that pulling=no walking. A student example would be lining up to go to lunch. If students aren't doing it right, everyone sits back down and you do it again--as many times as it takes for them to get it right. This correlates with "Anything worth doing at all is worth doing RIGHT."

3. First-Then: Doing thing that "needs to be done" ALWAYS comes before the preferred activity.
With a dog this could look like "First bath, Then treat"; or "First--I lay down quietly, Then I get to be greeted/petted by the visitors"; or "First--I sit, then I get to eat". With students, it looks more like "First math, Then computer", or "First I clean up my table, Then the teacher dismisses me to go to recess", and so on. This is when and where "deferred gratification" is taught.

4. Redirection/Substitution: This is a way of replacing "NO!" and "Don't" with "Let's do X, instead of Y". While "No" and "Don't" are sometimes needed, they are probably the two most frequently overused words in the English language. Choice theory states that it's usually more effective to provide a choice than issue an ultimatum. "No" and "Don't" communicate that "You're in trouble, buster!" but they don't really teach alternative/better behaviors.

A dog example: The dog is carrying one of your belongings (something you definitely don't want the dog to have) in its mouth. You can either run after the dog screaming "No! No! Give it back!" meanwhile desperately tugging on the item--assuming you can catch the dog ("Ooh, a fun new keep-away game", the dog thinks)...OR you can pick up one of the dog's favorite toys, and say "Go fetch". Usually what will happen is that if the object you choose is highly motivating, the dog will immediately drop whatever is in its mouth and go after the preferred object.

With kids: Two young children are fighting over a toy. You redirect them to other toys, or a new activity entirely. Example two: a group of high school students argue about who gets to use the computer...you can either declare nobody gets to use it (removing reward), setting time limits (use of a timer), or by redirection (who wants to play UNO attack?)

5. Eliminating inappropriate behaviors by removing the payoff/reward for the undesired behavior:

Dogs: some dogs inappropriately seek attention through "demanding" behaviors--excessive whining, repeatedly climbing up in your lap, jumping, etc. A simple way to deal with that is when the dog starts demanding your attention, you become "boring" by ignoring the dog, physically turning away, even removing the dog from the room if need be. Every time. (At the same time, you need to follow up by teaching them when it's okay). Eventually they realize that there's no payoff to these "demanding" behaviors and they diminish.

With kids: Students refuse to clean up after activities, or group projects, leaving messes in the classroom for the teacher to clean up (parents-substitute "toys" here). Teacher can either tell students that in the future, items left out will disappear (for a period of time), or if students are unable to clean up after activities, the activities portion will be replaced with less exciting alternatives like more seatwork. Students learn that they are responsible for cleaning up after themselves.

Here are some very basic examples of how positive discipline techniques work in real-life scenarios. The key thing to keep in mind, is that positive discipline (or training) still requires you to be assertive (not aggressive!) for these moves to work. You have to believe in your own authority/role/status/power to expect compliance--whether you're working with kids or dogs. If you are unsure as to whether or not you have the right to expect children (or dogs) to follow your instructions, these techniques WILL NOT WORK. You have to be absolutely confident in your role (I'm the adult/leader/teacher who is in charge here) and believe that you have the right to expect your child/dog/student to follow your directions. This is not the same thing as being aggressive (do what I say or I'll hurt/punish you), or being authoritarian (I'm in charge here, do what I say or else), but rather just being absolutely certain about your responsibility to teach another person (or dog) how to be a functional member of a group.

Working with Students: Being Real

Being Real: Knowing who you are (as a teacher) and what you believe comes into play quite often when you are working with challenging or difficult students. Usually, you will have to cultivate a working and productive relationship in order to be effective with these types of students. It takes a lot of work (and unfortunately the teacher is the one who does most of the work in the beginning), but ultimately it's an investment in making your time together easier and more productive.

Difficult and challenging students have the same right to an education as everyone else, but unfortunately they need the social skills development piece just as much as the academic development piece. Unless you work in a behavioral program, you may not have suspected that this was part of your job description, but even teachers in mainstream settings should be prepared to do this valuable work. After all, what's more rewarding in the end--having a positive impact on the the kids who need you the most? Or the ones who really could do it all by themselves?

However, having a positive impact on difficult students requires "being real" with both your students and yourself. No one can tell you how to be real--it's mainly about being comfortable with who you are, and being very aware of what beliefs you carry that influence your own decisions and choices. Once you have a handle on your own motivations, then you can begin focusing on your student/s motivations.

Focusing on your Students: Understanding who your student is and what motivates him or her is the next step. (Obviously we're usually talking about more than one student, but it's the kind of work that has to be done on an individual level.)

The following ideas aren't really steps, but suggestions on ways to focus on students:

1. Respect the student's unique traits (whether you consider them positive or negative). We all have the right to be who we are, and that is just as true for your student as it is for you. With challenging students, it's really easy to get caught up in the "negatives", so take some time to discover some of your student's positive traits. (A good suggestion is to pay attention to non-verbal behavior--some of the most challenging kids put up a really good "front" with a lot of verbal posturing--but if you ignore that and watch their behavior, it sends a very different message.) If you are still having trouble finding those, aim for neutral if you have to, but keep in mind the "worst" kids still have their moments where they can be quite charming. Why is this important? It's not just a mental exercise designed to make you feel warm and fuzzy, but rather an opportunity to begin the process of judging what will make YOU more effective with working with THIS person.

2. Allow students to express both their positive and negative feelings in the classroom. Although it may be frustrating at times, as a teacher, students come to school with a variety of feelings, problems, and issues--some of which are less than conducive towards learning. If the student has something they need to "get out", it's often better to let them vent, acknowledge the feelings, and move on with what you were doing. Just like the rest of us, challenging students need to have the opportunity to deal with tough feelings, and for many, school is one of the safer places in their lives to do that. The fact that a particular student is sharing his or her feelings with you actually indicates that a certain level of trust has been established. If that were not the case, the student will usually totally shut down and refuse to interact with you (keep in mind I am referring only to verbal, not physical acting-out here). The trick to keeping the balance is to teach these students how to express negative feelings in a constructive and appropriate way. (The more difficult situations arise with students who tend to express their feelings more physically through destructive behaviors--and solutions to this problem tend to be highly individual in nature, so I won't comment on them here. That's an "advanced topic").

3. Forget about any notions of who you want the student to be: Yes, it would be spectacular if all students came to school well-rested, well-adjusted, well-fed, properly clothed and bathed, without personal problems, family problems, learning disabilities, cognitive deficits, criminal records, mood disorders, and every other kind of thing under the sun, but that's not reality. Once you get past the biggies, you're still faced with the fact that each student is a unique person--and of course what works for seemingly similar students may not work at all for this one. Personalities, temperaments, and motivations all vary widely, so when working with challenging students, it pays to remind yourself from time to time to not expect the student to BE like other students--or like you (but you can and should still hold this student to relevant community norms, high expectations, and other necessary aspects of performing successfully in life). Being real means being who you are, and being accepted for that, and it's a valuable lesson for both teachers and students.

So in the end, "being real" with students is all about reflecting on who you (the teacher) are, and what you believe in, as well as being aware of who the student is, and putting those insights into practice. It is what enables you to react more effectively in difficult situations, to reach challenging students at a deeper level, and be open to changing your beliefs and practices about teaching your most difficult students.

Music Therapy and Autism

As previously mentioned, this year, I am working in a Life Skills classroom where there are an unusually high number of students on the autism spectrum (including a statistically higher than average number of girls). I've noticed that many (although not all) of my students enjoy listening to music. We use music in the classroom in a variety of contexts--mostly therapeutic (to reduce anxiety/promote relaxation: we have daily yoga and a post-lunch relaxation routine). For some students though, like Bob*, music is also a motivator.

Today I found a really interesting article on the use of Music Therapy: Autism Spectrum Disorders: Music Therapy and Autism.

Managing tough transitions

Mastering transitions is hard for most students, but especially so for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). For many, getting good at (or at least better at) transitions is an instructional goal in and of itself, and a major step towards the more independent functioning you're trying to encourage.

Transitions, like most processes, get smoother the more you practice and fine-tune them. And like almost everything related to classroom management, the more proactive and prepared you are (as the teacher), the easier they tend to go for students.

1. Prepare for transitions ahead of time. Before involving the student/s, have everything you need for the next activity arranged and ready to go so you won't have to waste time searching for needed items, which would disrupt the continuity of your time together. You don't want to "lose the class" while you're looking for missing items.

2. A few minutes before transitioning, observe what the students are doing. Are they still working on the previous task? Or are they ready to move on? Hopefully you are not in a rush, and have a few minutes to "get them ready" for the next activity. If your time is flexible and they are still absorbed in the previous activity, prompt them that you will be moving on soon (and give them a time limit or a visual cue such as a timer), but give them a chance to "finish" on their own. This, of course, encourages independence (always a good thing).

3. When it's time for a transition, clearly explain to students what you will be doing next. It's important to use both verbal and visual cues with students with ASDs. Using gestures and actions along with your words helps students grasp your verbal message. Through repetition of a familiar sequence of events, students will begin to associate your verbal instructions with a predictable recurring routine, and be better able to follow instructions without excessive re-prompting. When students with ASDs know what's expected and what will happen next, they are less anxious and will become more independent and proactive in managing their own transitions. That means less work for you.

4. Help students move on, if needed. If you need to "disrupt" a student who is off-task, gently remove any distracting objects or materials, while explaining what you are doing and why, and tell them you want to put things away and get ready to move on to the next thing.

5. For students who really really struggle with transitions, you may need to explain and show your student/s what you are doing, step by step. Some students need this level of assistance, but the good news is with time and practice the student WILL become more independent during transitions, and you can fade a lot of the prompting.

(For example, if you are going to the cafeteria, a verbal script might look something like this (note that it's also a good idea to have visual cues or icons to use as well if you are still in the process of teaching transitions):

"Okay Jason, now we are getting ready for lunch." (you show the student a visual schedule and the student stops working)

"Now we're going to line up." (wait for student to stand up and move towards the line)

"We're going to go to the cafeteria now." (student was "stuck" in the hallway, but continues walking in the right direction--towards the cafeteria)

"You need to stay in line". (student briefly wandered off, but returns to the line)

"What would you like for lunch?" (student is taking a long time to choose an item, the student chooses an item and moves on)...and so forth.

It sounds overly structured, but "talking students" through their tough transitions helps them cognitively "frame" what's going on and internalize the process. Eventually this leads to the student becoming able to do the transitions more independently, and you can fade the level of prompting. How long this will take depends entirely on the student...

Why I decided NOT to become a licensed SPED teacher...

Due to the lack of jobs in my field, I've been working in SPED for the past couple of years (as a para, not as a licensed teacher). That means a 50% pay-cut every time I work, but I like it well enough that I often choose to do it anyway. Consequently, people are always asking me when I didn't become a SPED teacher ("You're so good at working with these kids, why don't you become a SPED teacher"). The answer, of course, is all the paperwork you have to do as a SPED teacher. I SUCK at paperwork, why on earth would I choose a job that requires more time with paperwork than any other job in the whole entire world? I'd be setting myself up for failure if I did that. Besides, doing paperwork all the time (all those IEPs) would mean I wouldn't have much time to do the thing that I actually enjoy about working in SPED: Working directly with the kids. So, no way! Not doing it! I'd rather just work with the kids and have a blast.

But don't take my word for it. Synthia McBride explains the SPED paperwork phenomenon far better than I ever could.

"Most of the paperwork I have to do as a speech-language pathologist is the result of some federal, state or local lawsuit. There can be 8 pages of documentation to justify summer school, 20 pages of documentation to develop a behavior plan, 15 pages of documentation to complete response to intervention data, then another 10 pages of documentation to open the student for a complete evaluation, 10 pages of documentation to dismiss a child from speech therapy. IEPs have gone from 2 pages to 13 pages. Upon completion of an average, non-complicated IEP review there can be a stack of over 40 pieces of paper. Completing the paperwork can involve getting dozens of people to provide data, including every 6-7 classroom teachers, the counselor, the co-ordinator, the regular education school nurse, the special education nurse, the speech-language pathologist, the O.T., the P.T, the regular education P.E. teacher, the special education P.E teacher, the school psychologist, the reading specialist, the education diagnostician,the principal, the child's physician and the parents..."

I'm sure you get the idea...even if you got lost back at the 2nd or 3rd sentence of the paragraph. SPED=Paperwork. Ick. No thank you.

Friday the 13th!

Today's Friday, and not just any ol' Friday... This year's supposed to be rather unlucky because it has more Friday the 13ths than most other years. That's not something I'm worried about though because I usually have a pretty good day (while everyone else is worrying). I can't say the same thing for full-moon days in a school setting, but I digress...

It's been kind of a crazy week overall. It started off on a down note, when both me and my students came to school in a bit of a funk on Monday. I was out of school all day on Tuesday for training (glad I missed the lock-in drill...that kind of stuff makes the kids anxious). Wednesday was a day off (good day to re-group), and Thursday was pretty smooth sailing after we got through the first part of the morning. I'm thinking the week is going to end on a high note after all, and I don't have any reason in the world to believe that today isn't going to be a pretty good day.

downtime

Today's a federal holiday (Veteran's Day), so school's out, and I have a day off to re-group. Yesterday, I had all-day CPI training, so I was out of school all day, except very briefly in the morning. This past Friday, was also a day off, so that's a lot of "breaks" in the regular schedule. As a result, my students have been a bit restless and squirrely, and a lot harder to manage.

Most high school students (if not their parents) love a break from school, but in Special Education, this is often not the case. Breaks for kids on the spectrum are tough (and we have a lot of students on the Autism spectrum in our room). Students with special needs tend to get a bit out of whack if you shake up their routine too much, and they're not shy about letting you know. For others, not only is school a place where predictable things happen, but also a place where basic needs get met--there are always some students don't really get fed or experience an atmosphere of safety unless they come to school. Most of our kids, even the ones who profess to dislike school, enjoy the structure and predictability that they can count on. Students with Autism tend to lack the ability to self-regulate, so they do very poorly without structure and routine (which for many is only something that happens in school).

Students in Special Ed often react to extended breaks by "punishing" us for not having school. You get a lot of regression/skills loss/acting out/sulking/etc. It's not pretty. The next few days are probably going to be a bit hairy.

Subs

I've been a sub for years, and now I'm on the other side of the fence. Since I've been sick a lot this year, and am expected to do trainings as well, I've already had 5 days where I've needed to call a sub. Yikes. It's barely November!

A substitute is a mixed blessing in a classroom like ours. If you're lucky, you get someone who's fairly experienced, and knows how to work with our population of kids skillfully. Oftentimes, though, you are really just getting a little bit of extra adult supervision (which is nice--people need to eat lunch and take breaks), but unfortunately you don't usually get someone who can really do all the things you do in a normal day.

I've tried to alleviate this somewhat by putting together a really detailed subfolder, with the kind of specificity where someone could come in do most of our daily routine (in case I get someone who's a go-getter and wants to give working with a non-verbal student a go). Besides, from a sub's perspective, the day goes by a bit faster if you aren't sitting around while everyone else does the work. That can be really boring...

Low-Functioning Autism

Working with Students (with Low-Functioning Autism)

These are some tips (principles) for working with students who are on the low-functioning end of the Autism spectrum. I pretty much had to learn this stuff by trial and error, since most of the readily available information on teaching students with Autism is geared towards the higher-functioning end of the spectrum. These are some basic principles that I had to arrive at on my own, so I can confirm that they are effective, but just the other day, I came across an article "Teaching Students Who Are Low-Functioning: Who Are They and What Should We Teach?" on Indiana University's Resource Center for Autism.

I've taken the liberty of adapting this material to the particulars of my own situation--working with Bob* (for instance, there's more info in the original about "behaviors", but Bob doesn't really have a lot of issues around behavior.:


1. Take lots of time to introduce and teach each new skill. Learning a new skill will take a lot of time and practice. Depending on the difficultly of the skill it may take anywhere from a few days to several weeks for the student to learn the skill and apply it consistently. Even when a skill seems mastered, the student will need to review and practice previously learned skills from time to time to ensure retention (use it or lose it).

When I'm introducing a new DT Lesson or a functional skill with Bob, I usually treat the first several sessions as "introductory" in nature. Depending on how abstract or difficult the task is, the introductory period may be a few days or a whole week. One thing I do is keep the initial introductions short. In DT, the new lesson usually comes after a review of a familiar topic (so that Bob has already had a "warm up").

Another key difference is that I use reinforcers more for "effort" at this time, not necessarily accuracy of response. When starting something new and difficult, motivation is more important than accuracy (you'll get there sooner or later). Once it becomes clear that Bob is starting to "get it", then I switch to using reinforcers for accuracy only.


2. Do not remove "supports" (particularly visual or environmental supports) when a task is mastered by the student. The student may always need certain supports to be successful at a given task. This is especially true if the support compensates for a student's motor or communication difficulties.

One of the hardest parts of working with Bob in the beginning was that I had no idea what his skill levels were, and what supports had been used in the past. Once his files turned up and I had his assessment information, I had a better idea of what he had done in the past, and what supports were being used before I arrived. Based on that information, I quickly realized for example that he would benefit from more visual supports (to facilitate transitions), and have been able to design and implement additional supports that have really helped him function more independently (fading much of the physical prompting).

3. Do not require the student to work on a single task for prolonged periods of time (a simple rule of thumb is 20-30 minutes max for the same task/sequence). It is wise to plan for small breaks throughout the day to give the student a chance to recharge between difficult tasks. Be prepared to shift activities when the student seems to be losing interest or focus (end a session while the student is still successful), and be sure to provide both easy and difficult tasks so that the student will experience both challenges and success during the sessions. A typical day should include significantly more opportunities to perform familiar tasks which promote security and positive/successful experiences, than to engage in new and challenging tasks all of the time.

I'm lucky that I work with a student who is surprisingly good at staying focused. Bob has an amazing ability to stay focused on instructional sequences for a non-verbal student with severe autism! This is good for me because we can really get a lot done during instructional episodes. But even he has his limits. Most days, I can count on anywhere between 20-30 minutes for DT. With pre-vocational skills, it varies, but sometimes he'll stay on task and focused for very long periods, on other days, 15 minutes is about the limit before he starts getting distractible.

Keep in mind that Bob is a high school student--younger children, I've noticed, do better with 5-10 minute instructional episodes, and need more frequent breaks. (I would never dream of asking a 6-year old kid in a CB classroom to do DT for 20 minutes!) For some students, just sitting still in a chair for a minute or so is an instructional goal. You have to start where your student IS. Once you have the sense for how long they can stay focused, you can gradually increase your instructional times. During instruction, it's a good idea to keep things focused on success--learning should be "fun" after all, and because it's so important, it's better to have lots of highly-successful but short session, than one long frustrating one. After all, you will be doing this EVERY DAY. If one day is a bit "off", you can always try again later.

4. Provide the student with clear information about the beginning and ending times of an activity sequence (this can be verbal/visual or both), and about the expectations and requirements of the task. To promote initiative/independence, avoid taking apart and/or redoing a task that the student perceives as "finished" (even the results are not perfect by your standards--this reduces student motivation). If additional practice is needed, intersperse it throughout the day rather than requiring sequential trial repetitions. (This is a good idea anyway, as it reduces fatigue.)

This is a very task-specific principle, and the way you apply it will look different for every student/every task. A lot of the information/cueing will be environmental in nature--that is events that occur naturally will determine what the student's response is (When X happens, you do Y).

Since I am working with a student who happens to have good receptive verbal skills, I "talk" my way through the things we are working on, using very consistent language.

Because Bob* has some fine motor skills deficits, I've had to determine what are realistic standards for "finished tasks", and how much "help" to offer. In general, I use the "close enough" principle, where consistency of effort is more important than absolute perfection. For instance, one of Bob's school jobs is to stack milk cartons on a tray in the cafeteria. Is he able to line them up correctly in neat orderly rows on the trays without assistance? Not at the present time. So instead of insisting on that, the current expectation is that the milk cartons make it onto the tray and in an upright position. Occasionally he'll make attempts to correct their position himself, so I would imagine that one day that will be something he'll be able to do himself. Do we need to get there by tomorrow? Not really, but I will certainly praise him every time he tries to do so. (Only once I take them out of sight to put them away in cold storage, do I turn them around so they all face the same direction...)

And speaking of standards, I've noticed that if a student is NOT being successful at something you KNOW they know they are able to do, there's often something going on at that moment that is interfering with their ability to perform the task (a distraction or physical discomfort). Often in this case, instead of insisting that the student "push on through" or "stay with it until they get it right", it's better to come back to the task later--even if it's just ten minutes later. Or if the problem is consistent, consider moving the instructional sequence to another time of day (the source of distraction could be related to the timing of meals or the effect of certain medications).

5. Embed communication into all aspects of the school day, and teach communication skills in their natural contexts whenever possible.

This is especially important for non-verbal students who rely on AAC systems to communicate. In order to encourage vocabulary development, you need to have "real things to talk about". Naturally this effort will begin in a clinical or classroom setting, but it should expand as soon as possible into other environments. In order to encourage the student to use their AAC system, they need communication partners and real topics. The most logical place to encourage both vocabulary development and desire to communicate is often right out there in the real world.

Practice communicating outside of the classroom when possible, and involve others (the family, the student's peers, other school personnel, people outside of school) whenever possible. The benefit is that you'll have a wider range of real communication topics, and give the student the idea that communication is not just something they do with their teacher at school!

6. Take time to teach essential skills in places and at times when skills are needed. For example, take time to teach students to put their coats on when it is time to go outside. Avoid the tendency to do essential life tasks for students while rushing to "get things done". While there are many time-based-expectations in the school setting, most are somewhat flexible and the student should be encouraged to accomplish tasks and transitions independently at his or her own pace. If time is of the essence, plan to begin transitions as early as needed, for the student to do them independently. Generally, avoid doing anything for the student what he/she can do for him/herself.

When you're working with students on the lower end of functioning, life skills or functional skills make up the bulk of the student's IEP goals and curriculum. They ARE important. Rather than view them as afterthoughts, these kinds of tasks should be viewed as the student's daily "performance-based assessments".

For these kinds of skills, mastery is critical, and accuracy is far more important than speed and efficiency. For example, would Bob get from point A to point B faster if I set the pace, held his hand, and guided him the whole way? Sure he would, but that's not in either of our bests interests. So even if it takes twice as long, I always insist that he walk on his own, at his own pace, and if he gets stuck, I wait to see if he'll get going again on his own before I do *any* prompting. The idea is to ALWAYS give the student the opportunity to do things on their own to encourage maximum independence (and reduce reliance on others).

For some tasks, the student may always need some assistance, but the level of assistance offered should be tailored to the student's strengths (and future potential to do the task independently). Maybe at this point in time, the student needs you to "start" the task, but they can finish it (or vice versa). This may eventually lead into the student gradually taking on more and more responsibility for completion of the task sequence, so you have to be on the lookout for those subtle signs of readiness.

The take home message, ultimately, is that the vast majority of students with Low-Functioning Autism should be viewed by educators as capable learners (who will make progress over time), so long as each student's individual characteristics (motivation and readiness) are taken into consideration during instructional episodes.

What progress looks like will vary considerably from student to student, but in my experience the teacher's attitude has a great deal of impact on how much progress a student will make. While there are many factors outside of teacher control, teachers DO have control over how they view and work with low-functioning students. Perception is everything here, and the teacher's attitude tends to be a self-fulfilling prophecy: if a student is viewed as incapable and helpless, then the student's outcomes will almost certainly reflect this. If the teacher encourages and models initiative, persistence, patience, and above all believes that the student is a capable learner who will make progress over time (at his or her own pace), one can expect to see those outcomes.

When in doubt, err on the side of believing in the student's abilities (it certainly won't hurt them any).

(adapted from: Pratt, C. & Stuart, R. (1997). Teaching students who are low functioning: Who are they and what should we teach. The Reporter, 2(3), 6-9.)

Teaching and the Third Trimester

Should you continue teaching into the third trimester? The best answer is probably "maybe". The demands of a typical school day can be grueling enough as it is, but it becomes even harder when you're also dealing with the added distractions of swelling and aching that hits during the third trimester. Now that I'm in the midst of it, here's my thoughts about how to keep on keepin' on during the final stretch of pregnancy given the realities of the school setting and the nature of teaching.

An Ounce of Prevention...

As they say, it's easier to be proactive, than to run around putting out fires. I find this is just as true for keeping yourself going, as it is for dealing with student behavior. You'll feel much better during the third trimester if you don't allow yourself to get too tired and run down in the first place. Most of the things that make the third trimester "difficult" are also things that respond well to proactive or preventative measures.

The Standing/Sitting Dilemma

Eventually, if you haven't already, you'll come to a place where neither standing or sitting really feels comfortable. I've found the key to my own comfort is a good mix of the two. The middle ground is walking, so walking around a little bit here and there helps break things up. One thing I strongly recommend is investing in a belly band to support the bulging abdomen (this reduces the backache factor a lot), and compression socks if you're on your feet a lot and your legs tend to swell up.

Get Comfy

Now's the time to get the best chair you can get your hands on (if you haven't been forced to already). If nothing provided by the school qualifies, it's totally worth your time and money to go to an office supply place and invest in something better...Totally Worth It! If you don't want to drop a lot of cash, those used business furniture places are a good way around pesky retail prices. Plan B, for those of us who float, is to get a good seat and bring it everywhere. A good alternative to a traditional chair, by the way, is a birthing ball/exercise ball. I've spent a good bit of my third trimester sitting on one while working with students who are seated at tables. Sure they giggled about it a bit at first, but they seem to get that it helps me.

They always say you should put up your feet when you're pregnant. Well, one way to accomplish that is to put a box or something underneath your desk to prop your feet up on. Another good idea is to get some cushions or put a little pillow behind your back.

If things are really getting bad, invest in heat packs or pads. You can get these at any drug store, and boy are they a lifesaver on those days when your back really starts to let you down. The adhesive kind can even be worn unobtrusively under your clothes.

Uplift

Let's talk about lifting. Granted teaching doesn't involve the kind of lifting that say working at Fedex does, but there are times when you are called upon to do a bit of lifting...be it books, or reams of paper. If you're in Special Ed, of course, we're also talking about lifting kiddos (yes, that's part of the gig sometimes). Be smart about lifting--have someone else do it! Your students are an obvious choice. Believe it or not, it's pretty easy to talk students into helping you with physical tasks, and if you haven't discovered this already, it's time to give it a whirl. You'll never have a higher sympathy factor than you do right now... Otherwise, try sympathetic staff members, people in the athletic department, you name it. This is no time to be a superhero...generally speaking, you'll pull something if you try to lift anything that weighs much more than about 25 lbs.

You'll also notice that at some point bending over gets super annoying too. I for one have gotten less particular about stuff on the floor (in normal times, I'm downright anal about the state of the floor). At some point during pregnancy, the cost/benefit ratio of bending over to pick something up doesn't pan out. Naturally, if you must pick up something, squat, use your knees, not your back. In general, it's a good idea to just ask for help if there's someone else around. You could even turn it into a fun game with your students where the first person who picks up the thing you dropped on the floor gets a prize...yes I'm not above bribery. If that's not your style, I would also recommend investing in one of those pick-up sticks that janitors use to pick up trash on school grounds. They're amazingly dexterous and you can pick up some incredibly small items with them. They're also good for those times when students aren't around...like when you're at home.

Relax

A generally good piece of advice for anyone who's pregnant is to take breaks when you can and rest often. In the first trimester, this is obvious because you are soooo unbearably tired and feel like you're on a permanent dose of Nyquil. Then the second trimester hits, and you're feeling like superwoman again. The third trimester is a time of aches and pains as you take on amazing new proportions, so it's time to revisit the whole resting concept.

Now it goes without saying that "rest" and "teaching" don't go together in the same way that "sugar" and "students" really don't go together...at least not in an ideal universe (while I'm at it, I would also add that portable electronic devices and students don't go together, but unfortunately the world's moving in the opposite direction, but I digress).

Obviously, there's nothing terribly restful about teaching, and it's really really hard to find time to take care of yourself while coping with the demands of the profession. So rest for us teacherly types means something different (than it does for everyone else). Taking a break in this case, doesn't mean getting up and walking out of your classroom for 15 minutes (unless your students are really well-trained), but rather not attempting to work through your lunch period (something many of us are guilty of). The key here is relaxation: Listen to relaxing music, do some stretches/yoga, go outside for a few minutes, breathe...turn of the lights, take a nap. Do what you gotta do. If you can, take short naps 15-20 minute in your room, break room, or your car, if necessary. I recommend using a timer so you don't pass out.

Taking a break could also mean listening to relaxing music during your planning periods, turning off the lights for awhile, eating/drinking in class, or doing 5 minutes of yoga during passing periods. Seriously. In fact, I would strongly recommend listening to relaxing music DURING class if you're having one of "those kinda days" and need to take the stress level down a notch. It won't hurt the kids any. Neither will eating/drinking when you need to. No matter how much they may whine any other time about how unfair that is (if you have a no food/drinks rule in your classroom), you won't hear a word if you're visibly pregnant. Kids get it. Drinking water, by the way, is really good for you and your baby. The bad news is that the more water you drink, the more you'll have to pee (as if that wasn't already problematic), but it's still worth trying to do your part. If you're a thousand miles from the staff restroom, now's the time to suck it up and start using the student restroom. Hopefully you can cut out for five minutes without your students going crazy. If not, find a teacher or other staff member who has a different schedule than yours and see if they can cover your class for brief periods of time.

Also, if you haven't already taken to doing so, it's a good idea to keep food and healthy snacks on hand in your room. My appetite really went up big time in the third trimester after being totally non-existent during the first, but the catch is that its really hard to eat much at one time (during my lunch break), so I kinda have to graze throughout the day to get anywhere near meeting my nutritional needs. Things that are working really well for me are juice, baby carrots, grapes, apples/oranges, bananas, trail mix, granola bars, and cereal in a small bag that I can just reach in and nibble on. I've also discovered that the school cafeteria has a surprisingly good range of healthy (and tasty) things to eat, so that's a good option for the days I don't have my act together. If your teaching schedule doesn't coincide with the cafeteria schedule, find a trustworthy student to pick up a meal for you (you can set up a "tab" with the manager so that you don't have to send kids with money). Plan B is to train them to bring their unwanted breakfast/lunch items like juice/fruit.

It's also a good idea to get up and walk around now and then, do some stretching (you could turn it into a class routine--it's good for the kids too), and remember to move around frequently...walking is way better than standing. If your usual style is to stand in front of the room and talk while writing on the board/OHP/Elmo, now's a good time to mix it up and have a student do the writing while you walk and talk...plus this way it's easier to catch people trying to surreptitiously text under the desk.

Feelings

Some women tend to be pretty emotional throughout pregnancy. Others, like me, just get progressively crankier towards the end. One thing that will get really old is the numerous questions about when you're due/etc. By the third trimester, any sighted person will be well aware of the fact that you're pregnant. If you find yourself feeling a bit "crustacean", and get bothered easily by your students or co-workers, or parents, be sure to take a deep breath and think hard before you react verbally to a situation. Yes the kids will get on your nerves, and your co-workers will seem somewhat less charming, but it's a good idea to count to 10 before telling them what you REALLY think.

On a totally different note, it's been my experience that kids are really good about the whole thing (much better than most adults). Sure they'll have questions, but for the most part, they'll be appropriate questions (and often a better "range" of questions than you'll be getting from most adults). They'll usually go a bit easier on you, be more forgiving of you when you're having an "off day", and are generally pretty supportive, if not downright considerate/solicitous. Some of my "toughest" students have also been the first in line to volunteer to help me carry stuff and do me favors (it's really cute). My only piece of advice is to keep your students in the loop (in terms of when you think you'll be leaving and if/when you expect to be back... there's no point in being overly mysterious about it.)

Dress Comfortably

Now's the time to say goodbye to anything in your wardrobe that doesn't fit quite right anymore--that's one less irritation you'll have to deal with during a time that's probably going to be chock full of irritations. The key to the third trimester is loose, non-restrictive, clothing that breathes (most people tend to be a bit "warmer" in the third trimester--it's kinda like having a free heater in your abdomen). Wear the most comfortable shoes you can get away with in your setting. I live in Oregon, so it's pretty casual--people wear sandals to white-collar corporate jobs every day of the week. Anything that doesn't contribute to your comfort will just make the whole third trimester-experience more taxing than it needs to be, so say goodbye to anything that's more fashionable than functional for awhile. Your feet, back, and legs will thank you.

Be Nice to Yourself

The most important thing to remember is that it's okay to take time off if you're sick, or just feeling overwhelmed. A job like teaching can be really stressful, and the weekend isn't long enough to undo the damage. As a teacher, you are on the go all week, and probably trying to pack all your unfinished business into the weekend. You don't want to wind up stressed out and overwhelmed---not only is it bad for you, but it's also bad for the growth and development of your captive audience--the baby. Even if you're the type who works even though you're sick, this is a time where you have permission not to be that person. Your immune system is already in a reduced state by virtue of pregnancy, anything you get will hang on longer, and this is a good time in your life to learn to let go of things. Is having a sub ideal? No, but chances are pretty good that life will go on. This is a good time to learn this lesson--since there's a lot of things you have to let go of when you have an infant to tend to.

Being Prepared

Be prepared for the inevitable as well as the unexpected. If you're due date falls during the school year, obviously you'll have a sub. If the baby comes early, you'll need to be ready for that too. At a bare minimum, you'll need to make a good subfolder, and start planning lessons for maternity leave. Some principals require you to submit plans for the entire period you'll be gone before you leave (if that's you, I'm so sorry). If you can, start "shopping" for a sub. If you get in the habit of leaving the room ready with your stuff out where it can be easily found and handled if you're not there tomorrow, then you'll feel a lot better and less anxious about the whole thing.

Scheduling issues

You can minimize the disruption of prenatal appointments if you schedule all (or as many as possible) for the late afternoon (or after school) so you can just go home and chill afterward instead of going back to work. Plus this will get you out of some after-school meetings, at a time in your life where you may not really be in the mood for these obligations anyway.

When to throw in the towel

If you can, go with how you're feeling, as opposed to setting a certain date when you'll leave work. Unfortunately, that's a tough call to make at the time when you're filling out your leave paperwork, since you're required to give a minimum of 30 days notice to Human Resources.

The problem, in a nutshell is this--you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. If you leave too soon, you might get totally bored and antsy sitting around the house. You also risk using up paid sick/vacation time that you might want later. On the other hand, if you're having a lot of complications or overwork yourself in those last few weeks, you'll be exhausted and stressed by the time the baby arrives.

When to quit working is a highly individual thing. I personally don't like lying around the house, and prefer having the structure and distractions of a typical school day to help me forget for at least 8 hours a day that I'm pregnant, so I'm planning on working until the bitter end. I find that it's a lot harder to get caught up with focusing on my own discomforts if I stay busy and involved, so I like working, even on those days when I'm not feeling great. Granted things really do get more taxing/painful during the third trimester. I've found that when something new hits, often my body will adjust and compensate in a few days. If you're feeling like you've hit the end of your rope, but aren't sure if you need to stop working, give it 48 hours. If you still feel like you can't do it anymore, then go ahead and get a doctor's note, and check out.