Where’s the Sun?

Where’s the Sun?

Is my blog about being a mom and an educator living in New Jersey.

I’m a full time stay at home mom of three inquisitive boys residing near the Jersey shore. My oldest and middle child both attend public schools and have special needs. My oldest son has Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD and my middle son attends a preschool disabilities program. My youngest stays home with me during the day and provides me with lots of excuses to chase after him.

My blog, Where’s The Sun, is named in honor of the persistence and uniqueness that they each show and their constant questioning of the Universe… Of which I often don’t have an adequate enough answer for them despite all of my years of schooling.

Here’s some of my neato qualifications to share with you since my actual certifications and now pretty useless diplomas are in a box in my garage…

I have a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Rutgers College (it’s a really really useless degree) and a Masters Degree in Elementary Education from Rutgers Graduate School of Education ( I should’ve went alternate route).

I’m also a certified Elementary Education Teacher & Special Education Teacher in New Jersey. I spent time doing both and moved a few times so I have experience in different schools which is interesting. One was made up of wealthy families and the other not so wealthy. Lucky me that I’ve been able to see the way things are done on both sides of the fence. Guess which one does it better?

I had some free time and enough college credits so I took the Praxis and was able to pick up a Standard Teaching Certificate for Social Studies in case I ever wanted to teach just Social Studies in grades K-12. I guess that also makes me highly qualified.. I like to think that someday I could teach Social Studies but I really doubt I ever will.

Since I had more free time I continued my studies at a lovely campus in New Jersey called Georgian Court University. Through coursework there I was able to become a New Jersey certified Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant. This handy dandy certification allows me to serve on a Child Study Team in the state of New Jersey, consequentially just about the only state, that I know of, that has Learning Disability Teacher Consultants. I think everyone else just has the School Psychologist perform the educational evaluation, even though they’ve never actually taught.

I spent a few years as a child study team member prior to leaving for full time motherhood. As a child study team member I was responsible for case management and educational evaluations. I can’t say I wasn’t glad to leave because after awhile it’s no fun playing monkey in the middle.

Currently, I privately consult (for free to friends), perform educational evaluations (well not really but I could if I wanted to), and consider myself an active advocate for my own children (a sure sign is that the school staff recognizes me enough to call security on sight).

Since I started this blog a few months ago I’ve really had a great time as a member of the blogging community and delving into different perspectives and experiences of others.