Blog #1 Introductions
Follow my lead... Introduce yourself: where you're from, what your interests are (hobbies, studies, travels, etc.), and one thing that makes you truly exceptional . The word has a connotation when coupled with special education, but truly about 87% of us are exceptional in some way (I just feel bad for the 13% who are not!). Exceptionalities range from diagnoses like ADD to shyness, gifted to struggling reader, the autism spectrum, hyper-sensitive to apathetic -- we will explore a lot of them! But please understand up front that being exceptional is not only negative and it can be an asset. This class will be about making your classroom accommodating to ALL learners! So here goes! I'm Dr. Barri Bumgarner (Dr. Bum, if you prefer), and I'm originally from southwest Missouri. I grew up in Lebanon, got my B.S. in Ed. at Missouri State (then SMSU), and I played tennis and basketball while in college. I then taught 7th grade for a few years, directed a KinderCare (children...