My name is Angela Tornincaso. I am a 7th grade self-contained teacher in Ozone Park, Queens. I have twelve students; six boys and six girls. In my self-contained classroom I teach English Language Arts and Math. Each student in my class has a disability and very specific individual needs. The age range in my class is from twelve years of age to fourteen years of age. My students are anywhere from a first grade reading level to a sixth grade reading level. I have one student who can not read and write at all. Every day I set aside thirty minutes to sit with him and teach him how to read and write. Every day is a challenge, and every day presents another issue or situation that must be dealt with. My students live in a high needs area where most families are either a single parent home, or a home exposed to divorce. Most students do not have a parent at home to help them with their school work and they struggle to get through school each and every day. I give them as much of myself as I can. There are days when I am completely frustrated and ready to give up, and then there is that one moment, every day, without fail, that reminds me of why I do what I do and why I love it.
Vocabulary:
self-contained (adjective) - completely independent or separated.
disability (noun) - a physical or mental condition that limits a person's activities.
situation (noun) - a place; or something that happens.
frustrated (adjective) - annoyed because of being unable to do something.
without fail (idiom) - if something happens without fail, it always happens.
issue (noun) - important topic or problem. (verb) - to give or supply with.
Exercise:
Matching Exercise.
Definitions Vocabulary Words
___ completely independent or separated a. disability
___ annoyed because of being unable to do something b. issue
___ important topic or problem. To give or supply with. c. self-contained
___ a physical or mental condition that limits a person's d. without fail
activities.
___ it always happens e. situation
___ a place; or something that happens f. frustrated
Grammar Point: The paragraph is written in the first person point of view using specific key words, such as: I, me, my, mine, myself.
Grammar Point Exercise: Write a paragraph of at least ten sentences describing you, your family and your life at home using the first person point of view. Be sure to use the specific key words used in first person point of view.
