specialteach

This right here, ladies and gentelmen, is why I do what I do, every day. Brag away, you deserve it. I can almost guarantee that there is at least one future special ed. teacher sitting at Heidi's lunch table.

I am only 5'2 and have a terrible time if my feet aren't touching the ground. I end up crossing my legs underneath me. As for the school stuff, it's frustrating on the other side of the desk as well. All most of us want to do is teach. But that's another conversation. I'm glad the stool trick worked. Keep it in mind when you go to dine out or at friends/relatives houses. I know a family who discovered that everyone in their family could have a wonderful time dining out when one member of the family had her feet supported.

Many school systems have programs where you can try out different equipment before purchasing an expensive item. If you are working with an OT or PT they should be able to help you. In the mean time, why not try a box or a bunch of phone books underneath your son's chair. Chances are that if his feet are supported he will squirm less. Adults often forget how uncomfortable it is to sit without your feet supported, mainly because they have not experienced this in a long time Hope that helps.

Balance is not a problem with everyone who is deaf. Judith will be able to speak more on this issue, but I know from my own professional experience that some deaf kids have as good a sense of balance as you or I. To understand what your coworker goes through every day, try cooking at home with ear plugs. It is amazing how much we use our sense of hearing while cooking without even realizing it. Buzzer and timers are useless, frying or sautéing takes on a whole new meaning and you can't hear the phone ring if you do not have a special device (or phone) while cooking. Your coworkers concentration skills are not a surprise. When you studied, did you do a better job surrounded by people or in a quiet room. He has fewer distractions than you or I. The information your brain is deciphering while cooking is not a factor for him since his brain does not have to block it out. It's fantastic that you recognize that ASL has a different grammatic structure than English. ASL is a foreign language, with it's own syntax and grammar. Most people do not realize that those who speak ASL have to read and write in a foreign language. Kudos to you!

Mottmott, if only the world was as accepting as you are. I work at a school whose sole purpose is to treat special education students. One would think that in an environment such as this I could be open about my illness. Unfortunately this is not the case. There is a parent at my school with the same illness. The year I had her daughter I was shocked at the comments I heard. And these are from educated, supposedly sympathetic people. If I have concerns and work where disabilities and illnesses are the norm, imagine what it is like for others. There are days when I want to shout from the rooftops (both physical and virtual) that I have this disease. I would love to tell the world that most of their assumptions about me and people with my illness are wrong and I can do more than they imagined. Someday I will, but the US has too far to go before I can. Most people in my non-work life know about it. There is nothing I love more than people asking questions. Nothing makes me happier than educating people about what I go through on a daily basis. There is no stupid question, as long as it is a sincere one. I also believe you have to be able to laugh at yourself and your situation. Life is just too hard if you don't.

I would personally like to send a huge thank you to babka for her help on my section. You may not be a favorite person among teenage boys, but you are one of mine! One of the things I love about eG is that all that matters is our love of food. In my noncomputer world I am constantly thinking about "do I tell them about my illness" and "are my medicinally induced food issues making me look crazier than usual?" Coming out of the illness/disability closet is a difficult decision. There are days when I want to shout it from the rooftops, but then I remember our society still has a long way to go with acceptance of others. Hopefully this course will help people realize that we really are just like everyone else.

This link is for the organic consumers website csa page. It has a list of different csa around the country.

Ingrid, have you thought about finding a local CSA (community sustained agriculture)? Depending on the CSA for a fee they deliver a bag of fresh produce to your door. Now is the season when there is finally a crop to harvest and a great time to join on. You can find day 2 here. There is discussion of adaptive materials in both sections. The manual food chopper might help with dicing onions.

I want to thank everyone for the kind words of support and encouragement. This has become a true labor of love for all involved. We have grown through the six month process that it took to put this course together (all though some of us more than others ) and are thrilled to finally share it with all of you.

Me too. I grew up on it. I also grew up on Hoho Ice Cream Cake that my grandmother got off of a box or magazine add (it's a copy so I don't know which). Can't make without the recipe on the package... Rice Krispie Treats Toulouse Cookies Chex Mix Raspberry carrots

For those of us who are oragami challenged...... I just tie mine in a knot and flatten it down. That is if I haven't ripped it to shreds. I have made many less than great first impressions on dates where I tore the wrapper to shreds! Do Japanese restaurants in countries other than the US offer chopstick holders so that you don't have to create your own?

I have a few questions. This is so amazing. Watching what my kids bring for lunch is one of the worst parts of my job. It seems so civilized in Japan. Is it safe to assume that the teachers eat whatever the students are eating? Do the teachers have to pay for the meals as well? How do they get the food to the classroom warm and pick up the dishes? Does the school smell wonderful around lunch time? Mine smells like microwaved, processes food. Are there special occasion lunches for any holidays? What if a family cannot afford to feed their children? Thanks!

Does anyone have a recipe for the ginger dressing that many Japanese restaurants in the US serve on their basic salads? Or know a brand of bottled dressing that is available in the US?

Marc, It's been too long since I had the pleasure of dining at your restaurant and have no idea what is on the a la carte menu. This sounds like a way to get a taste of Citronelle at a price I that is closer to my budget than the main restaurant. What do they offer? The lobster burger sounds amazing. I could use a great meal right about now.

The seating at Teasim is the only thing I do not like about the one in Dupont. Downstairs there is a long table/bar that looks out onto the street and upstairs there are three tables on either side of the room that seat two with two larger tables that seat 4-6 in the middle. The chairs are all wood and comfortable is one of the last words I would use to describe them. I too am in my late twenties and love eating alone while enjoying a good book. I have a tendancy to be on the cautious side of situations and Teasim at night during off hours would make me nervous. Unless you sat downstairs, which isn't very condusive to reading, you would be sitting upstairs in a somewhat isolated room. You cannot hear what is going on from downstairs (loud baby once proved this theory) and the room does not get a lot of traffic during off hours. It just isn't worth the risk in my eyes.

I have heard that the woman who owns Commander's forced him to interact with the cutomers and changed the pronunciation of his name (the E is really silent at the end of his last name). Is it true? If I could drop Julia Child's name I would too. I can't wait to see her in an interview now!!! I always knew she was a great role model and this just proves it once again. I have visited her pots and pans at the Smithsonian more times than I should admitt.

Marc, how sweet and helpful of you. Mrs. J-despite what they say, people here tend to be much kinder than in the real world. They say they are sorry and let you state your opinion, even when they know it is wrong. What they say is true about the addictive quality of this board. A day that is suppose to be spent working somehow disappears in the blink of an eye! Be careful....... Any random threads out there we should know about?

I know it is a bit off topic but still relavant. Could you talk a bit about the vending machines, including the ones that make sushi, you have in Japan. Is it true there is one that makes french fries?

Perfect! Thanks for thinking of that one. Four hours at a pumpkin patch has turned my brain to mush.

Do not, I repeat, Do not have supermarket sushi for your first experience. Sushi is an art form and has many rituals that go along with the experience. You owe it to yourself to have the real thing. I wish I could give you a comparison but I honestly too tired to think of one. The only thing I can think of is eating toast with butter on it the morning after you have made it. Mushy, soft and tasteless. Not worth it at all. I tend to hit supermarkets first thing in the morning (between 7:30 and 8:30). I can't tell you how many mornings I see workers putting sushi that is from the day before ontop of the sushi that has arrived that day. That being said, some higher end markets have people making it fresh in front of you (a few Whole Foods here in DC do it). If you have to have your first sushi experience from a supermarket, do it somewhere like this. Good luck

From one newbie to another, Welcome. Navigating your way through this board can be a little crazy. Other than FAQ's, is there an egullet 101 somewhere? I had no idea about the member bio's until I read about them here. Will post one when life calms down.

This is one of the best posts ever! Thank you for putting time and energy into fried chicken. It looks and sounds amazing. I can't wait to go try it myself. I thought I would share the experience of a Latino student of mine. She has waited for weeks for this place to open. On Saturday 12 members of her family went to pick up chicken for a picnic near Regan National. Many adults took off the day of work and a car was borrowed in order to celebrate the arrival of this place. It was as big a family event as a wedding. She has had chicken for lunch both days this week. This crazy little chicken place has brought joy most of us could not experience. For many, it is a like a piece of home coming to them while they try to make their world a better place. All this with from some fried chicken.

Made this with my class last week and we had a great time. Wish I had taken a picture...... Make a batch of Rice Krispie treats (You could put pop rocks in the treats?) Spray plastic gloves with non-stick spray. Make sure the gloves you use do not have powder in them! Put the R. K. treats into the gloves, making sure that all the fingers are full. Let R.K.'s cool. Cut glove open to reveal a Rice Krispie treat in the shape of a hand! By The Way...there is a restaurant here in DC called MiniBar that does a 30 course meal. One of the courses involves pop rocks, but I couldn't tell you how.

In DC, bought at the market I work at........ The very last of the tomatoes Hand pressed cider kiwi berries (2 varieties) Basil Cilantro onions cauliflower mesculin baby red and white potatoes

Thanks for the apology. Keep in mind that not all of us can afford to buy 12 year old balsamic from Modena. I never thought that it was traditional, but maybe part of modern Italian cooking. Just because it isn't traditional doesn't mean that it isn't good, or worth a try.