"Ms. Gomez, do you speak banish?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know like, hola or uno"
"Oh, Spanish! Yes. I do speak Spanish (emphaized on the pronunciation)."
Cute kindergarten girl proudly smiles, "me too. I also speak Banish."
I have loved these random conversation with my students from kindergarten, first grade, and second grade.
Here is another,
After taking a test with a first grader with autism, he and I, holding hands, head back to the general classroom. As we passed by a valentine's quilt, he stops, points at this picture
and says, "Eeeewwwlll!!! Ms. Gomez, they are kissing!" Right after the comment, he continued walking.
This past week, I taught all morning classes, and for some afternoon, I was left alone with the general classroom teacher and the students. I am slowly learning how to best approach how to make the worksheets, tests, activities less overwhelming for the students while the student is in the general classroom in order to be proactive and avoid tantrums. But I've also been learning how to calm a student who has a tantrum in the middle of instruction (still not completely successful, but will get there soon).
What I love about special education is that every day varies. On Tuesday, I dealt with the problem of a student freaking out because routine is broken; on Wednesday, we had to search for social stories (stories that help children understand something that sometimes other children understand immediately) about why you listen or why you don't pick your nose. On Thursday, we meet with social work to help a second grader learn how to make friends.
I also love special education because our students are more than special. They are children that God cares for, has a plan for, and works through. My students have challenged me, not listened to me, listened to me, but mostly BLESSED me. They bless me in more ways than just making funny comments that make me smile and even laugh out loud; they bless me with their "aha!" moments when their light bulb turns on; they bless me when I see them interact with other children with genuine care. They bless me with who they each are are the one whom God "fearfully and wonderfully" made.
Despite all the paper work that comes with special education, the collaboration with teachers (which is not always easy), and digging even deeper as to how a child can learn, I love special education. period.
"What do you mean?"
"You know like, hola or uno"
"Oh, Spanish! Yes. I do speak Spanish (emphaized on the pronunciation)."
Cute kindergarten girl proudly smiles, "me too. I also speak Banish."
I have loved these random conversation with my students from kindergarten, first grade, and second grade.
Here is another,
After taking a test with a first grader with autism, he and I, holding hands, head back to the general classroom. As we passed by a valentine's quilt, he stops, points at this picture
This past week, I taught all morning classes, and for some afternoon, I was left alone with the general classroom teacher and the students. I am slowly learning how to best approach how to make the worksheets, tests, activities less overwhelming for the students while the student is in the general classroom in order to be proactive and avoid tantrums. But I've also been learning how to calm a student who has a tantrum in the middle of instruction (still not completely successful, but will get there soon).
What I love about special education is that every day varies. On Tuesday, I dealt with the problem of a student freaking out because routine is broken; on Wednesday, we had to search for social stories (stories that help children understand something that sometimes other children understand immediately) about why you listen or why you don't pick your nose. On Thursday, we meet with social work to help a second grader learn how to make friends.
I also love special education because our students are more than special. They are children that God cares for, has a plan for, and works through. My students have challenged me, not listened to me, listened to me, but mostly BLESSED me. They bless me in more ways than just making funny comments that make me smile and even laugh out loud; they bless me with their "aha!" moments when their light bulb turns on; they bless me when I see them interact with other children with genuine care. They bless me with who they each are are the one whom God "fearfully and wonderfully" made.
Despite all the paper work that comes with special education, the collaboration with teachers (which is not always easy), and digging even deeper as to how a child can learn, I love special education. period.
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