Well, I have completed my first week at my new job. I have taken a position as substitute teacher�s aide for what is called the Intermediate Unit one. It serves several school districts in the area, but I pretty much only work at the Uniontown and Albert Gallatin districts. Mostly I have worked with special needs or mentally challenged kids (termed Life Skills classes), but today I worked with an emotional support class.
I am still getting a feel for what the job expectations are, but I think I am picking it up rather quickly. I was given no real sort of training or material to read other than a single limited booklet explaining my general duties. Of course, it�s a little different from school to school and grade level to grade level.
I find that I much prefer to work with the life skills classes over the behavioral support groups. The spirits of the challenged kids seem much more innocent and honest and a pleasure to work with. The more extreme cases of autism or other disabilities can be a little challenging to deal with at times, but it seems that communication and understanding their needs and desires is the hardest part of the job. The children in the emotional support classes are tougher to get through to and are not so generally innocent or honest. A much stronger practice of discipline and assertiveness is required with them, sometimes even the expression of sternness bordering on anger is necessary. Of course, in neither type of group are you allowed to physically �handle� the kids unless they are imposing physical force on one another, and then only certain forms of restraint apply to this situation. Even physical displays of affection are discouraged. Handshaking and an affirming pat on the back are appropriate, but hugging (though it occasionally occurs) is not so appropriate.
As an example here is what occurred on my first day, working with an autistic child:
I accompanied him to lunch but was not fully aware of his particular procedure. He brought his own lunchbox but I was unsure if he was to go through the line to supplement his home meal. I took him to his table and he began to get a bit agitated. He got up and went to the line and I followed, asking him to return to his seat. On his second trip to the line I asked again for him to return to his seat and tried to guide him back. Since his vocalization skills were minimal he could not communicate to me what his routine was so he began throwing a bit of a tantrum. He lay on the floor, moaned a bit and was obviously distraught. I spoke in a calm voice and told him that I understood, but that his behavior was inappropriate. I asked him in a gentle tone to get up off the floor and we would get what he needed. He responded well, holding both arms up to me and I lifted him up. I asked one of the teachers what was usual for him and we solved the problem. Once I understood what he was trying to communicate to me, everything went fine.
With that particular student I found that holding his attention was the biggest challenge. In art he tended to disrupt the class a bit, but fortunately I found early on that as I was trying to get him to draw something for the class he responded well to my example. I did not get him to draw much on his own (only a few scribbles in fact), but when I began showing him by drawing a bit myself he became captivated. I would doodle some odd bit of artwork and then try to put the pencil in his hand, only to have him take the pencil, place it in my hand, and then begin moving my hand, all the while mesmerized by what I was drawing. This worked throughout the entire class and all went smoothly the whole period.
My favorite assignment thus far was at the Uniontown High School for a life skills class. It is a really great group of kids. Some with Down�s syndrome, others mentally challenged. The eldest was nearly 20 and the youngest I believe was 15. Though the largest group of my four assignments to date, they were the easiest to manage by far.
I really enjoy working with kids, especially the challenged ones. Their spirits seem so refreshing to me as opposed to the ones with behavioral challenges. The differences in the two groups almost seem diametrically opposed. While the life skills groups seem extraordinarily honest and sincere, the behavioral ones seem much more calculative and I daresay manipulative. But all of them are rewarding in their own ways. It is quite a broad spectrum and I am truly enjoying the overall experience. Working with them seems to be bringing about a deeper sense of maturity in myself now that I am in the roll of the responsible adult figure. And I find this experience thus far very rewarding. Hopefully this is a trend that will continue with each new challenge.
