Adventures in Special Education

First of all, I subbed at my middle school I went to 10 years ago! It was definitely weird being in the same cafeteria that I was awkward (sometimes I am still awkward), shorter, more quiet and  boy crazy. I walked into that cafeteria and started to think about all the awkward memories I have from middle school. Also, I saw some of my teachers that taught me still there. I saw the Jr. Herd football players wearing their jersey's acting like they were all that. I saw all the girls and boys in their PE clothes getting ready to go into the gym. I remember being so self conscious that I didn't look "cute" when I was wearing my over sized PE clothes. I remember how changing in the locker room was so scary. I thought I was the only scared. One day, I realized that everyone was scared to change into the locker room.

But, I worked in the special education classroom for moderate to severe. There are so many levels of children in that classroom. There are children who the teachers are happy to simply sit in their chair to writing their own sentence. I have learned so many things from just one day from working in a special education classroom. Here are some of the things that I have learned:

• Kids just want to be loved. A simple hug or high five means the world to a kid. 
• Children in special education have various needs. The teacher has to be extremely patient, kind, understanding and flexible. If the teacher doesn't have these, then the classroom will be dysfunctional. 
• Children with special needs don't understand boundaries. Especially in the middle school years, the body boundaries are important as they are beginning to understand that boys and girls are different. They are like every child. They are curious and are beginning to understand differences. Today I had one boy come up to me and point to my chest and say "chest". It didn't really phase me, but I said back to him, "you have one too". I pointed to his and nodded. He pointed back to mine and I said, "we both have chests even though they are different". He nodded and walked away. He doesn't understand that pointing to my breasts is inappropriate. I can't judge him or make a fool out of him, so I just use it as a teaching moment. You have to be very understanding when it comes to adolescent development and how their individual needs affect their development. 
• Kids have meltdowns when it comes to change. Change is hard for children with special needs. Having a routine is very important when helping a child, especially one with special needs. They get used to the routine and it becomes something they can rely on. They learn based on how well the routine works. Today, the buses came late which really upset one kid. He was waiting until 2:05 but it came 5 minutes later. He threw his backpack on the ground and cried. He had a major fit but once the bus came he was fine. Children with special needs rely on a consistent routine. 
• Get used to foul language. Like I said, they don't understand social boundaries. Saying the world "fuck" when they are pointing to someone, doesn't really phase them as rude. 
• Like I have been saying, they have a different understanding of the world around them. They aren't able to read social cues as well. They don't understand how their actions affect others around them sometimes. Not all children are like this, but the children that I worked with today are similar to what I have described. 
• Working in special education is draining. It is emotionally draining. You are working with children who have a hard time communicating. You can easily become frustrated with them as they can't tell you what they need sometimes. Have you ever thought about how they feel? They have various needs that need to be met but they are unable to vocalize or show you their needs. This equal frustration can make the job draining sometimes. 
• It can be very rewarding to work in special education. I only worked one day, so I can't say much. I found it very hard for one day but I came home feeling good. 
• You have to have a big heart and a sense of humor. Finding moments to laugh throughout the day is important. The kids can be annoying but they have funny moments. 
• You have to realize these kids are smart. They may not have the same intellectual abilities as other children their age. They may not be able to recognize the social cues around them like other children. Just because all of these are true, they are still smart. Finding what ways they are learn and finding their individual strengths is important. 

I have this sub job for a month or so. I will see if I keep it for that length of time. The other paraeducators talked to me about how lots of people come and go because they can't handle the job. It definitely is not a easy job. The kids make it challenging. Whenever I was frustrated with one child, I would think about how there are so many people who love them. They are the world to someone whether it be God or a family member. If someone views this child as "their world", I can love them too. Well, I will update on my blog more about what I learn from being a paraeducator. Even though it is not the highest paying job, the experience I am receiving is so important to understanding teaching and behavior. It is crazy how much I have learned from this job. I had no idea what I was getting myself into!