Saturday, November 14, 2009

Teaching . .


I was having a discussion with Coparent yesterday about my day at school. I have an interesting job. It is NEVER dull. I teach students who have Special Needs. Ranging from Intellectual Impairment, Speech Language Impairment, Mental Illness, students who are on the Autism Spectrum, students who are Hearing Impaired and students who have multiple impairments.

Yesterday was a typical day. It included:

A Year 11 student had ripped a hole in his hand and was bleeding and argued about getting First Aid. He proudly told me 'It's ok Miss. I don't have The Aids'. We've been learning about HIV and Aids in Sex Ed so at least he's been listening!

A Year 8 student had a meltdown. Swearing, slamming doors, punching walls, refusing medical treatment, unable to sit or even stand still or even inside a classroom and expressing suicidal thoughts. I'm really proud that I helped her to calm herself so that by the ends of the lesson, she was laughing, responding to jokes, discussing movies and was much happier for the rest of the day.

A Year 11 student arrived to class and told me his step father had 'beaten the living shit out of him' the night before. That had to be dealt with.

A meeting had to be done with the School Nurse regarding a Year 10 student who is pregnant.

A Year 10 student called me a bully because I was helping him finish an assignment. And that was the nicest name I'd been called all day!

This is in addition to my usual behaviour management, teaching, instruction, planning and playground duty. This was a quiet day!

I do love my job. Most of the time. Some days are great. Some are really, really awful. But I have a genuine care for the students in our Special Education Program and really want them to have the best lives they can.

I'm only a first year teacher. I still have a lot to learn, and I do learn. Every day.

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