placement (special day) experience
JOURNAL PROMPT/BLOG #2——>At Placement Site
I really enjoyed my placement. Honestly in the beginning, I was really nervous about going into my placement classroom. This isn’t because I don’t like kids or because I know I was going to face some challenges, or because it was a new placement, but mainly because I am unfamiliar with students with disabilities. This was the first time that I was going to be in a special day class and I had no proper training or previous experiences on how to work with these individuals. I was afraid that I would do something wrong or offend someone. It all made me nervous and scared. My stomach was tight and I was on top of everything the first day.
On my first encounter, a little girl walked up to me (I’m guessing to give me a hug) but being paranoid, I stepped back, thinking she was trying to hit me because I didn’t look familiar. She just looked at me. I felt horrible. But I am thankful that now I can just go in and hug them.
From what I have learned in SPED 343 and my psychology class really help me understand and calmed me and the way I was able to work and be able to get to know them. By the fourth time I went into the classroom, I have already made some friends and it just all seemed like a general Ed class. I wasn’t nervous anymore. I really like the students. My placement teacher made it a fun experience and was very kind about letting me work with individuals in helping them. She was often busy with the class and hardly had time to talk to me and the aides but the structure of the class was well-constructed. The students are progressing. I’ve come to accept that these students are such hard workers and I can see myself working and being comfortable teaching and becoming their friends. Many of them only struggle with little things such as not being able to sit still, having a hard time, writing, having speech problems, or taking a bit longer to finish an assignment; just like we all do at some things. Working with disability students helped me to become more patient and loving. It just may be the thing for me!
