I just realized I never posted this here, or shared it all really.
Back in September I quit childcare for good. After teaching preschool aged kids for 7 years, I was ready for change. And I got one.
I got hired as a special education teacher at a private residential school in the area. This school works with kids that have a variety of emotional and behavioral needs, many of whom live on site. I teach a class of 9 12-14 year olds, a huge jump from the 4 or 5 years olds I have been working with.
And...it's amazing work. It's tough love, really. I never know what could trigger a behavior, from one day to the next, and anything can happen on any given day. But I'm lucky that my group is vocal enough to say "This is triggering me, I need to take space" and we work together to overcome whatever is bothering them. But, in the short time I've been there, I've seen progress. I've seen kids that I've been warned about for being aggressive settle down and relax. I've seen kids who refuse to do any work or participate in class actually get involved. I come in every day ready to go and leave for the day feeling amazing. I had a friend tell me over dinner once that I even looked happy, when I wasn't before. And, I'm finally putting my teaching license to good use.
I love every minute. These kids need someone to tell them "Hey, this isn't your fault, you can do this, there's hope", and that's what I do every day. And it sticks.
Back in September I quit childcare for good. After teaching preschool aged kids for 7 years, I was ready for change. And I got one.
I got hired as a special education teacher at a private residential school in the area. This school works with kids that have a variety of emotional and behavioral needs, many of whom live on site. I teach a class of 9 12-14 year olds, a huge jump from the 4 or 5 years olds I have been working with.
And...it's amazing work. It's tough love, really. I never know what could trigger a behavior, from one day to the next, and anything can happen on any given day. But I'm lucky that my group is vocal enough to say "This is triggering me, I need to take space" and we work together to overcome whatever is bothering them. But, in the short time I've been there, I've seen progress. I've seen kids that I've been warned about for being aggressive settle down and relax. I've seen kids who refuse to do any work or participate in class actually get involved. I come in every day ready to go and leave for the day feeling amazing. I had a friend tell me over dinner once that I even looked happy, when I wasn't before. And, I'm finally putting my teaching license to good use.
I love every minute. These kids need someone to tell them "Hey, this isn't your fault, you can do this, there's hope", and that's what I do every day. And it sticks.
Comment