As an Educational Assistant, I have dedicated my career to supporting students in their learning journeys. Through this blog, I aim to provide a glimpse into my experiences; the challenges I've faced, the joy of watching students grow, and the creative ways I engage them in learning. Join me as I explore this meaningful career and share helpful resources for fellow educators and parents alike.
Stay tuned for weekly updates every Sunday.
My first full week with the kids has been interesting and challenging at the same time. There have been a few changes this year, both in my classroom and in my home life.
In my classroom, my fellow EA from last year has moved on. It makes me really sad to think about, but at the same time, I am genuinely happy for her and excited about what comes next for her.
We temporarily had a new staff member join us. She started with us, spent a week with our kids, and then decided it was not the right fit for her. Now I have spent two days with someone completely brand new! I kind of feel like a babysitter right now, but I can already see her potential, and I am looking forward to seeing how things develop.
As for my class, we have 10 kids this year. Our new room is smaller and has a set cap, which is very much appreciated. We have two girls and eight boys. Eight of our students are returning, and two are new to us.
I have only had four days with them so far. During days three and four, I came down with a nasty illness that tied me to my bed for three days. Needless to say, I have not had as much time with the kids as I would have liked, so I cannot tell you too much about them yet.
All of our students have ASD, and three currently have behavior coding. We are also seeing some new behaviors emerging, which means there will definitely be some things for us to figure out as the year progresses.
I have already been bitten while redirecting one of the children. Apparently, he really does not like being redirected! I am going to have to change the way I communicate with him and adapt my language to better suit his needs.
He speaks a different dialect, so I will need to do some research to better understand his language. Today, he was crying and trying to tell me something that sounded like "wacky." It was not English, and I could not figure out what he was trying to communicate.
That leaves me feeling a little like I am working in the dark when I am trying to help him. I know there is a reason behind what he is trying to communicate, and I want to understand it. He will most likely become my "case study" for this year.
Then there is my home life, which is bringing some pretty big changes of its own.
I have applied to go back to university! I am planning to pursue a degree in behavior analysis. This might take up some of my writing time, although I will have to see how everything balances out.
I have always said that I cannot be an EA forever. It is simply too hard on my body, both physically and mentally. I love what I do, but I also know that I need to think about my future and find something that I can continue doing long term.
Hopefully, before too long, I will be able to say that I am working in Applied Behavior Analysis while working toward becoming a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst.
That thought both exhilarates and terrifies me.
I love coursework. I love learning. However, I have never done university courses while working my regular job, so I have no idea what that balance is going to look like.
So, stay tuned. This could be a very interesting year.