Today was my first day working for the BOCES program. I will be working this week as a substitute teaching assistant in various rooms until summer school begins and I have a permanent classroom. Today I was in a classroom at the high school and helped with various activities such as feeding, changing, and occupying the students with activities. One of the students, who I was told suffers from Autism and Intellectual Developmental Disability. All of the students were non-verbal, except for the Autistic student, who tends to have outburst of inappropriate language as well as fits of violent pinching and hitting towards the staff. Today I was mostly an observer of what the typical routine is. Throughout the day I assisted one of the staff in taking some of the students on walks through the school to calm their behavior.
Tuesday July 16- 6 hours- 12 total
I was still in the high school today but was placed in a classroom with many students who are in wheel chairs and use computer mediated communication devices which are attached to their wheelchairs to communicate. The classroom that I was in today had a field trip to a horse farm planned for several of the students. After helping assist with feeding the students their breakfast, we got the students on the bus and took a trip to a nearby horse farm. While at the horse farm, we assisted the students with helping to clean the horse stables and barn area. After returning from the field trip, the students had gym class, which consisted of taking laps around the track, and after the gym the students were taken to their buses and dismissed for the day.
Wednesday July 17- 6 hours- 18 hours total
Today was different from the other two classes I was in because these students are all in elementary school and are verbal. The room that I was in today was a room consisting of all lower grade level autistic students. The day consisted of swim time, time in the playroom, speech, and music group with the music therapist.
Thursday July 18 – 6 hours- 24 hours total
This morning I was placed in the same room that I was placed in on Tuesday. Today there were more students in the room. Per the normal morning schedule I assisted with breakfast and changing time. The students also had “sensory time” in which they listen to music, get out of their wheel chairs and onto the floor to move around, their feet are massaged with lotion, and the physical therapist comes in to help with some of the students. The students also worked together to make a dessert for their father for Father’s Day. Today there was a new student in the classroom who used sign language to communicate with her one-on-one aid.
Friday July 19- 6 hours- 30 hours total
My last day of substituting was today. I was over in the elementary building today in a higher grade level classroom with autistic students. This classroom was very enjoyable because the students had a very structured school day filled with learning activities that I could assist with. Also, these children were at an age where they were very attentive and responsive to learning. The morning began with gym time where the students were able to ride around the gym on recumbent bikes. After gym the children had their breakfast and then returned to their classroom for science class. After science class, the students had free time, math, movement, which consisted of a sesame street exercise/stretching video, and then they went to lunch. After lunch, the students found out that their initial plans to go swimming were cancelled, and although the teacher was expecting a few “melt dons” from some of the students, they were very adaptive to the new activity put in place of swim.
Tuesday July 7- 6.5 hours- 36.5 hours total
Today was my first day in my permanent classroom. I have been placed in the first room that I substituted in. The room has five students who have varying disorders: Retts, Cerebral Palsy, Angelman’s Syndrome, Edwards Syndrome, and Autism. All of the students in the classroom are also Intellectually Developmentally Disabled. I was sent out today with one of the students, who has Retts, to the library on a community outing. She was sent with the goal of using an assisted communication device to help her choose two books on tape to share with the other students. After returning, most of my day consisted of helping with feedings and changings and becoming accustomed to the daily schedule.
Wednesday July 8 - 6.5 hours- 43 hours total
Today the children had an activity where they learned about ants. The summer school weeks have been divided so that each week the children learn about a new insect and this week is ants. The students did various coloring activities using hand-over-hand assistance from the teachings assistants.
Thursday July 9- 6.5 hours- 49.5 hours total
Overall, today was a normal school day. The students did various activities related to ants. Also, they had breakfast, lunch, and changing times as scheduled. At the end of the day today, the students had gym class where the students bowled using a soft foam ball and plastic pins. Using hand-over-hand assistance to help the students roll the ball was interesting because some of the students were very disinterested in the activity and others were distracted by noises outside the gym, so getting them to cooperate and roll the ball was challenging.
Friday July 10- 6.5 hours- 56 hours total
The students had a good day overall, no outbursts or behavioral issues. Today the students continued to learn about ants and do activities and spent the afternoon watching the movie “Ants.”
Monday July 13- 6.5 hours- 62.5 hours total
This week the students learned about bees. The teacher read a few books to the students and they completed coloring packets with bee diagrams. The students also painted several pieces of large paper in white, yellow and black puffy paint colors to later be made into a bee. At the end of the day we celebrated the birthdays of two of the students.
Tuesday July 14- 6.5 hours- 69 hours total
Throughout the week I have realized how often the speech therapist benefits our room, beyond her once a day meeting with the students, and how beneficial her work with the kids is. She is extremely patient with the student and her use of a speech device with the students for making choices is a very interesting thing to watch. Later today, I made a large bee out of the puffy paint paper and placed it on the well with labeled body parts so the students could learn the parts of a bee’s body. Towards the end of the day, the autistic student had an episode of negative behavior and gave himself a bloody nose from screaming. The children had gym again today and continued to do bowling.
Wednesday July 15- 6.5 hours- 75.5 hours total
Today was the classroom teacher’s birthday and we had a lot of fun with the students celebrating her birthday. The students had speech and read books on insects and did coloring worksheets related to insects.
Thursday July 16- 6.5 hours- 82 hours total
The students were very withdrawn today, many being uncooperative during the activities of the day. However, during gym the students were able to go outside and enjoy the sun playing a game with balls and cone obstacles. They also were able to go on the bounce mat (airfilled mat that looks like a bounce house with no walls) which many of them seemed to enjoy.
Friday July 17- 6.5 hours- 88.5 hours total
Many of the students were cooperative today while making sunflowers in speech group out of construction paper, glue, and sunflower seeds. Some of the students seemed to be a little excessive and silly with the glue intentionally but overall the activity went well. The students spent the afternoon watching the move “Bugs Life” which tied into the lessons for the week. The day went well overall, although the autistic student was very teary this a.m. which may be related to a medication change.
Monday July 20- 6.5 hours- 95 hours total
Today was the birthday of one of the students, the student with Angelman’s syndrome. He was very aware that it was his special day and whenever a staff member mentioned it he got very excited and noisy. The autistic student had a very rough morning, spending two hours very upset, and eventually going to the sensory room to calm down.
Tuesday July 21- 6.5 hours- 101.5 hours total
Much of my day today was spent in the library and on the bus with the Rett’s syndrome student, as per her goal of being able to use a switch device to choose audio books. She was very sleepy today and did not seem interested in her activity. However, with some guidance she was able to choose books. While at the library she seemed to be upset by the heat in the library which seemed to increase her Retts behaviors.
Wednesday July 22- 6.5 hours- 108 totalToday the students spent the day at the local fair and visited the animal farm. The weather was very warm which made some of the student tire quickly, but overall the students enjoyed the field trip a lot and had fun petting the animals and learning about them as well.
Thursday July 23- 6.5 hours- 114.5 hours total
The students had their social group this afternoon with the school psychologist. The autistic student was very violent in behavior and had very negative moods all day. The students who were able to swim were able to go in the pool today which they all seemed to enjoy greatly, a few were even very difficult to get out of the pool they were having so much fun.
Friday July 24- 6.5 hours- 121 total
The students wrapped up the weeks lesson on grasshoppers by having grasshopper pie. Coloring various grasshopper sheets, and making grasshoppers in a craft activity. The afternoon was finished by watching the movie “Ant Bully.”
Monday July 27- 6.5 hours- 127.5 hours total
The highlight of my day today was seeing our autistic student having a great mood all day, being cooperative, and most importantly he was helping to read some of the words of a story the speech therapist was teaching. Unfortunately, our Edward’s syndrome was having violent seizures all morning, which dropped her OSL was sent home with parents to receive medical attention.
Tuesday July 28- 6.5 hours- 134 hours total
The autistic student’s behavior was cycling all day from violent to “snuggly” as the staff refers to him when he is in a good mood and asks to “snuggle, snuggle” which means he was a back rub or a hug. The students spent the afternoon saying goodbye to one of their teachers assistants whose last day it was at the school.
Wednesday July 29- 6.5 hours- 140.5 hours total
The speech group went very well this morning; all of the students participated and were active. Also, the students made dragonflies for a craft which ended up being very messy but greatly enjoyed by the students. Continuing the same pattern as yesterday the autistic student’s behavior cycled all day.
Thursday July 30- 6.5 hours- 147 hours total
Today I was sent to the classroom with high functioning autistic students due to a staff shortage. I really enjoyed my day in the classroom because I was able to see students in a classroom where they were given assignments to complete, tasks and choices, and I enjoyed that the communication between staff and student was much clearer. One of the students is new to the district and the staff mentioned that he has been having adjustment difficulties, something I saw firsthand through his outbursts and violent behaviors such as kicking and punching staff.
Friday July 31- 6.5 hours- 153.5 hours total
I was again in the room with the same students as yesterday. The boys all seemed to enjoy that I was back for a second day and they asked me for help whenever they needed it. They had a productive speech group learning about the beach to prepare them for the upcoming field trip on Monday. They spent the afternoon watching a movie that they all agreed upon. They had a wonderful time watching the movie; making jokes and laughing.
Monday August 3- 6.5 hours- 160 hours total
Today all of the classrooms in the summer school program went to the local beach. The students spent the day swimming, playing on the beach, and enjoying a picnic lunch.
Tuesday August 4- 6.5 hours- 166.5 hours total
The students enjoyed speech group today and read a book about ladybugs. Also, their craft for the day was painting rocks that were collected from the beach the day prior, to look like ladybugs.
Wednesday August 5- 6.5 hours- 173 hours total
The students learned about flowers in speech today and were cooperative when asked questions and asked to help turn the page. They enjoyed gym time because they got to play wii bowling which was new for many of the students.
Thursday August 6- 6.5 hours- 179.5 hours total
The weather was very nice today and the students were very interested in taking bike rides today, therefore our day consisted of several bike rides in between lunch, speech, and other classroom activities.
Friday August 7- 6.5 hours- 186 hours total
The students enjoyed preparing for the days barbeque cookout and enjoyed sitting outside for lunch in the nice weather. They were a little noisy during lunch due to the excitement of the day. Also, the Retts student had seizure episodes during lunch time today and was monitored throughout the day.
Monday August 8- 6.5 hours- 192.5 hours total
This week is focused on preparing various signs and activities for Friday’s graduation of one of the students. Much of the day was spent doing various speech activities; readings, craft activities, hand over hand coloring.
Tuesday August 9- 6.5 hours- 199 hours total
Much of the day was spent with the speech teacher. The students really enjoyed reading all of the books and were very receptive when asked questions about the reading. They were very attuned to the books message.
Wednesday August 10- 6.5 hours- 205.5 hours total
The majority of the day today was spent dealing with the very violent behaviors of the autistic student; pinching, kicking, grabbing. His behavior would become very violent and he would be sent to the support or sensory rooms to calm down. He was given the choice to return to the classroom and be productive or stay in sensory. He chose to return to the classroom only to begin his violent outbursts once again.
Thursday August 11- 6.5 hours- 212 hours
The second last day of summer school was planned to be very fun for the students. The auditorium was reserved for all of the students so they could spend the day watching a movie on the big screen in the auditorium. The Angelman’s student enjoyed greatly the opportunity to watch the movie. The Retts student sat quietly for most of the movie which was surprising, but she was taken out a few times for walks to calm her behavior.
Friday August 12- 6.5 hours- 218.5 hours total
The majority of the day was spent preparing the students for the graduation of our student with cerebral palsy. The entire staff and students attended the ceremony in the school courtyard and then attended a reception. The rest of the day was spent saying goodbye to students, and preparing all of their summer school work to be sent home. The autistic student seemed very upset all day and was quick to become violent when staff approached him.
