Friday March 30 2007
Today was my second time going to Bethel Headtsart which is located on Main street just south of Canisius. I had met with Paul, my supervisor, a few times before when we originally met to discuss my practicum. I had to fill out a lot of peper work and pass a physical examination which was the submitted to New York State. This took a few weeks to all get approved and sent back to the center. So even though I had been to the program before, this was my first time as a member of the Headstart community. So Paul and I met to discuss what times I would be available to come and work and what exactly I was there to learn. I told him that it was my aim to work with children in a classroom and to be involved. I was pretty sure that he understood what my expectations were and I udnerstood his. He then took me to a few of the different centers which are located in Amherst and Langfield. There I met the staff and and teachers that worked in the building so that I would be familiar with the centers if I was ever sent there. The building in Amherst would be my home base. I was told I could go there if I had downtime inbetween activities or if I just needed to rest. The next place that Paul took me was the Langfield center which is located just off the 33 on Harlem Road. Here he introduced me to Miss Miller and her classroom of 3-5 year olds. Miss Miller then had a break to make some phone calls and I stayed in the classroom with the children playing with play dough and using the water center. I found it very interesting they way the children behaved around me. They all wanted to do whatever it was that I was doing. Miss Miller explained to me later that they did an experiment once and told the children that a piece of paper was a new toy in the classroom. All of the children wanted to play with the blank piece of paper just because the teacher said it was a "cool". At the end of the day, all of the children had been picked up by their parents except for one little boy. He began to cry and told us that his father had just gone to jail that day because he had a gun. I found this very disturbing that a 3 year old knew so much about the outside world. I went home today realizing that i really enjoyed being in the classroom, but was also aware of the challenges and situations that might arise.
6 hours
Monday April 2- Friday April 13
These two weeks were not very productive. The children were all on Easter break so there wasnt anything for me to really do. I reported to the Amherst center each day and read the policies and procedures handbook as well as the book regarding Bethel Headstart. These books were about 1000 pages long and it took me most of the 2 weeks to read them. The information dealt with what Bethel Headstart was, who is accepted into the program, what the daily routine looks like, disciplinary standards, medical procedures, food service etc. It was very in depth but made me much more aware of what to expect from the program. During this time I also made phone calls to Paul because I wanted to discuss with the option of being to work inside the classroom opposed to doing more administrative things.
13.5 hours
Monday April 16
By this point Paul had still not returned my phone calls so I decided to go to his office and see if he was around. Lucky for me he was, and he had time to sit down and discuss with me my options. He said that I would not be able to go back to Miss Miller's class room because there wasn't really a need for me. He told me of another class room that could use my help in particular with a little boy ( we'll call him *Jon for privacy) who was 3 years old. This boy apparently was mistakenly admitted into the program because he actually has disabilities than originally thought. Although he has not been diagnosed with autism, Paul told me that he illustrates a lot of the symptoms. This is little boy comes to the program all day and had an aid with him, but she had recently quit. He wanted me to fill her position and make Jon my new focus. He told me it would be a difficult task, but I was up to the challenge. Paul then took me back to Langfield and introduced me to another class there. He told me that I could come here if Jon was absent from school so that I could still be productive on that day. He then took me to their Jefferson center and I was introduced to the teachers in the room. There are three teachers that are usually there and they were all very nice to me. The children were having nap time so I stayed and waited for them to awake. When Jon finally woke up he was a little sleepy. I tired to just observe him for the day so I could get an understanding of what he does. There were three small books that he would stake and un stack over and over. If I tried to take a book from him he would cry. I tried opening the book and showing him the pages but he was uninterested in that. He simply grabbed them back and began to stack them again. His parents came early that day to get him and I was able to meet his father and mother who were very greatful of me being there. After Jon left I played with the other kids until their parents came to get them. The children were all really sweet and I had a lot of fun with them. Today was a success!
5
Wednesday April 18
Today when I got to the center the children were napping again. I learned that nap time went until 2, so every day for an hour I would have nothing to do. Even though the children were sleeping I helped the teachers to hang various artwork and make name tages for the children. Jon awoke earlier today and was kind of restless. He only wanted to play with his books again. I learned that he was not very responive to stimuli of any kind. He doesnt answer to his name, if you poke him that won't get his attention either. I tried just talking to him but I could tell that he wasn't understanding anything I said to him. I tried showing him the inside of the books again but he didn't like it and responded by saying "EEEEE" since he can't talk yet. I tried to get him to color with crayons but that didnt interest him. He liked holding the crayons, but he didnt want to draw with them. I then tried a puzzle with cut out numbers that were color co ordinated. I was veyr surprised that he was able to do this with little effort. He knew exactly where the pieces went. His parents came about 15 minutes early again and I learned that they were often the first ones to pick up their child. After he left I again played with the other children with the lego. They are allowed to play with the lego after their snack until their parents come for them. I was a little tired after today and definitely felt a little challenged when I realized that communicating with Jon would be difficult.
5
Monday April 23
Today Jon was very tired and ended up sleeping longer than usual. The teachers noticed that he was tired early in the day and made sure that the other children were quiet until Jon woke up because they wanted him to sleep as long as possible. This was the first time that I noticed that he wasn't exaclty treated equally like the other children. I understood that the teachers were probably tired, but I thought it was kind of mean that they made the rest of the children sleep an extra 45 minutes just because they didn't want to chase Jon around. I found it a bit odd. When he finally woke up we realized that he wet his pants so Michael, a teacher, took him to the bathroom to change. Apparently Jon doesn't know when he has to use the bathroom so this is sometimes a challenge. Next it was snack time and Jon didnt understand that his food was seperate from others. When he had finished his own cookies he stole the ones next to him from another child. I tried to explain to him that they weren't his but I dont think he understood. He started to cry again and make his "EEE" sound and the other children began to make fun of him. He has an older brother who is 5 who is also in the classroom and he too was making fun of his brother. I explained to the children that it wasn't nice to make fun of Jon and that he was younger than them and everyone learns to do things at different ages. They seemed to understand and started being nicer. Once Jon left I played with the legos again and got to know some of the other children better.
5
Wednesday April 25
Today when I got to the center everyone was napping again. I helped Mrs James and Jones (the teachers there that day) with some art projects the children had done earlier. I helped to cut them out and laminate them to go on the wall. Jon was really tired again so he was the last child to wake up and we tried to keep the others quiet so that he could sleep longer. Once he woke up I tried to get him to color but he wasn't interested. Instead of coloring he likes to hold either blue or green crayons in hands but he won't do anything else with them. I tried to show him how to color but I couldn't really get his attention and he didn't really seem too interested which was a little frustrating. The teachers then read a story to the children and I held Jon which was challenging since he didn't want to listen. He kept getting up and and running around the room trying to play with various things. It was hard to try and control him and get him to sit quietly and listen to the story. His parents came to pick him up early again so him and his brother left. I tried waving goodbye to him but he didn't respond. After they left I played with the other children with the legos again and waited for their parents to come. The other kids are really sweet and I feel bad that I don't get a chance to get to know them better!
5
Friday April 27
Again, the children were napping when I got there. I helped the teachers with some more art projects and helped them to get ready for the next day's activities. Jon was woken up earlier today because he had to meet with this speech therapist. The lady is very nice and looks pretty young so I think she is rather new to her career. She was very good with Jon, but stern, in order to help him listen. She said hi to him and tried to get a response out of Jon, but it didnt work. Jon wasn't really paying attention to her and was paying more attention to me which I found rather odd since he had never really showed any interest in me before. Other times when he needed to be comforted he would run to another teacher so I was pleased to see that he was aknowledging me. The speech therapist said this was normal and that when he was uncomfortable anyone was better than her. I felt like I was kind of s distraction for him so I left the room so that he would be able to focus more. I went back to the classroom and played house with a few of the little girls which was really fun. When Jon came back I tried to get him to look through a book again. Last time I did this he showed zero interest and only wanted to stack them. This time, he looked through a few pages of the book but then got distracted and started staking them again. I found this to be a little bit of progress for him so I was pleased. The little girls that I had been playing with came over and were trying to pull me away so that I could come back and play with them. I felt bad, but had to explain to them that I was Jon's helper right now and that I had to be with him and would play with them later. They seemed upset and I dont think they really understood. Once Jon left I went back to playing legos with the girls and we had a tea party.
5
Monday April 30
Today the children were sleeping again. Jon was woken up early from his nap so that he could meet with his special education teacher. I was very excited to be able to go with him to this session because I felt that I would be able to gain alot from seeing how someone else interacts with him. I told Joanne, the special Ed teacher, this and her response was , "No, it probably won't help you". I was a little taken back by this response because I felt that I was being really pro active in trying to do as much as possibly to help Jon. I decided to ignore her comment and try and get as much out of the session as possible. We went to the gross motor room and Joanne made Jon ride a few of the bikes from one side of the room to the other while she asissted him. He wasn't very happy about this and started making his crying "EEE" sounds again. She didn't really comfort him, just told him that he was fine and for him to continue. Next, she got out some animal crackers as a reward and had him put a few pieces of a puzzle together. It was a color association puzzle and he knew where everything went. He was rewarded with a cracker. The next thing we did was try and sing "row row row your boat" with Jon. He didn't know the words but he tried to sing along and make sounds in the correct spots. I was impressed that he was able to do that much. Next we sang the spider song and again, he didnt know the words, but he knew the actions at least which was progress. His half hour was up and he was taken back to the classroom where his parents were waiting. I was very pleased with today because it was nice to meet with someone who gave Jon undivided attention. Despite what Joanne said about it not helping me, I felt that it at least gave me encouragement and some ideas of the kinds of activities I could help him with.
5
Wednesday May 2
Today Jon was sleeping when I arrived. I helped the teachers to cut out their name tags for the month of May. When Jon awoke Joann was there again to help him. We went to the gross motor room and did all of the same activities as the time before. This time he was awarded with goldfish crackers which he liked better. Today we read this book of animals to Jon. The book is really cute and has pictures of the animals and buttons to press with their corresponding sounds. Jon really enjoys this book and likes pressing the buttons, but only when he is prompted to. Joanne explained to me that Jon is a "banger" which means that he likes to make noise with objects. She said she had recently gone to a conference where they had CDs with calming music that were supposed to help kids with this problem. She put the CD on but Im not really sure if it helped him at all. After Jon left, Joanne stayed and talked with me for a few minutes. She said that she thinks that this headstart classroom is a good spot for Jon to be in because it is better than him staying at home all day. She said that she thinks he deifnitely needs to be in a place where he can have a special education teacher with him at all times because he needs help from someone who has experience in the area. This reassured me because I was feeling like I had no idea what to do with him. Joanne assured me that I was doing everything right and doing really well Jon which made me feel a lot better. Apparently a headtstart coordinator is meeting with Jon's parents next week to go over a plan for his education because the one in place right now isnt really benefiting him that much. I thanked Joanne for the information and went back to the classroom to say goodbye to Jon. He actually paid attention as I said goodbye which was an improvement. I felt like today was a success.
5
Wednesday May 9
Today was my first full day at the center. When I arrived the children were finishing up eating their breakfast. Jon was pretty hungry and was still eating when I got there. I helped to clean him and his place up when he was finished and we went and sat on the carpet with the other children. He was pretty calm today and let me hold him and we made it through both songs that were sung. He didn't know the words but made the appropriate sounds again. Next it was play time and Jon wanted to play with the blocks. Apparently this is all he really likes to do all morning and this was my first interaction with him. He takes two blocks and bangs them together or rubs them in order to make various noises. It was ok at first but got pretty annoying after a while especially because I wasn't feeling well. Needless to say I was very relieved when play time was over and we could go outside and play. All the children went to the playground and were playing on the various equipment. Jon wasn't overly interested in playing and I asked if this was normal. They said no, and thought that maybe he wasn't feeling well. One of the teachers took him inside to take his temperature and determined that it was above normal and he was probably sick since he had been pretty cranky all day. They tried calling his parents but no one answered. Meanwhile, I played with the other children and helped them with some games. Then it was lunch time and I sat at one table and helped serve the children. This wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be as they were all really well behaved. After lunch it was naptime and Jon went to sleep very easily. The speech therapist tried to wake him up but he cried and was really upset. The teachers told her that he wasn't feeling well so she left early. Once all the children woke up we went and played outside again. Jon was feeling a little better and wasat least running around the playground. There were some people there observing the center and teachers so we had to be on our best behavior! Finally Jon's mother got the phone call that he was sick and came to pick him up. She said that he probably would stay home the next in order to get better. I was relieved that I had survived my first full day, but i was very tired!!
9
Monday May 14
Today I went in the morning to the center. When I arrived the children were finishing eating their breakfast and I helped them to clean up. Next was circle time. I held Jon while he tried to wiggle out of my arms. We sang a few songs that Jon knew the actions to but didnt know the words or sounds. His therapist Joanne came and we left the room. Joanne tried to get him to ride some bikes and scooters in the gross motor skills room but that didn't work out too well. Jon was really aggitated and nothing she seemed to do could get him out of his little world. It seems like some days he is really with it and attentive, and others you just can't get his attention. We tried some puzzles and songs but he didn't really participate. We went back to the classroom and then went outside. Jon ran around with the other kids which was nice to see some interaction. After that we had lunch, which he spilt all over himself, and I put him down for his nap.
9
Tuesday May 15
This morning was pretty similar to the other mornings. Jon's therpist Joanne came and he was a little more attentive today. He knew the actions to the itsy bitsy spider and paddy cake. Sometimes he would make noises where the words were supposed to be, but other times he wouldnt attempt any sounds. His other therapist Sarah came and she tried some puzzles with him which successfully completed. They are only color co ordinated, he doesnt understand how to use puzzles based on shapes. We played outside again and Jon kept running to the back of the building where the children are not allowed to be. I kept telling him NO, he cant go back there but he doesnt even seem to comphrend me speaking to him. When I talk he won't look at me. Its very frustrating sometimes because I dont know if he even knows there are other people around him. Lunch went ok, he didn't spill as much as the day before!
9
Wednesday May 16
Today was a great day for Jon!! He said Mrs. James, which is one of the teacher's names! It was the first time he ahd said any kind of word that related to what was going on. This was very exciting for everyone in the classroom! He also made good progress with his therapists today. He completed all his puzzles with little help. We introduced him to a new book which has animal noises and pictures with flaps. Normally he likes to stack books and doesnt pay any attention to what is inside them. He was actually interested in this book and liked the pictures and sounds. He attempted to sing some of the songs that we sung. Back in the classroom I had him try Ring Around the Rosie. He sang the words, they even somewhat sounded right!, and he knew when to fall down as well. This was really great cause the other children came up and wanted to participate as well. There arent many things that Jon can do with the other kids so this was really wonderful.
6
Monday May 21
When I arrived the children were finishing up eating their breakfast. Jon was pretty hungry and was still eating when I got there. I helped to clean him and his place up when he was finished and we went and sat on the carpet with the other children. He was pretty calm today and let me hold him and we made it through both songs that were sung. He didn't know the words but made the appropriate sounds again. Joanne came and took him out of the room during circle time. He wouldnt calm down for her at all. He was running and jumping all over everything. Even his animal book with the sounds didnt calm him down which normally does. She basically just tried to make it through the session without him screaming and we took him back to the room. He was a little better when he went outside after and he got to run around.
9
Friday May 25
Today was the children's end of the year class trip. We went to the Strong Children's museum in Rochester. Jon's mother was forced to come on the field trip or he could not attend ( this is what the teachers told me). So i went with the other children and it was kind of a relief to know that i wasnt responsible for him all day in a big city! We got on the bus at around 9, and should have arrived at the museum at around 10:15. The bus driver got lost though and we ended up not getting there until 12. The children were a little restless so I tried to keep them occupied by singing songs on the bus. When we finally got there we ate lunch and there was a little bit of time left to do the Sesame Street show. I took two kids around the musem and helped them play and learn in the "Wegmans" store. This was really neat because they got to go shopping and check out their own groceries. We had to leave after that because we got there so late. I was disappointed because I really enjoyed the museum and would like to go back there sometime.
9
Monday May 28
Today a lady came to evaluate Jon and his disability. She observed him playing outside and during his therapy session. He is being placed in an all day program in Lancaster next year. Apparently this program is kind of like special ed and will really benefit Jon much more than the current Headstart program is. The lady wanted to see if he waswell adjusted for the AM or Pm learning schedual. I mentioned to her that the children sleep for 3 hours a day and that Jon usually slept the whole time and that the AM would probably be best for him. One of the teachers overheard me saying that and she pulled me aside after and told me never to say that the children sleep for 3 hours. I felt bad but I also knew that this was important information for the lady to have in order to help Jon. I was unaware that the children were not supposed to sleep that long, I guess they are only supposed to sleep for 1.5 hours a day. The rest of the day Jon and I played outside because it was nice out. Later in the day I was really excited because he took my hand and ran into the bathroom signaling that he knew it was time to go. This was the first time he had done this for me and I was really excited about this accomplishment!
9
Tuesday May 29
Today when i got there Jon was eating breakfast again. We played outside all morning because it was really nice out. Today he was pretty clingy and always came running up to me with his arms up. I tried not to pick him up because he is almost 4 and needs to learn to be more independent. Its hard though because if I dont pick him up he cried his lungs out until you do. Im trying a new approach though. When I get there in the morning I am not going to pick him up at all, maybe if he learns early in the day that this wont happen then he will stop crying throughout the day. I think Jon was extra tired today because he ate his lunch pretty quickly and I put him down for his nap early because he was so cranky. After his nap I think he was feeling a little bit better because he was more receptive to the therapy I tried with him. I tried to mimick the songs anf activities the therapists do with him and he sort of paid attention. I think Its hard for him though because I truly believe he doesnt really know whats going on around him.
9
Wednsday May 30
Today was a really good day for Jon! When I arrived at the center he was with his one therapist. She told me that he had been really attentive and participated with the songs that she was signing. He usually only participates when there is music, that seems to be his only way of communication thus far. After the first therapist was done with her work, she stayed and watched the second one in order to see what they are both doing and how they could improve. I thought this was great that they both cared about Jon enough to stay overtime. After they left we had circle time where the teacher read a story to the children. It was pretty hard to keep him focused as he was crying and trying to run away. After nap time we played outside until his parents came to pick him up.
9
Friday June 1
Today was my last day at the center according to my hours. I called Paul on thursday and told him that I thought I was done but I wanted him to confirm that by the hours he written down for me. He called me yesterday (June 8) and confirmed that I was done with my hours. My last day at the center wasn't really my last in that I have decided to continue volunteering my time there as I have really enjoyed working with the children. I am truly going to miss them all as they are very special. It was a great experience for me coming to class each day and having the children run up to me with open arms. I felt like I made a difference even if it was only a small one. I didn't have the kind of training or educational background that Jon needs, but I think that our time together was progress for him as I noticed small improvements. Overall I felt that this was a great experience!
