I got to the high school yesterday to sub for a Spanish class (I was so looking forward to that) but once there was diverted to a Special Ed class. I couldn't turn it down, as the Spanish teacher was in school anyway; the appointment the teacher had to go to had been postponed.
I was hesitant at first but thankfully the two paraprofessionals (a term I really don't like as they are invaluable in a Special Ed class) helped me all day. One woman was Scottish who was a delight to talk to. (She has been in this country for 16 years and hasn't lost one tone of her accent)
Everything I've learned in my college course about Special Ed could not teach me what I learned in one day. I had five autistic boys, one autistic girl, two Downs, one Williams Syndrome (a genetic defect I hadn't learned of before) and a few "mildly intellectually disabled." Textbooks simply can't teach HOW to handle such students.
One child, who luckily was absent, was prone to burst out in aggressive attacks. "He bites!" said one para. Bites?
Whatever the paras get paid simply isn't enough. That job is an 8-hour a day job at least with no breaks. Besides calming ADHD and autistic students down, some have to change diapers, feed students, guide them to the bathroom. And then they have to deal with parents who have unrealistic expectations.
"I make five dollars an hour less here than what I was making in Minnesota" said one para.
One girl with Downs won my heart. Whenever we walked down the hallway we were holding hands.
Another boy with Downs, a very talkative student, told me his father died yesterday "of a broken heart." It turned out his father died several years ago of heart disease. He proudly told me his birthday was soon coming.
Two boys recognized me from other classes.
We took the classes to a special presentation by the band and drama clubs and the student with Williams Syndrome was bopping in his seat to the music. I later learned that people with Williams Syndrome have an affinity for music.
Even some of the autistic students sat quietly in their seats as the play progressed. The drama club did an outstanding job; it brought tears to my eyes knowing these students may lose the opportunity to learn drama if the drama department gets cut back next year.
One of the teachers, who recognized me, thought for the longest time that I was a regular teacher. "You're always here at the school!" he said. I joined them for lunch and learned some of the goings-on in the school, some that have been making the press locally, some which are no fault of the school.
"Some parents just don't want to accept the fact that their child will never be independent" said one teacher. "They really believe their child will be able to get a job busing tables at a restaurant after graduation." The student in question was definitely not able to function independently; we were always making sure the students wasn't bursting out of the classroom and running down the hallway.
"The parents refuse to medicate that child" said another teacher. Although I am hesitant myself about medicating an autistic child, some should be tried on an experimental basis.
But what if some of these autism cases are a result of environmental toxins? It's just been revealed yesterday that pharmaceuticals and chemical companies have been dumping toxins into our rivers for decades. We eventually drink that water and the toxins build up in our bodies over time...eventually permanently altering our genes. Will these companies ever get investigated? We have pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers from corporate farms washing into our rivers every day.
When I left the school in the afternoon to retrieve my cell phone from the army hospital, I realized that I wasn't stressed out, angry, frustrated after my day at the school. Not one student glared at me. None of the students disobeyed me, and I actually felt love in my heart for the kids I had. Perhaps there is a calling for me in Special Education...but whatever or wherever that talent is, I will not pursue it because these SpecEd teachers simply do not get paid enough for this job, and this town's school district and its parents are one perfect example of how teachers are underpaid, underappreciated, overstressed and overworked.
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