A reasoned response

Auntie Vi! Hello! I miss you!
Why are you still dead?!

I'm going to check in with you anyway, because I know you'd LOVE hearing about my new job.

Yesterday as I was unlocking my bike at work--I park near the school bus drop off/pick up--a coworker said, "I dare you to bike next week"--meaning in the snow.
After a dry, dry winter with almost NO snow, we're supposed to get a nice, big snowfall here in the next few days.
I wish it would close schools, but it probably won't be that big. (If it even arrives... I hope it does!)

I probably will bike to work--unless it's horribly icy. I'm only a mile and a quarter away, straight down my street, and one block over.
It takes about 7 minutes, door to door.
Deceptive.
I need to be careful-- especially if I'm blogging or emailing, I wait until the last minute to start finding my keys, packing my lunch, etc.
Not a good plan!

It's not like the thrift store where it didn't matter when I got there: at school, I walk certain students to wherever they need to go, so I need to be there on time.
Luckily, I've never not made it.

I'm liking my job a lot. I fell asleep last night thinking, "This is really interesting".
It is. People say of teaching, It's all about relationships-- and I'm seeing that.
Relationships are really my entire job.
I don't plan lessons, take meetings & phone calls with parents and administrators, and all that other stuff the teachers do. I just walk and sit and talk with the students.

The autistic students are a little more different from other people I've known than I expected.
My intuition is not in itself sufficient to understand them well--I have to observe and attend.
Wait and watch.
Talk and listen (mostly listen).

I had a satisfying success yesterday.
A few days ago, a student had burst out in anger at something a Teacher does in class: "It's for babies!"
I won't go into it in public, but I agreed with the student.
I'd even wondered on my first day why the Teacher did this thing--it didn't fit the students' chronological age. (I mean, just because someone might not have certain intellectual abilities doesn't mean they aren't the age they are, socially.)

Turns out, the student had complained about this in the past, too.
I talked to another aide, who suggested I take the student out of the classroom during this particular activity.

I went to the Teacher yesterday and suggested this plan of action.
At first they said yes, good idea; then said that it might separate the student from the class community--not a good thing...
Pause...
"Maybe I could just stop doing [that thing]", the Teacher said.

We talked a little more, and they decided, yes, they would do something else in its place.
! ! !
And that very afternoon, they did.

OMG! I never got such a reasoned response at the thrift store. 
No ego, just a "Hm, yes, that's not working, let's try something else."
And I felt good that I hadn't just fumed in silence, but had talked to a work pal about how I could help. And then I COULD help!
So nice.

And now time to pack my lunch and head out the door.
Have a wonderful day!