Hello, Hello, Hello! How is everybody? I haven't blogged in a while. It's nice to get back at it again.
Well, December is here! My, the time has gone by fast! For the first few days of December, we didn't have any snow. It was kind of nice. I got to have my wheelchair outside longer than |I usually get to, whit ch was a sweet surprise for me. It was great while it lasted, but a good thing can't last forever! The snow has now fallen. It is nice to see the snow again. It means Christmas will be here soon, and so will the ski season. I'm excited for a great winter ahead.
Anyway, I just finished my fifty hours of Work Experience at the Local Paper. I had a great time. All the staff were very good to me. I got to write lots of articles and interview people for my diversabilty columns. I loved writing those. I really enjoyed talking to the people I interviewed and helping them get their story out there. I felt like I was really helping people by advocating for them and helping them raise awareness about their diversabilites. Writing for the local paper has really helped me improve my writing at school as well. My boss there, gave me some good editing tips that I now think about every time I write. I had an awesome time at the Valley Echo, and who knows, I may have started my career path.
Well, My decision for a career isn't final yet. I still have lots of decisions to make. I'm really interested in writing, but I'm also interested in working as a Special Education Assistant in a school. That being said, my Work Experience placements have been spilt. Each student in high school is supposed to complete one hundred hours of Work. I completed fifty hours at the paper, and now, I get to do my other fifty hours at the primary school in Invermere, Eileen Madson Primary School. Just like I go every Thursday to the school and work in a Kindergarten and Grade one class. To say the least, I LOVE IT! The staff there are lovely. E.M.P is such a nurturing school for little children. I remember going there when I little, and not much has changed. It's still a great school. Everyone's still lovely. A lot of the teacher's that were there when I went there have retired, so I don't get to see them, but I get to meet all the new staff, who are just as wonderful.
On my first day there, I gave a little speech about why I'm in a wheelchair. The kids were troopers! Once they knew about my Cerebral Palsy, they were so accepting! They're sweethearts!
Everything is going really smoothly in that aspect. I just had to give them a chance, and answer some questions.
One thing that helped the kids feel comfortable with me, is the fact that they did have a child in their class that's in a wheelchair already. He is a five year old boy who has Spina Bifida. He is so cute. He has the tinyist chair. He has a desk that was custom made just for him. He does very in school. He's smarter than I was in kindergarten! I'm mentoring the aide that works with him. For the most part, her and I help other kids that struggle in the class. I help a lot of kids with reading, and language skills. The things kids learn in Kindergarten, may seem easy, that is, until you try and explain it. Trying to explain to a child that a letter in the alphabet says this sound just because it does is tricky! I'm working on figuring out exactly who needs help in the class, and then figuring out a way to help them. Throughout, my time, I hope to find ways to help as many kids as I can and find out if this is what I what I want to do in the future.
I got to go to a Grade one Gym class. The principal teaches the class. She's awesome. She's so nice to me, and great with the kids. It was nice to be in a Grade one Gym Class. When I was in Grade one, I didn't get to go to Gym classes. I had to stay behind and do my exercises. It was nice to actually participate in the games this time. The kids were doing Gymnastics. I had to make sure everyone was taking turns using the equipment, and everyone was being safe,. It was hard to enforce the safety rules. I don't have a very authoritative voice... at all! Ha ha. Fortunately, that' part is not my job. I just make sure everyones happy I had so much fun. All the kids wanted to show me all that they could do. They were cute! It's nice to get do a variety of things, and no just be in one classroom all day. I had a great afternoon. I love Grade one Gym.
I've had a great start to my second Work Experience adventure and I look forward to going to E.M.P again. Thispath of working with kids, is defininitly another career I would love to do. The most valuable lesson I learned in Kindergaren is to have patience with kids. I know that sometimes it makes other people in wheelchairs uncomfortable when kids stare at them. I know it's hard, but please, try not to get frustrated. Children are so innocent. They're just curious. If you show them your heart and your great personality, they will get over there fear of wheelchairs, and maybe even begin to learn from you. Children are amazing. You just need to have the patience to teach them about you, and let them teach you too. Give kids time. I'm sure the longer you give them to get comfortable with you, the better your relationship with them will be. Just try it. You won't be disappointed.
I love working with the kindergarten kids, and I loved writing my articles. I think doing some Work Experience will definitely help me figure out what I want to do as a career. I still have some time to figure it all out though, and while I'm doing that, I can enjoy the journey along the way, and step by step, I will get to my destination. My adventures will never stop. A new one ahead is always lying ahead of me. I can't wait to see which adventure comes next!
