This year I am starting a new position in a new school district. I am a support personnel working in 3 classrooms to help support students with IEPs, maladaptive behaviors, RTI support, and much more. I am so excited to be in a new school district and to learn all of the processes and procedures with new staff to work with. In this post, I will review all of the feelings I have had so far, review how i am supporting, and share TAH resources that have been lifesavers so far!

I am an outgoing person, sometimes to a fault, and I am naturally loud and energetic. I often have to remember that my personality can come off aggressive in situations that I don’t want it to. When I am in a new situation, I always make sure that my new team knows that I am here to help and support rather than takeover or try and change their teaching styles. I use my words and my actions to show them that I can be trusted and responsible and gain a rapport with them so they can see that. I am now seeing that it is so beneficial to work with 3 different teachers and many different educators within a school. I have already learned so much! I also come with 12 years of teaching experience while also coming from experiences working in clinical ABA and at a therapeutic day school. Of course, TAH courses has provided me with a plethora of knowledge and resources to help train and support everyone in my new role. I love being the person that everyone can lean on for resources, supports, materiasl, and conversations! 

 

In the career of education, things are always changing. From the skills that learners come with, behavior challenges, approaches to teaching, curriculum, and research. Educators and professionals in the field of education have to be willing to change at some points throughout their career. This year, my teams  have found it most beneficial to have the following:

• Runway to reading: this is helping review prerequisites and use as interventions for small groups and 1:1 time for students who may be struggling
• Positive behavior change and Executive Functioning courses: I was able to put all of the resources for these courses in a binder. This has helped me grab resources and information that is good for classrooms and committees that I am on. I am able to go to a specific section and get what I need.
• Math leveled file folders and the math work task mega packs: the district that I am in has a new math curriculum this year and math file folders as well as the level 1 math curriculum has been a great supplemental option for our learners.
• Functional literacy curriculum: foundational skills is a large target where I am and functional literacy has enhanced many of the lessons. There are literacy options all around us and this curriculum

Being the new person in any job, especially in education brings its challenges. However, change can be good! Learning new curriculum, a new grade, meeting new people, new educator styles, and being faced with new challenges is so rewarding. I am fortunate to have become part of a new amazing team that I can lean on and learn from. Change can be amazing!