A rewarding experience
Today has
been a special day, quite literally indeed. We have been Teacher Assitants for
one day in Mrs Filby´s Geography class - Jane Filby is the one in charge of us in BVG - in which there were 10 students who had
severe learning difficulties due to some health problems. This group is
formally called “low-ability class” or “SEN”, the short form of Special
Education Needs, a way to refer to students with disabilities.
Each of us was
in charge of one girl. Jane started the class by explaining the learning
objective of today. They were going to learn about the earthquake in Nepal. The
first part of the class consisted of the presentation of some photographs
showing the effects of this natural disaster. The teacher employed mimics,
realia, and movements to simulate what would happen in an earthquake. She kept
asking questions to the girls and they tried to describe what their reactions
would be if they were affected by it.
We sat next
to the girls and helped them with their work. The first task was writing
sentences with some vocabulary related to earthquakes. The teacher provided the
vocabulary for them in order to facilitate the creation of these ideas. This was
one example of how teachers need to adapt their classes and elaborate
individual lesson plans which are appropriate for their needs. In addition, she
always tried to talk clearly and slowly, showing a friendly smile at all times.
The main
part of the class was to create a Power Point presentation in which each of
them had a specific role and concrete topics to talk about. It was so nice to
practice with them their speeches. They
felt a bit nervous because they had to talk in front of an audience and the
teacher had a great idea by putting on classical music in the meantime. When they
all finished, a teacher assistant grouped all the mini-presentations and she
formed a big one. They were ready to start their marvelous presentation with
useful information about the earthquake in Nepal.
As I said at the beginning, they are officially labeled as “low-ability classes”. To be honest, this label is completely misleading. This was the most interesting, enriching and rewarding class we all have had in the high school. We really enjoyed this experience because they are sending truthfulness and love through every gesture, every smile, through the light of their eyes. I was amazed at how they clapped their hands when each girl appeared in front of them, praising her work with the tenderness that only good friends can share. They found delight and wonder in the simplest things and offered you the best of smiles when you were around. Those simple gestures were a good reason to go on with our professional journey!
Who are we?
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