As many may know, April is National Autism Awareness month. By National, I take that to mean the US, but this by no means affects just us. In fact April 2nd was World Autism Day, yet a day is simply not enough…nor is a month. There is way too little education and awareness of what Autism is…too many generalizations and stereotypes in the world. Seems this is how we tend to react to something we are ignorant about.
My background is in education. I am a multi-generational educator, having taught in the classroom from 2003-2006. I worked with grades 4-9 in various Special Ed settings. It was the most rewarding, and frustrating time of my professional career. Rewarding, because the kids I had the privilege of teaching were amazing individuals. Frustrating because the legislation at the time put too many (unreal) expectations and pressure on these very kids we were working to specialize the education for.
That’s a rant for a different day.
Prior to teaching I worked for many years as a teacher’s aide at a high school in San Diego, working in a program that tried to set up student’s success in a mainstream (regular education classroom) environment. I worked with many students both in their classrooms, and also in a one-on-one instructor role. Now teachers are not supposed to have favorite students, but let me give you a tip…they do. Of course, the good teachers never let on that they have a favorite, but there is usually a student or two each year that tugs at your heartstrings a little more than the others.
One of my favorite students was a junior by the name of Brent. I taught Brent in math that year, and I still look back with fondness of that time spent with him. Brent is autistic and is on the Asperger’s side of the Autistic Spectrum.
He was unbelievably bright, especially in math…he needed very little teaching from me; however, he was very socially quiet. Working with him individually, I believe endeared me to him a little more than others. I believe there was a trust, a comfort, built during our time working out those math problems. Often other aides when comment on how interactive Brent was with me. I was always a bit surprised by this, as it had become just part of our working relationship. It did allow me to take notice, that in fact, he was much more open to me then others…even others that worked with him. I think when it comes down to it, I always treated Brent like Brent. I never judged or labeled him, I just learned to know Brent as he was…not as society says he should be.
Interesting tie in to how I feel, and as I am sure most with chronic illnesses or disabilities feel daily. We just want to be seen for who we really are. People look at us and see the shells we are all blessed (cursed) to be carrying around, and make judgments superficially off of that. We all do it, unfortunately. I think some of us are much more aware of it in an effort to not be so quick to judge. I know firsthand the harm that can do to a person’s soul. However, I admit I am still guilty of it from time to time, but I try.
April also opens up a new pathway for my Journey to follow. I have not been able to work the last two years due to my Fibro et al, but have been making choices and decisions to not allow the illness to rule me. Therein lies the reason From The Fog was started. My own personal strengthening tool. I had no idea just how much writing, reading and interacting with others, through my blog, would truly strengthen me. I thank each and every one of you that reads the nonsense I put out there. I know it’s not nonsense in the practical sense, but it is usually nonsense in my head until I start typing. Somehow it goes from nonsense to something else, something more tangible.
Sorry, I strayed a bit there…so haven’t worked…it’s April…new path…Oh yeah, I got it. So I am going back to work. Dipping my toe in, so to speak. All my ranting in this blog has been for a reason. I have agreed to work with a young gentleman for the next year, acting as a mentor/tutor, while he works on his Associates Degree at a local Community College. Like my former student from years ago, my new student (well not really a student, in the true sense…however I hope to educate as a teacher would) also struggles with Asperger’s. I will be working about 9-12 hours a week, helping him with his coursework and an outing on Fridays to work on other skills besides the problems outlined in a text.
Classes started this week and I attended both of his classes to introduce myself to his teachers, and yesterday we spent quite a bit of time getting through his math work. I have a math brain, thank goodness, but I found that there are a ton of geometrical cobwebs in that part of my brain.
I am very excited, and very anxious (good and bad), about this new adventure. I did spend a lot of time thinking about this before making the commitment. I think I went through every single emotion possible in trying to decide if this was going to be the right decision. Ultimately it came down to the fact that I felt that there was a reason I came across this ad in the first place…or more correctly it came across me, thanks mom. I believe that with all the changes that are occurring right now, there is a stronger purpose for it. I am not a religious person, but I do believe that things happen for a reason. I can look back and see why things happened and the outcome, both positively and negatively, that was caused. Rarely can I face an issue and see the purpose as it is presented, yet that is what has happened in this case.
I believe that I am supposed to learn.
Vague, in a way. Learn what? Am I not the mentor/tutor?
They are just labels, remember? We can all learn from everyone else, regardless of anything.
From the Fog 