Day Four

T.G.I.F.
(Thank God it's Friday!)

Not because the week was getting long or anything. On the contrary! I have been so busy I haven't seen myself! I have had such eventful weekdays with about 20ish International students all crammed up in my house on Wednesday to share Malaysian and Korean food! And five of them came the following night to our campus ministry session last night. Tonight I get to go to Brainerd to spend time with a life-long hero, among other students from 15 or so campuses around Minnesota! Absolutely wonderful.

But back to work.

Today, Myra was with us, so Mary and herself had the kids present their interviews of each other in front of class. And they began to share about their disabilities one by one. A very moving moment.

They KNOW.

They know what they are lacking to fit in our "standard universe", they know they need to make extra effort to work with people of our "standard universe" and help them understand their disabilities. They know what to do when their behavioral patterns start to give warning signs.

"Just tell me to go sit down for five minutes, and I'll be good," Shana said, when it was her turn to explain her disability. "And you won't be offended if we did that right, Shana?" Myra asked her. "Nope, I won't," she replied, smiling.

Britney smiled as she said this. "People tell me to keep quiet all the time! I really talk a lot."

What a great session of getting to know these kids! I've only seen them for approximately 7 hours, throughout the span of four weekdays, and already they trust us as their instructors enough to be open with us. If only, my standard universe functioned that simply. The world would be a better place.

"Where is the love?" - Black Eyed Peas

After class, the instructors had a meeting with me and we talked about separate profiles, individually. We didn't get through everyone (there are only 6 profiles below, 3 more to go) - but we will adjourn that to a later date. Meanwhile, this is what I have.

Rob
Disability: SLD
- shorten assignments/test to help with timely completion
- provide extra time for thought processes and understanding of materials
- provide notes or assign peer partner
- check for understanding once in awhile throughout class

Cheyenne
Disability: SLD
- extended time to complete assignments/tests.
- shortened projects to help completion
- provide notes to aid with studying
- some things would need to be read out
- check for understanding once in awhile throughout class

Britney
Disability: LD
- verbal prompts, state positively, including behavior expected in response
- preferential seating to avoid distractions
- some things would need to be read out

Tom
Disability: SLD/EBD
- additional instruction and time to understand it
- need examples to help with understanding
- some things would need to be read out
- need to have him complete or make his own notes but may get a copy of mine if he asked.

Luke
Disability: SLD (Written Expression)
- extra times for assignments
- preferential seating to avoid distraction
- take tests in small settings
- restate instructions for better understanding

Shana
Disability: OHD(ADHD)
-  needs support in functional skills (reminders, cues, etc.)
- shortened assignments/tests
- needs extra time to process thoughts/instructions

Sorry about all the acronyms. Google 'em.

That's all we've talked about so far. This is all confidential. I would ask you to keep this information within this space and not divulge things unnecessarily, but I won't. This is because all their names have been changed already anyway and so you can talk all you want. If you find the urge to say something, say the kids that Phoebe gets to work with are amazing. And that they are trying so hard to operate in what we know and understand as our "standard universe". Their parallel world.

Day Three

Sorry this took awhile to post up. It was a busy day, day three. I walked in and met a Tracy who will be assisting in handling a session called, "Describing Character", where the kids learn to describe themselves, distinguish differences and appreciate uniqueness. Which of course entails....

COLORS.

The bell "beeped" and there are 8 "shiny-eyed" students in their seats in front of me. Rob is not here. I wonder what happened.

Students get color pencils to draw out a word that best describes them. Myra just came in and said Rob is not absent and that he had a reason. I should have known there's just more to these kids than meets the eye. Could a normal class teacher have understood or been patient enough?

Oh well.

Mary asked if I knew which computers we would be using for the project. I didn't - But we did talk about the MacBooks that they had at their disposal and the rumor that we won't be teaching the kids video editing afterall. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. However, we're discussing alternate ideas. Let's pray they come together.

Myra (PARA teacher) left again. So Mary (assistant PARA teacher) directed the whole class to assess themselves and start iterviewing each other as attempts to get more acquainted with each other, as the students have yet to know each other. They've come from all types of backgrounds, ethnic groups, and disability traits. What a class! I am excited.

As the kids got paired-up to interview each other, I asked if there was anything I could do to help in the session at all, as the video part hasn't started yet, and therefore, I feel a little idle, besides the occasional observing and writing of what I see and notice.

Like now.

So Mary suggested we pair up and interview each other. What a great idea, I thought. And this is what I gathered and observed about Mary:

MARY
Respectful
Scatter-brained (multi-tasker, somewhat organized, has a list but doesn't need to do them in order.)
Kind. Polite.Friendly.Accomodating
Soft Spoken
Open (to me, at least)
Enthusiastic
Good work Ethics
Positive. Encouraging. Builds on strengths.
Loves people. Outgoing.
Background in illustration & design.
Writes. Paints.
Creative
Family orientated
Animal Lover (horseback rides)
Snowmobiles. Motorcycles.
Speed-walks.
Loves to chill out. Cook. Visit.
5' 3", average build
Light-brown curly hair
Hazel Eyes
Not A Teenager! (All the kids described themselves as teenagers)
Not a pushover although seemingly calm

And she took down some notes on me as well. We presented ourselves to class alongside the students. It was an interesting time getting to know each other! Tom bought his past video productions for the class to watch if we had extra time at the end, and we did! We watched about five of them, and they were hilarious! I am officially impressed.

So that's that. Day Three.

Day Two

"I don't know how to spell my disability. But I know what it is."  

-Student [T] aka James.

Met Mary at 8:05 am. Myra came in today too.Maybe things will perk up today! Myra is a PARA teacher here at the high school, and Mary is her assistant PARA. I will be working closely with these two individuals and will teach under their guidance and close monitoring.

Myra went through behavior points this morning. It kind of works like a merit/demerit system, where should their behaviors and/or attitudes fall below expectations they will be marked down. They will have to bear with the consequences of those actions. If they are on their best behaviors the whole week, they earn a small reward. Not unlike the "reward system" often practiced in families that have kids with disabilities. Even in my family, back home in Malaysia. It works best on Phanuel. Not all of the time.

But for the most of it.

So returning from that tangent, Myra was talking about Behavioral points. And this was the list of no-no's that was spelled out vocally to the students during the talk:

- No talking while an instructor is speaking.

- No eating while class is on.

- No swearing.

- No disrespecting others.

- No surfing for inappropriate websites during times of online research.

- Demerit points "awarded' ultimately weighs heavy on a grade.

When we spoke about inappropriate surfing, we found out that Tom has a suspension of three weeks from the Internet. Youtube tutorials might be an issue for him throughout the first part of the class. It won't affect throughout the term, so again,

Nothing pressing.

We received an additional student today:

Student [D] : Danny

Add that to my roll. Hurrah! Danny has the whole bad boy 'tude going on too. I am most amused. He stepped in after an interview that decided whether or not he was eligible to participate in this class/program.

We have unveiled the camera they will be using as a class today. Mary plonked a 2 feet long (I kid you not) camera bag on the round instructor table I was sitting at, and I can hear the students in their hushed excitement. I thought the camera would be huge. A High Def one too, I was told! I lifted the bag and it was EXTREMELY light. Like there was nothing there. I remember Mary briefly saying something like I was the expert and wanted me to do the unveiling. So I did. And I saw

NOTHING. At first.

I thought there was no camera. Really. Then in the corner, was a cute little camcorder. "This is it," said Mary. So, bet you'd want camera specs - here it is:

Canon VIVIA HF11

Yes, a camcorder. This will be quite the term. It is somewhat daunting, as I think about the "shaky camera action" that we may have to work with during post production (video editing). But you know, my best friend Erik says that the shaky cam effect, the youtubish, Blair Witch ish, documentary like style is the current fad and could make the video cool. Maybe that's what I'll do. Encourage the students to not overdo but incorporate it somewhat into their creative production. I'm so excited to see what they can come up with!

As I'm thinking this, I noticed Rob. He is usually quiet, I've observed. Intense and quiet. Only speaks when he needs to. Cheyenne and Shana are superbly responsive, as I've probably mentioned yesterday. James too. Now that we're talking about him,

Cool story.

While I pored over the new camera, Myra goes on to run through an overview of Employee Behavior. It is most interesting. They will be seeing her as their employer from here on forward. Great practice for future occupations! Mary then talked about "Student Self Work Skill Assessments". They're learning to assess themselves before and after the program, to see if there will be any progress come the end of the project. Mary then instructs them to write down their disability or condition on the forms. That's when James said,

"Ms Myra, Ms Myra!"
"Yes, dear." (Myra walks to James)
"I don't know how to spell my disability. But I know what it is."

There it is. My quote of the day. When I least expected it. I nearly cried. Something I will most definitely use in my thesis. This is for certain. It was a moving moment for me. I watched as Myra spells it out to him. A-S-P-E-R-G-E-R-S Syndrome. I think I will like James very much. It helps me stay hopeful for kids struggling with autism all over the world. Especially my little brother, Phanuel.

A common misconception is that these kids with different spectrums of disabilities have no idea what's going on in the real world. On the contrary. The very fact that James said what he said, is remarkable. It's him saying, "I know what's going on with me. I just don't know how to put it in ways the world can understand me." 

Yesterday, I felt empowered to instruct.

Today, I am humbled.

What comes next, I don't know. But like my best friend is teaching me now, God hasn't promised me tomorrow yet. Let it worry about itself.

Day One

Nothing pressing.

Vocation rehabilitation talks (orientation and information sessions by a Doug). Application forms disseminated. Didn't do any teaching (or anything at all) save introduce myself to the shiny-eyed students - and during that brief two minutes, felt this intense confidence for me, coming from the student's expectant faces. I feel empowered to teach today.

Smiles all round.

Just making the effort to remember the names now. There are some new faces this semester (as compared to the information session we had sometime last year, in October '09. Remembering names and associating faces will be imperative right now. Due to policies and security precautions, names will have to be changed on this blog, seeing as this content is accessible to the public and I will do what it takes to protect these kids, whom I know I will grow to love.

Here's the roll so far:

Student [D] : Rob

Student [A] : Luke

Student [T] : James

Student [C] : Cheyenne

Student [S] : Shana

Student [F] : Tom

Student [B] : Britney

Student [L] : Asher

Britney seems to like me a lot. She says she's seen me at Rob Mahto's Bible study. Thing is, she hasn't attended the Bible study since I've met her at the high school. Cheyenne smiled at me as I was speaking in front of class today -- so i may have found myself another ally yet!

Score!

Brenda Story, my supervisor, talked for the first half of the class, just briefing them about this PACER program that they had been selected to participate in. These kids will get paid! What an incentive! So will I, alongside the credit hours I will be earning through this God-given internship.

After the class hour, I did some perspective drawings for Bonnie Higgin's class (Exhibit Design) while waiting for Ally Gunstrom (my ride) to come get me at the high school.