Today I covered a teacher with a prep 6th period, so of course I was asked to cover an extra class (there's something about that last period of the day and getting an extra period). It was one of the really special ed. classes.
When I walked in, the room was going wild. The teacher, who was on her way out for a meeting, told me that all the kids had earned free time. They had just finished making hot chocolate, and they offered me some. The teacher explained who I would need to be with when it was time to catch the bus, and she pointed out one student who would need to be escorted to the office, as the teacher was having the meeting with that student's parents.
That boy latched onto me. He wanted to know if he could do a puzzle. Then he wanted to go on the computer. He flitted about until he decided that he wanted to play a game. Would I play, too?
First he pulled out a game I'd never heard of. He got the whole thing set up, then decided that he'd rather play something else. After setting up three different games, we finally got started playing Chutes and Ladders. A girl in class joined us, so we had three.
We each had two turns when the boy decided that he wanted to play a different game. The girl and I were into the game at this point, so I let the boy flit away again, and the girl and I continued.
Early on, I got ahead of her. This was one of those times when I really wanted to lose. I wasn't about to cheat, either. Luckily, the girl got the really long ladder, and she won the game.
I had to be careful with her, though. She hasn't really got the whole counting thing down. If she got a 5, she would move forward 3 or 4, so I made sure I counted spaces with her.
After she won the first game, we decided to play another. That's when the new TA joined us. He was special ed. too, but older. It was his birthday today, and he had to tell me all about what he was going to get for his present.
The first boy came back. He wanted me to escort him next door. I told him I couldn't as I was in the middle of my turn.
I managed to win the next game (and I tried so hard not to). Then we moved on to Candy Land. The girl bored of the game, so it was just the TA and me until it was time to clean up.
I don't often sub in the severely handicapped special ed. classes. It's an exhausting day, even for just one period. The kids can be sweet, though.
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