Tester

ED 640 Mod 4 DB Liam Breathnach I have a student this year who is on the spectrum. While there are students in the school with more severe symptoms, he is the first student I have had in class who exhibited what I understand as autistic behavior. I have been trying to watch him during calls and see what he requires from the environment that others may not. I also have been trying to watch my own actions in dealing with him to try and see how I must appear to him and see which of my mannerisms and traits are helpful or understanding and supportive of whatever I felt was required. He was appreciative when I mentioned any concern I had was social, and that I had felt the need to try and alter his behavior with other students a couple of times.   Starting the student had a tendency to call out more than I find acceptable, and has had to work hard when in a group as he found the experience difficult, but maybe not as difficult as the other students! I have been trying harder th

I am trying to more pastoral this year. I have always had a short fuse for some behavior, or at least, “I do not suffer fools gladly” as a good friend told me once. Maybe not the best character trait in this profession, but I am working on it. One other thing that may make me less empathetic than is required, is that I think people need to learn many things for themselves, often through mistakes. I tend to let students make their own decisions and see if they do learn, but the Consequences Reflection is for another day. I have a student who raised his hand the first day when I asked – half in jest – who was going to cause me trouble over the course of the year. He proudly announced there would be times when his fidgeting got him in trouble. His charming admission had an effect on me, but now we are getting serious. His grades are poor and I have had to speak to him many times, not about disruption but a lack of focus and resulting poor grades. I returned a test today which was a