Wednesday, April 1, 2015
And done...until next week!
This was your last week working with the students. What did that feel like? What kinds of things were running through your head as that reality began to sink in? Was it difficult to say goodbye to your student? Why do you suppose that is? Did this student make you think more, work harder, question your decision about becoming a teacher or confirm your decision about becoming a teacher? Reflect back to your very first day to now. How have YOU grown as a person? Do you see individuals with a disability as a person with a disability or as a person? Explain.
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I definitely had mixed emotions about last nights CAPES!... It was almost surreal, like we are going to be meeting up again and that last night wasn't our last night. It was sad but I was really focused on S having a great night and, most importantly, having fun! We wanted S to know how proud we were of her and the growth she has demonstrated in her communication and social skills. Even though S was having an off night I know she could feel that Demi and I love her and have had a great time learning with her. I am positive I learned more from S than she ever did from me. We all worked VERY hard and I could see the changes in S from our first week to our last week, almost shockingly so! Our first week of CAPES! with S was *super* difficult and we had some of those same issues last night but how all of us handled it and worked past it was amazing! Hands down a change for the better and not just for S :). I am more committed to become a teacher than ever. It doesn't matter how difficult a task may seem I know as teachers we can change students for the better and they change US for the better... I want that in my life. It is rewarding and challenging! People with disabilities are people just like any of us. They have the same emotions and wants and needs and goals. I was very honored to have the chance to work with such amazing kiddos and with such an amazing co-teacher! -Karli Plant
ReplyDeleteSo glad we got to do this together Karli! It was an amazing experience! You are going to make an excellent teacher. :) -Demi
DeleteI have to start off by saying that at the beginning of the semester, I considered dropping this class because of the Tuesday night commitment. Tuesday nights are already an incredibly busy night for my family, but I am SO glad that I stuck with this class! participating in CAPES, and working with C, has reaffirmed my desire to serve special needs kids and their families in my chosen field. C has taught me more patience,and has helped me to realize there is no such thing as small successes, all that in just a few short weeks! It also gave me the opportunity to include my youngest child in an experience that has helped her as well. I was so excited to see some of the other students follow my lead, and bring their children to participate with their CAPES kids as well. It's a wonderful experience for everyone involved.
ReplyDeleteThere were several moments last night that I found myself fighting back tears, thinking about CAPES being over. Just when I feel like we are getting somewhere, we have to be done! Talking with some of the other students, I found they were feeling the same, and that Tuesday nights were about to become a lot less enjoyable. While this hasn't been an easy experience, it has been SO worth it!
Prior to my involvement with CAPES, I feel that I never looked at a person and judged them based on a disability, but it has made me rethink how I treated them, and that I often assumed they weren't capable of some things, when they probably were. I now treat them as regular people, and have fully adopted the term 'differently-abled' instead. Never again will I look at someone and assume what they can or cannot do, based on a disability.
When we were given the invitation to come back and participate in CAPES next year, I was so excited! I'm not sure I will be able to, since I will not be a student at Weber State at that time, but if I can, I will do it! I LOVE CAPES!!! --Megan Jensen
Thinking that last night was the last night I would be working with my student made me really sad. It was fun getting to know him and the things that he liked. I felt like he was finally getting comfortable with me to the point that he would ask me questions, rather than just giving me his one word responses. And as soon as we get comfortable it ends. It was an incredible experience working with these young kids. They taught me so much. And it has only increased my want to be a teacher. These students have shown me that hard things can be done, and the attitude they have towards life is mind-blowing. It was incredible to watch the reaction of my student whenever he accomplished something that he didn’t think was possible, and seeing how proud he was of his success, made it so I wanted to give him more of those opportunities. Without CAPES! I would not have learned as much as a did, and I would not look at those with disabilities the same. I see them as just a person. They are just a normal person with a few more challenges than us. In my personal opinion, they are better than us because they deal with these struggles, and still continue to have a smile on their face and enjoy life more than anyone else I know. –Chelsey Brown
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how fast CAPES went by! There was a lot of emotion involved with working with S. Tuesday night was a more difficult night as far as her behavior went, but I have come to realize there are good days and bad days. I feel a little distraught that it was our last night working with our students. The Tuesday night commitment was difficult at first, but now that I'm in the routine, I don't think I want it to go away. I'm realizing that S has made progress because of me, Karli, and other teachers who have worked and currently work with her. I realize that she may not remember my name, but she will remember me as her CAPES teacher, it has also started to sink in that she is going to miss Karli and I, just like we are going to miss her. It wasn't too hard to say goodbye because I knew I would see her for the graduation, but I know that I will be sad saying goodbye then. I think this will be difficult because of how well I have gotten to know S. I've seen all her emotions, good and bad, and I've also experienced her jumps of joys, hugs, and excitement when she is proud of herself, which has been the most rewarding feeling. S definitely made me think more about my decision to become an educator, but she did not the slightest bit change my mind. Teachers need students like S to challenge the job, or else things would become very repetitive. S also inspired me by her sense of empathy, I have never met someone with so much recognition of others feelings, her genuine apologies, and desire to be friends with everyone has given me a different perspective about expressing feelings. I look back to my first day, and I think it's silly how terrified I was, and how I literally had no clue what I was doing. I have grown so much since the first day, I have a much better understanding on how to communicate with people with disabilities, I understand how much we all relate to them, and now I'm not nervous at all! Prior to CAPES, I saw individuals with disabilities as a person, but no doubt did I let the disability describe part of them. Now I see the amazing qualities, like I said with S, when I look at her I don't see autism, I see empathy, excitement, and a young girl with a huge imagination. -Demi Wikstrom
ReplyDeleteCAPES! Really has gone by so fast! It feels like just yesterday that I was meeting M and his mom for the first time. Because this week was our last week, I made sure to have planned the activities that were some of M’s favorites throughout the semester! I wanted him to have a very enjoyable last day at CAPES! It was pretty hard knowing that this past week was one of the last times that I would see M. I think this is because after working with the same child every week for 10 weeks, you grow to love them and really care about them. Working with M really confirmed my desire to be a teacher! Being able to teach him new activities and skills, and to work with him, was such a joy to me. Seeing things just click in his mind was such a rewarding thing for me! It made me so much more excited to be able to do that for many more students! My first day of CAPES! I did not really know what to expect, and I was very nervous for it! But thinking back on it, there was no need for me to be nervous! It has been so amazing being able to work with M! This experience has definitely helped me to grow as a person! It has taught me how to be a much more patient person! And I am so grateful for that!! I definitely see individuals with disabilities as a normal person. They are just like the rest of us; they love to have fun, laugh, play, and much more! Just because they have a disability doesn’t mean that they are any different than the rest of us!:) -Caitlin Wiggins
ReplyDeleteCAPES! has been awesome! It really did go by quickly, which I assume is a good thing. It wasn't hard saying goodbye to C after this last lesson because I knew I would get to see him one last time on Tuesday. C has definitely made me a better teacher and hopefully I have helped him improve his psychomotor, affective, and cognitive skills. The part I'm sad about is not seeing C continue to improve his skills. I loved seeing the progression C made during the semester, both in the pool and on land. I loved watching C as he did something for the first time; he would get a big smile on his face and look at me with this face that beamed with joy. I also enjoyed talking with C's mom about C's progression; I thought it was so cool that she was so supportive of C and I learned from how she treated C. C did make me work hard just because I had to always be a couple steps ahead. I think I have become a better teacher just from the fact that I planned a lot of lessons and I know what modifications to make to ensure inclusion for my students with disabilities. CAPES! has helped me see that individuals with disabilities are people like everyone else. C has the potential to do or become whatever he wants. I saw him as the precious/fragile child to begin the semester but I see him now as an individual who can do anything he puts his mind to. Hopefully I too grew as an individual and became more selfless throughout this whole process; CAPES! his a well run program that serves a great purpose in the community! - Curtis Carlisle
ReplyDeleteI can't believe that was the last week of CAPES! It has gone by so fast. It is crazy to think back at week one to now. I have grown so close with C and have become so grateful for him and all that he has taught me. CAPES is such a great program for new teachers and for the disabled. It allows both of us to grow and experience new challenging things together. I have grown a HUGE appreciation for disabled people and for their families. C has amazed me since I have worked with him. He has made my job as a teacher so rewarding! I do believe that children or people with disabilities are just like the rest of us. C has proven that to me! He is so intelligent! CAPES has helped me learn to apply teachings to the individual needs of the child. It has helped me to realize that teaching is hard work and takes thought, but it can also be very rewarding and well worth the time put into it. C and I have grown so much since day one. It is sad to think I don't get to grow with him anymore and see his progression. The thing that I mainly focused on this week was making sure that C enjoyed his time. I wanted him to have fun! I am excited for him to graduate next week. I hope that C continues to be successful through all his life and receive the proper help and guidance he needs. I am grateful for his influence in my life. He helped me to really appreciate the job of a teacher. -Kylee Mahlstede
ReplyDeleteI felt kind of saddened because the reality is that were more then likely not going to see these kids again or if we ever do it won't be for a very long time. I felt like within the last two weeks C was just starting to enjoy what we were doing and was getting used to me. It wasn't too difficult yet to say goodbye knowing that I'll see him next week at the graduation, but I think it'll sink the following Tuesday when I'm sitting at home. After so many weeks together you begin to grow a bond together and when they start to trust you and enjoy coming is the best. I'm not so sure C made me question wanting to be a teacher or that I can do it, but that I severely need to have a methods class on how to get things across in a way that he'll comprehend. Also, with him being so abled I struggled to think outside the box at times to find something for him to work on, when usually that's one of my strengths. I've grown because with something like CAPES you're just thrown into the fire on your own and that's how teaching will be. I think it better prepared myself on becoming more organized and as well as planning ahead. I wasn't given much information on what C needed to work on so I had to hit the ground running, which was difficult at first to say the least. I still do notice the disability but I don't think of it as something that makes them any different than you or I. To me the disability has never played a major role in who they are, but it's just another part of them as a whole and another asset of theirs. ~Lucas Huffman
ReplyDeleteThis week I really pushed her to do the things that challenged her the most through this whole time so that we could end seeing that she can do whatever she wants, even if it is extremely hard. I was sad to know that on Tuesday nights I wouldn't plan on spending it with these wonderful kids but I hope that my student will be able to continue doing hard things and will return next year to continue growing. This student was not a difficult child to work with but there were some points where it was rough and she did make me work hard and helped me become a better behavior manager. This helped reaffirm my want and desire to be a teacher. I want to be there to help build confidence in children and help them know that they can do anything they set their minds to. All of these children are all people. Not people as disabilities they are the same as you and me. I have certainly grown through these weeks in CAPES and it has made me a better person. -Shelbi Linsley
ReplyDeleteI am so sad that K hasnt been here for the last 2 weeks. We didnt get to do the stuff I had planned after she got in the pool the last time she came, and that makes me kind of frustrated because it would have gone so well. But looking back at all of our times together, i had so much fun with her and had learned alot from her as i hope she learned from me too! We had definetly developed a level of trust from the first couple of weeks where she was hesitant to try new things and try to go out of her comfort zone, and more towards the middle where she did! She started being less stubborn and would listen to me. One way I once got her to get into the pool with me and swim was because i said "you`re gonna make me sad if you dont get in with me." and without saying anything she got in and swam over to me! I know that is so compassionate and has a big heart. I hope i get to run in to her sometime in the future and say Hi! -Ellie Lyman
ReplyDeleteMy last week with M was definitely a mix of emotions. I was really sad that I would not be able to keep helping her with skills that we have been working on for the last 9 weeks or so because it has been fun to see the little improvements. When the reality started to sink in I wanted to be able to make this night the best one that we have during CAPES! To me this meant that I was going to include all of the fun things that I found she loved but also see what we have been able to accomplish. As I mentioned last week she was able to walk on the balance beam one foot in front of the other and this was huge because the first day she was scooting sideways down the beam. I set a goal at the beginning to get her to walk on the balance beam one foot in front of the other and I was scared that we wouldn’t be able to get to that point but I was ecstatic to see that we were able to meet this goal! It was hard saying goodbye to M because I love working with her but I was happy as she was leaving because I was able to help her out in just a small way. This experience was difficult for me at the beginning because I felt inexperienced and a little overwhelmed with what I wanted to help her accomplish and some of the hiccups that could come up along the way. It was a good difficult though that pushed me to be the best instructor I could be so she could learn new things. I think this experience has helped me to realize I really do want to be a teacher because I want to be part of changing kids’ lives for the better. I have grown in many ways from this experience but one of the most important things I have learned is to see the potential in a child/student and set a goal to help them accomplish a skill. M is such a smart girl and has taught me a lot during CAPES! I see individuals with disabilities as people because they are just like everyone else. They may communicate differently, walk differently, and list can go on but they are smart, kind, and so much more. I have loved CAPES!, it has definitely changed my life for the better. -Kelsi Tatton
ReplyDeleteLast night is so sad for me because I loved working with my two kids. It was a good experience at CAPES !. People with disabilities are just an amazing people that I have ever met. it was nice to find the way to get them know what they really need. I have learned how to be effective teacher and master students with good standers. - Zainab
ReplyDeleteI was really sad finishing my final week with S. He was just starting to feel comfortable with me. I was able to really hear him laugh for the first time when my son almost got hit by a ball while playing racquetball. He was finally looking at me in the face when I was talking to him. He also went completely underwater for the very first time. I wish that there was a way to continue to work with him. All along, he reminded me of my 3 sons in different ways. I grew very fond of S and enjoyed our times together. It is said that when you serve others, you grow to love them and I am certain that this happens during CAPES. For me hanging out with S reminded me of being around my nephew. I felt like I had some successes with S but didn’t succeed at everything. I am sure this happens to all teachers. The first day of CAPES, I felt completely unprepared. I had missed the initial meeting and felt out of the loop. That night S barely talked to me and wouldn’t look at me at all. Through this experience, I have found great satisfaction seeing him succeed. It has helped me to understand how to communicate more effectively with students with disabilities. I view those with disabilities as people first. They are unique just like anyone else. Their disabilities don’t define who they are. Becky Montgomery
ReplyDeleteLooking back to my first night of CAPES and then contemplating each night since, has left me with a feeling of accomplishment. My first night of CAPES was pretty much a disaster, but I learned quickly what to do to avoid such chaos and never had a bad night again. On the last night, I finally was able to get my child to take turns when playing a game with others. It was great! I was also able to learn how to better communicate with my child, which had been a little bit of a struggle each week. My CAPES experience just reaffirms my desire to be a teacher. I really do enjoy working with kids and love to see them succeed. I feel I've always viewed people with disabilities as just people. My parents taught me to accept all people regardless of our differences and I am doing the same with my children. I brought one of my kids to the last night and it was a great thing that I wished I had done all along.- Chelsea Goff
ReplyDeleteIt was really strange to have this be the last week of CAPES. I found myself feeling a sense of relief, but then I got really sad at the same time! It's weird to go from planning week to week to nothing. I was really sad saying goodbye to my kids. I don't think either of them really understood it was the last week, so I don't think they were too sad! I have seen both of them grow so much. S.D. has kind of turned into a dare devil, and S.L. is getting better at not giving up and keeping a positive attitude. I have seen myself grow too. By the last couple of weeks, planning was becoming easier and it was become more natural too. I have really enjoyed doing CAPES! It has helped me understand kids with disabilities a lot better and I hope that I have helped my two kids in a positive way! -Hailey Beesley
ReplyDeleteI can really say that I am going to miss that little guy. I got to know T and every week I learned something about him. Some days were rough but it always made me go back and rethink the strategy. I feel that after all of this I am willing and hopefully able to come back next season and work with him again. For this last week we just hung out and ate a Happy Meal, then swam for a bit. I can tell he enjoyed the time because afterwards he gave me a hug. That almost got me emotionally, and that's when realized I am gonna miss that little guy. Our time together has reassured me that I want to be a teacher. I plan on going into general education, but every night I participated in CAPES, I got second thoughts and think about special education. David Polanco
ReplyDeleteLeaving my CAPES! buddy is very sad. A strong connection grew between B and I. It was such a great opportunity to be able to watch him grow and achieve his goals. Being sad makes me so excited to become a teacher. Knowing how much I got to love this child without even knowing him for very long just makes me have so much hope for the love I will have for future students. CAPES! opened my eyes to special education and I have found an unknown love for it. I had no idea I would love it as much as I have. I am so very grateful for this program. I feel that it has truly changed my life.
ReplyDelete-Courtney Brannon
CAPES has granted me the experience of a lifetime! The past Tuesday nights are held dear in my heart. No other extra-curricular activity has succeeded as much as CAPES. It was not smooth sailing. I was often overwhelmed and beaten tired. Yet, that is what I appreciated the most. CAPES was not glamorized in the least bit of ways, but instead exposed me to the reality of education. Prior to CAPES, decorated bulletin boards, alphabet songs, and cute art projects had been my idea of teaching. Although those factors are important and fun, I now view education with a new set of eyes. Teaching is a challenge! I have realized that my years left in college are dwindling. It is my responsibility to immerse myself in my academic classes and absorb all of the knowledge I am receiving from professors, fellow classmates, and experiences, such as CAPES, to better prepare myself. Growing up, my mom would always listen to Robi Kahakalau’s song, “Every Child a Promise”. It was not until CAPES that I truly connected to the lyrics … “In every child lies a promise, There’s great potential in their hearts and minds, They only need a little kindness, Patience and guidance to help them fly, In every child a promise, Give them a chance and see, Each one is very special, Be part of their dream, In every Child lies our future, Teach them the past so they can find their way, Life’s greatest lessons come from sharing, Each child through knowledge will shine one day…” Every single word in that song speaks to my experience with J. My first day with J was undeniably one of the toughest times I have ever had with a child. With no prior experience, I was fresh meat. J, seeming to sense my uncertainty and anxiety, unmasked his intelligence by knowing just what to do to make me question if what I was doing with him was right. He showed me that it takes two to create a rhythm that both instructor and student can naturally fall into. Even though we found that rhythm at the very last weeks of CAPES, the initial stress was a healthy and beneficial time for me. I could continue writing on and on about CAPES, but when it comes down to it, my main point is that J has permanently impacted my life. Whether it is my new perception of teaching, being mindful of the unfair judgments I make as a human, or the appreciation I now hold for life and its joys, J has touched my heart in numerous ways. It makes me incredibly sad to leave J. I wish that I could follow J to share the many triumphs and successes he will reach in the near future. In spite of this detachment I feel, I know that I will run into other J’s one day, and that alone makes me hopeful and content! ~Christina C
ReplyDeleteit was one of the hardest goodbye i have ever had he was more like family than a kid i was working with for a class. even after d miss three weeks it was like he still knew who i was and still had a bond. we pushed him a little harder in the water and on land we tryed to make him make all the dissensions like he would in the real world he did a lot better than i thought he would. it went by so fast on the first day was so hard and difficult but i made it though it and i loved capes after that i mean it made me have something there that i could be me. it change me for the better i want to be a special education teacher now and i never thought that would happen.i have grown a lot i feel like people with disability are just people because you and i are no different the have change in there life just like i have challenges in mine but they have to work harder to get past those - tyler martinez
ReplyDeleteWorking with R for the last time was kind of sad. He has made my Tuesdays so much better and knowing it all has to come to an end bums me out. It was definitely hard to say goodbye because we have created this bond and friendship. Being with R has definitely only reassured my decision to be a teacher. Helping him to learn new things gets me so excited to do this for many more kids in the future! I remember feeling so overwhelmed and nervous the first week, but it has become second nature and I only think about all of the fun and progress we will get to make that day. R has truly changed my life and taught me more than I could have ever taught him. The little accomplishments that turned in to big feats are things I will never forget and I am so blessed to have gotten to work with him! -Jesse Hover
ReplyDeleteThis last week didn't seem real. It seemed to go by a lot faster as well. I just kept thinking back to the first week when I didn't know what the heck I was doing. It seemed like so long ago and at the same time not that long ago. I'm sad that it was the last week. I loved getting to know L and think the world of him. He really changed my view on people with disabilities. It was hard to say goodbye because in a short time he had become part of my weekly routine. I looked forward to Tuesday nights. But L definitely confirmed my desire to be a teacher. His parents really boosted my confidence and let me know how much I was helping L to grow. I have grown as well. I am more relaxed and not as scared around people with disabilities. In the beginning I was nervous and didn't know how to act. But CAPES! has helped me to realize that people with disabilities are people. They are special, intelligent, kind, and innocent. If anything I hold them higher than most people. They don't judge, they are amazing people and I am extremely glad I had the opportunity to participate in CAPES!
ReplyDeleteIt honestly hasn't hit me yet. I can't believe how fast it has went by. It seems like just yesterday I was scared to death because I was unsure of what I was doing. I really enjoyed getting to work with T and the couple of other kids I got to work with. I have learned so much from CAPES!. It has made me want to be a teacher even more. T helped me come out of my comfort zone and try new things. He helped me realize even more that its about the little things in life. I am definitely going to miss the laughs and times we had. I will never forget this experience that's for sure. He has such a fun spirit about him. I see people with disabilities as a person. I struggle with when people treat them differently. They are just like one of us but they have a different challenge in this life to face. They are some of the smartest people you will ever meet and never underestimate them. I am going to miss CAPES!.
ReplyDeleteMeggen Hodson
I can't believe that CAPES! is over I am really going to miss K, it was very sad to say goodbye! I believe K and I have both grown looking back from the first day to now. I am going to miss CAPES! it really has made me want to teach a lot more and I came in so nervous about meeting my CAPES! buddy but now it's hard to believe that we will not be working together anymore. I see people with disabilities as a person just like us, they just have their own way to take on this life. This is an amazing program and I am so glad that I could be apart of it, it has helped me to grow and learn a lot I am really going to miss it!
ReplyDelete-Montana Perkins
It didn't really hit me until I had to officially say goodbye to A and her family. Who knew that a little program like this could make you grow closer to a kid that you've only known for 10 weeks. I feel like A and I were like best friends throughout this program, and I loved every minute working with her. I am really going to miss coming to CAPES! every Tuesday. Not going to lie, it gave me something to look forward to every week. Now i'm going to have to find things to do on Tuesday nights! I didn't know that CAPES! made such a huge impact with these kids, not only them but it made a great impact on me as well. I have grown to understand the concept of how some kids work with their disabilities and they are very very smart kids. I will always remember this program, and I'm very grateful to be a part of it this semester!
ReplyDelete-Feliza Martineau
I had a really hard time knowing that it was soon going to be over. I really had come to love working with B. and watching his enthusiasm. It was really cool to see him work to climb up the rock wall and to run around playing basketball. I did not realize that the impact of someone so simple could have on me. I almost cried when i had to say goodbye. He kept asking if capes was going to be next week. I loved talking about it and sharing my experiences with my mom. I really have enjoyed being part of this program. To see the changes in the kid I worked with was well worth it.. Thanks :)--Brittany King
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