My New School

Dear Journal:

I was told that my students were on the Autism spectrum.  The idea scared me because my limited knowledge of Autism told me that these students were highly intelligent and were very honest when it came to telling you like it is.  I had many insecurities about myself and my ability as a special education teacher and I was not sure that I was up for this challenge.  I wanted to give teaching one last try before I turned my back on the profession.   After all, I needed to find my niche in life which to me was a purpose outside of earning a large paycheck.  I was tired of the unrealistic rules and expectations that were handed down by the school board in my district.  I just wanted to change lives by teaching students what life had already taught me.

The school was a private institution for students with Autism, students who were academically gifted and students who just didn't fit into the public school environment.  The school's philosophies were intriguing to me and that was why I was there.  The ratios were small consisting of four students and two teachers.  I was told that the maximum ratio was five to one, which were extremely good in comparison to the school districts close by.

My first day was greeted by one student who was operating on limited amounts of sleep, another who would not come close to me and the third growing anxious by the minute!  I could not organize anyone and there was not structure left by the previous teacher that I could follow.  I knew after that first day that I had to come up with a plan.  Autism or not, I was hired to teach and I was going to do it.