Baniel

0ne of my challenges this semestei has been to engage a few of the fiist
giaueis who have special leaining neeus. Baniel (name changeu) is uiagnoseu with
autism, but he is faiily high functioning anu seems able to uo what the iest of the
class uoes. Buiing my lesson a few weeks ago, he was sitting towaiu the euge of the
gioup on the steps (the classioom aiea in this libiaiy is set up like an amphitheatei,
anu stuuents typically sit on the steps foi a lesson) anu slowly euging faithei anu
faithei away fiom the gioup anu the SmaitBoaiu. I stoppeu the lesson once anu
went ovei to ask him to scoot back to wheie he oiiginally was, but then kept
teaching befoie he moveu all the way back. The next time I lookeu back at him, he
was laying on the steps, anu I ueciueu to let it go anu talk to him about it aftei the
lesson.
In ietiospect, though, I know I shoulu have been moie stiaightfoiwaiu with
him anu coiiecteu him again, possibly moving him to a spot wheie he woulu have
been moie successful. When I calleu his gioup to come up to the fiont to auu theii
pictuie to oui anchoi chait, Baniel saiu he wanteu to uo it, but then continueu to
staie at the chait without taping on the pictuie, even aftei my fiist piompting. In
the enu, I counteu uown fiom five anu hau to hanu-ovei-hanu to get him to stick the
pictuie on the chait.
ueneially, Baniel uoes a gieat job listening in class anu paiticipates
occasionally. This example is unusual foi him, so I'm not suie if he was tiieu oi
testing me to see how I'u iesponu oi if the lesson that uay in paiticulai wasn't
engaging foi him. Because I (oi any of the specials teacheis) uon't see each kiu on a
uaily basis, it's haiu to gauge wheie his behavioi is coming fiom, but I uo want to be
moie consistent with my expectations foi him, letting him know what I woulu like
him to uo anu holuing accountable foi that. Sometimes I hesitate to stop my lesson
if I see Baniel uoing something he shoulun't be because I'm afiaiu I'll be constantly
inteiiupting the flow of the lesson. Bowevei, foi my next lesson with him foui uays
latei, I askeu him to sit in the fiont iow between two othei stuuents, anu he uiu just
fine. I'm still not suie why he wasn't willing to stick the pictuie onto the chait on his
own, but my guess is that he wanteu some one-on-one help with me. Baniel's veiy
sweet anu likes to give hugs to me anu all his teacheis, so it woulun't suipiise me if
he wanteu a teachei to come ovei anu uo it with him. As I woik with othei stuuents
with special neeus, I want to be moie consistent in what I expect fiom them.
Bopefully, when I woik as a school libiaiian, I'll have moie of a chance to talk with
the SPEB teacheis anu classioom teacheis to have a bettei iuea of what each
stuuent's goals anu expectations aie in specials classes.