• Introduction
  • Welcome!
  • My Philosophy
• Background
  • Introduction
  • Resume
  • Transcript
  • Bag Speech
• Psychology Concentration
  • Introduction
  • Child Development
  • Senior Thesis Project
• Issues in Education
  • Introduction
  • Disparities in Special Education
  • Promoting Positive Adjustment for Struggling Students
• Experiences in Education
  • Introduction
  • Exploration Summer Programs
  • JBFCS Child Development Center
  • Sauquoit Valley Elementary
  • Middle Settlement Alternative Academy
• Resources
  • Introduction
  • Student Motivation
  • Classroom Management
• Next Steps
  • What's ahead?

Experiences in Education

CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT THE JEWISH BOARD OF FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S SERVICES

During my time studying away in New York City, I interned full-time at the Child Development Center at JBFCS. This is a center for children ages 2-5 who have been identified as having some sort of special need. Some of the disabilities the children had were Down Syndrome, ADHD/ADD, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Autism, or other cognitive or physical delays. I worked in “the purple room”, with about 8 children ages 4-5. While their disabilities were diverse, each of the children required a structured, safe, and predictable environment in order to optimize their potential. The head teacher, assistant teacher, and I all worked together to discuss our observations, track student progress, and devise plans to help each individual student. The time and dedication that the teachers put into each student was remarkable, and their hard work was not always repaid with successes. However, over time the students’ progress was visible, and that was a wonderful thing to be a part of. I most enjoyed watching how an increase in ability could carry over into a student’s confidence, personality, and motivation in the classroom. I admired the children for their resilience, and their teachers for their persistence and heart. I still look back on this experience as one of the most fulfilling jobs I’ve carried out.

Since I was only considered an intern-in-training at this site, I was not given projects to work on, so I do not have any concrete work to post here. However, I learned a great deal about the methods and structure necessary to have a successful special needs classroom. Below, I've posted pictures that the students made for me on my final day. I've also included captions that explain some of the work I did with each of these students.