Day 1!

10/21/13

Today was my first day at my placement for PED 447. I am helping out at the after school program, specifically with one student with various developmental delays. I was only at my placement for an hour and a half today because of a slight miscommunication but I had a good time and a great first session getting to know my student. We played outside on the play ground the entire time I was there. We played tag, duck-duck-goose, kicked a ball back and forth and just ran around playing on the playground equipment. I think my student liked being able to do whatever activities he wanted to and having me there just to hangout with him. But it was a little strange for me to just be there doing more observing than planning and leading activities. That is what makes this experience so different from experiences that I have had in other classes. For future sessions, I will continue to play games and activities that he wants to do, but will also try suggesting some other games that can help him work on things that may not be so easy for him. I think this will be a good time for him to indirectly get some extra skill practice in. I will try and do this in one-on-one games and group games with other students at the after school program. It will be good for him to get this interaction with the other kids and have his time to be one his own because he seems to like to have a balance of both.