Day 1 Successful

Today was a good first day at work. I will be in the "Level 2" area of the school which is for high school students that have to be separate from the rest of the school because of their behavior. The whole school is for special education kids and they have 6 periods a day, but the kids in Level 1 and 2 have to be separate; kind of like it's own school inside of the school. Level 1 is the "Sensory Center", and Level 2 is the "Learning Center". Our kids have extreme behavior issues, and a few have autism on top of that, but none are classified as anything. They have specific IEP's (Individualized Education Plans) and we have to record their "points" each day for their different goals. There are two teachers and four TA's in Level 2. When you walk in the room, there is an open area with a desk, and it's surrounded by about 10 classrooms. In the past, the kids just worked independently on work all day and they pretty much had their own room, but this year they are going to put them on a rotating class schedule similar to the rest of the school, but they will just be rotating within the big room. The teachers are still trying to figure out all the logistics about who is going to do what when and how to divide up responsibilities. One TA has to sit at the desk in the open area to sign kids in and out during the day, and another one has to be in a room with a couple of kids that cannot work with the other kids, etc.
The teachers are really nice, and it seems like a good place to work. The two teachers' names are Nicole and Dale, and Nicole told me that I can do a lot of observing the first week and just kind of let the kids approach me and let them get used to me. Two of the TA's have been in this area a while, and the other TA has been at the school since March of last year, but was on the other side of the building. We also have two "security" guys (intervention coaches) who do the physical restraining part, and their office is right across the hall.
Tomorrow we're all going to a convention center for district-wide training, including a class specifically for TA's which I'm looking forward to since I know nothing. It was nice, though, realizing that I don't have nearly the amount of responsibility as I did as a teacher. (Hardly any right now, other than be on time). Once school starts I'll be busy, but not outside of school, and TA's aren't even aloud to know the password to the new program for grades and attendance, so I don't even do that. I will help take attendance and record grades on paper, but I don't have any official responsibility for grades, lesson plans, or anything. So I can go home and relax instead of working until I go to bed. :-) Which will be good once my class for Capella starts in October. I'm taking my second class toward my masters in marriage and family therapy: Ethnic and Cultural Awareness.
Well, just wanted to share my first day with everyone because I knew certain people would be asking me. :-) Hope everyone has a good night!