Reflection

Often, I think back to my first days on the job as a CF. It's hard to believe that was in 2011! I remember being so lost, unsure of myself and what I was doing. Like many of you, I felt unprepared to work with this age-group. Very few classes I took or internships I had were focused on adolescents. Every Sunday was a struggle as I thought to myself "how will I survive another week?" Had you asked me back then if I saw myself working with this age-group almost five years later, I would have laughed. I told myself then, "Okay Gabby, you can do this, it's just one year." And then another year went by, and another, and now it's 2016 and I'm making plans for the following school year. HOW did I get here?

Working with this age is NOT easy. We don't do pretend play, we don't color (okay, maybe sometimes), and we don't do crafts. We spend most of our time focused on academic skills and using classroom material. I try to make it fun, but sometimes it's boring. I do not always see the same level of progress as SLP's with younger kids might. However, there are other things happening. Things that I am proud of, and find rewarding in a different way. I am watching my kids feel more confident in the classroom around their typical peers because we've worked on something in advance. I am watching my relationship grow with many of my students, especially as they get older (a lot changes between the ages of 10-14).

I love having conversations with my students. I love talking about their goals, their lives, the gossip around school (for real, they know everything haha). These are things I wouldn't be able to do with younger kids. While I do have to deal with hormones and moodiness, I'm thankful that for the most part, by middle school, most kids do start maturing. It's really nice not having to baby them (some kids do need it though, so that's okay). I love how interested my kids are in my life, and are always asking questions. Establishing this type of rapport has helped gain their trust in me.

Do I know where I'll be in 20 years? Absolutely not. But for now, I'm enjoying my middle school "babies" and have no intention of switching age-groups.

How about you? Have your feelings changed about working with this population?