Thankful Thursday: My Teacher's Assistant

Thankful Thursday post: I'm thankful for my teacher's assistant, Shannon. This morning when I got to work, my principal stopped by my classroom to chat about a new student we're getting. He also wanted to check in and just see how things are going with my current group. He made the comment "I know this classroom (alternative ed.) can be draining sometimes, so I want to make sure you both have what you need." And he's not wrong. My in-person students are middle and high schoolers who are assigned to my program almost exclusively due to disciplinary reasons. Additionally, I have almost forty virtual students whom I tutor, grade their writing work and meet on zoom each week. Someone who is a blessing to me and makes my job much easier is my TA, Shannon, so she's making a guest appearance in my blog this week (I asked her permission). 

Shannon has been in my classroom for three years. Before that, she worked in another alternative ed. program for six years, and was a preschool assistant for several years prior. She arrives at work before I do to pick up breakfast for our students from the cafeteria and stays later to wrap up the day with the students' goal sheets. She tutors our in-person students one-on-one, records the daily progress of our virtual students, and compiles and mails home progress reports, among the many other tasks she accomplishes throughout the day. When I have to step out of the classroom to attend a meeting or call a parent or conduct zoom meetings with my virtual students, she's in the classroom, keeping things running smoothly. This is the first time I've had an aide or assistant in my classroom, so I wasn't sure initially how we would divide duties or collaborate when needed, but we've fallen into an easy rhythm, thanks to Shannon's know-how of the job and her teaching me the routines. This position would be much more difficult (if not impossible) without her, so thank you to Shannon!