Since seven months +, I had been working in one of the Montessori Preschool in Seri Kembangan area. This school attracts me to work due to two reasons :
1) Montessori Method enhance the children in the aspect of independent level and motor skill which I found out that Occupational Therapist is doing the same thing. Hence, I think I can get some experience from here to prepare me getting in Bachelor Degree of OT.
2) This school accepts special needs children no matters they are autistic, having motor skill problem, speech delay .....
My life goal is to help the society in aspect of special needs children. As a child care teacher, I taught 2-years-old children and one child with development delay. These children were in the same class. At the first time, I had no idea what is Montessori Method and how to teach the children. Little by little, day by day, i learnt and learnt. Finally, I built bond with my students and them to learn as much as possible. I believe the fact that children before 7 years old will absorb 80% of our knowledge.
Montessori Method emphasizes on five aspects :
1) Practical life : which consists of four elements -> elementary movement ( fine motor skill and gross motor skill ), care of self, care of environment and social grace & courtesy
2) Sensorial
3) Language
4) Mathematic
5) Cultural
I need to learn how to use the materials and how to present the materials in front of children. I feel touched by my achievement in this workplace are
1) One of my students cannot talk in English and refuse to socialize with others as he is the ones child in his family. Initially, when I told him this is "alligator", he will jus repeat "tor". He cannot pronounce the words with three syllabus. After three months of teaching him, prompting him to talk. finally one day when I said 'good morning" , he said "gooooooood, mor------ning". Although he said it not so smoothly, at least he can say it. Even now, he can say a lot of things in English and play with others. I even had toilet training for him. Now, he can tell when he wants to go to toilet.
2) One of my students has speech delay problem. I was quite worried at that time as I had no idea how to teach. He refused to open his mouth to say something. I knew he is quite clever and he knew a lot of things but just didn't want to talk. My intuition told me that I needed to talk with him more and asked him more questions daily. Every day, I would force him to say "good morning" to me even it's not so clear. I would ask "what type cup you want today ? ", " who want do this ? Tell me your name " and so on. Actually I didn't know whether it's work. I was quite anxious too. Eventually, after two months, he started to say something clearly. "teacher", "aunty" , "at home", "in the car" ... He even make 3 words sentence. When his mummy told me this, I was really quite touched. Although I had no experience being speech therapist, I knew I learnt something from here. This is why i change my ambition from being occupational therapist to speech therapist.
3) Actually, I was teaching special needs child in the afternoon for one hour. The child has severe symptom of autism. She will throw tantrum anytime and anywhere. She will cry suddenly and scream suddenly. She always wants your carry, run away and eat whatever food no matter clean or dirty. It's quite tough time for me because at the first time, she threw tantrum to me every time I taught her. For the whole week, I felt so tired because of her and I felt really wanna give up. I knew the rule is even when she threw tantrum, I need to force her to complete her work. Therefore, I need to comfort her feeling and then be strict on her simultaneously. As it's my job, I need to continue on teaching her. After one month, she seemed knowing that I am her teacher and once she completes her work, she can have a nap. She started to listen to me a little bit. I taught her Language, Mathematic, Social Grace & Courtesy and Sensorial mainly. She loves to listen to song and sing song. She can sing the phonic songs and can recognize the phonic sound of alphabet after some time. When I asked : what is the sound?", she normally repeat my question " sound". I will sing song and she will pronounce phonic sound of that particular alphabet. So I will ask again the question. Initial stage, she still didn't get it but after some time, she started to know it. I always prompt to talk with her and force her to say the things she wants. Although sometimes when she cried badly, I felt pitiful for her and not to force her. I knew in these few months, she did some small improvement, She knows how to trace alphabet, how to say "good morning' clearly, how to express herself and know who am I. I know one day she will be better than now. I am looking forward on her BIG achievement in the future although I was not working there as I wanna further my study. I love her very much as I had put a lot of my effort on her. She tried so hard to prove my effort. I felt grateful being her teacher although it's tired mentally and physically.
I hope that after finishing my study in Speech Science, I can help autistic children and other special needs children so that they can express what they want and communicate with the society. They are special but not abnormal. There should more awareness in the society on these special children.....
One more thing I felt touched is the love from my colleagues, children and appreciation from the parents. Before I leave, they texted my principal about the appreciation for me and even gave me some presents so that I can prepare myself for study. Even when I came back one day after I left the school, the children ( although not taught by me ) didn't allow me to go home before they went home. HAHA. They are soooo cute and adorable,...
Life goes on......
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