Connetquot Central School District

At Helen B. Duffield Elementary School I was a 5th grade Teacher's Assistant in the year 2020-2021. My responsibilities were different than other Teacher Assistant's due to the pandemic. At Connetquot, the 4th and 5th grade classes were divided into two classrooms to properly practice social distancing. The teacher was in one room while I was in the other and midday we would switch rooms. We would plan together weekly to go over what I was expected to teach my group. I would lead remedial Math, Science, Social Studies, and ELA materials that they may have missed from 4th grade. I would also set them up with their spelling words and read different chapter books with them. Other aspects of my responsibilities included implementing a behavior management system, classroom routines, and expectations. 

For the 2021-2022 school year I worked at Idle Hour Elementary School as a  1:1 Teacher's Assistant in a General Education Kindergarten class. I worked closely with one student all day. I assisted him with everyday learning such as writing his letters and numbers, counting, reading sight words, coloring, and cutting. I also implemented a behavior management plan for him to help him stay on track with the tasks of the day. I was responsible for taking him to his services daily (OT, PT, Speech, and Resource) as well as communicating with the service providers about what is working, not working, or what could be changed to best benefit the student.

During the 2022-2023 school year I began substitute teaching at the schools in Connetquot Central School District. I started by going to any school that had an opening, including the middle and high school a few times. By October I began going to four elementary schools on a regular basis. The four schools consist of Sycamore Elementary, Cherokee Street Elementary, Helen B. Duffield Elementary, and Idle Hour Elementary.  Some days I am used as a floater for CSE meetings where I am in 2-4 classrooms in a day, sometimes I am used for academic support in the younger grades (K-2), and then there are days that I am covering an absent teacher. I have learned how to follow plans left by the classroom teacher, implement already existing behavior plans for individuals and the class as a whole, and left detailed notes for the teacher to communicate about the day.