Re: Bus Rides -

[Guest guest]

,

I drive in Michigan and I felt that when I took this job it was called

special ed and that what I was expected to do is give special treatment to

all my kids and you see they have become my kids some of them I have had for

many years. I have driven this route for 17 years and worked at the school

during the day. I started in an SMI room then moved to the kitchen area

where I worked on the students serving and doing the clean up. I also

started a program where the TMI students made chef salads and sold them to

the staff at school. I now work as a job coach, I take students out in the

community and they have work experiences. They work a couple of hours a week

( as unpaid work experiences) and get to try many different things. We ask

the students what they like to do and try to find work that has something to

do with what they like. Our program has three students with many different

challenges working (as paid employees) and going to school part time. My

part of the program works with TMI students but the teacher/ work study/

transition specialist, I work with has many (not sure of numbers but more

than 50) students working every day and getting credit at school. It is a

great program and he is a wonderful person to work with. We have a house

program, the school purchased a house and it is run just like one. The

students cook, clean, do wash, and go out in the community. I love my jobs

some of the days are long but with each new experiences I learn so much. I

never thought I would bag groceries, work at a greenhouse, or I would learn

so much from the students and parents. I know that the bus has a schedule to

keep but a few seconds to listen or give feed back to a parent or school

staff won't make that big of difference to my time but may be all the

difference to the parent or the student. I am sure I have told people things

that they didn't want to hear but if it for the students I do it anyway.

Happy New Year to all of you.

Martha , bus driver to Brittney