Our field trip to the apple orchard Name: Jaci Anderson Date: September 27, 2012 Time: :!

0 a"m" # 1:!0 a"m" This mornin$ %e too& our field trip to the apple orchard" 't %as perfect %eather and the &ids ha(e been reall) e*cited for this all %ee&" ' ha(e noticed ho%e(er that often times the children seem tired and don+t li&e to %al& or stand or sit up" ' am %onderin$ if this has somethin$ to do %ith their disabilities" On the field trip this %as a bi$ issue" ,an) of the children %ent throu$h periods %here the) %ould refuse to %al&" 't %as difficult for me to &no% ho% to handle it" 't seems that the teachers encoura$e the children to %al& and not carr) them or hold their hands too much unless it is necessar) for safet)" 't is hard for me to refuse them at this point" ' feel cruel %hen the) tr) to ta&e m) hand and ' ha(e to sa) -)ou can %al& on )our o%n". or if the) are sittin$ do%n and refusin$ to stand or %al&, ' feel bad forcin$ them to $et up" ' &no% the purpose is to $ain independence, but it %ill ta&e some $ettin$ used to for me" ' %as reall) happ) pic&in$ apples %ith the &ids as the) seemed (er) in(ol(ed and e*cited b) the %hole process" The) lo(ed loo&in$ for apples on the branches and pullin$ them off and %atchin$ their ba$s $et full and hea()" The) %ere (er) proud and it %as nice to see them doin$ an acti(it) that had real, tan$ible results that the) understood" ' %ould li&e to remember this %hen plannin$ m) acti(ities %ith them" Sometimes %hat ' find frustratin$ is %hen ' feel li&e the children are $oin$ throu$h the motions of an acti(it) that the) don+t understand" 't doesn+t feel li&e it means an)thin$ to them and therefore are not learnin$ an)thin$ from it" After pic&in$ apples %e loo&ed at the animals the) had there %hich the &ids reall) en/o)ed also" After lea(in$ the orchard, %e %ent to a restaurant, for %hich the children had been practicin$ for some time" ' %as ama0ed at the preparation that %ent into a simple outin$ li&e this" 1e %atched a po%er point about %hat %ould happen at the restaurant and %e practiced orderin$ food from a menu and had been practicin$ table manners at e(er) meal" 1hen %e $ot there the &ids did a%esome2 The orderin$ of food %as most difficult part as man) of the children don+t understand ho% to communicate or can+t communicate (er) %ell Some don+t spea& loudl) or clearl), man) need to be reminded to ma&e e)e contact, etc" but the ser(er %as (er) patient and &ind" ,an) of the customers did not seem to &no% %hat to ma&e of our $roup, but the &ids did so %ell that ' %as reall) proud of them and thou$ht that the) represented themsel(es and the school (er) %ell" 1hen %e $ot bac& to school %e had 3uiet time" One bo), -4randon., %as reall) en/o)in$ loo&in$ at m) All 4out ,e boo& and %e read it about ten times %hile ' rubbed his bac&" None of the &ids actuall) slept, some laid 3uietl), but me and 4randon had &ind of a special moment /ust tal&in$" 'n m) boo& ' ha(e a pa$e for each of m) famil) members and m) son and he started tellin$ me about his famil)" 't is (er) hard for me to understand him so ' %as onl) catchin$ little snippets and as&in$ 3uestions, but he started

tellin$ me about someone in his famil) %ho died and he %as loo&in$ at me ri$ht in the e)es and %hisperin$ and he said that sometimes a person dies and the) $et buried and that it brea&s )our heart" 't %as so touchin$ to hear him tal&in$ li&e that and all these &ids in this room ha(e these innocent and truthful e)es" The) can+t hide a sin$le thin$ and %hen )ou loo& in their e)es it+s li&e )ou are seein$ ri$ht throu$h to their soul" ' reall) felt somethin$ special tal&in$ %ith him and ' reall) thin& ' am $oin$ to en/o) m) time here"