Daily Summary
The first day we arrived in the school my stomach was in a knot , I was very nervous and didn’t know what to expect! Each day starts off the same , 6:30 starts , two short bus journeys and in the school for 9am. We all get assigned different children to observe and work with at different times of each day. Although the days started off early it didn’t matter as the days were filled with joy and positivity.
Learning & Positive Aspects of Week 1
I learned how the SNAs over here work with each child and their disability. It was amazing seeing how they work with the children and help them learn and develop. We quickly felt at home in the school , everyone was so welcoming and that was a very positive thing as they made us feel at home when working. I learned what to do if a child has an outburst and gets upset or angry, and keep the child and others pupils safe .
Challenges Encountered
The language barrier was the main challenge that I encountered . The children were very happy with us bein there and with the excitement they were trying to talk to us , but it was very difficult as we didn’t know what they were saying unless there was a teacher or SNA who would be able to translate it. The bus system was another challenge , the bus in the morning was late on Thursday and we almost missed our connecting bus to the school , if we missed that bus we would have been late to the school as the next bus wasn’t till 8:40 and it takes about 23 minutes the get there.
Self-Evaluation
I personally feel that this trip has not only improved my knowledge about being an SNA , it has made me realize why I love working with children with disabilities and why I am very excited to become one in the near future! It has made me grow as a person as we are dealing with different things each day , meeting new people , learning the transport system in a foreign country ,and being the best person we can be here. I think this trip made my love for this job grow even more.
Cultural
Rimini is a beautiful place! I have seen the most amazing buildings , paintings , variety of shops , and tasted the most delicious food( I’ll miss that the most ) The buildings are so eye catching and on some buildings there is outstanding graffiti which makes them even more amazing! The food here is mouth watering , safe to say I have eaten like the romans did the past week .
