That's what I'm thinking, I will be submitting the application in person on Wednesday and while I'm at the office I am going to ask about possibly observing in a classroom. I see some of these people from the school in the cafeteria there and they are pretty low functioning people.

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On Jul 5, 2013, at 11:02 PM, Ana G <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Jeff,
> 
> Think about what difficult situations you may face, and think about how you can handle them. For a realistic sense of what you'll encounter, try to observe a class or talk to someone who has done it. don't ask people if they think you can do it: ask them what situations come up and how they're handled.
> 
> I have two jobs where this comes up. On the one hand, I'm a part-time lecturer. I work off and on at my local state university and at a community college. Both populations are largely blue-collar, first-generation college students, so I get late-comers, cheaters, and the occasional drunk or stoner. On the other hand, I'm a community interpreter. For eight years, I worked for county social services, so I regularly worked in jail, psychiatric lock-down units, and the homes of people who very obviously did not want social workers and other officials on their property. My colleagues at both jobs vary in age and physical fitness. A flabby person with a heart-condition isn't going to be any better or worse at dealing with a cranky drunk than I am, especially since dealing with cranky people is more about engaging calmly with them and knowing when it's best to stop engaging. You'll rarely have to wrestle anyone down, and as an aide, you'll probably rarely be alone with a student.
> 
> My experience is that the concept of liability is often used to discourage us or to bolster people's ignorance about us. When questions about classroom safety or personal safety come up, I find the best approach is to answer thoughtfully, which shows that I am prepared, and to point out that my approach is the same or close to what anyone else would do.
> 
> As an aside, the most infuriating experience I've had with liability was with an oral surgeon. I went for an evaluation. She kept insisting my driver come into the eval with me. When I refused, she got upset but she started the eval. She kept repeating and over-simplifying her explanations, talking really loud and slow. Then halfway through the eval, she stopped and said she needed to contact her malpractice insurance to see if she could operate without using a translator. I asked what language she thought I spoke, since we both appeared to be speaking unaccented California English. She went on and on about liability and said she'd continue when she heard back from them. Needless to say, she called me back, but I didn't return.
> 
> Just my two cents.
> 
> Ciao
> 
> 
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