You Know You've Found a Good Match for the Classroom When...

You know you've found (or at least someone has found) a good match for the classroom when the new teacher associate smiles and says, "oh, he's so cute" to the child with the runny nose and drool who runs to her and wraps his arms around her legs. :)

You know you've found a good match for the classroom when the new teacher associate asks to be shown the IEP goal tracking sheets so that she can help with those. :)

You know you've found a good match for the classroom when the new teacher associate says she plans to start school in January for....early childhood special education.  :)  (I'm OK with this as long as she plans to keep the job!)

You know you've found a good match for the classroom when the new teacher associate is unfazed (or at least ACTS unfazed) by the kicking, flailing, screaming child on the floor. :)

You know you've found a good match for the classroom when the new teacher associate asks to work with a little guy who needs assistance outside because "he's really starting to get used to me more when I spend time with him outside." :)

You know you've found a good match for the classroom when the new teacher associate tells you how much happier she is in this position than in the larger group classroom she was previously part of. :)

You know you've found a good match for the classroom when the new teacher associate makes herself comfortable during center work, follows the children's lead and extends their play without needing a reminder. :)

You know you've found a good match for the classroom when the new teacher associate recognizes how much progress a child has made when she exclaims that a child "knows so many signs and uses them so purposefully and in conversation" :)

and in this same conversation...looks appropriately impressed when you explain that this child came into the program 5 months ago with ONE sign and now has over 20 signs that he regularly uses! :)

You know you've found a good match for the classroom when the new teacher associates' interactions with the children are respectful, engaging, understanding and caring. :)

You know you've found a good match for the classroom when the new teacher associate is patient and appears to understand that teaching self-help skills, life skills, play skills, social skills and behavioral skills are just as important as teaching academic skills. :)

And, last but certainly not least, you know you've found a good match for the classroom when the new teacher associate shows up each day and isn't currently looking for a new position! :)

(The children are settled down again; comfortable with the fact that there are enough hands in the classroom to assist with all those sensory and art exploration activities that they love!  I'm hopeful that this new teacher associate will stick around long enough for the children to truly get to know her!  I'm hopeful that she will be able to learn from the classroom and apply this to her classes she plans on taking!  I'm hopeful that she will also teach us knew things!  I'm thrilled that we seem to have finally found a great match for the classroom!  And I'm hopeful that she will stay for more than a month...it's been a week and 2 days...we're on the right track!!)