Accepting Feedback

During my second Placement, I had the opportunity to work with a student who is diagnosed with Severe Developmental Delay. In the first days I was following the EA who works with him, learning from his routines and how to help him in the best way during the school day.

He is a very charismatic and charming boy, so one day I went out to accompany them to the patio so he could enjoy the recess. Seeing that he was happy chasing me, I thought it was okay to play with him chasing him too. The EA spoke to me in a very calm way and explained to me that I should not be doing that since the student did not understand what it meant to have limits, which means that he did not know when to stop, and this would pose a risk situation where his physical integrity could be compromised.

Despite the fact that she spoke to me in a very calm, like giving me a piece of advice, I profusely apologized because I felt very sorry for what had happened. I innocently did not think that a game could mean something so risky for the student, and my intention was not to endanger him in any way. She spoke to me and made me feel better, since she by having so much experience, made me understand that I was in school doing my practices to learn and so eventually I do not make these kinds of mistakes when I am the one who is fully responsible for a student.

I will definitely take this feedback into account for my future as an Educational Assistant. From her I not only learned a theoretical lesson about how limits work in students with Developmental Delays and which kind of actions can represent a risk for them, but to be empathic with people and teach them in a way that they do not feel belittled for lack of knowledge. Just as I want to practice kindness and respect with students, she gave me a lesson on how to receive feedback in a better way and understand that anyone can make mistakes.