The "Kids" are alright

Well, I promised a while ago to write a bit more about work. I teach adolescents who have severe special needs. Most of my students are non-ambulatory (and the two who can walk need help to be safe). My kids are non-verbal. They are teenages. For the most part they are not toilet trained. Imagine it for a second- loveable toddlers in the angst filled bodies of teenagers- at times not very pretty (and at other times the most wonderful). I love the kids I work with- they are sweet, loveable, honest, and tons of fun. They can also be draining and tiring. My biggest hope for them is that they always are cared for by people who care about them as people as my classroom staff and I do. Oh classroom staff you ask??? I have two nurses and a paraprofessional who work in my room. We all work hard and thus need to get along well together.
Our day is very busy- my kids arrive at school, get changed or repositioned, have morning meeting, snack, g-tube feeds, walks, work periods, "group" periods (art, music, cooking, sensory, story), special events, the girls have their nails painted weekly, visits from "typical" highschoolers who come and hang out with my kids, field trips, parties, tv watching, music listening, computer playing fun! Everything we do is to either care physically, emotionally, or socially for the kids.

I love my job- and at times as can be expected I get tired of it. I hope this being here for me to read will help remind me to love it.