I Don't Teach a Subject....
Many teachers are able to respond to the question, "What do you teach?" easily. I've heard that a person teaches kindergarten, algebra, fifth grade, or PE. I don't do any of that. I don't teach a specific subject area. In fact, I teach all science, math, social studies, and English classes.
But really, I teach friendship.
I teach respect.
I teach emotion management.
I teach trustworthiness.
I teach coping skills.
I teach communication.
I teach collaboration.
I teach compassion and love.
I teach my students to grow up with a want and knowledge that they can achieve, even though they are often told they can't.
On paper, my job description looks like the following:
Nicole McAuliff, Autism Teacher
Brinley Middle School
Las Vegas, Nevada
I teach the "leftovers." The students nobody knows how to deal with. The difficult cases. The non-verbal kids. The ones that tantrum and yell and scream and hit. I teach the kids that are academically between 12 months old and 12th grade. And I teach kids who are brave. The courageous. The ones who are told they can't, and yet they do. I teach kids who are honest and straight-forward. I teach kids with soul and humor way beyond their years.
This is one of the toughest jobs I can imagine. It has some of the widest variety of challenges and every day is exceedingly different from the one previous. I've come home crying. I have come home with a bruised body and pride. But I will never quit. Because as much as I teach these kids, they teach me even more.









