#5

May 17, 2012
Work week #1 is over! This week was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster...I came to Ireland with the understanding that I would be working with kids and this is not the case. I was placed in the National Learning Network, which is a site for adults with mental/learning disabilities to work towards the opportunity to retrain in the community. Day one was awful and I kept wondering how I was going to make it through the next three weeks. But day two and three were much better! I actually love it and have established rapport with my students very quickly!
My supervisor has given me full reigns for the next 3 weeks because she said we are all learners in the classroom and rehab environment.  The 'learners' in my class are so accepting and do not judge. I can tell I will learn a lot. The people I work with are so nice and welcoming. I can tell she expects a lot from me and I like the challenge. The group is called the Turas Program which is Irish for 'journey'.

I went to a group run by an older man with cerebral palsy. He is their drama and creative expression man and I loved it. It was so neat! He apologized for his difficult speech and said it was his dublin accent that makes it so hard to understand. :)So far the 'learners' and my supervisor have been accepting of my projects and my supervisor said my ideas are "brilliant" which makes me feel smart.Today one of my 'learners' said that my first project really built his confidence. I'm very excited  for what the next two weeks have in store. I am starting to understand why I was put here and how I may grow from this experience.
We have a packed weekend! We are starting it off with a trip to our new favorite pub, McHughs, because all of the rugby players and fans come in on Thursdays. They also have free wifi, which is a really big deal! More pictures and stories soon!

Cheers!