Jim Butts

Hello to all and hope your placements are going well!

I am a Senior at Edinboro University as a dual major: ELED / SPED. My first placement is at General McLane High School in Learning Support. My co-operating teacher graduated from Edinboro and went on to attain her masters degree in special education.

I am a non-traditional student who was not able to attend college right after high school. My father was killed on his way home from work by a dumptruck hauling dirty sand to the Peninsula a week before I graduated. I had two little sisters (10 & 14) and my mother worked 3rd shift so I went to work to help out at home. I have no regrets as they both turned out great, but now it is my turn. As difficult as this has been, I feel it will all be worth it to finally be doing something where I will be excited to go to work! I guess if you really enjoy what you do, you really can't call it work.

As overwhelming as this all seems right now, I'm sure it will be a great learning experience. Working with the students is the easy part, being under a microscope is the hard part. The staff and students at my placement are wonderful and I am already signed up to be a chaperone at their upcoming dance on February 9th. That will make two dances in two consecutive days after the ESO (Expanding Sociability Opportunities) Valentines Day dance on the 8th with the CEC organization! I started working with the students immediately and I will be teaching lessons starting tomorrow.

Good luck to you all!

Jim Butts

The Cornerstones of Education
are not Always Right Angles.  Jim Butts