Can I get your opinion?

Your Mom

Your Mom

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I am starting a new job as a houseparent at the local deaf school. I will be with the lower boys dorm, boys ages from like 7-12. I will be with them from the time they get out of class, to when they go to bed.

I wanted to know if you have any ideas on maybe some games or something we can all play together on my first day so I can get to know them and they can get to know me. I dont want them to think Im just some weird stranger that they know nothing about. I want to give them a chance to really get to know me, and I want to really get to know them.

So most of you went to deaf schools, so my question really is, what makes a good house parent? What did you hate about them and what did you love? What could have made it better? And what sort of activities do you suggest?

Thanks a ton, wish me luck! ; o)
 
Your Mom said:
I am starting a new job as a houseparent at the local deaf school. I will be with the lower boys dorm, boys ages from like 7-12. I will be with them from the time they get out of class, to when they go to bed.

I wanted to know if you have any ideas on maybe some games or something we can all play together on my first day so I can get to know them and they can get to know me. I dont want them to think Im just some weird stranger that they know nothing about. I want to give them a chance to really get to know me, and I want to really get to know them.

So most of you went to deaf schools, so my question really is, what makes a good house parent? What did you hate about them and what did you love? What could have made it better? And what sort of activities do you suggest?

Thanks a ton, wish me luck! ; o)
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I was student at deaf school for 5 yrs ,graduated there and stayed dorm from Mondays thru fridays then go home on fridays evening. By the way, Im telling you about "good house parent" Mostly- They like to chat with students. not much play the games...ya know how deaf students love talk talk talk just like me.. lol

Just be yourself and just be "friend" to them... They will like you.. smile

you will love it.. trust me..

I dont mind that I can work at deaf school but deaf school (TSD) is in Austin. Im in Dallas.. that is 3 hours away.. Lol..


Good luck ! ! :fingersx:


M-:afro:
 
I never went to a deaf school so I cannot offer any experience from that perspective. But, yesterday, my wife and I toured our local early childhood ed. center. The teachers had a pretty good idea for lettign the students get to know them.
They made a little collage type of picture which included pictures of them with their kids, pets spouse and so on hanging outside the classroom door. It had a little profile about them. What they liked, fav. sports, fav. foods so on. I though this was a great idea for the kids to get to know the teachers. it is a way for you to give them cinversation topics to breaK the ice. It is an informal way to let them know anyhting about yourself that you choose.

Just a thought.
 
my wife went to a deaf school and stayed in the dorms there, should ask her that question too
 
Lillys dad said:
I never went to a deaf school so I cannot offer any experience from that perspective. But, yesterday, my wife and I toured our local early childhood ed. center. The teachers had a pretty good idea for lettign the students get to know them.
They made a little collage type of picture which included pictures of them with their kids, pets spouse and so on hanging outside the classroom door. It had a little profile about them. What they liked, fav. sports, fav. foods so on. I though this was a great idea for the kids to get to know the teachers. it is a way for you to give them cinversation topics to breaK the ice. It is an informal way to let them know anyhting about yourself that you choose.

Just a thought.
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Thanks, I actually like that idea a lot.

Its just I remember when I was in school, and we got a new teacher its just hard to really respect and obey someone that you dont know. And I get folders with information about each of the children, but I just dont want to rely on what the folder says. I want to give each child an opportunity to let me know who they really are.
 
ScubaladyTx said:
I was student at deaf school for 5 yrs ,graduated there and stayed dorm from Mondays thru fridays then go home on fridays evening. By the way, Im telling you about "good house parent" Mostly- They like to chat with students. not much play the games...ya know how deaf students love talk talk talk just like me.. lol

Just be yourself and just be "friend" to them... They will like you.. smile

you will love it.. trust me..

I dont mind that I can work at deaf school but deaf school (TSD) is in Austin. Im in Dallas.. that is 3 hours away.. Lol..


Good luck ! ! :fingersx:


M-:afro:
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Aw thanks! Yeah I really just want to be active with them. I dont want to just sit in a chair and ignore them until they do something wrong and only pay attention when they are behaving badly or something. I want to really get to know them and just chit chat.
 
I rasied in dorms for 9 years... Just be urslef and bein a "Momma" to the kids, etc had experinced with a bad houseparent when i was little leading him to be fired.. but JUST be urslef and listen to the kids needs , i know its not easy task.. but important thing is.. just be urslef and be there for the kids..now i have 2 deaf kids myself they are being a day students and when they become older i might consider let one of them live in dorm if he want.. and otehr one that have autsim live with me or my ex...
 
She hated one dorm mother for a while till she graduated and now that dorm mom and her are good friends. My wife hated her cause the dorm mom would always yell at her and write her up for getting introuble and breaking the lights out rule. But now my wife has overcome it and they are very close. Infact, she is my son's godmother.
 
My son attended a school for the deaf as a day student, and I volunteered with after school activites for the residential students, like helping with play practice, doing arts and crafts, etc. The kids I got to know just wanted to talk, talk, talk, and that's how I got to know them. They wanted to chit chat with someone who could actually communicate with them, the same way a hearing kid would want to communicate with others. After being in a structured environment all day in the classroom, they just want informal conversation.
 
Do an icebreaker meeting or something.

Why don't you try the "Survivor" game. It's similar to the concept of the television show.

There are 5 things that involve up to 5 people each.

If you call out "Pitch a Tent", one person kneels down and acts like he's hammering a stake into the ground. The last person to do so is eliminated.

If you call out "Spear Fishing", person #1 gets on person #2's back while person #2 is standing up but bended over a bit. Person #1 will then act like he's spear fishing by making the stabbing motion with an spear over person #2's shoulder. If there's one person left, that person is eliminated. If everyone is accounted for, but the last group to perform this... is eliminated.

If you call out "Build a Hammock", person #1 lays on the floor on his/her back while persons #2 holds person #1's feet and person #3 holds person #1's hands. No lifting is required (to reduce chances of injury). if 1 or 2 people are left, they are eliminated. If all are accounted for, then the last group to perform this... is eliminated.

If you call out "Rowing the Canoe", persons #1, #2, #3, and #4 sit on the floor in a line as if they are in a canoe and begin rowing. If 1, 2, or 3 people are left, they are eliminated. If all are accounted for, then the last group to perform this... is eliminated. (Only 4 people allowed, no less, no more.)

If you call out "Tribal Council", persons #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5 get in a circle with their arms on each other's shoulders. If 1, 2, 3, or 4 people are left, they are eliminated. If all are accounted for, then the last group to perform this... is eliminated. (Only 5 people allowed, no less, no more.)

The last person remaining in the whole thing wins the game. Repeat the whole thing twice or three times for more fun so that we have at least 1 winner. (You can have the winner of the previous game lead the next game by calling out the stunts.)

You will notice how each stunt involves 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 people. You can use those numbers as help to figure out what you need to do when you're down to a few people left. For instance, if you have 20 or 30 people... pick any stunt. If you have 6 people left, call out stunts #5, then #4, then #3, then #2, then #1. If there's a tie, repeat until one of them is slower... then the game is over. :)
 
My fav was a storyteller from a book by using ASL and performing.

Try not to be too stern and cold to those kids, I had a bad memroy of one counsleor when I got sick and told her I was not feeling well. She called me a liar and kicked me out of program and send me outside with younger kids( I was 9 at that time). I finally threw up on the hallway after I left living room. She apologized to me next day but she already damaged me somehow. Never liked her after that.

Many kids are homesick as I was, be tender with them. :)
 
jazzy said:
My fav was a storyteller from a book by using ASL and performing.

Try not to be too stern and cold to those kids, I had a bad memroy of one counsleor when I got sick and told her I was not feeling well. She called me a liar and kicked me out of program and send me outside with younger kids( I was 9 at that time). I finally threw up on the hallway after I left living room. She apologized to me next day but she already damaged me somehow. Never liked her after that.

Many kids are homesick as I was, be tender with them. :)
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I applied for the job because I felt like I could really understand the kids. I was in the foster care system for a while and I know exactly what it feels like to miss your parents, and miss your home. I really only have one rule when I work with kids, You treat me how you want to be treated, and I will treat you how I want to be treated.

I just like to keep things simple, I dont have a lot of hectic, complex rules. I just think if everyone treated everyone else just like they want other people to treat them, we would all be a lot happier.

Im only 20, so it wasnt that long ago that I was in school. I totally know what it feels like to be so sick and no one will believe you. I would never accuse a child of lying about not feeling good. Because even if they are lying about not feeling good theres a reason they are lying, either they didnt do their homework and dont want to go class. Or maybe some other kid is being mean to them and they just dont want to go out and play. So I if I thought the kid maybe not really sick, I would try to figure out why they didnt want to go to school or didnt want to go play.
 
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