"Last year, I was assigned to work with a student who had special needs and another student who was an English Language Learner in a 5th grade general education classroom. I had known the student with special needs for some time, but it was still a challenge working with him, and even more so when I was given an additional student to assist. Oftentimes, I would be working in a small group with those two students and one or two others. It was crucial that I remained calm and patient, because it was not anyone's fault that one student had limited English ability and the other struggled with reading. It was my job to support their learning, regardless of the situation. I did my best to encourage them, support them, and challenge them everyday."