Been a busy school year and it's only been two weeks

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It has been a busy past couple of weeks. My son has been adjusting to middle school and I am back to work full time with kids. The buddy I was supposed to work with this year moved and his mom didn't decide to inform anyone until the first day of school. I was supposed to work with two kids who needed access to a para but without my one buddy they decided to move me to a different room with a kid that needs a one on one and who needs me a lot more. They still have me check in on my other little friend and I take her on breaks and stop to see if she needs anything but my main priority is my one on one friend. They didn't want to completely take me from my other little friend because she still needs assistance here and there and I have grown a relationship with her already. I wasn't sure how I would like this year in a different grade and in a different room but the teacher they have me working with is amazing. She's so good with the kids and so incredibly kind. She is so positive and upbeat and so full of energy. She has made this transition super easy for everyone. I still check in on the other teacher and will occasionally help out if she needs it but I stick mostly in the one classroom. I have to say I enjoy working with younger teachers more than older ones. Older teachers were often old school and didn't believe certain things like ADHD and autism really existed. They grew up in a different time period and often didn't have the training to deal with a lot of what is dealt with now. Not all older teachers are like this of course but some refused to change their ways of teaching. Younger teachers seem to have a better idea of what they are dealing with now. Paras often get the most difficult kids and we are expected to stay on top of these kids but the new teacher I'm in with helps me so much, she told me she didn't expect me to do it all and that she's there to help and it is honestly the first time I've ever heard that. Normally we are expected to do it all and we are so exhausted at the end of the day and to have a teacher tell you it's ok to let a kid do certain things and have her actually help me is so amazing. I absolutely love the teacher I worked with last year but I always had to chase after my kid to make sure he listened and wasn't a distraction but the teacher this year lets some things slide because she understands our friend doesn't always understand or that he may need a little extra help or that some things aren't worth the battle. Sometimes it really is about choosing our battles and she understands that. I do my job to the best of my ability and I work hard and while I don't personally think I'm doing anything extra special everyone seems to think I'm great at my job and it seems I'm in demand and I really don't see how I do anything any better than anyone else. I never understood what it was I was doing any differently than anyone else. I know my teacher from last year misses me after having her new para. I told her I would have gone back but they didn't think I was needed and it turns out this class is worse than our class last year and they were pretty bad. After working for a full week with the teacher I'm in with now I don't think I want to leave her room. This woman is one of the best teachers I've met and that says a lot because I've met a lot of amazing teachers. You build relationships with your coworkers and the kids you work with. I've met more teachers this year than I've probably met my entire last year or any of the years my son went to school there. They've had me everywhere this year. I've worked in two different classrooms with kids, plus I go to encore with a different class, I did busy work in the fourth grade, and they have me taking kids all over the place. I have told them I don't want to leave the K1 hall because I don't want to work with older kids. I am hoping to get some say in this. I will miss these kids when I stop working with them because I was with them last year and this year and I formed a bond with a lot of them. I don't think I fully understood the kind of relationships I'd build when I took this job. I'm pretty close to a lot of kids. I still have kids from last year running up to give me a hug. One of my little friends from last year was actually excited to see me this year which surprised me since he was one of our heavy hitters as far as behavior goes and I didn't realize how much he actually liked me. I don't get the world's greatest pay but what I do makes a difference and I think that's what makes me love it so much. We are helping our kiddos in their journey to becoming whoever it is they are meant to become and that makes a difference. Some of our kids won't need us eventually and that's the goal. My buddy this year will probably always need someone but I know he has a great mom who is going to help him in every way she can. It has been a crazy school year already and it has only been two weeks but I know our kids need us and I'm grateful to get to be there for them. I wasn't thrilled with the change this year since I was hoping to stay with the same teacher but sometimes change is for the better and we learn to adapt and we learn that just because things don't go our way doesn't mean things won't be better and so far it's looking like I lucked out with the teacher and the kids.