Unfortunately, with the current weather delays and cancellations, I have missed many more practicum days than originally anticipated. However, today I felt like was a milestone in my development as a teacher. For the first time, I was able to cold probe a student. Basically, in the language that PATTAN uses in their verbal behavior program, cold probing is applying the various types of verbal operants during a manding session. As I soon realized about two minutes into my cold probing experience, instruction is rewarding but extremely challenging. There is a balance that a teacher must find in being able to record data while motivating the student to answer questions, imitate behaviors and label picture cards. If you go too fast, the student does not have time to respond. If you go to slow, the student has too much time for behaviors such as stimming or becoming unfocused. This is one of those teaching moments in which I relied more on how the teaching "felt" instead of over-thinking the steps. In fact, in this behavioral program, there is very little time to think. Instinct is definitely key. 

Despite the rather intense first experience, I was able to participate in some new activities with my students that I found extremely rewarding. I participated in gym class for the first time where I rollerbladed with the students whilst listening to music over the loud speaker. I also brought in two small donuts for each student and a pretzel stick to make the number "100" due to the fact that it was the 100th day of school today! I am becoming much more comfortable with the class routine, and I do hope that the cancellations subside so that I am able to spend more quality time learning with my students in the classroom.