A story about a teacher who works with elementary-age children with special needs.
Many times teachers are given a bum rap by society because society feels that "we aren't doing a good job in educating America's youth."
Well, I happen to be a teacher by trade, and I happen to love my job. I have been a teacher for over 20 years now, and nothing pleases me more than to teach a child how to read, write, or survive in today's world. When a child succeeds at what I have taught them, then that is what is most gratifying to me.
I work primarily with children with special needs, be it physical, educational, mental, or emotional. The children I teach have educational needs that cannot be met in a standard classroom, either because of disability issues, or because a particular child is "too advanced academically to learn in a standardized classroom". Or the children I teach have severe behavioral problems that often impede with learning or socialization skills.
Such a child happens to be a little boy named Johnathon. Johnathon Sandusky, who is 10 years old, is learning and physically disabled, and he has had much difficulty in learning until only recently. He is dyslexic, and learning is often hard for him, but thanks to continuing and ongoing after school help, his grades have improved dramatically. Johnny is in a wheelchair because of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, and unfortunately, his disease has gotten worse. His muscles are deterioating, and now his breathing is starting to become affected. In addition, he also has epilepsy and sometimes has seizures. He is also visually and auditorily impaired: he wears hearing aids in both ears, and he is considered to be legally blind because of a bout of meningitis he had as a baby that left him permanently brain-damaged.
Another child whom I have taught is Johnny's sister, Ronee', who is also ten years old. Although she, too, is physically disabled, she was not in my class because of her disabilities. Instead, she was in my class because of her intelligence. Ronee' is a certified genius, boasting an I.Q. of over 150 points, and she soaks up new information like a sponge. I had never seen a child with such an insatiable desire for learning, and teaching her proved to be both a delight and a challenge. Ronee' was in my class for the past three years, but now she has moved on to another Gifted/Talented class, where she is now taught by my good friend and colleague, Mrs. Zevchak.
Both children, I am pleased to say, are doing extremely well, and in the fall, both will be entering the fifth grade, and I will again have Johnny in my class when school starts up in September.
When I teach children like Johnny and Ronee', I am always challenged, but I am also rewarded because both have done well under my teaching, and in my class, I have always taught my remaining students about tolerance and acceptance of those children who are labeled "different" by today's society. In other words, I will NOT tolerate downright disobedience or hatred towards those children who are "different", and in my class, if a child is caught rediculing another child because of how they happen to look, learn, or whatever, these children will be dealt with in a swift manner. There is NO call whatsoever for teasing, and NO child should EVER have to endure the pain and hurt that teasing so often brings!
In my class, all of my students are treated equally, and there is no favoritism in my class. Each child matters to me, and it isn't fair to my other students if one child is singled out for a particular achievement or behavior. I try to teach my students about fairness and equality, and above all, I try to treat them with the idea of respect, something each child, I feel, DESERVES. I hope that I will continue to teach as long as I am able. If I can make a profound difference or change in a young child's life, then my job is worth more than all the money in the world!
Our children are the future leaders or successes of tomorrow, and if I can give them some incentive, then I will have done my job to the best of my ability. This is why I still continue to teach, even after 23 years!
By the way, I have no plans in retiring from teaching. I plan on teaching as long as possible!
I agree with Karla this was a great tribute to teachers who need a tribute, they are underpaid and overworked and yet we want to lay harsh judgemnts on them, because of a few bad one's, let's learn to see Teachers for what they are, they help sculped our future leaders.
God Bless
~Michelle~
Princess Geneveive has a wonderful home, with humans who love her. She and her humans try to talk to each other but Genevierve dosn't speak human and her humans don't speak dog. Genevieve often wishes she had another dog to talk to.
One day in th
