Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Bias Memory
I can recall one year when I had a parent state that she did not want her child in my class with special needs students. She continue to state that with students like that i would have to "waterdown" the curriculum because special needs children are slow at learning. These statement made me very upset at first but then thought she does not understand the great impact this class will have on her child. This parent had placed all special needs children into one category of children. As we talked I discussed a benefit of learning that we all are not the same and do things differently. I also explained to her that I have the same expectations for my special needs children as my regular students. The parent finally came around and let her child come into my classroom. Later I saw the parent at the ballfield and she stated that her daughter being in the class was the best thing she had ever done. Her daughter was willing to play with everyone and would tell others that it was okay to be different.
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Joy, being a parent or caregiver is not always easy. Raising a child with special needs places many demands on parents and the family. Finding the right help for your child may be hard at first. We as a family need support and understanding. Help is available from many places and I see that the child stayed in your classroom really helped her a lot and it paid off.....
ReplyDeleteHi Joy,
ReplyDeleteI commend you for talking to the parent in a calm manner and discussing the benefits of the child staying in a classroom that has students with disabilities. It is sad that many parents classify all students with disabilities as being the same. Every disability is different and every child regardless if they have a disability or not learns differently and learns at their own pace. I know from personal experience that having a disbility can be challening, but with the help and guidance from a teacher, parents and school personnel great things can be achieved. I wish you continued success in this class and in everything you do.
Hello Joy,
ReplyDeleteHow important it is to show as well as model to the children that being different is o.k., and that we are all special in our own way. That we shouldn't be afraid of differences and actually learn from them in order to be a better person. Sadly it is often children with disabilities the ones that suffer more from bias and discrimination and not only the child suffers but his whole family does.
Joy sometimes people speak or act before they think things through. I had a parent the other day whose child has a disability and felt that we were not being sensitive to her child's needs. After she thought about it over night, she came back the next morning and stated that she trusted us and felt that we were helping her child adjust to the new situation. We learned that bias' can be a two-way street.
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