When reminiscing over my past experiences with people with disabilities, I have come to realize I have had a wide range of experiences. The one that seemed to change my perspective on teaching was the memory of an older girl on my swim team that continued her love for the sport despite the limitations placed on her by cerebral palsy. She was probably five years older than me, a girl that had been on the team way before I joined and someone I came to admire. Even though she was not the strongest swimmer and could not compete with the same strength as her peers, she was someone I looked up to because of her determination and desire to swim even without the use of her legs. She is someone who is defined by her crutches, but in the water they no longer set her a part from the rest of the world. Most would view her and immediately remove the idea of swimmer from their mind, but she proved them wrong. This girl swam all throughout high school and showed me not to judge someone on their disability or to cast any of the possibilities aside. No longer will I see a student as disabled, but as a person who has to go about their lives in a different manner in order to accomplish the same tasks. As teachers we are there to guide and support them to be successful in these differences and I believe that is a lesson we all need to consistently remember.
Posted below is a link to a website promoting artists with disabilities
http://www.vsarts.org/x203.xml
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What a great and inspiring story. I like that she found a place where her disability seemed invisible. The art classroom can be like this as well. Students can make amazing work that inspires others just like your teammate inspired you.
ReplyDeletenice job.