No Boundaries

In our second to last class until the end of the semester (woot, woot!), my EDUC 121 class discussed the varying abilities and disabilities of students in today's classrooms. In our discussion, we also commented on students with special needs. It was surprising to me that both students with disabilities as well as "gifted" students were considered to have special needs or to be exceptional learners.

When I was younger, my mother worked as an assistant in a classroom for students with mental and physical handicaps. I loved going into her classroom and playing with her students. They were just so content to be given positive attention. Because I was made aware of these people differing from me at such a young age, it bothers me so much to see others criticize and antagonize people just because they do not look or act the same way as they do. To me, it is so cowardly to attack someone who has no way of defending themselves.

Unfortunately, my mother had to give up working in these classrooms when my family moved to High Point from Florida. There were no schools in the area with a decent special needs program, and my mother did not want to work in an inefficient classroom. I have gone back and forth many times on whether or not I would like to work in a classroom for students with disabilities. My decision is still not completely set, but hopefully I will have the opportunity to work with such students in a tutoring placement and then determine if that is the road I want to take.