Grammys Corgi Country

The teacher that I told you about yesterday, worked with me for 7 years before she transferred to a school that was much closer to her home. She had asked for, and gotten a class of preschool aged children, and she worked with them for a few more years before retiring.

During the first 5 years that we worked together, we worked with children that had mild learning disabilities. Children with this type of problem are now given RSP (Resouce Specialist Program) classes while being included for part or most of the day in regular education classes. The last two years, we had children with more severe handicaps, such as autism, and other severe learning disabilities. We found that there was usually something that each child really liked to do, or eat, or play with, that we could use to stimulate their interest to complete the short learning tasks we would set up for them to help them achieve their IEP (Individual Educational Program) goals.

They, often, needed a lot of repetition to help them remember the basic facts that were the building blocks to the rest of the things they needed to learn. We found that many of our children’s parents had been given such little hope for the future abilities of their children, that they didn’t push them to try things. It was so much easier to just “do it for them…” than to take the time to teach them to do it themselves.

Also, many times, they seemed to believe that “since their child is unable to learn,” there is no way to teach them any kind of discipline or self-discipline. This makes them terrors to themselves, their families, and others. If the time is taken to teach them manners, then they will be able to be included in so many more activities, and to have friends, etc. It is so MUCH better for the child in the long run.

Our school district provided seminars for those of us that worked with Special Education Students, and they made it clear that one of the first things that we needed to do was to teach the children to follow rules and to learn to listen to directions… This was usually one of the first main goals in their IEP’s. This is the basis of any child being able to learn. We were taught that where a “normal” child (whatever that is…) might take 50 to 300 repetitions to learn something, it often took 1,000 to 3,000 or more repetitions for some of the special students to “get it.”

I think that working with computers and learning the basics of programming helped me to understand some of the ways of thinking I needed to have to teach and work with many of our students. With the OLD computers I learned on, when you were programming, you had to think through a project and then program, tiny step by tiny step, each part of what you wanted the computer to do. (Print “A”, now put in a space, etc.) Each step would lead to a new step, but if you forgot a step or got it wrong, then either the program stopped or it did something totally off the wall.

Most of us have brains that take fairly large leaps in putting together the information that we have taken in, to learn or figure out the problems that are set before us. Many handicaps have a tendency, in one way or another, to short circuit the leap, and/or slap it out of the air. Where you might think, “Ok, I want to get from here to there, and to do that I need to use these stepping stones,” some handicaps require that the person think, “I want to get over there. There is water here, and I can’t get wet. That rock looks like it might hold me, but can I reach it? I need to move this muscle this way to pick up my foot, but maybe I should try to find something like a stick to help me balance. Where is a stick? etc.”

With children with severe handicaps, you often have to model the action several times, then help them to do it with “hand over hand” help 5 to 100 + times, etc. In some cases it’s like programming their muscles to be able to do a specific job. ALL children learn, the question is just “how fast can they learn?” Patience, love, and lots of praise for each small step will go far in helping that child/person learn what you are working to teach them… and wouldn’t that actually be a good thing to remember in all of our interactions with others?

Show love, praise, and patience to those you come into contact with today and throughout this new year, and see how they react… (and maybe some more patience?…)

P.S. Today, I got my wedding ring back, and it is as good as new. It is so beautiful… Still, to me, the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen! Thank you, God, for giving Hubby the money and thank you, Honey Bear, for doing such a special, wonderful thing for me!!!

When thinking about my special day, yesterday, with “Bear,” I thank God, that He has given me such a blessing in my grandchildren and my children. I wish the others didn’t live so far away because I don’t get to spend even the little amount of time with them that I do with my “Little Bear.” Children grow so fast! I loved being with my children, and if home schooling had been allowed when I was raising mine, I probably would have done that.

After they got old enough that the youngest had to attend school, I started to volunteer at the school he went to (schools can ALWAYS use volunteers.) I worked with the children and created a “computer lab” for them. This was over twenty years ago before that was a normal thing for a school. After three years of volunteer work and doing some subbing as an aide in the special ed. class, several of the teachers urged me to try out for a permanent Instructional Aide position in the Special Education classes. I totally loved the work and was completely blessed to be an Aide to one of the best teachers in the County.

She had been teaching, at that time for over 30 years, and loved the children and the job. She taught me so much, and allowed me to use the talents in art and my knowledge in science and with animals to help the children to learn with any hands-on activities that I could offer. I brought in some of my tack and taught them a little about saddles, bridles and other tack that is used on horses, and then we brought one of our horses and our pony to show the children, as well as allowing them to ride them. Now, they probably wouldn’t allow that anymore because of insurance problems.

I drew some of their favorite cartoon and/or movie characters reading, for reading charts, or cutting up pizzas for math fractions. We used computers in our room to stimulate the interest of several of the autistic children and get them involved. We used “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” videos to do dance/exercises that got the children’s attention and let them have fun with music and movement, while getting their exercise. This was one of the most amazing teachers I have ever seen or had the privilege of working with, and I will forever be thankful for her mentorship in my life. This wonderful lady and I still keep in touch and are good friends now.

If you have had a special mentor or teacher in your life, let them know if at all possible. They will appreciate the acknowledgement of their work in your life.