As I was reading, I found myself really getting into the article. I found myself really wanting to hug all the children in the world, who just want to be in a normal classroom with their peers, and they can’t because they have a disability, and people don’t think they can do it. When I was in the second grade, I was put into a special Ed room, because they said I had a learning disability. I would only be allowed in my classroom with my peers for a few hours each day, and the rest of my day was spent in another room with other children with disabilities. My brother who is four years older than me was also labeled as a kid who had a learning disability, and our middle brother Greg, was the only “normal one” in our family, or this is how me and my brother Steve called him. All my life I have been jealous of Greg, he got good grades and he never had to go to the special Ed room. A quote from the reading is also how I felt, “I started to notice that I didn't like the classes I was taking called special education. Had to go through special Ed. almost all my life. I wanted to take other classes that interested me. I had never felt so mad, I wanted to cry”. (Peterson, 1994, p. 6)
When I finally started to get this feeling I felt the need to prove everyone wrong about me, I didn’t like to be separated from my friends and peers, I know I was definitely looked down upon by my teachers. They themselves never wanted to help me, if I got upset or really confused they would just send me away to the special Ed room, and have that teacher deal with me. Finally around the 4th grade I was in my classroom more often, but I wasn’t alone. They sent with me an aid, and wherever I went she was there. She was always on my back about, did you write this down? are you listening?, did you just hear what she said?. Ughh I couldn’t stand it!! I think that was even worse than going to the special Ed room, this was the kids actually could see for themselves on how different I was at school. At least in the special Ed room, nobody was watching me, my peers maybe had theories but they never saw me getting the extra help.
Then the summer to 5th grade was when my family moved to Rhode Island, and I was going into the 5th grade. I thought this was a good chance to start all over again. When I finally started school, I was put in a special Ed room but for only 2 hours out of the day. So I got to spend much more time in my classroom and I really liked the special Ed teacher. In 6th grade I did the same routine as I did in 5th. Then when I finally went to 7th grade I was in all skills classes but I was able here to start proving people wrong about me, I got straight A’s!!!! :-D. So all my teachers placed me in CP classes for my 8th grade year. I did awesome here to. I got mostly A’s and B’s. And being in CP classes lasted all the way up until my junior year when I moved up into honors classes. My grades went down a little but I was defiantly a solid B student.
I really want to help advocate for others that I think it is extremely important for students with disabilities to be in a classroom with their peers. I think it helped teach me how they learn and do things for themselves. And I think even me being in the room by myself they could see that I’m not as different as they are. [Community] requires a willingness to see people as they are-different perhaps in their minds and in their bodies, but not different in their spirits or in their willingness and ability to contribute to the mosaic of society. It requires the "helper" to have the humility to listen for what the person says he or she needs. Also, the "helper" must see that the interaction "helps" both ways. (p. 12)
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/Including.Students.html
I love this post. Thank you for sharing so much :)
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