“Special” Children are Truly Special
By Emma A. Ventil
I have learned greater truths in the years I have worked with individuals
who have special needs than in the years I spent in the academe. The wisdom is
sought did not automatically come from the certificate and diplomas although
they helped mold my understanding. I found wisdom in the most unlikely places.
Who would have thought that in the end, it is the teacher who learns.
Before I began teaching, I have grand notion of pushing children
with autism to their limits. Guiding adolescents with Down’s syndrome to be all
they can become, and helping adults with mental retardation maximize their potentials.
The universe however, has a wonderful and beautiful way of enhancing plans. It
dawned on me then that I was not just here to teach. I was here to learn.
These individuals made me courageous, creative, curious, dedicated,
determined, forgiving, open, patient, receptive, sympathetic, and
understanding. They carry with them the gifts of faith, trust, uniqueness, and
wisdom. But most of all, they know more about acceptance, genuineness, and
unconditional love than anyone of us.
In their little ways, they uplift souls, ease troubled minds, calm
spirits, affirm good works, and acknowledge one’s presence – all without
expecting any reward. It is 100 percent authenticity.
In my chest
are: Benson’s kisses, Janice’s squeal of delight, Lalaine’s sprints, Mark
John’s leap, Jomar and Ara’s hesitant smiles, Joanna and May’s first words,
Daisy and Donna’s big hugs, Albert’s daily greetings, Angelo’s toothy grins,
Allen and Ramele’s banter, Rosemarie’s
sensibility, and so on and so forth. All wrapped in love. All given freely.
How can I not believe in angels when I work and play around them
everyday/ I often wonder if they know how much they affect our lives with
unadorned pleasures that otherwise go unnoticed in world that run away in
haste. How can I thank them for these and the countless simple and priceless delights?
They patiently do demanding tasks. They unconditionally accept
inadequate beings like me. They appreciate even things that others disregard.
They touch and care for another’s soul although they are the ones who need
nurturing. All in package and again is misunderstood and not accepted.
I regard my work now differently every time I come from work. It
gives me a sense of fulfillment and self-worth and pride to be in good company.
It is not always an easy task. There are days when even the sunniest
sun cannot chase the gray clouds away. Yet one cannot be too sad, too
frustrated, or too negative around children who cry when school is out. Nothing
can rival that.
There is so much to being a
special educator. That not even the most attractive compensation package can
offer. Our labor and love are not rewarded with great monetary gain or fame.
Often, it is even challenged by family and friends who ask, “Why do you stay?”
to which I reply “because I love what I do and I am happy here.”
I live for the sound of my name
on a pupil’s lips and for encouraging words from parents. I live for wordless
pats and hugs that say, “You’re okay, teacher.”
At
the end of each day, I smile and heave a sigh of contentment, happy to have
been needed, feeling grateful to have been allowed to enter a world that few
people see.
It is a common myth that special
children live isolated in a world of their own. Oh, no. not at all, I declare.
They live in my world. And, blessing of all blessings, they allowed me to live
in theirs.
From
The Modern Teacher, November 2005,
pg.246
Shared
by :
REYNALDO,
Alma V.
III-7
BEED , SPED 1
My Reflection
Just
like the author, I have also other perception about special education. At
first, taking up special education hadn’t been on my mind. I just want to have
an specialization. I have no choice but to go for SpEd because of my
classmates’ influence. Since I know that someday, there will be students who
will have learning difficulties; I decided to make this thought as a motivation
to attend every session.
However, because I find the SpEd class very
alive, and because I have read this article, my insights and views about
special education have changed. Today, I am happy that I am not regretting with
what I have chosen. I felt that God had given me this opportunity to explore my
horizon, beyond the normal teaching profession; I felt that God wants me to
become not only a Teacher but a teacher beyond teaching. And, It is not me that
will be benefitted. It is the children who need special attention and care from
the people they do not know. Just like the author, I realized some things that
I never realized before. Teaching children with special needs is beyond
teaching itself. It makes you feel you are not just there only to teach but to
ensure their lives and make them feel they are loved. It does not require you
to be academically expert. It requires you to be patient, loving and
understanding. Thus, sped teaching is not an easy task.
Furthermore, I realized that teaching
children with special needs is not only teaching how to sing ABC, or teaching
them how to do things. You are there to learn small things that normal people
are not able to see or feel. As other teacher said, with them, you will feel
only authentic love and concern.
With
these, I feel inspired. I became enthusiastic to be a SpEd teacher. That is why
from now on, I will study harder and remember the skills and knowledge a good
SpEd teacher must have so that I will be equipped for my future students.
Prepared
by:
REYNALDO, Alma V.
III- 7
BEEd. SpEd 1
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