Chapter 8

This week I took a lot of things away from our class discussions and the presentations and reading. One thing that really stuck out to me was doing the speech impairment activity that a presentation group had us do. We had to put three marshmallows in our mouth and try to tell someone three different things about ourselves. I have a small mouth and literally could not make any words form. I couldn't talk clearly and it got me so frustrated. I finally just gave up. This really put things into perspective for me because it showed me how many children must feel when they are trying so hard but can't get the words out. It is easily frustrating when you are trying to get something out and you can't. There is a guy in my ward who has a stutter and a few weeks ago, he was giving a lesson for home evening night. There were a couple of times that he had to take a quick break and recollect himself so that he could form the words he wanted to say. You could tell that it was a little frustrating for him to have to pause sometimes but every person there was patient and willing to wait without being disruptive. As a future teacher, it is important that I can do that and teach others to wait and not be disruptive to students who may struggle with a speech impairment.

We also discussed a little bit about poverty. Watching some video clips and reading about poverty broke my heart a little bit. Seeing what so many kids have to go through is so sad. I need to be the type of teacher that creates an environment where the kids feel safe and they feel cared about. I need to create a classroom where students don't feel left out and isolated from those that have more. My video clip that I found discussed that some students felt stressed about their home lives and actually began to blame themselves for the circumstances they were in. They blamed themselves because their parents had to pay for them and I got really teary eyed at that. These kids are under so much stress that it effects their school life. As a teacher I may not always know the child's circumstances, but I do have a say in how my classroom will make these students feel. I need to have the kind of classroom that students from situations like these may feel less stressed. I want my classroom to be an escape for these kids, not an added stress.

I really like that we have the chance to go through some of these different simulations and get a glimpse at what these kids go through everyday. It really helps me to be better able to help these kids and understand what they are going through. I also really enjoyed when we talked about how these different disabilities and other circumstances make kids push harder. These kids are strong and many are very independent. We talked in class about how we, as educators, don't need to hold the students hand at every point. We are there to help, but we don't want to become a hindrance to these kids. They need a teacher who is willing to help them and support them, but they also need that teacher to challenge them and help them be successful.

There are so many different kids that come from many different circumstances. Not all will have disability that need special needs. Kids who come from poverty and who are gifted and talented also have special needs. As a teacher, learning and putting myself in their shoes can give me the understanding needed to make me the best teacher for them. I can help these kids by having an inviting classroom that isn't going to increase their stress. I can also have a classroom where no one feels left out or isolated because of their circumstances. As a future educator, I can make a difference by being an advocate for kids who need our help.