Last Monday was my first day to volunteer as a substitute teacher for a special needs class of 18 six-year old children.  I wanted to let you know exactly what I learned by going back to school.

You must understand this class had children with all sorts of needs; retarded children, down syndrome, autism, missing arms, missing legs, sever stuttering, and more.  I was a bit nervous about addressing such a class because it had been a while since I had worked with children with special needs.  The last time I believe was several years ago when I worked with a special Olympics group.  I was an energetic, fast moving, quick response teacher back then.  I was always able to keep up with my charges.  I was not so sure how the class would accept me.  This is the same thing each of these kids face with everyone they meet.  This time I had a portable oxygen machine and was in a wheelchair due to a fall I had taken in my yard.  I was bound by these things when I lived at the lake but had lost weight and exercised to the point I no longer needed them until about ten days before being asked to do this.  I prayed, I felt so sure, at the time I had accepted the assignment.  When Monday rolled around... I was not so sure.

I had all my extra batteries for the oxygen machine in the bottom of my purse.  I had my cane in case I needed to stand up.  The chief of police had promised to pick me up (I am sure someone thinks I was being arrested for something...LOL) and deliver me to the school. 

I had thought the first day we would talk about colors.  I had done a great deal of study on the subject after I died back in 2016.  I wrote about the experience in my blog "Taking the Tired Out of Retirement" so I won't talk about that part.  I want to tell you about the rewards of just letting something unfold.

I was sitting in my wheelchair at the front of the class when the students started coming in and making their way to their desks.  I had a list of the names to be checked off.  I had a seating chart to be able to identify each student.  I introduced myself then I ask each one what there name was and wanted them to introduce themselves.  Their responses told me all I needed to know.

1)"I am Jake. Can you do wheelies?"  I answered, "Yes, but I don't because it is scary."

2)"I am Becky.  Can you blow bubbles?" I gave her a thumbs up signal that brought a grin to her face and a twinkle to her eye. 

3)"I am Tommy.  What happens when you sneeze?"  I showed him my tissue, took out my nose guard, wiped my nose, put the nose guard back.  He simply shrugged.  I am sure he was waiting for me to blow up.

4)"I am Hunter.  Do I know you?"  Hunter is the little boy with who's parents had discussed their political views.  They did not know they had scared him.  I wrote about him in my story, "Did You Know?".

5)"Hi, I'm Linda, I'm a princess.  This was followed by a very sweet smile and bow to me.

6)"Hi, I'm Jo, but I'm a girl, see.. I'm wearing pink."  I clapped my hands and she did a little twirl fore me.

7)"How fast can you go in that thing?  Oops, I am Darlene."  "I can go fast enough to catch you, I know that for sure."  She looked so surprised at my answer.

8)"Do you know how to make a kite?  Do you read my badge?"  The name on his badge was Tyler.  I answered, "Yes, Tyler, kites are fun but it is a bit chilly fly one outside.  We can make a little one and fly it in the room here if we have a fan."  He seemed to think I was very smart.

9)"Can we play inside today.. It is too cold to do it outside.  Can you stand up?  What is in that black box?  Chief told Mommy you had plants in your hips.  Do they have leaves? Can we see em?  I am Ralph."  I answered all his questions including letting him know I could walk but the chair made it easier on my ankle.  I did have hip implants but they did not have leaves.  I stood up and walk a few feet to show them.  My ankle made me wabble a bit so I just said it was because I had a hitch in my get-a-long.

10)"Why are you here?  Where is our teacher?  Are you nice?  (I winked and smiled) "Oh, you are.  I am Hank."

11)"I am Debbie, I have a new dog named Yummy.  Do you like dogs?  He is just a puppy now but he will grow up with me.  Why does my mommy want to break a house on him?"  This one was one I wanted to make sure I answered for all the kids.  I asked Debbie... "What is the first thing you do when you wake up?"  She thought for a moment.  "I go pee."  I said that is exactly what your puppy wants to do when he wakes up.  If you take him outside the minute he wakes up he will learn to go to the bathroom outside.  Then when you see him looking for a place inside the house, he will start making a circle when he needs to go, you pick him up and pop him outside where he did his pee before and he will soon be 'house broken'.  That means he will be broken from going to the bathroom in the house."  The entire class sighed a sigh of relief.

12)"I am Alice, I want to go home and watch car tunes."  An argument began over the fact that cars do not sing but they do honk.  Then we discussed car toooons.  Very enlightening for sure.

13)"I am Forest."  A hand wave followed the whisper from this very shy little one.  I touched the other arm and patted the mechanical hand he was trying to hide.  He glanced up at me and smiled the biggest (tooth missing) smile.  He was totally delighted I was not afraid to touch him.  I even took his hand and let him touch my wheel chair.  "I have a tooth that is shy so I am goin' to dent to get it down with the rest."  I told him he was a big boy and he must take a picture of his new smile for me.  He seem thrilled to be accepted just as he was.

14)"I am Bobby, I am a lot of trouble so you best let me be."  I looked somewhat surprised and replied... "I know exactly how to deal with trouble... how do you think I ended up in this chair?"  His eyes got very big and he suddenly thought about being confined to a chair.

15)"I am Wendy, I know you.  You helped my family when we had a storm.  I remember.  You are the story lady."  She turned to the rest of the class and said.. "This is the lady who found Magic in the storm."  The whole class sighed and did an "Awe."

16)"Hi, I am Randy." He too whispered, I replied, "How do you do Randy?"  Then in a full voice; "You heard me?" "Yes, I did."  "Shoot."  He apparently did not like the idea that I might not be hard of hearing.

17)"Hi, I am Martha.  I have a new baby sister and she has as many wrinkles as you do.  Do you think she will always be that way?"   I grinned at her and said "We all start out with wrinkles then life irons them out before we start making new ones.  She will be just fine."

18)"Hi, I am Scot.  Is there an old jersey?  Where do babies come from?  My Daddy says from New Jersey."

19)"Hi, I am Wanda.  Babies come from behind your mommy's smile... Daddy said so.  Do you have any children?"  A special note here:  Wanda was Scot's cousin and only there for the one day.  The debate over where babies come from ended with agreeing to disagree.  It did not seem to matter since the new babies in their family were now in the same place them. 

Not once was I shamed.  Not once was I judged for being in a wheelchair or for needing oxygen.  I am a little on the fluffy side.. No one said a word about my weight.  They did question my ability to understand children if I did not have any of my own.  Little Wendy helped me on that one.  I had baby sat with her and her two sisters several times.  It had been Wendy's mom who had recommended me for this assignment.  I talked about colors and how important they are to our everyday life.  We talked about sunrises and sunsets.  We talked about rainbows.  No one brought up anything about anyone's skin color, handicap, or ancestral origin.  All the kids accepted themselves, each other and me without reservation.  Tolerance comes naturally... hatred must be taught.  I have another story about sunrises and sunsets that explains what I told the kids about during my first and second day.  My 3rd day was about moo-sick... another story all together.

My reward... the world is in good hands as long as these special needs children are allowed to flourish and learn.  They accepted the fact that each one of them had an opinion.  They even agreed to disagree over the origin of babies.  I got to peek at some wonderful minds.  Being accepted is magical and should be practiced by grown ups.  Tolerance is powerful.

Tags: Children