Things My
Teacher Should Know About Me
By
Mattie Lorenzen
Yesterday
I realized that my teachers and therapists at school do not know me very well,
so I thought that I should make this list of things that you should know about
me.
1. Even though
I’m in a wheelchair, I can walk. I use my wheelchair when I get tired, or to
keep me from getting tired.
2. I have a
hearing aid called a BAHA. BAHA stands for Bone-anchored Hearing Aid.When I don't have it on I can only hear out of my left ear. When I do have it on I can hear on both sides. Background noise makes it hard for me to hear either way.
3. I cannot wear
headphones.
4. It bothers me
when you make assumptions of things I can’t do because I’m in a wheelchair. You
should ask for my input instead of making assumptions.
5. I do not like
being pulled out of the room in the middle of class. I really like school, and
I don’t ever want to miss anything.
6. Because my
hand gets tired when I write too much, I like typing better than writing. You
will always get better work from me when I have a computer to type on.
7. If you have a
question about me, ask ME! I know myself pretty well! My IEP has a lot of
information, too.
It
is most frustrating to me when you treat me like I am not capable of doing
anything. I am smart and eager to learn. When I’m not at school, I like to read
and play the piano. I am capable of many things. Please take the time to get to know me
better!
Hi Mattie,
ReplyDeleteYup, you're correct: The more information they have about you FROM you, the better they'll understand what is/is not needed.
Remember: Sometimes other people do not know "What" or maybe "How" to ask us questions. Sooooo as unfair as it may seem, it's up to us to let them know they can (ask). For decades the silent rule was: Don't ask/don't intrude.
Just beware, they may stumble a bit as they learn. Just as you've had to learn what you can/cannot do and the ways those things change.....others are learning both about asking, and then about doing it differently, once they have.
Patience and humor are the key.
We Do have a hundred-and-one (well, really a zillion and one) justifiable reasons to BE angry and frustrated with how things are (with our bodies and with the world). AND being angry takes up LOTS of energy. It also doesn't help others do it differently. It only makes them afraid and defensive. Sooooo choosing to be "Teacher" is a better route (as long as we've got one or two people we can REALLY share ALL our feelings with....cause having those feelings stuck inside us also hurts us). Guess it's all about BALANCE.
I love your list. I hope you'll share it with others. Defintely sounds like you've got a handle on things. Well Done!
Luv Ya,
Ms Lu
PS One really helpful question I've learned to ask myself is: How many new/different ways can I do this (when I find I can no longer do something "the old way". The question opens up lots of ideas. Sometimes the crazier the better...and that leads to awesome and unique/fun possibilites and answers.