This week, we watched a few videos of Serbian adults with disabilities and their life at an institution in Serbia. When a disabled child is born, the parents have to decide between keeping their child at home while paying for medical bills or sending them away to an institution with other disabled children through adult years. The video showed what it is like living that setting... it was a bit horrifying watching what they have to go through. Many of the children and adults are kept inside cribs or strapped down to their beds for hours and they hardly ever make any moves. My reaction to seeing the scene was overwhelming because it looks like they are being tortured and I think it is absolutely unfair to do that to a person with special needs. At the same time, I do understand that this in a foreign country and not everyone can afford to take care of their disabled child. Individuals with special needs deserve some sort of care that treats them well and takes care of them and it should be provided by people who care about them.
Since I plan on teaching Special ed, I want to be the kind of teacher who is encouraging students and someone who genuinely cares about students' individual needs. One quality I have noticed in special needs student is that they have their own talents using their abilities and they have a passion for it. They also have a special spirit I feel the more I am around them. Then, I know part of my job will be to encourage other students to interact with special needs students despite their disabilities because they can learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses.
When I watched the Serbia videos I started to get sick to my stomach. I couldn't help but feel sorry for those adults and children who were in those institution that was supposed to help them but really it's making them worse. They kept saying they are put in this institution to die. They stay there until it is their time to pass and go to Heaven. It is awful to put someone in a place where it is supposed to help but ultimately it is making everything worse. We need to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves. We are all children of God and we need to stand up for them and we need to treat everyone with respect no matter the disability.
ReplyDeleteLike it says the most important key for teaching is the Spirit. I will genuinely care about each one of my students and when they are struggling I will help them individually with what ever they are struggling with. This is the same thing with the ward and in the home. When someone is struggling they need someone to help them and care for them. Before we teach a lesson or plan a lesson we should pray for the Spirit to help us and to for the Spirit to teach for us.
The video about the Serbian mental institution was really shocking. I felt so sad for the individuals that were living in those horrible conditions. Nobody should ever be denied the right to a happy and healthy life just because they have disabilities. I will be an advocate for people that cannot advocate for themselves by helping them get what they deserve in their school, their community, and their daily life. As a sister of someone with multiple disabilities, I have gained a lot of experience advocating and sticking up for my little brother. I have learned that most people are clueless to many disabilities and all that they entail - in other words, knowledge is power!
ReplyDeleteI can be an effective teacher by ensuring that I always have the Spirit with me. Like Elder Gene R. Cook said, a teacher's main role is to prepare the way for their students. I think this definitely applies to my role as a future mother, educator, and member in my ward/community. If I prepare myself to be an effective teacher, I can help those I teach to be prepared too.