Teaching is just as heartbreaking as it is wonderful, but I didn't realize that until I helped out in Mrs. Hart's classroom. Her students are on behavior IEPs, and for them every day is a challenge- in and out of school. Some children are exhausted with so many anger issues that they result to throwing chairs, hurling objects, and purposely attempting to hurt someone else around them. Others only focus on things they want to, so they walk around in a daze playing with anything that appeals to them, isolating themselves from others. I'm Occasionally you'll run across a student who can't hold himself back, saying every little detail that comes to mind, even the most cruel thoughts, and constantly interrupting class. When you work with these students, they let you into their world, and it's so difficult to understand what these children deal with on a daily basis. From the constant abandonment of peers, to the frustration of teachers, it's apparent that these wonderful children can be subject to depression, anxiety, and other issues that remove them even farther from their peers. Obstacles are constantly pushing these children down, restraining them from succeeding, and laughing at their lack of happiness.
That is the heartbreaking side of teaching.
Most teachers claim that the reason why they teach is to see the spark in a student's eyes as they understand material that may have posed as a challenge before. As a special education teacher, that is far from the only reason. Watching a child gaining the opportunity to be accepted among their peers, helping a student love his or her self, and creating and impact that exists for a life time. That's why I want to teach special education. That's why it's so wonderful.
When I was talking with a friend of mine, I realized we had a mutual friend, who happened to be Mrs. Hart. This friend was gleaming with admiration for Mrs. Hart and her words to describe her depicted of, "She is the first woman I have met, who is just as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside." It is true, and I think what makes her so gorgeous on the inside is not simply a kind behavior, but a belief in every single person that they are just as wonderful, and that they have a little bit of magic in them just as she does. She truly lives with compassion. Observing in her class opened my eyes to understanding that teaching isn't just about kindness, creativity, or patience. Teaching is about giving a little bit of the beauty inside of the teacher to the students, whether that be knowledge, or compassion, what a teacher gives to a student paints the opportunities the future will offer them. Mrs. Hart has given so much to her students, and I have been able to witness the smiles and happiness that emerges from each child she helps. One day, I want to be like Mrs. Hart. I want to give students opportunities, and I want to help my students grow from caterpillars to butterflies, thrilled to watch them fly.
That is the heartbreaking side of teaching.
Most teachers claim that the reason why they teach is to see the spark in a student's eyes as they understand material that may have posed as a challenge before. As a special education teacher, that is far from the only reason. Watching a child gaining the opportunity to be accepted among their peers, helping a student love his or her self, and creating and impact that exists for a life time. That's why I want to teach special education. That's why it's so wonderful.
When I was talking with a friend of mine, I realized we had a mutual friend, who happened to be Mrs. Hart. This friend was gleaming with admiration for Mrs. Hart and her words to describe her depicted of, "She is the first woman I have met, who is just as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside." It is true, and I think what makes her so gorgeous on the inside is not simply a kind behavior, but a belief in every single person that they are just as wonderful, and that they have a little bit of magic in them just as she does. She truly lives with compassion. Observing in her class opened my eyes to understanding that teaching isn't just about kindness, creativity, or patience. Teaching is about giving a little bit of the beauty inside of the teacher to the students, whether that be knowledge, or compassion, what a teacher gives to a student paints the opportunities the future will offer them. Mrs. Hart has given so much to her students, and I have been able to witness the smiles and happiness that emerges from each child she helps. One day, I want to be like Mrs. Hart. I want to give students opportunities, and I want to help my students grow from caterpillars to butterflies, thrilled to watch them fly.