A Teacher's Perspective

As a grandmother I am continually amazed by how much my two year-old grandchildren absorb, think about, and apply to their lives.  I think when you are a mother you are so busy taking care of everything that you don't notice the details, but as a grandmother I notice so much more.  They are amazing people with often more insight than adults have.  It is truly no wonder that God said in His Word that we must come to him with the faith of a child.

As a teacher, I marvel at the same thing.  I teach a class of five year-old children which from a distance are little kids, but how I wish you could have experienced this last month with me.  They continually shared stories of people they encountered with disabilities and what they could use to help them or the amazing things they were doing in their lives or talked about their friend with such compassion and empathy.  They worked so hard and continually sacrificed.  It didn't matter how much money they had earned, as soon as they had tooth fairy money they brought it in.

They have taught me to not be surprised by what God does.  Of course, He is going to provide BIG!  They have taught me to not sacrifice a little, but EVERYTHING.  They have also taught me to find JOY in every moment.

A Student's Perspective

Here is my first perspective to share with you.  One of my parents shared it with me and I thought it was pretty cute.

     "Tonight at dinner Hailey said, 'Mom, do you help people that have a disability?'. I said, 'Well, of course I would help someone with a disability.'  She said, 'No, I mean are you like Kathy (an OT) and do you help people?' And I said, 'Well, no, I don't help people everyday.'  She then said, 'Mom, you need to have a plan, like Kathy.  You should help people and then come in on Friday and tell my class about it.  So can you come talk to my class on Friday?'
     That's one smart kid!  Guess I should get to work on my plan!"

Perspective

I have missed blogging every day about "The Butterfly Effect."  I feel like a good friend has been at my house for a month and has now gone home.  I miss her.

It has been a great couple of days though.  Yesterday the kids and I received a precious letter from Joni, along with an autographed book that she illustrated.  What a blessing!  I never cease to marvel at Joni's paintings and drawings.  God has truly gifted her.  It helps me believe that I can do anything God asks me to when I watch her draw and paint with a pencil or paintbrush in her mouth.  

Today I started reading another book by Andy Andrews, The Noticer.  His work empowers me as well.  He lost both of his parents at a young age and lived under a bridge for awhile and now he is a well known speaker and best selling author.  More than that, he is influencing people all over the world.

Andy's book is about perspective and I think that is what I am going to write about for awhile.  Perspective has a great deal of power behind it.  It can destroy or empower.  It can stagnate or affect change.  I look forward to bringing you a lot of perspectives on the issue of special needs.  See you soon...

The Butterfly Effect Continues

     This morning when I arrived at school I was still flying high form the celebration yesterday.  The change in all of us is hard to explain, all I can do is smile about it.  One of my moms came in and told me that she cried through the whole party, all afternoon and tried to tell her mom about it and she just cried.  I was too excited about it to cry....until this afternoon.

     When I gathered the kids for "Circle Time" I told them we would do the calendar and all of the other things we do to start the day but then we would watch our last DVD clip from Joni.  One of the boys looked at me with the sweetest face, then his eyes started to turn red, then little tears started to form and he said, "Please don't let this be the last time we see Joni.  Please?"  All of the other kids started saying, "We don't want to leave Joni."

     I played the clip and they all said they wanted to see her every day.  They wanted to know if I had more clips to show them.  I told them they could go online and see them but they all insisted they watch them together.  Joni, they all love you so much!

     I am so grateful for all of the sacrifices the kids and parents have made but absolutely want to communicate that it is all because of God.  God initiated it, God had the plan, God multiplied the results and God is honored.

     When I came home last night I was so excited about all that I had witnessed firsthand, but this afternoon, I cried.  My poor daughter, I couldn't stop crying.  I think it is from all the emotion of this month.  I am so thankful for God.

The Butterfly Effect - Day 21

     Besides getting married, watching my children come into the world, and loving my grandchildren as they came into the world, this has been one of the most exciting days of my life.  I don't even know where to begin...

     Towards the end of school we gathered together to celebrate what God has done in our classroom and in our hearts over the last month.  I had been going over things in my mind all morning, worrying that I had forgotten something and praying that the kids would feel celebrated.  I am just so incredibly proud of them.  Anyway, I walked into the party and I could see my hero, Joni Eareckson Tada on the computer screen.  I thought one of my parents was playing one of her DVD's.  Then Joni started talking to me!  I was stunned.  One of my awesome moms had surprised me and set up a skype visit.  I am still in shock!  I truly cannot think of a better blessing!  Joni, you are an amazing lady and I am so touched to have had some time with you today!!

     I took the computer and Joni out in the hall (so I could keep things a surprise) and told Joni how many wheelchairs they had raised money for.  She was surprised, delighted and celebrated with us!

     When I went back into the party, I asked the kids if they wanted to know how many wheelchairs we had enough money for.  They all yelled, "Yes, how many?"  I told them they couldn't know yet and handed out the surprises "Joni and Friends" had sent to me.  Then I had the kids line up and I handed each of them a balloon as the parents counted out loud.  I gave out 15 balloons to represent 15 wheelchairs!!!

     Then one of my blessings in life, Jabe, came up and shared his story with the kids.  Jabe was born with spina bifida.  I met Jabe a few hours after he was born.  Some friends of ours had shared with us that he was about to be born and would have the challenge of spina bifida.  We wanted to go celebrate his precious life with his parents and we have been friends ever since.

     Jabe talked to the kids about being in the wheelchair.  He shared about all of the things he can do and showed them pictures of himself on a zip line and all kinds of other things.  Jabe is ten years old and is such an incredible inspiration to me.  He told the kids how happy it made him that they had raised money for so many wheelchairs for kids that needed them.  I asked Jabe if he was happy and he said, "Yes, really happy!."  I said, "Could we make you happier?"  I then grabbed four more balloons out of the closet and handed them out...

16, 17, 18, and 19 wheelchairs!!!!

We all cheered and were so excited!  We talked about the amazing things that God had done over the month and I asked Steffani, the director of the school, to close things off.  Steffani came forward and brought out a giant butterfly balloon and a check.  The butterfly balloon represented the

20th wheelchair!!

The check was for $3, 036.59!

I am so proud of these incredible kids and their incredible parents that helped make everything possible!

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever!  Amen.  Ephesians 3:20, 21

Remember...

"That means every little thing You do matters:  what you did yesterday, what you do today, and what you do tomorrow.  God made your life so important that every move you make, every action you take, matters....and not only for you or the people around you.  Everything you do matters for everyone and for all time!  When you think about it like that...WOW!  That means YOU can be the kid who changes the world!"  by Andy Andrews

The Butterfly Effect - Day 20

     My mom, sister-in-law and I worked on butterflies this evening.  We made another 400 of them!  I have had fun conversations this weekend, such as "How would you feel about making another 150 butterflies?"  The money is still coming in.  I guess I will make butterflies until Monday morning.  I can't think of anything more exciting!!

The Butterfly Effect - Day 19

     What a fabulous day!  Just when I think the kids are completely worn out, they show up with more money and more smiles!  They are getting anxious to do our traditional "Happy Dance" again.  Whenever there is enough money for an additional wheelchair we do our "Happy Dance" around the room!  It has been very effective to use wheelchairs as markers because at 5 years-old the dollar amount is vague to them but picturing a child in a wheelchair is real.
     Our big day is on Monday.  I can hardly wait to celebrate with the kids!  The butterflies have now encircled the school and the last fundraiser will be held this weekend.  It has been a powerful journey for all of us.
     Yesterday was also great in terms of what we learned.  It is always a little challenging to explain intellectual and mental challenges to 5 year-olds, so I called in the experts!  One of my experts is an occupational therapist and the other one is a precious mom of a child with autism.  Together they did a great job of explaining the challenges to the kids, helping them understand the challenges and, lastly to feel them.  It was a very moving day!
     For the next two days we will take some time to experience the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  When we come together again, we will give thanks for the miracle He allowed us to share in.

The Butterfly Effect - Day 18

     Today we celebrated Easter.  It was fun going on an Easter egg hunt, taking pictures, having a butterfly pancake breakfast, sharing about the meaning of Easter, and painting and crafting together.

     While I was preparing for today, I found a poem that seemed so fitting.  It had a message for parents, for educators, for children, and for those that have a loved one with a disability.

                             The Cocoon            

        Anonymous

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.

One day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily.

But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.

It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been.

And we could never fly.

     As a parent, it reminded me that it is OK for my kids to struggle sometimes, because that is the only way they will become strong and fly on their own.  As an educator, it reminds me to be patient with the process.  The kids will be able to read soon enough.  As someone who supports those affected with a disability, it reminds me to not enable, but empower.  An adult or child with a disability needs to do as much as they can on their own so they can reach their full potential of who God designed them to be.  With our children, our students, and our friends, we should always be supportive but in a way that makes them strong, not weak.

     I know for me, I have been through a lot of trials in my life.  They have been hard, but I am stronger as a result and I am so grateful for the friends that have supported me along the way.

The Butterfly Effect Day 17

     Explaining intellectual and mental challenges is harder for me.  I want to communicate the challenges for those kids with challenges, but never loose any of the beauty of their personalities.  We spent a lot of time talking about tips on how to be a good friend.

• We should never discourage, but always encourage.
• We should never call someone a name that is hurtful.
• We should always be patient and not speak for someone else that just needs some time.

These are such great tips for all of us for every person.  Today I found this verse from Job 16:5,

"But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief."

It is a significant time of year for my class, because they are all learning how to read right now.  Some of the kids have taken off and are reading quite well, and for some of them, the "light bulb" has not gone off yet.  As I talked about their journey to reading, it was an analogy they could all understand.  As  a class we have learned to cheer each other on and rejoice every time a child is able to read a new word or sentence.  They have learned to give each other a "high five" or "Good job!"  They understand what encouragement, comfort, and relief can do for a soul.

The Butterfly Effect - Day 16

     My class was small today.  I think allergy season is getting the best of my kids lately.  Hopefully, they will all be feeling better soon.  With such a small group we had a great discussion, however.  I asked the kids what they have learned in this unit on disabilities that they will never forget.  Here are their responses:

• "Don't lean on someone in a wheelchair."
• "That we are going to change the world!"
• "When someone is in the wheelchair, don't put the brakes on when they are moving."
• "With people who have disabilities, don't talk to the person helping the guy who has a wheelchair." (I think he meant to not talk to the person in the wheelchair through their helper)
• "Pray for wheelchairs for other people who need them.
• "Don't go up to someone in a wheelchair and just start pushing them around."
• "I learned not to lean on someone in a wheelchair."
• "I won't forget how many wheelchairs we got from earning dollars."
• "Notice the person in the wheelchair (not the wheelchair)."
• "When you help someone who is blind, let them hold your elbow."

We also talked about our last disability or challenge, intellectual and mental disabilities.  For our first lesson I help up a "P."  Then I flipped it to a "d," a "b," and a "q."  I also showed them an alphabet with some of the letters flipped around or upside down.  We talked about dyslexia and how we can be a friend to someone that has this challenge.  The kids had great ideas on how to be supportive and understanding.

     Later in the afternoon we heard from Joni Eareckson Tada, through DVD.  She shared some of the occupations that can be used at "Joni & Friends" to help "Wheels Around the World" and talked about how anyone can serve the Lord, no matter what abilities and disabilities they have.  She also shared two verses with us, 

"That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."  II Corinthians 12:10

"Rejoice always,  pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."  I Thessalonians 5:16-18

     As we closed for the day, I shared with the kids that I won't tell them anymore how much money was raised until our big celebration next week.  They all made predictions about how much they thought the total would be.  I can hardly wait to tell them and celebrate together!

"Play For All Abilities Park"

     It was a pleasure to visit the "Play For All Abilities Park" this week.  I have envied "Morgan's Wonderland" in San Antonio and it is nice to now have a park here in Austin for children of all abilities.
     The park is nestled among beautiful trees in Round Rock and is a very safe environment for children to play in.  The kids love the variety of buildings to play in:  a grocery store, convenience store, fire station, school and library.  There is a huge play scape, a large swing section with wheelchair swings, a music section, a learning wall, tunnels, sand pit and a variety of other things to ride on.  There are also pods for sensory fulfillment.
     If you haven't been there yet, I encourage you to go.  It is a great place for children of all abilities to play, as well as for parents of all abilities to share in the fun with their kids.  You can find it on AW Grimes, off of 79,  in Round Rock.