Day One: You Can Change The World

Day one was fabulous!!  My students and I started a unit on "How To Be A Friend to Someone With  a Disability" today.  I decorated the classroom with butterflies and explained the butterfly effect by lining up all of the kids and having them put their hands on the shoulders of the student in front of them.  I nudged the last student in line and watched student after student in front of her move forward.  Then I explained the theory behind the butterfly effect.  As a butterfly flaps its wings it moves molecules of air that in turn move more molecules of air until the effect of the butterfly's wings can be felt across the world.  Similarly, as the children earn a dollar it will cause another child to earn a dollar and then people watching will also contribute a dollar until the effect causes hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to be raised to purchase and refurbish wheelchairs that can be distributed around the world.  As Andy Andrews shares in his book, The Boy Who Changed the World, each of us can change the world!

This morning we all shared about skills we are good at.  I loved their answers.  Some of them included Math, art, learning about sharks, soccer, dribbling a basketball, taking care of babies, loving our parents, and coloring in the lines.  They were so excited to talk about the things that come easily to them.

Then we talked about skills that are challenging or difficult.  Their answers included sharing with their brother or sister, gymnastics, football, ice skating, climbing trees, being patient and one of my favorites, flushing the toilet (he said he can never remember to flush!).  We talked about how some of our challenges can get easier with practice and some of them will always be difficult.  We talked about the skills that would be difficult if we were paralyzed.  Then I shared with them that God can show his power through our weaknesses.  I told them they will meet some amazing people over the next couple of weeks that God has shown His power through.

I then introduced them to one of my personal heroes, Joni Eareckson Tada.  Their jaws dropped when they learned that she is paralyzed but she can sing beautifully, has written 67 books and is an incredibly talented artist.  In fact, they tried painting with a paintbrush in their mouths the way Joni does!  When I showed them some of her paintings they were amazed!

I was able to share a photograph of one of my students and the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott.  He is in a wheelchair but he has a very important job!

As our day came to a close we had the added bonus on one of my dear friends and a staff member at our school, come and share about her late husband's struggle with ALS.  She shared that one of the most hurtful things that happened was people stopped talking to her husband when she pushed them in a wheelchair and they only talked to her.  She reminded them to always talk to the person in the wheelchair.  She also shared about some amazing technology that allowed her husband to communicate by blinking his eyes.  Blinking his eyes would act as a computer mouse allowing him to type e-mails.

I can hardly wait for the adventures and lessons ahead for us.  I hope you will join us as we learn about a variety of disabilities and the powerful people impacted by them!