Day 3: One of Those Amazing Days!

     I have been teaching for 18 years now, ten as a homeschooling mom and eight as a preschool teacher.  As a teacher you have some days that are AMAZING and then you have some days that well, aren't so amazing.  Almost always though, I ask myself on the way home, Did I make any sense today?  Was I able to make a difference in someone's life?  Were today's lessons meaningful?
     Well, today was special.  I came home to a wonderful e-mail...

I also wanted to let you know that on the way home from school, _____ said he needed to go home and do chores so he could earn money for a child's wheelchair.  He came home and cleaned the playroom (which is no easy task in my house), his room (under his bed and dressers), he cleaned up trash in our yard and did recycling.  He is very excited about this project! :)

     For the teacher part of me this is like getting a home run, not due to anything on my part, but I get to be in the stands watching the home runs God is hitting.  I just get to be there and that is exciting!  Don't you agree that a five year-old coming home from school acting this way has to be an act of God!
     As a momma, it can be hard to watch your child work so hard, but I can already picture my sweet boy's face tomorrow at Circle Time proudly handing me the money he earned and telling me how he did it.  It already brings a smile to my face :)  We already have 59 butterflies (one for every dollar raised) going down our hallway and tomorrow, my sweet boy will proudly be part of it.  That makes my whole year as a teacher!
     I had another highlight today that makes me smile.  I was sharing with the children, How to be a Friend to Someone with a Physical Disability from Joni Eareckson Tada's book, On a Roll for Jesus!
She gives very helpful suggestions on how to treat someone in a wheelchair with respect.  One of the suggestions is, Look past the wheelchair or whatever physical disability the person has.  It is okay to look at the individual.  Later in the morning I asked the children to recall the suggestions and one of my student's interpretation of that suggestion was, Don't stare at someone's boo-boo's!
     The student that made this comment has one of the biggest hearts in the world.  He is a good friend.  He is compassionate.  He is self-sacrificing.  He has remnants of childlike speech and looked up so innocently and said, Don't stare at someone's boo-boo's!  It may not be politically correct to say it this way, but I love the refreshing simplicity of a child's perspective.  An adult would need a long politically correct explanation, but a child just says what is on their mind.  I think I have the best job in the world (including the days I get sneezed on!)

Day 2: Mephishobeth, King David, and Painting With Our Teeth

     We started our morning off with some great worship songs and then went straight into our Bible lesson for the day.  We read a paraphrase of the story of Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 4:4, 9:1-13.  It is a powerful story about how Mephibosheth was mistreated and denied his right to be king because of his disability.  People mistreated him which led to more people mistreating him, which led to even more people.  When King David realized what was happening he befriended Mephibosheth and gave him the land and respect that was rightfully his.  When King David extended kindness and invited him to eat at his table, people started to change.  More and more people started extending kindness to Mephiboseth.  This story led to a great conversation with the children about bullies and how they can  lead others to mistreat people.  The children realized that they can change how someone is treated by the example they set.  The children came up with great examples and applications and were moved by the story.

     We followed up with our memory verse for the week:  A new command I give you; Love one another.  As I have loved you so must you love one another. John 13:34

     After our morning "Circle Time" we had the opportunity to paint the way Joni does...with our teeth!  As the children came to the table, they commented on how easy this was going to be and they were very shocked when they found out otherwise.  After the children completed their paintings, I showed them two paintings Joni has done and all of their mouths dropped.  They were amazed by her talent!  We concluded our lessons for the day by reading:

• Don't Call Me Special...A First Look at Disabilities by Pat Thomas
• You've Got a Friend by Joni Eareckson Tada

     Tomorrow we will learn specific ways we can be a kind friend to someone with a physical disability.  I am so thankful for the "On a Roll for Jesus!" program Joni wrote.  It is such a great framework for this unit.

Blessings-

Deana

     

Day 1 - Meeting Joni

     Today was the first official day of our special needs unit.  The kids were able to meet Joni Eareckson Tada through a DVD this morning.  They were all captivated as they listened to her share her story about her diving accident at 17 that left her paralyzed.  They all felt down the bones in their necks as she explained what happened to her spinal cord.  Joni shared about how discouraged she was, but how christian friends encouraged her, prayed for her, and read God's word to her.  Even when you are five you can't help but feel a connection to Joni because she shares so openly from her heart and you know that her faith in God and passion to serve Him is real.

     Joni shared the story of The Good Samaritan.  The story is such a good example of how we often respond to those in need.  Joni also introduced the children to a teenager and a child that were blessed by the ministry of "Wheels for the World" and were given a wheelchair.

     The children were excited about meeting my teaching assistant, which is a child's wheelchair.  None of them were apprehensive at all and wanted to be the first one to ride in the wheelchair.  Usually the children take awhile to feel comfortable, but the children this year wanted to give the wheelchair a name and identity.  Due to the happy face patch on the back of the chair, they named it "Smiley."

     We read a variety of books today about physical disabilities and colored a couple of coloring pages that will go in a special memory book at the end of the unit.

     On the playground and in the hallway a number of children's heads turned when the tiny wheelchair went by.  They were instantly concerned about the child riding in it.  It gave us a great opportunity to share about what we are learning.

     It was exciting to have $55 come in to kick off our fund-raising efforts, but it was even more exciting to hear the children's questions.  They are so full of questions and even better, compassion.  I would love to share more, but I better get some sleep.  Thanks for reading....

Deana

Books we read today:

Someone Special Just Like You by Tricia Brown

We Are All Alike We are All Different by Cheltenham Elem. School Kindergartners

Bebe and Me by Sophie McDow

Some Kids Use Wheelchairs by Lola M. Schaefer

Some Kids Use Braces by Lola M. Schaefer

God Created Us With a Plan and a Purpose

     Monday we will officially start our month long journey, "How to Be a Friend to Someone with a Disability."  It is often hard to know where to start, but yesterday we laid the foundation by starting with God Himself.

     We kicked off our unit by talking about how wonderfully God created each of us!  God had a plan when He made us and God has a wonderful plan for our lives, both present and future.  We talked about the following verses, the truth about our creation and how God truly cares for us.  On Monday we will talk about how this is true for ALL of the people God has created.

• So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.  Genesis 1:26-28
• For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  Psalm 139:12-14
• And even the very hairs on your head are all numbered.  Matthew 10:29-31
• I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  Psalm 139: 13-15
• "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:1-12

     After sharing the verses (and discovering that we cannot count the number of hairs on our head) we talked about what it means that God created us, planned us, and has a purpose for our lives.  I often tell my five year-olds that we are like secret agents and God has a special mission for us.  We just have to figure out what God's mission is.

     Next we read one of my favorite children's books, I Like Me by Nancy Carlson.  It was one of my daughter's favorite books as well.  It is about a pig and the things the pig likes about herself.  And when the pig falls, she picks herself right back up.  At one point in the book the pig looks in a mirror and says, "Hi, Good Lookin'!"  I passed around a mirror and had the kids look in the mirror and say, "Hi, Good Lookin'!"  We all laughed and had a great time as we did it.  I am sure some of my parents already wonder what is going on in The Castle Class!  I can envision all of them looking in their mirrors at home.

     We concluded our time together sharing the "All About Me" posters we had made the day before.  After each child presented their poster we clapped and cheered and said, "God did a great job when he created ....!"

     There are lots of preparations to make and I would covet your prayers.  Please pray that I will be able to answer the kid's questions, be able to point them to the sovereignty of God, and be a worthy example of compassion.

It is almost my favorite time of year again!  I can hardly wait to see what God is going to do!  Just one week from tomorrow we will be starting our "How to Be a Friend to Someone with a Disability" unit.

I am busy lining up amazing people to come share with my class about what it feels like to have a disability and the amazing things God is doing through their lives. 

Last week I gathered the parents of my students together to see glimpses of what their children will be learning and experiencing over the next month.  I also shared with the kids about the fundraiser to raise money to send to Joni Eareckson Tada's "Wheels For the World" project.  I hope you will join us as I journal the reactions of my students, as well as the reactions of those watching them over the next month.  As always, it will be an incredible adventure!

Stay tuned and watch the butterflies come out!  Every butterfly will represent $1 towards the gift of mobility.

HOPE

My heart aches tonight for three dear friends that are having to adapt to a life changing diagnosis.  All three of them have overcome huge obstacles in their lives, but the recent diagnosis seems unbearable.  I want to hold them and tell them everything will be work out, but the reality is their lives will be different than expected.

Whether you are dealing with cancer, aging, or developmental delays, know there is hope and God can do far more than you ever imagined or hoped for.  Take a minute to gain some perspective from two amazing people.

Joni Eareckson Tada Video
http://www.thedoctorstv.com/videolib/init/8636











and Nick Vujicic

How Nick Vujicic Triumphed Against All Odds - Video - @OWNTV ...
►►
www.oprah.com/.../How-Nick-Vujicic-Triumph..

Something to think about...

Well, it has been awhile since I last wrote.  I have missed writing on my blog, but I have been busy with some other writing projects.

I thought I might as well start off 2013 with a little controversy... it can be good for the soul.  I find it interesting and well, somewhat annoying that as humans we love to put each other in boxes.  And most of the time, if you are put in a box you are very unlikely to get out.

As a young woman I had a tendency to be rather emotional at times.  I am now 50 and still seem to have that box around me with certain people.  In the past, I have been a democrat and to the republicans, I always will be.  In the past I have also been a republican and you guessed it, to the democrats, I always will be.  As for myself, I have no idea what box I am in.

Over Christmas break, I have been thinking about a couple of things.  Recently, I have found myself temporarily disabled.  I hurt my knee and had a terrible time walking for a couple of weeks.  It sure made me appreciate my knees a lot more.  In certain situations, I can be incredibly hearing impaired and I appear to have the same type of hearing loss progression that my dad had (the future isn't hard to predict on that one).  Those challenges are temporary, but so often we put people with disabilities in a box they cannot escape.

Over the last couple of weeks I have spent time with friends walking through the progression of difficult disabilities such as:  Parkinson's, dementia, cancer, muscular dystrophy, learning disabilities, autism, heart disease, kidney disease, and diabetes.  When I think of my dear friends, I would never want to put them in a box they can't escape.  They are strong, talented, compassionate, driven and memorable people (that happen to have a disability.)   

Here is my challenge:  Think of a friend and how you would describe your friend to someone.  What would be the first words out of your mouth?  I have been surprised at how often I hear the color of a person's skin or the status of their weight described first.  How would you want someone to describe you?  Would you mention a wheelchair first or the person sitting in it?  Just something to think about....