Days 17 & 18: Market Days

Today was exciting!  We had our second day of "Market Days."  The kids have been working for three weeks raising money and today they sold handmade items to raise more money.  I love the excitement on the kids faces!  They are so generous and excited to give more.

The beautiful thing about kids is how quickly they understand generosity and sacrifice.  They don't compete with each other.  They just get excited for every dollar that is raised.  They all purchased from each other at the market to be an encouragement.

I know tomorrow I will have 15 precious kids anxious to hear how much they have raised all together.  I will keep them in suspense until next Tuesday and then we will celebrate!

Bridge Class, I am so proud of you!  

Day 16: Learning About Intellectual/Emotional Challenges

Intellectual/Emotional challenges are probably the hardest for me to explain to kids but in many ways, they dearest to my heart.  Children that struggle in this area are so often misunderstood and left out.  How do you help children understand what it feels like?  This challenge is much harder to simulate.

I took out a large letter "b."  I asked the kids what letter it was, then I flipped it backwards and asked them what letter it was.  Next I flipped the letter upside down and asked them what letter it was and lastly, flipped the letter and held it backwards until they had seen the letters b, d, q, and p.

I explained that it is normal for them to get these letters confused at their age but soon it should stop being confusing to them.  Someone with dyslexia, however, may have a hard time keeping it straight for years and it will be more difficult for them to learn how to read.  We then had a great discussion about how we can encourage our friends as we all learn how to read.  We need to be encouragers, not discouragers!

Later I role-played some behaviors common among people who have autism.  The children started laughing.  I asked them if they thought this person was smart and they said no.  I then told them that the person I was acting out could see the quick tiny credits at the end of the movie and recite all of the names after only seeing them once.  They were amazed at how smart he was now!

The kids had numerous questions and we were able to have a great discussion.  I can hardly wait to see how they react to the different experiences I have planned for them!

We finished our day with a happy dance!  

The kids have now raised over $1,100!! 

That is enough for 7 wheelchairs!!  

I can hardly wait for the big day tomorrow!

Great job kids!!  

Days 14 and 15: How Much Do I Really Trust?

Have you ever tried to imagine what it would be like to be blind?  The kids did!  I asked them what they would miss seeing if they no longer could.  Here are some of there answers:

• My mom, dad, and brother
• Running the bases in baseball
• Walking in the woods
• Knowing where my sister was
• Seeing my dog
• Seeing everyone that I love
• Seeing my goldfish swim
• Seeing the pictures in my Bible
• Seeing my birthday party

Their answers were honest and revealing about what is important to them.  After our discussion I told them they would be going on a "trust walk" and would experience what it would be like to be blind.

They paired up with a classmate, one of them put on a blindfold and the other offered his arm to be a guide.  We went on a walk together.  I think it was equally challenging to be blind and to be a guide.  After we finished our walk, we traded roles.

When we returned to the classroom, I asked them what it felt like to be blind.  Their answers were:

• Scary
• Hard to see
• Hard to know where you were going
• Hard to know where I was
• I felt out of control
• Everything was different
• Cool!
• Creepy...it was dark and I couldn't see

When I asked them what it felt like to be the guide they said,

• Cool and it was nice being nice to a person
• It was fun telling them where to go
• It was fun to be gentle
• It was fun holding onto her and telling her where to go
• Cool!

We concluded our time together by looking through cards that showed different types of visual impairment.  It made us more grateful for our vision and more compassionate towards those that have a visual impairment.

Days 11, 12, and 13: Letting the Work of God Be Displayed

It has been wonderfully challenging to keep up this week.  When I am teaching the unit on disabilities it is always a bit of a challenge to keep up.  If I could I would walk around with a little notebook sharing all of the things the kids say, yet I always want to be in the moment with them and not worrying about writing things down.  Within every lesson I teach, they share something amazingly simple, yet profound.  They say something that makes me laugh so hard I have a hard time recovering.  And they will also share something heavy on their own hearts such as a loved one tackling a health challenge.  

My heart was heavy as one of the children shared about her grandmother's recent surgery that will make her life far more challenging.  With every heavy story from a child there comes a really touching one as well.  I have a little boy that shared about his grandfather that lives in heaven now.  He wanted to have a birthday cake for him today and told his mom, "I can blow out the candles for him because I know he can't."  I love all of the thinking behind that statement!  He misses his grandfather but he is also going to celebrate him!

One little boy had been rather quiet about the fundraiser and then today proudly brought in a check for $100.  He had been working hard for his dad to earn money to help "the kids."  When I handed him 100 butterflies with his name on them, he smiled and said, "That is a lot of me!"  Indeed, that was a lot of him...his thoughts, his time, his compassion.

We have had some great discussions over the last three days regarding visual impairment or blindness.  Today I shared one of my favorite stories from scripture.  It is found in the book of John.  A blind man was begging for money.  The disciples asked Jesus if his blindness was due to his sin or the sin of his parents.  Jesus replied, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, " said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."  I can hardly wait to introduce the kids to some powerful people, especially the ones that have let the work of God be displayed.

Day Ten: Giving From The Heart

The Bridge Class has raised over $400 now to help purchase wheelchairs for children around the world that need them.  I love the stories every bag of money represents.  It used to break my heart when they would tell me they emptied their piggy banks or gave their tooth fairy money.  It always gets to me but I know how valuable it is in their lives so it never makes me sad anymore.

We reviewed the signs we have learned and added about 20 more today.  It is exciting to see how easily it comes to them.  We also listened to a powerful composer who became deaf at the age of 30 but continued to write music that he could no longer hear.  The children loved Beethoven and many of them said they had heard his music before (good job, Mom and Dad!)  We will hear from two other musicians on Monday.  They aren't deaf but they are blind.

The highlight of my weekend was to ride my bike to a lemonade stand held by two of my students.  Their enthusiasm was priceless and it was touching to see their entire families involved!  

Day Nine: A Powerful Person That Could Not Hear

Today was wonderful!  We started the day with one of our favorite songs in sign language and then watched a fun song from "Signing Time."  I am really impressed by how quickly the children are learning sign language.  They have learned the alphabet and have now learned 46 signs from, My First Book of Sign Language.  I am always amazed by how much the kids can take in and retain.

There are so many fun and exciting things to learn about disabilities but there are also some hard things.  I told the kids that I was going to show them something that might make them a little sad but it will have a beautiful ending!  I shared about a little girl that was born quite some time ago and she was both deaf and blind.  She used to throw a lot of temper tantrums (they all gave me some great examples of a temper tantrum from their siblings) because she was so frustrated.  She lived in a world that was dark and quiet and she couldn't communicate but one day things changed.  I showed them the water scene from a movie about Helen Keller.  She couldn't see sign language but she could feel it and that is how she learned to communicate.  The kids were able to watch a reenactment of Helen giving a speech as an adult and of course the kids were amazed!

During the day we go through my butterfly box where the kids put the money they have raised for the wheelchairs.  They are always so excited to share what they did to raise money.  One little girl brought in $20.  I asked her what she did to earn it and she said, "Nothing."  I asked her how she got the $20 and she said her grandmother donated it.  I exclaimed,

"That is wonderful!  Did you share about what you are doing in your class?'  She told me that she told her grandmother all about it.  I said, 'That is wonderful!'  You have been part of the butterfly effect.  Joni told me about the children that need wheelchairs.  I told you about the children that need wheelchairs and now you have told your grandmother.  That is how the butterfly effect works!"  My sweet girl then had a big smile on her face and was very proud of her accomplishment.

We ended our time together by doing our "happy dance" song!  They have now raised enough money for two wheelchairs!

Day Eight: How To Be A Friend To Someone Who Is Deaf/Hearing Impaired

Teaching kids how to be a good friend is always fun to me.  I love to exaggerate the things we do.  I probably surprised the class next door when I started yelling everything I was teaching the kids.  I know I surprised my students!   I told them that making a scene to get a person with hearing loss' attention was not necessary and speaking or yelling louder wasn't helpful either.  Below are some of the communication skills I have been sharing with my students.  This information is provided by The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

How to Communicate with Someone Who Has Hearing Loss

When someone suffers from hearing, it is difficult (and frustrating) for them to communicate effectively with others. While there are a variety of assistive devices available to make sound louder, it is most important that proper communication techniques be practiced in order to maximize hearing and listening performance. Here are some tips you can use when talking with someone who has a hearing problem.

Get Their Attention

Get the listener's attention before speaking. Give them a topic related to the conversation so they have a better understanding of what to expect.

Reduce Background Noise

Try to eliminate as much background noise as possible. During conversations, turn off the radio or television. When you are in restaurants and social gatherings, choose seats or conversation areas away from crowded or noisy areas.

Speak One at a Time

Try to make sure only one person talks at a time. Include people with hearing loss in the conversation, but don't talk over other people.

Speak Clearly

Face the person and talk clearly. Speak at a reasonable speed. Do not hide your mouth, eat, or chew gum.

Speak Loudly

Speak a little more loudly than normal, but don't shout. Try to annunciate your words clearly and be conscious of the volume of your voice.

Repeat Yourself

It is not uncommon for a person with hearing loss to shake their head as though they understand what you've said. Ask them if the got the information and if necessary, repeat yourself.

Re-Phrase

Rephrase your statement into shorter, simpler sentences if it appears you are not being understood.

Have Good Lighting

Stand in good lighting, use facial expressions and look at the person's face while speaking. Even if the individual with hearing loss never studied lip-reading, they can gain a great deal of information looking at the speakers face and body language.

Be Understanding

If you feel frustrated trying to speak to someone with a hearing loss, think for a minute how it must be for them. Try to make it easier by changing words or re-phrasing statements.

As much as you want the person with hearing loss to hear what you have to say, they want to be able to listen, understand and participate. Coping with hearing loss requires cooperative efforts. If you think someone you love has a hearing problem, suggest they see a doctor for a hearing test.

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) is one of the Institutes that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and focuses on the prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss and deafness.