Just Like "Them"

I had a realization last night as I sat at home staring at the cast that is protecting two pins and a broken index finger: I am just like them.  In no way am I comparing the magnitude of my disability to theirs and the struggle that they go through on a daily basis.  However, I am comparing the lack of desire to complete work that I otherwise would've done without a disability.

See, our students come in with disabilities.  Not all, but many students, and most are mild. Some diagnosed, others pushes under the rug.  We scratch our heads about how we can support students with an impairment.  Maybe it's ADD, perhaps it's being Bipolar, or it might be something far more significant. Regardless of what it is, these students have something that keeps them performing as well as they think they can.

At some point, we start to see a loss of focus, a defeated mentality, and then it happens- they give up.  No matter how much we try to do, the impairment overcomes their drive. I've struggled with these students my entire career, not knowing how you could just give up on something that has meaning.

I haven't typed a blog post in quite a while.  My excuse is that I have a broken finger.  Going into detail, my brain moves far too fast for my fingers on one hand and I get too frustrated.  The reality is that I am giving up with an excuse that I wouldn't accept from my students.  That is no longer acceptable.  I don't blog so that other people read it.  Sure, there are times when I put something out to share with anyone who will listen.  i blog for me, a release, a time to reflect.

For now, the posts will be shorter, probably less meaningful than I want them to be, but at least it's something. I want to be just like "them" when I say that "through obstacles and struggles, we can all overcome a disability, just like them".

Happy Fishing