Teachable Moments
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Three Legged Dog
As I waited for the traffic light to turn green, I noticed a woman walking two small dogs. They were both on a leash, but one of the dogs had a distinctive stride. When I gave this dog a closer look, I realized that the dog only had 3 legs-two in the back and one in the front. Yet, he walked with his owner, with a collar and leash and kept up with his four-legged friend.
It dawned on me that our students also come to us with some important factors which could be interpreted as a hindrance...they may have a disability, they may not be able to read or compute on grade level, they may have had trauma in their lives, or they may be working at night to financially assist their families.
Regardless of their situation, we must treat them with respect, encouragement and attainable goals.
The owner did not leave her 3-legged dog at home to spare him the trouble of having to walk with a 4-legged dog, but rather, she gave him the same experience of walking around the neighborhood.
Let's give our children experiences that will enrich their lives and not shortchange them because of a factor we feel is lacking for them.
They deserve all of the opportunities made available to the rest of the class!
Enrich! Empower! Inspire!
It dawned on me that our students also come to us with some important factors which could be interpreted as a hindrance...they may have a disability, they may not be able to read or compute on grade level, they may have had trauma in their lives, or they may be working at night to financially assist their families.
Regardless of their situation, we must treat them with respect, encouragement and attainable goals.
The owner did not leave her 3-legged dog at home to spare him the trouble of having to walk with a 4-legged dog, but rather, she gave him the same experience of walking around the neighborhood.
Let's give our children experiences that will enrich their lives and not shortchange them because of a factor we feel is lacking for them.
They deserve all of the opportunities made available to the rest of the class!
Enrich! Empower! Inspire!