Tuesday, 24 January 2006

"Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
Well, here I am in the second semester of my sophomore year and I have kicked off my second field placement in the sequence of Department of Education
I'm back at Jefferson 2-3 Focus School in the Holland Public School system. Just down the hallway from Mr. DeBoer, actually. This time, I'm with a wonderful teacher named Mrs. Donna Wehrmeyer. There I'm learning how to work with exceptional children. In my particular placement, I'm working with SXI students, which means "severely multiply impaired" students. Mr. DeBoer said on Monday before Middle School Methods that these students, who come from all over Ottawa County, are blessed to have Mrs. Wehrmeyer, who is an excellent SXI instructor.
Special education takes a special breed of teacher. These students, depending on the degree of impairment, need assistance with the simplest of tasks and sometimes need reminders for things that may seem so unimportant that people without impairments give no thought to them. An example may be looking at what you're doing with your hands. Ordinarily, we don't think about that.
"So what's the point?" some may ask. "Why should we bother to educate people with special needs? They might never function independently and always require advanced care from birth until the day they die. So why spend the money towards them?"
I looked closely at these students and I watched how much all the aides, the visiting therapists, and Mrs. Wehrmeyer personally and deeply care for these students. I looked deep into the students' eyes as they smiled brightly back at me. And the answer became obviously clear as several passages from the Bible flashed through my mind.
"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Genesis 1:27-28
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;" Psalm 139:13-14a
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25:34-40
God made each of these students, too. He loves them, they matter to Him, and He has a plan for them just like everyone else. If we were to exclude them from receiving an education, it'd be like telling Jesus that He wasn't worthy. These children are worthy of being educated and having a chance to live life.

Comments(3)

loving the verses Tyler! I know this field placement will be absolutely amazing.

you ROCK!

in HIM-

Amy
amydncer
Special Education is difficult, challenging, exhausting and frustrating- that said it is also rewarding, gratifying and fun. My mom is a special education teacher at South Hamlin- for every rough day she has she has just as many good stories.
chickenlittle27

Wow. I have been thinking about special education in strictly political terms for a long time...special education getting the special laser printer, how it costs the school district more money because aides have to be hired etc.
Those are some amazing verses which hit home...
dorothygale27