How can I begin to describe teaching and learning from my students at REACH? Learning about what teaching to people with disabilities is all about has been a huge eye opener.
First thing that comes to mind is how invisible this demographic of people is in our society. If you grew up neurotypical, and you went to neurotypical school and then maybe even on to higher education…you’ve probably had a similar experience as I have had: achieve good marks, explore in your 20s, find a career in your 30s…etc etc. There isn’t really much taught about what can be learned when we slow the pace down. What is it like to just pause and consider…maybe even support…someone else’s experience of living in the world?
Our education system is too often “go, go, go” …”achieve achieve achieve”. This year of teaching has taught me the value of slowing down…appreciating the mini achievements…give my students time to adapt to new situations…let them teach me how to teach.
The photos below are of the final art project of the 2023-2024 school year that I did with my secondary students at REACH school in Saint Lambert. Good ole’ fashioned Tie Dye!
