Mainstreaming.
Going to college has opened my eyes to alot. I'm not shocked at the amount of work I'm presented with at all or the amount of freedom I get. Its the fact that my school that I graduated from and/or the school I moved from didnt prepare me or cared about what I would be doing after school. Theres two sides to every story, so I don't dout that I'm at least partialy, or at least over half responsible for what I did or didnt do in school. I was brought up for the majority of my education in a Multilple Disability envivonment. Most of the students in my special education classes had Mental Retardation, Downs Syndrome, or Autism. They stayed in the classroom all day long, having induvial instruction.
The remaining few had Spina Bifida, CP, and AD/HD, they were mainstremed into the regular education classes, this was including me. I always had trouble in regular ed, not educationally, but socially. I have no doubt that if I wasnt mainstreamed I wouldnt be where I am today, but as with everything, it has its problems. I have trouble deciding what is right and what is fair, and arguing it. The standard for right and fair were established years ago, and I dont think changing it would make me feel any better. Mainstreaming was meant to benefit both the disabled student and the able-bodied student. It was supossed to help cross those lines that devided students. To me while I was mainstreamed my labels were made bigger, an easier target. I was able to pick up that I was "the special one in class" The one student the teacher always had to look after or help. The other students didnt really have problem with me being "the special one" untill higher elementary age and beyond. As I got older I could sense vibes from the regular education classes. Both teacher and students seemed distant from me, because (A they didnt understand my disabilitiy B( they didnt know how to help me and C( I was sometimes time consuming or they didnt want to understand or teach me)
At times I was left with little or no accmadations for my disability, having to learn the material the best I could with no explanation (in my learning style) Problems with communication became present when I got older too. The regular education teachers would have little to do with the special education department (simply because I think they felt like "hey they have it all under control, I dont have to do anything!" That was until they get a student with a significant disability.. and now they're puzzled and careless. Don't get me wrong I've had my share of wonderful regular education teachers who saw more in me then just my disability. They saw that I was either average or beyond most the students in the class.They understood that I came in their class with a pupouse just like every student, to learn. They were able to balance the fact that I was "different" in with the rest of the class.
As I went into middle school/high school, it became tough to fit into both environments (special ed or regular ed) The classes that were offered were often above my level of functioning or below (more below in the special ed classroom, and sometimes depending on the subjects, areas would be too high) I was always the student in the middle. In Math I was lower than most of my peers, this made subjects such as physical science tough. I required a moderate math course with mixed grade levels. Most of the students in the special ed classroom were considerbly low functioning, which again for the majority of my high school career left me without concrete math skills. When I did require comprehention of a subject other than math, there were times that special ed teachers would shove me off to the side, giving me little or no instruction, sometimes only providing the environment when I needed both instruction. Because I was at the age, I understood that I was alittle less important than the student next to me. I learned to cope, but when it came to my absolutely needing an accmadation, I would sometimes go without, because I knew I was the less important student. I had one special ed teach who I knew everything about me, she knew that I could make something of myself. There were many years I kept running her words over and over in my thoughts whenver I had a problem with a teacher or student.
My parents pushed hard for the best education, without causing problems. The thing that sucks the most is something that was supossed to help, held me back. But at the same time I couldnt have been as far as I am with it... kind of like men... if I do say so myself
Thats all Folks......
Skitt is going to hate me, thats my prediction when she has to condese this into at least 2/paragraghs a page