Equity & Diversity: Helping Struggling Students With Puppets
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The Situation
“Can you help me tie my shoes?” Julio asks a student at his table. “You’re eight years old and you don’t even know how to tie your shoes! What’s wrong with you?” an exasperated girl yells back at Julio. He throws his hands up on his head and conveys a familiar scared and frightened look. I sigh and walk towards the situation. I’m initially angry with the girl for being so insensitive and mean. I reprimand her in front of the class and explain to her that instead of making Julio feel bad about not being able to tie his shoes, she could have offered him assistance or taught him how to do it himself. I let her, as well as the class, know that her actions were unacceptable and would not be tolerated. I made her apologize to Julio and practice responses to Julio’s question that would have been more appropriate. Upset and embarrassed, the girl begins to cry and puts her head down at her table.
Julio is considered to be a high-functioning autistic child. Although performing far above grade level in most subjects, his social behaviors mimic those of a four year old. In the eyes of his peers, many of his actions are viewed as strange and odd. They don’t understand why Julio does the things he does. Situations, like the one detailed above, are becoming more and more frequent. I am noticing that my students are beginning to alienate Julio and are increasingly making mean and hurtful remarks towards him. In class, I am able to control the alienation, and ensure that Julio always has someone to work with during group work. However, during lunch and recess, I usually find Julio spinning and dancing around in circles by himself, in the middle of the courtyard. When I see this, I try to recruit a few students to go and play with him, but I’m usually met with annoyed and frustrated eyes. As with the girl in the first situation, my initial response is to be angry and upset that my students are not more understanding and kind. I suppose I had just expected my students to treat each of their peers with respect, regardless of their differences. I began to realize that I had failed to build a community of respect and tolerance. I had failed to provide my students with tools to appropriately address people who were different then themselves.
It wasn’t just my students who were struggling with how to understand Julio. I too was having a difficult time managing Julio’s distinctive behaviors. A few weeks ago in class, I asked students to underline their vocabulary words with a crayon. As I walked by Julio’s table, I noticed that he was using a crayon the size of pea. Julio, as well as the other students, had just received brand new boxes of crayons three weeks prior. I asked Julio why his crayon was severely broken, and he just shrugged his shoulders. I explained to him that he should be taking care of his supplies, especially since someone else had spent their money to buy them for him. I moved on and continued to walk around the room, checking on students’ work. As I walked back towards Julio’s table, I noticed he was chewing something. “What are you eating Julio?” I asked. He lifted up a little crayon piece in his hand, nodding towards it. “Julio,” I said with noticeable exasperation, “Go and spit it out!” He proceeded to spit out a mouthful of crayon, wrapper and all. I looked inside his supply box and observed that he had eaten about two-thirds of his crayons. Although many students have experimented and eaten their crayons while in preschool or kindergarten, eating them in second grade is not a socially appropriate behavior.
Frustrated, I explained to him that we do not eat non-food items because we can get really sick. I heard kids snickering in the back. I quickly realized that students were closely watching to see how I responded to Julio’s unusual behavior. I knew that my reaction would dictate how students treated Julio in the future. I quickly transitioned my conversation with Julio to a whole class conversation. I explained to all students, not just Julio, the importance of not eating non-food items. I reasoned that since I cared about my students so much, it would make me really sad to see them sick because they had eaten something they were not supposed to. However, it was too late. The damage had been done. I saw students whispering to each other. I saw students making strange faces at Julio. The issue wasn’t getting the class to understand that eating non-food items wasn’t appropriate, it was getting the class to understand that Julio is different and occasionally does odd things. I didn’t explicitly address this, as I should have. I knew then that I needed some additional outside support.
Taking Action
Bothered with my students’ lack of understanding as well as my own increasing frustration, I approached a grade level colleague. Since she was in the same grade level and had occasional contact with Julio, I asked her if she had noticed the same issues I had. She commented that there were a few incidents on the playground where she saw Julio spinning and dancing alone, as well as other students not allowing him to join in on games when he did feel like playing with others. She had noticed the issue, but like myself, did not know quite what to do. She had seen similar incidents in her classroom as well, although not as extreme, and was curious as to what a suitable next step would be.
Feeling hopeless and discouraged, I brought up the situation one night in my graduate class. My class instructors agreed that there was a pertinent issue at hand. One of my instructors recommended that I contact the organizer of an elementary puppet program, The Kids on the Block. The Kids on the Block is an educational program that was created in reaction to the US law that required students with disabilities to be educated in the least restrictive environment. For several students, like Julio, this means that disabled students with be included in a classroom with non-disabled students. Various puppet characters were created to cover a wide range of physical and learning disabilities such as cerebral palsy, visual impairment, ADHD, cancer, HIV/AIDS, autism, etc. Through the use of puppets, non-disabled students are taught how to understand and accept students with disabilities. After performances, students in the audience are encouraged to ask questions directly to the disabled puppet characters.
After checking out the website, I submitted a request to have a performance at my school for my entire grade level. I knew my grade level colleagues would appreciate having their students included in the performance. Due to limited funding, our students rarely get to participate in any type of theatrical performance. We were really excited and shared the great news with our grade level colleagues at the staff meeting that following Friday. Our staff was extremely receptive to the social development opportunity our grade level was going to be a part of. One teacher was so inspired by the idea that he decided to create his own educational puppet program with his sixth grade class. Using student-created sock puppets, he planned on having his sixth graders present various social development pieces to partnering kindergarten and first grade classes at our school. I was amazed to see how much of a difference Julio had made, without even knowing it.
Reflecting
The most important thing I took from this experience was the value a single conversation can have. By simply engaging in a conversation with fellow educators, I was able to effectively address a troubling situation in my classroom as well as set into a motion an inspirational idea that could reach more students than I had originally anticipated. I embraced my colleagues’ thoughts and suggestions and accomplished substantially more than if I approached the situation on my own. If you don’t bring a situation to light, nothing will happen.
I also realized that I was becoming frustrated with my students. Since I understood the concepts of diversity and tolerance, I was able to embrace Julio’s actions and openly welcome him into my classroom. However, I expected my students to have already developed understanding and accepting attitudes towards people’s differences. My students’ hurtful responses to Julio reminded me that tolerance is a learned behavior. I had to recognize that I had failed in assisting my students in creating a supportive community. I needed to take action.
I am hoping that the puppet program will help my class build a supportive community, but I know it is only the beginning. I know that I still have a considerable amount of work to do. The ultimate goal would be to have my students teach others about tolerance and diversity, as my colleague is doing with his sixth graders. I grasp that this is a lofty goal, but I feel that by teaching others, you are able to solidify what you have learned. By teaching their peers, my students are learning all over again. By teaching students, I too am learning all over again.
“Can you help me tie my shoes?” Julio asks a student at his table. “You’re eight years old and you don’t even know how to tie your shoes! What’s wrong with you?” an exasperated girl yells back at Julio. He throws his hands up on his head and conveys a familiar scared and frightened look. I sigh and walk towards the situation. I’m initially angry with the girl for being so insensitive and mean. I reprimand her in front of the class and explain to her that instead of making Julio feel bad about not being able to tie his shoes, she could have offered him assistance or taught him how to do it himself. I let her, as well as the class, know that her actions were unacceptable and would not be tolerated. I made her apologize to Julio and practice responses to Julio’s question that would have been more appropriate. Upset and embarrassed, the girl begins to cry and puts her head down at her table.
Julio is considered to be a high-functioning autistic child. Although performing far above grade level in most subjects, his social behaviors mimic those of a four year old. In the eyes of his peers, many of his actions are viewed as strange and odd. They don’t understand why Julio does the things he does. Situations, like the one detailed above, are becoming more and more frequent. I am noticing that my students are beginning to alienate Julio and are increasingly making mean and hurtful remarks towards him. In class, I am able to control the alienation, and ensure that Julio always has someone to work with during group work. However, during lunch and recess, I usually find Julio spinning and dancing around in circles by himself, in the middle of the courtyard. When I see this, I try to recruit a few students to go and play with him, but I’m usually met with annoyed and frustrated eyes. As with the girl in the first situation, my initial response is to be angry and upset that my students are not more understanding and kind. I suppose I had just expected my students to treat each of their peers with respect, regardless of their differences. I began to realize that I had failed to build a community of respect and tolerance. I had failed to provide my students with tools to appropriately address people who were different then themselves.
It wasn’t just my students who were struggling with how to understand Julio. I too was having a difficult time managing Julio’s distinctive behaviors. A few weeks ago in class, I asked students to underline their vocabulary words with a crayon. As I walked by Julio’s table, I noticed that he was using a crayon the size of pea. Julio, as well as the other students, had just received brand new boxes of crayons three weeks prior. I asked Julio why his crayon was severely broken, and he just shrugged his shoulders. I explained to him that he should be taking care of his supplies, especially since someone else had spent their money to buy them for him. I moved on and continued to walk around the room, checking on students’ work. As I walked back towards Julio’s table, I noticed he was chewing something. “What are you eating Julio?” I asked. He lifted up a little crayon piece in his hand, nodding towards it. “Julio,” I said with noticeable exasperation, “Go and spit it out!” He proceeded to spit out a mouthful of crayon, wrapper and all. I looked inside his supply box and observed that he had eaten about two-thirds of his crayons. Although many students have experimented and eaten their crayons while in preschool or kindergarten, eating them in second grade is not a socially appropriate behavior.
Frustrated, I explained to him that we do not eat non-food items because we can get really sick. I heard kids snickering in the back. I quickly realized that students were closely watching to see how I responded to Julio’s unusual behavior. I knew that my reaction would dictate how students treated Julio in the future. I quickly transitioned my conversation with Julio to a whole class conversation. I explained to all students, not just Julio, the importance of not eating non-food items. I reasoned that since I cared about my students so much, it would make me really sad to see them sick because they had eaten something they were not supposed to. However, it was too late. The damage had been done. I saw students whispering to each other. I saw students making strange faces at Julio. The issue wasn’t getting the class to understand that eating non-food items wasn’t appropriate, it was getting the class to understand that Julio is different and occasionally does odd things. I didn’t explicitly address this, as I should have. I knew then that I needed some additional outside support.
Taking Action
Bothered with my students’ lack of understanding as well as my own increasing frustration, I approached a grade level colleague. Since she was in the same grade level and had occasional contact with Julio, I asked her if she had noticed the same issues I had. She commented that there were a few incidents on the playground where she saw Julio spinning and dancing alone, as well as other students not allowing him to join in on games when he did feel like playing with others. She had noticed the issue, but like myself, did not know quite what to do. She had seen similar incidents in her classroom as well, although not as extreme, and was curious as to what a suitable next step would be.
Feeling hopeless and discouraged, I brought up the situation one night in my graduate class. My class instructors agreed that there was a pertinent issue at hand. One of my instructors recommended that I contact the organizer of an elementary puppet program, The Kids on the Block. The Kids on the Block is an educational program that was created in reaction to the US law that required students with disabilities to be educated in the least restrictive environment. For several students, like Julio, this means that disabled students with be included in a classroom with non-disabled students. Various puppet characters were created to cover a wide range of physical and learning disabilities such as cerebral palsy, visual impairment, ADHD, cancer, HIV/AIDS, autism, etc. Through the use of puppets, non-disabled students are taught how to understand and accept students with disabilities. After performances, students in the audience are encouraged to ask questions directly to the disabled puppet characters.
After checking out the website, I submitted a request to have a performance at my school for my entire grade level. I knew my grade level colleagues would appreciate having their students included in the performance. Due to limited funding, our students rarely get to participate in any type of theatrical performance. We were really excited and shared the great news with our grade level colleagues at the staff meeting that following Friday. Our staff was extremely receptive to the social development opportunity our grade level was going to be a part of. One teacher was so inspired by the idea that he decided to create his own educational puppet program with his sixth grade class. Using student-created sock puppets, he planned on having his sixth graders present various social development pieces to partnering kindergarten and first grade classes at our school. I was amazed to see how much of a difference Julio had made, without even knowing it.
Reflecting
The most important thing I took from this experience was the value a single conversation can have. By simply engaging in a conversation with fellow educators, I was able to effectively address a troubling situation in my classroom as well as set into a motion an inspirational idea that could reach more students than I had originally anticipated. I embraced my colleagues’ thoughts and suggestions and accomplished substantially more than if I approached the situation on my own. If you don’t bring a situation to light, nothing will happen.
I also realized that I was becoming frustrated with my students. Since I understood the concepts of diversity and tolerance, I was able to embrace Julio’s actions and openly welcome him into my classroom. However, I expected my students to have already developed understanding and accepting attitudes towards people’s differences. My students’ hurtful responses to Julio reminded me that tolerance is a learned behavior. I had to recognize that I had failed in assisting my students in creating a supportive community. I needed to take action.
I am hoping that the puppet program will help my class build a supportive community, but I know it is only the beginning. I know that I still have a considerable amount of work to do. The ultimate goal would be to have my students teach others about tolerance and diversity, as my colleague is doing with his sixth graders. I grasp that this is a lofty goal, but I feel that by teaching others, you are able to solidify what you have learned. By teaching their peers, my students are learning all over again. By teaching students, I too am learning all over again.