Recognizing Abilities

Although many would say being confined to a wheelchair is a disability, Jeffrey never thought of himself as physically handicapped. He has always been quite active in school and community activities.  He always wanted to give back to society and decided that being a teacher would be a perfect opportunity to show the world that he could overcome any challenges.

“Throughout high school and college, I worked hard to help make sure that public institutions were following the laws set forth to provide accommodation and access for people with disabilities. The university I attended could easily be considered a role model for providing not only physical access to all areas on campus, but a thoughtful and understanding faculty to help all students reach their full potential, especially during the student teaching term. My practicum experience was outstanding as I observed and worked in a second grade classroom.”

Jeffrey was looking forward to starting his first year of teaching and working with his mentor, Cheryl. They were scheduled to meet one week before school started but an unexpected illness prevented her from meeting Jeffrey and starting the school year. She would not start school until the fourth week but insisted on being Jeffrey’s mentor.  The director of the induction program asked the other mentors to pitch in and help Jeffrey during the first four weeks of school until Cheryl came back. Although not ideal, it was an appropriate temporary solution.

“Everyone was so helpful. The kids were terrific, and the parents more than eager to help as volunteers with my reading and math groups. I had some limited contact with Cheryl who tried her best to help out but it was difficult for us to communicate. The other teachers filled in nicely during her absences.”

Cheryl returned in October and almost immediately felt compelled to “undo” what Jeffrey had started.  She said she was sorry to not have been present during the first month of school but made many suggestions to Jeffrey about his teaching methods.  Most of the strategies Cheryl suggested were contrary to his style. He had a comfortable relationship with his class but Cheryl all but said, “You’re doing this all wrong and we need to make some major repairs.”  Needless to say, Jeffrey was unexcited about her return.  What made matters worse was when Jeffrey heard Cheryl make a comment to another teacher that she couldn’t believe the school would hire a teacher in a wheelchair.

“I was really shocked to hear her comments and negativity directed at me. I knew she was upset about the fact that she had a late start at a critical time in the school year, but felt she was taking it out on me. I knew I was a strong person and just reminded myself that as a teacher, you simply close the classroom door and it’s just you and the students.  You’re in charge and the rest of the world can’t interfere with your teaching. I tried my best to resolve the not-so-good situation but decided to do as best as I could to get along with my mentor. It was yet another challenge I felt I could handle.”

Questions

1. What are some of the federal protection laws for employees, as well as students, with disabilities?
2. Should the school have assigned another mentor for Jeffrey knowing that Cheryl was not able to start on day one? Were “fill-ins” an OK solution?
3. What are some strategies that new teachers might use when their mentor is overbearing and too “bossy” in the relationship?
4. What are some suggestions for screening teachers before deciding if they should become mentors? What are some ways in which the selection process could be improved in order to screen out potential problems?

Another Look

It is unfortunate that Jeffrey and his mentor Cheryl have not been able to establish a strong collegial relationship.  A substantial impediment to gaining each other’s trust is Cheryl’s attitude about Jeffrey’s disability.  She has pre-qualified him as a man who cannot effectively teach children based on the fact that he uses a wheelchair.  It may be possible that Cheryl’s criticism of his teaching is unfairly connected to his physical disability.

In order to be an effective mentor, Cheryl needs to understand that Jeffrey may need to use alternative instructional techniques, but that his style of teaching is just as valid as anyone else’s.  In some cases, Jeffrey may even have distinct advantages over other teachers.  This idea is illuminated in an Edutopia article about four excellent educators, all who have had to overcome obstacles in their careers as teachers.  Amanda Trei, Tricia Downing, Gary LeGates, and Wendy Shugol are all successful teachers who happen to have physical disabilities.

Trei was in a severe car accident when she was a teenager.  Her lower body is paralyzed, and she uses a wheelchair.  She does not see this as a problem when it comes to teaching young children in her special education class. In fact, she says, “‘I have a one-up on anybody who can walk, because I can see what my students need, and I can see the struggles they're going to face.  Somebody who isn't disabled -- they can read about it, they can watch it, but if they never live through it, they never really know.’”

Tricia Downing is a competitive athlete and an internship coordinator at a Denver magnet high school.  An Iron-Man tri-athlete, she is the first paraplegic woman to compete in the world-class event.  Her outlook is much the same as Trei’s; “‘Sometimes, students get stuck in their teenage world, where everything's a crisis,’ she says. ‘I've been able to get across to students that the world is bigger than their problems. My message is that life is full of challenges, but if you're willing to try to overcome them, you can find the resources within yourself.’”

Gary LeGates’s story, like that of Trei and Downing’s, is simply extraordinary.  LeGates started teaching in the late 1970’s despite considerable challenges in getting hired.  He says, “‘People were afraid to hire a blind person. I think they were afraid I wouldn't be able to handle the classroom situation.’"  Not only has he been able to handle the classroom, but LeGates has left a lasting legacy.  Reflecting on LeGates’s retirement, Principal John Seaman, whose son was a student of LeGates’s, says, “‘I'm convinced that our students have gained an understanding that having an obvious handicap does not preclude someone from being a professional and an intellectual.  We will miss him as an influence.’”  LeGates reports, though, that schools are still not open to the possibility of a blind person being a successful, competent teacher, especially with the new challenges facing educators today.

An important aspect of these teachers’ jobs is their role as advocate for students with disabilities.  Wendy Shugol, an elementary school teacher with cerebral palsy, explains that “she pushes other teachers to let disabled students decide whether to try something, rather than deciding for them. ‘I find my nondisabled counterparts making judgments about students based on what the kids look like,’ she says. Years ago, she successfully lobbied for the physical disabilities department to offer more demanding courses such as algebra and physics, and for the school to offer late busing for her students so they could stay for extra help or participate in clubs.”

Effective mentors will understand that new teachers with disabilities have just as much to give to their schools as their able-bodied counterparts.  Mentors of new teachers with disabilities should not ignore the disabilities of their protégés, rather they should understand that this facet of their life can be enriching to those around them.