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Did you know that in the movie the Wizard of Oz, the actors and actresses who played the “munchkins” we never even recognized in the credits? Did you know the dog that played Toto was paid more than any of the “munchkins”? I learned this from reading the highly entertaining documentary, The Munchkins of Oz, by Stephen Cox. The book takes a close look at the lives of the 124 Little People (LP) who played the roles of the “munchkins”. This book helped me understand the lengths of discrimination and marginalization that LP have faced.
Harassment
Harassment is one of the most difficult challenges that LP people deal with. “Most individuals with achondroplasia (the most common form of dwarfism) are of normal intelligence and are able to lead independent and productive lives, but because of their disproportionate short stature, a number of psychosocial problems can arise” (Trotter et al, 2005, p 772). As teachers, we need to be aware that the school environment can be one of the harshest environments for students with physical differences. “As widely reported in the literature, school-related disability harassment can create offensive, hostile, and intimidating school environments that can have a very negative effect on school performance and educational opportunities for students. In such embarrassing situations, students with disabilities sometimes will blame themselves and often underreport their experiences of harassment in light of fears of not being believed, little being done if they report experiences to school personnel, and retaliation” (Hozbauer and Clifton, 2010, p 143- 144).
In the book, Little People, Dan Kennedy talks about his life with his daughter who has dwarfism. He talks about the idea of an extremely painful and dangerous “limb lengthening” surgery that can increase his daughter’s height up to 12 inches (some only see an increase of a few inches). More and more LP are electing this surgery, however, many oppose this as they believe it is “slap in the face” to those with dwarfism. Without the surgery his daughter faces the inevitable harassment and discrimination from a cruel world, but with the surgery he may compromise who she is by molding her into the tight confines set by the aesthetics-obsessed society.
The M-Word
The Online Etymology Dictionary defines the word "midget" as “little sand fly… Transferred sense of ‘very small person’ is form 1869” (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=midget). Thanks to P.T. Barnum, who promoted the “M-word” in the mid-1800’s to classify the short statured individuals in his circus “freak show” (Sawisch, 2002). It is easy to see why this word is viewed as hurtful and derogatory. Famous actor Daniel Woodburn, known for LP roles on the hit show Seinfeld, and movie Death to Smoochy, talked about the "m-word" in relation to the "n-word":
“I do believe that it would be great to claim 'the word' [midget] as our own in much the same way as African Americans and Blacks have claimed 'nigger.' The truth is, if I say 'nigger' I am getting my head cracked open, but not too many LP's or Dwarfs are doing any head-crackin' after being addressed as a 'midget,' (just out of sheer self-preservation). Nor are they standing up for their right to be addressed as human beings in a verbal way” (http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050501/COMMENTARY/50429001).
Conclusion
Teachers need to be proactive in learning about the differences students may have. This will help in being more sensitive to their feelings, more aware of their culture, differentiating lessons, providing classroom accommodations, and helping them feel secure in their educational environment. In terms of how this information will affect my instruction, I would like to incorporate morals and manners within my Social Studies curriculum. My students need to understand the ramifications of insensitive comments, questions, and actions. Being curious is natural, and we must promote open communication, however feelings must be taken into consideration for communication to succeed. I plan to have my students keep a journal called "A Day in the Life". Throughout the year I will have lessons on different cultures/groups and after each lesson the students will construct a journal page from that particular group's perspective. This will help develop their acceptance of others and broaden their cultural awareness.
Here is a video for additional education on Dwarfism...
I think many people in our "aesthetics obsessed" culture elect for painful and/or dangerous surgeries. Gastric bypass surgery, cosmetic surgery, limb-lengthening surgery - they all point to the need to fit into a media-defined category of "normal," if not "beautiful." It is easy to understand why this young woman would opt for the surgery - and I can't say that I blame her. I do however, have a problem with our culture, which makes that kind of surgery feel like a necessity.
Genevieve, thank you for saying so perfectly what I was thinking. If they are wanting to do these procedures for themselves, fine, but if it is a result of the problem our culture has, than it is sad.
Great point Genevieve.
Question for everyone: How as teachers can we help change this "aesthetics obsessed" culture we live in? That's where I felt the most difficult part of this assignment was. I think an activity putting students in someone else's shoes can help give them perspective, but I'm having trouble coming up with other activities or lessons.
We do this in health - especially with peer pressure scenarios, body image portrayals...why do you have to follow the crowd? What makes them better than you? Who says? Does everyone ever wonder that "being vain" usually is a sign of covering something else up - they are hiding something.
Yes, many things can accentuate our already natural beauty. But when it has to go to such lengths - having the best clothes, the best shoes, the perfect hair, the perfect make-up, the most muscles, etc. - what are they afraid of? Look in the mirror & tell me your positives. It is a hard activity for anyone to do at any age. But it really points out that you are good the way you are & you have to feel that and believe that.
I would say yes IF it inhibits you from taking advantage of common things w/o assistance - such as driving, reaching the ATM, getting on a bus, cooking, etc.
I agree with Josh. If you have a condition (is it a condition?) that limits your ability to do something physically, then I think it would be a disability.
Is chronic pain considered a disability? If yes, then yes, I would say they have a disability. They are able to do many things like taller people can do, but the availability is not there. So, I don't if that is constituted as a disability or more of a discrimination.
I don't know about "support groups", but clubs yes. We don't really go to talk about all the difficulties in our lives. Its just nice to be around people who are similar to you. I have been to Little People of America conferences which are great, but expensive. But I met some people from this area and we have become great friends who get together and go to the movies or out to dinner, or what not.
In the research I did, I found that most will have life long pain in their backs, knees, and hips. From what I gathered, when they are being formed in the womb cartilage should turn into bone, theirs does not, therefore leaving them with many joint, bone, and pressure issues. The average person with achondroplasia will have multiple surgeries within their lifetime to relieve pain. My authentic voice has had 2 hip replacements, 3 vertebrae-back surgeries, and 4 knee replacements. I'm sure when she joins the discussion she will elaborate.
Yes! Every single LP I know has some sort of health issue. We have terrible problems with our backs, and if you have ever had a back problem you know that it relays more and more problems to the rest of you body. As Hayley mentioned below, I have had multiple surgeries and I have more to come. No matter how many surgeries I have I am still in a lot of pain. It is just something I have learned to live with. Because of our physical issues this leads to lack of physical activity. Most of my friends (myself included) are over weight, have high blood pressure, and can have serious heart conditions. Pool workouts are the best for me because it takes weight off my joints and back, but I just don't do it as much as I should!
There are a lot of LP that "sell themselves" for comedy value. Check out: http://www.rentamidget.com/
Do you think these people are degrading themselves and encouraging discrimination? Or could it be viewed as "making lemonade out of lemons"? Why not make money off it???
That's an interesting point. However, it feels like there's only a relative few in entertainment. It seems like whenever a little person is on tv or in a movie, it's always the same few guys.
I would think the term "Little People" would be deemed negative as well... because it might indicate being less of a person. I feel more comfortable with Dwarf but what do they prefer? Maybe Lord of the Rings has an impacted on this term as well? I could see all kinds of bullying with language for this marginalized group. Btw, I love Daniel Woodburn best as The Green Man that haunts Ed Chigliak in Northern Exposure. He comes off as a confident role model.
YES! I love that show! I wish it was still on.
I read a couple posts where LP wrote that the term "little people" was a mere step up (if that) from "midget" because of just what you said. Some also said that Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs really killed that word too. (That movie is a bad word in their culture)
What to call them? "A person of short stature" However, it seems that most would say they prefer "little person".
I love your video too, it jars so many thoughts. Like, I recall that CSI episode that got into all kinds of issues.
Hi Mary, thanks for sharing your story. I am taking away from all these Wikis that kids are missing a great opportunity by not engaging marginalized peoples. There are so many lessons to learn about overcoming adversity, knowing who your real friends are, seeing things from a different perspective, and learning to not only empathize but at the same time recognize each individual's value to our community. My question for you then is this: How do we tap that opportunity as teachers without being disrespectful or coming off badly?
On Seinfeld, Kramer's friend Mickey would make occasional appearances. What do you think about his character? Was he portrayed in a proper light, or do you think his character embarrassed the little person community?
I'm love Seinfeld! I am not easily offended by LP who utilize what God gave them to make money. In the show Mickey wears lifts in his shoes and gets shunned by the LP community. I think that was a great statement for LP. Be proud of who you are and don't try to pretend to be something different or "fix" your natural state. It is just like the "limb lengthening" surgery Hayley talks about. This sounds extremely drastic to. Maybe out in California where plastic surgery is a normal thing, but certainly not here in Rosemount, MN! I think it's a mistake. Very painful, you still don't look "right". They look very fragile and will have continuing issues due to the surgery. Sorry, I'm going off on a tangent. To answer your question I think he's just as embarrassing to LP as Kramer is to tall people!
Hello. My name is Mary and I am a little person (LP). I have achondroplasia and stand 4 feet 2 inches. School was very hard for me. Not many people in rural MN are very excepting of differences. BUT one plus was as you grow up in a small town everyone knows you and pretty soon they don't even notice your differences. When I was in grade school, students didn't really treat me differently. High school was the most difficult. Kids were mean sometimes. Plus I was in at the age where my friends all had boyfriends and I didn't. One of my most horrible experiences in high school was once asking a boy to dance and he told me I should find someone my own height. That was very difficult to hear especially at that time in my life. There was no one my size unless they were 8!
As for teachers impacting my "marginalized group", there were some teachers who treated me as if I was mentally handicapped. They would talk down to me like I was 5 and they would have zero expectations of me. I think that if they had pushed me like normal students, I might have tried much harder at school and accomplished much more. When people don't believe in you, you don't believe in yourself.
I wish my teachers would have treated me like the other students and held me accountable to meet the same standards. I think that their preconceived thoughts about me really hindered my education. I think this type of class and assignment is great! The more teachers can learn about people's differences the more they can understand how to be positive additions to their education rather than negatives (like mine).
I hope I answered your questions! Please post any questions you have, I am an open book!
Hi Mary,
I should have started off by saying Thank You for sharing your experiences with us. Your insight can make us all appreciate how much we, as teachers, need to KNOW our students so we can properly push them to their learning capacities.
I like that show! And I do think it provides a platform for us. To me, it shows people how "normal" we really are. The family issues, the marital issues, the ups and downs that we all go through regardless of they way were born. Do you watch the show? Hayley shared with me that she watches the show and enjoys it, she said she even learned from it! What about anyone else? Do you watch it? If so what do you think? Did you learn anything?
Great question Jamie.
Yes, I've seen the show! I like it and I do think it's very eye-opening - it definitely gives a good day-to-day glimpse into the life of a LP family. And it also shows people the fact that "average size" people can have little children and LP can have "average size" children! I was amazed at their twins - one a LP and one average height!
I am not much into the reality show genre, but I have watched this show. It's kind of neat how they accommodated their homes to meet their size. I would imagine that this would be kind of expensive because cabinetry would have to be specially built. Are there any other accommodations or modifications that you need to take care of. Are there any resources to help offset these costs? I know if someone has certain medical conditions, medical insurance may cover some of the supplies.
This is the question I was waiting for. It would be tough to make everything accommodating to us and we don't expect it to. In fact, perhaps it helps us learn how to we as individuals have to accommodate to society. That's the way it is in the real world. BUT there are things you can do. First, try to be preemptive about our needs. Its just nice to know you're thinking of us. Like if you have a science lesson in a lab you can already have a stool ready for us, so we don't have to ask. That is really the worst part, reminding people of our "disability". Maybe if your room is by a drinking fountain or a sink, have a stool under it so again, we don't have to ask. It gets old!
One would think that a school would prepare itself when it is known to have a student with needs like this. A school of course wouldn't dream of not having elevators, lifts, etc. for wheelchair bound students (of course it is illegal!)......insane that schools wouldn't bend over backwards to accommodate. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Hi, Mary! Thanks for joining our group. We were discussing something in the last few wks. How is your take on teachers bending down to be at the same height as students such as yourself. Would you have prefered they address you as though you were over 5 feet tall or would you have prefered they benc down to your level when addressing you? Where's the comfort with that? It's a shame to see that you were treated as though you had a disability. It's funny, but not funny, how the human mind works. I wouldn't think your intelligence has anything to do with how tall you are/aren't!! Do you think that as future teachers we could adress an LP at the start of the year and just ask them what they'd like us to keep in mind? Would that be too in-your-face? I actually prefer the honest and open approach, when done in a caring way. I don't want to pretend that I don't notice anyone's condition. Ignorance is not bliss in the classroom.
This is a very enlightening summary in an area we all could and should know more about. Very practical considerations regarding health with this population. You met all the criteria and lead a dynamic discussion. Well done!
1. Research your topic. 5 refs-2 hard copy 25 points
2. Synthesize 200-400 words 25 points
3. Respond to peers. 25 points
4. Introductory statement from guest. Attend 25 points
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Comments (35)
Hayley Lonnquist said
at 1:52 pm on Apr 4, 2011
What are your thoughts on "limb lengthening" surgery?
Genevieve.Bennett@st.bemidjistate.edu said
at 4:40 pm on Apr 4, 2011
I think many people in our "aesthetics obsessed" culture elect for painful and/or dangerous surgeries. Gastric bypass surgery, cosmetic surgery, limb-lengthening surgery - they all point to the need to fit into a media-defined category of "normal," if not "beautiful." It is easy to understand why this young woman would opt for the surgery - and I can't say that I blame her. I do however, have a problem with our culture, which makes that kind of surgery feel like a necessity.
Brenda Mattei said
at 11:44 am on Apr 5, 2011
Genevieve, thank you for saying so perfectly what I was thinking. If they are wanting to do these procedures for themselves, fine, but if it is a result of the problem our culture has, than it is sad.
Hayley Lonnquist said
at 1:12 pm on Apr 5, 2011
Great point Genevieve.
Question for everyone: How as teachers can we help change this "aesthetics obsessed" culture we live in? That's where I felt the most difficult part of this assignment was. I think an activity putting students in someone else's shoes can help give them perspective, but I'm having trouble coming up with other activities or lessons.
Jaime Goulet said
at 7:19 pm on Apr 7, 2011
We do this in health - especially with peer pressure scenarios, body image portrayals...why do you have to follow the crowd? What makes them better than you? Who says? Does everyone ever wonder that "being vain" usually is a sign of covering something else up - they are hiding something.
Yes, many things can accentuate our already natural beauty. But when it has to go to such lengths - having the best clothes, the best shoes, the perfect hair, the perfect make-up, the most muscles, etc. - what are they afraid of? Look in the mirror & tell me your positives. It is a hard activity for anyone to do at any age. But it really points out that you are good the way you are & you have to feel that and believe that.
Darla Stevens said
at 11:33 am on Apr 5, 2011
My first thought it no but it is truly up to the person. If they want to go through it they can. But they don't need it in order to survive.
Hayley Lonnquist said
at 1:53 pm on Apr 4, 2011
Do you think dwarfism is a disability? Many protest being identified as having a disability.
Elizabeth Murray said
at 10:28 pm on Apr 4, 2011
I would say yes IF it inhibits you from taking advantage of common things w/o assistance - such as driving, reaching the ATM, getting on a bus, cooking, etc.
Josh Alessio said
at 6:46 am on Apr 5, 2011
Yes - it limits them physically.
kevin.engel@... said
at 2:33 pm on Apr 8, 2011
I agree with Josh. If you have a condition (is it a condition?) that limits your ability to do something physically, then I think it would be a disability.
Jaime Goulet said
at 7:21 pm on Apr 7, 2011
Is chronic pain considered a disability? If yes, then yes, I would say they have a disability. They are able to do many things like taller people can do, but the availability is not there. So, I don't if that is constituted as a disability or more of a discrimination.
Joshua Voller said
at 6:25 pm on Apr 4, 2011
Do you know of any support groups for people with achondroplasia that are in Minnesota?
neilson.mary@yahoo.com said
at 12:04 am on Apr 16, 2011
I don't know about "support groups", but clubs yes. We don't really go to talk about all the difficulties in our lives. Its just nice to be around people who are similar to you. I have been to Little People of America conferences which are great, but expensive. But I met some people from this area and we have become great friends who get together and go to the movies or out to dinner, or what not.
Brenda Mattei said
at 11:46 am on Apr 5, 2011
Do you know if people with dwarfism have different health problems as a result?
Hayley Lonnquist said
at 1:08 pm on Apr 5, 2011
In the research I did, I found that most will have life long pain in their backs, knees, and hips. From what I gathered, when they are being formed in the womb cartilage should turn into bone, theirs does not, therefore leaving them with many joint, bone, and pressure issues. The average person with achondroplasia will have multiple surgeries within their lifetime to relieve pain. My authentic voice has had 2 hip replacements, 3 vertebrae-back surgeries, and 4 knee replacements. I'm sure when she joins the discussion she will elaborate.
neilson.mary@yahoo.com said
at 12:10 am on Apr 16, 2011
Yes! Every single LP I know has some sort of health issue. We have terrible problems with our backs, and if you have ever had a back problem you know that it relays more and more problems to the rest of you body. As Hayley mentioned below, I have had multiple surgeries and I have more to come. No matter how many surgeries I have I am still in a lot of pain. It is just something I have learned to live with. Because of our physical issues this leads to lack of physical activity. Most of my friends (myself included) are over weight, have high blood pressure, and can have serious heart conditions. Pool workouts are the best for me because it takes weight off my joints and back, but I just don't do it as much as I should!
Hayley Lonnquist said
at 9:44 pm on Apr 7, 2011
There are a lot of LP that "sell themselves" for comedy value. Check out: http://www.rentamidget.com/
Do you think these people are degrading themselves and encouraging discrimination? Or could it be viewed as "making lemonade out of lemons"? Why not make money off it???
Zach Johnson said
at 6:30 pm on Apr 11, 2011
That's an interesting point. However, it feels like there's only a relative few in entertainment. It seems like whenever a little person is on tv or in a movie, it's always the same few guys.
David L Zuck said
at 9:48 pm on Apr 7, 2011
I would think the term "Little People" would be deemed negative as well... because it might indicate being less of a person. I feel more comfortable with Dwarf but what do they prefer? Maybe Lord of the Rings has an impacted on this term as well? I could see all kinds of bullying with language for this marginalized group. Btw, I love Daniel Woodburn best as The Green Man that haunts Ed Chigliak in Northern Exposure. He comes off as a confident role model.
Hayley Lonnquist said
at 10:19 pm on Apr 7, 2011
YES! I love that show! I wish it was still on.
I read a couple posts where LP wrote that the term "little people" was a mere step up (if that) from "midget" because of just what you said. Some also said that Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs really killed that word too. (That movie is a bad word in their culture)
What to call them? "A person of short stature" However, it seems that most would say they prefer "little person".
David L Zuck said
at 8:44 pm on Apr 16, 2011
I love your video too, it jars so many thoughts. Like, I recall that CSI episode that got into all kinds of issues.
Hi Mary, thanks for sharing your story. I am taking away from all these Wikis that kids are missing a great opportunity by not engaging marginalized peoples. There are so many lessons to learn about overcoming adversity, knowing who your real friends are, seeing things from a different perspective, and learning to not only empathize but at the same time recognize each individual's value to our community. My question for you then is this: How do we tap that opportunity as teachers without being disrespectful or coming off badly?
kevin.engel@... said
at 8:53 pm on Apr 15, 2011
On Seinfeld, Kramer's friend Mickey would make occasional appearances. What do you think about his character? Was he portrayed in a proper light, or do you think his character embarrassed the little person community?
neilson.mary@yahoo.com said
at 11:32 pm on Apr 15, 2011
I'm love Seinfeld! I am not easily offended by LP who utilize what God gave them to make money. In the show Mickey wears lifts in his shoes and gets shunned by the LP community. I think that was a great statement for LP. Be proud of who you are and don't try to pretend to be something different or "fix" your natural state. It is just like the "limb lengthening" surgery Hayley talks about. This sounds extremely drastic to. Maybe out in California where plastic surgery is a normal thing, but certainly not here in Rosemount, MN! I think it's a mistake. Very painful, you still don't look "right". They look very fragile and will have continuing issues due to the surgery. Sorry, I'm going off on a tangent. To answer your question I think he's just as embarrassing to LP as Kramer is to tall people!
neilson.mary@yahoo.com said
at 11:57 pm on Apr 15, 2011
Hello. My name is Mary and I am a little person (LP). I have achondroplasia and stand 4 feet 2 inches. School was very hard for me. Not many people in rural MN are very excepting of differences. BUT one plus was as you grow up in a small town everyone knows you and pretty soon they don't even notice your differences. When I was in grade school, students didn't really treat me differently. High school was the most difficult. Kids were mean sometimes. Plus I was in at the age where my friends all had boyfriends and I didn't. One of my most horrible experiences in high school was once asking a boy to dance and he told me I should find someone my own height. That was very difficult to hear especially at that time in my life. There was no one my size unless they were 8!
As for teachers impacting my "marginalized group", there were some teachers who treated me as if I was mentally handicapped. They would talk down to me like I was 5 and they would have zero expectations of me. I think that if they had pushed me like normal students, I might have tried much harder at school and accomplished much more. When people don't believe in you, you don't believe in yourself.
I wish my teachers would have treated me like the other students and held me accountable to meet the same standards. I think that their preconceived thoughts about me really hindered my education. I think this type of class and assignment is great! The more teachers can learn about people's differences the more they can understand how to be positive additions to their education rather than negatives (like mine).
I hope I answered your questions! Please post any questions you have, I am an open book!
Jaime Goulet said
at 6:55 am on Apr 16, 2011
What do you think of the show "Little People, Big World?" Why do you believe that is does or does not provide a platform for Little People?
Jaime Goulet said
at 6:59 am on Apr 16, 2011
Hi Mary,
I should have started off by saying Thank You for sharing your experiences with us. Your insight can make us all appreciate how much we, as teachers, need to KNOW our students so we can properly push them to their learning capacities.
neilson.mary@yahoo.com said
at 11:00 pm on Apr 16, 2011
I like that show! And I do think it provides a platform for us. To me, it shows people how "normal" we really are. The family issues, the marital issues, the ups and downs that we all go through regardless of they way were born. Do you watch the show? Hayley shared with me that she watches the show and enjoys it, she said she even learned from it! What about anyone else? Do you watch it? If so what do you think? Did you learn anything?
Great question Jamie.
Erika Westby said
at 12:27 pm on Apr 17, 2011
Yes, I've seen the show! I like it and I do think it's very eye-opening - it definitely gives a good day-to-day glimpse into the life of a LP family. And it also shows people the fact that "average size" people can have little children and LP can have "average size" children! I was amazed at their twins - one a LP and one average height!
Dan Morrison said
at 7:04 am on Apr 19, 2011
I am not much into the reality show genre, but I have watched this show. It's kind of neat how they accommodated their homes to meet their size. I would imagine that this would be kind of expensive because cabinetry would have to be specially built. Are there any other accommodations or modifications that you need to take care of. Are there any resources to help offset these costs? I know if someone has certain medical conditions, medical insurance may cover some of the supplies.
Abby Larson said
at 10:01 am on Apr 16, 2011
Hi Mary. Thanks for joining us today and sharing your story. As teachers, how could we better accommodate our classrooms?
neilson.mary@yahoo.com said
at 11:08 pm on Apr 16, 2011
This is the question I was waiting for. It would be tough to make everything accommodating to us and we don't expect it to. In fact, perhaps it helps us learn how to we as individuals have to accommodate to society. That's the way it is in the real world. BUT there are things you can do. First, try to be preemptive about our needs. Its just nice to know you're thinking of us. Like if you have a science lesson in a lab you can already have a stool ready for us, so we don't have to ask. That is really the worst part, reminding people of our "disability". Maybe if your room is by a drinking fountain or a sink, have a stool under it so again, we don't have to ask. It gets old!
Elizabeth Murray said
at 12:37 pm on Apr 17, 2011
One would think that a school would prepare itself when it is known to have a student with needs like this. A school of course wouldn't dream of not having elevators, lifts, etc. for wheelchair bound students (of course it is illegal!)......insane that schools wouldn't bend over backwards to accommodate. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Marissa said
at 5:43 pm on Apr 17, 2011
Was there a teacher that really went above and beyond to help you? What in particular did that teacher do?
denise.larson@... said
at 6:40 pm on Apr 17, 2011
Hi, Mary! Thanks for joining our group. We were discussing something in the last few wks. How is your take on teachers bending down to be at the same height as students such as yourself. Would you have prefered they address you as though you were over 5 feet tall or would you have prefered they benc down to your level when addressing you? Where's the comfort with that? It's a shame to see that you were treated as though you had a disability. It's funny, but not funny, how the human mind works. I wouldn't think your intelligence has anything to do with how tall you are/aren't!! Do you think that as future teachers we could adress an LP at the start of the year and just ask them what they'd like us to keep in mind? Would that be too in-your-face? I actually prefer the honest and open approach, when done in a caring way. I don't want to pretend that I don't notice anyone's condition. Ignorance is not bliss in the classroom.
Barbara Bridges said
at 3:03 pm on Apr 28, 2011
This is a very enlightening summary in an area we all could and should know more about. Very practical considerations regarding health with this population. You met all the criteria and lead a dynamic discussion. Well done!
1. Research your topic. 5 refs-2 hard copy 25 points
2. Synthesize 200-400 words 25 points
3. Respond to peers. 25 points
4. Introductory statement from guest. Attend 25 points
You don't have permission to comment on this page.