To a lot of people work is a four letter word. With any profession it is really important to do something you love. I was fortunate enough to land in a profession I loved, teacher of the handicapped. I taught Emotionally Challenged students for 37 years and loved every minute of it. Early on in my profession I attended a workshop and walked away with a couple of little nuggets that served me well. Those nuggets were to have students feel like they were connected and contributing. There is no better way to address these two factors then instilling in young minds the value of hard work. In this case work would come in the way of learning. Students were placed into my self-contained program, due to their disruptive behavior in the main stream classes. My program was their last chance. The first thing I would tell my kids is that in this class you start with a clean slate. I would explain to them what my expectations were and that hard work was the key. Their previous classroom experiences left them on an island. They did not feel connected to the school community and therefore had no desire to contribute. Their disruptive behavior was their way to avoid failure. Getting sent to the principal's office was easier on them emotionally than failing in front of their peers. When they truly felt that I was a vested partner in their journey and would work tirelessly to help them succeed they would feel that connection. Their first feeling on connection was with me. I would not accept failure, but did not ridicule them when they did. Instead we would just work harder. Before to long accomplishments would be realized. Instead of disruptive behavior they would become an active learners. This is when that feeling of contributing would take hold. It was a feeling like no other to see them blossom into productive students. Being a teacher for so many years, it really hits home when another school shooting occurs. What is the first thing we learn about the individual who has taken the lives of his fellow classmates? They were a loner, living on an island with no sense of belonging.
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