Prompt IV Kliewer
As an immigrant with over ten years of experience working with adults with disability, I believed I will bring a vast experience to my classroom. In Sierra Leone the country of my birth, people with disability are not considered fit to live in society. They are usually hidden away from the public and most considered it a disgrace to their family. Having worked in this field I have learned that we have to look past their disability and see then as a whole person, who has something to give to society.

I agreed with Kliewer that schools should not be as cultural sorting machines location that “justifies a competitive ethic that marginalizes certain students or groups of students…” As a teacher in this classroom I would strive to bring out the best in my students, work with them as an individual, as each one is unique person. Separating students with disabilities is a disadvantage to the students, as it does not bring out the full potential of the students. These students are not giving a chance to socialize with other than their own kind.

Going to school I never got the opportunity to meet someone who has a mental disability, working in this field opened my eyes to all the possibilities that are out there, if they are given a chance to live. I have seen how this has affected the lives of children with disabilities in my country. Some of them are afraid to be seen in public, they are always in hiding. This is for true with Kliewer argument that “transactional relationship of human reciprocity: Community acceptance requires opportunity for individual participation in the group, but opportunity cannot exist outside of community acceptance”.

I love to see the expression on their faces when they can complete a task by themselves. I have learned to repeat myself over and over without being frustrated, knowing that the end result is worth all the repeating in the world. Working with special needs children calls for patience, creativity and are lot of improvising, and these are all qualities that I have mastered over the years.

My ethnic background is another tool that I can bring to this classroom. Four of the student’s parents are from African, since I was born and raised in Sierra Leone, which is a small country in West Africa, I would be able to relate with them when it comes to cultural issues. Talking to parents will be much easier as most African parents would open up to another African. I could be able to bridge the gap when it comes to dealing with culture and a child with a disability.