We Gave Back

Last winter, I felt compelled to join a challenge that involved upping the ante in my personal life. I was going to give back.

Whether true or not, I feel that my profession has been a calling. I have been working with people who have disabilities for about ten years. This has been something that was not planned by me, but something I stumbled into junior year and never left. It is perhaps a gift, it has always fulfilled me. I love my work now, as I'm able to teach young people with disabilities functional skills that will serve to transition them to the next step in their lives, be it our district's transition program (kids with special needs may attend public school until they are 21) or a job after high school.

This past spring semester, my co-teacher and I taught a unit on community service. We taught kids about giving back to the community, what types of community service are available, and why someone would participate in a volunteer job. Students used the internet to look up local agencies where they could possibly volunteer. I also had them present what they learned about service to the rest of the class.

In May, we went to a camp run by Boys & Girls Club. We worked for an hour and a half helping them clean up their camp. Half of the group helped to move a pile of branches off of their volleyball courts to another spot and the other group picked up litter along their fenceline. Every student helped. It was hot and it was hard work. Many complained, but everyone worked.

When we were finished, we went inside for sack lunches and a presentation about Boys & Girls Club and what they are all about. The staff there told our students that they provided about $500 worth of service that day and that it was 50 hours of work that we saved them. It was a great day.

When we got back, I emailed the staff at our school. I presented them with a definition of achievement and stated that it comes in many forms. I told my fellow teachers that on that day, my students demonstrated proficiency in community service. It struck a nerve and I received many emails back from colleagues praising our students. Then my principal asked that the photos I had taken be put on the front page of our school's website. My special education director was so proud, she asked that it be put on our district's web page as a news item, and it was! What a positive message that was shared, not to mention how proud my students were to be local celebrities on the internet!

Not only did my students learn about giving back to the community, but so did I.

As I teach, I always learn.

Pen Pals

Keeping in touch with my grandparents had been on my mind. When we had to miss Christmas this year, I didn't get to see any extended family. I couldn't help but fear, what if someone were to pass on this year? And I missed their last Christmas? I know it's a little morbid, but it was an honest fear. The Hubs lost both his grandfather and grandmother to strokes in the last two years. I have a grandfather and two grandmothers who are alive and well. They are so very dear to me.

If I'm honest, it's hard to see them grow old. It brings thoughts to my head of my own parents aging and even of myself at age 80. The great part is that my grandparents have led these lives full of family and service. They have rich histories written in their wrinkles. The hard part is that in my head, they are still in their 60's, gardening and doing volunteer work. When we head back to my folks and visit with the grandparents, their age surprises me. It gets harder for them to get around. The pace is s-l-o-w. I don't want them to ail. I don't want them to age. Time is a tricky thing.

It has bothered me for years that I'm not in touch with them more. Phone calls are difficult, I usually think of it when it's too late to call or when I can't really take the time to make a call. I'm also not great at chit chat and feel akward sometimes calling people just because.

Then this holiday season, it occurred to me. What better way to keep in touch than by writing letters! I love correspondence. You know the kind. With stationary and a pen and stamps? Love it! I've written monthly updates so far, and sent them off to my grandparents. It gives them something in the mail (don't you love getting mail that's not a bill or credit card offer?) and also keeps them up on what's going on with their big city grandkid. It's a win-win.

It's one small thing that I've been doing to brighten someone's day. It's not global. It's not changing the world.

But it sure feels great.

Teaching to Give Back

Jen and Mad are having a Just Posts baby shower. They're calling on people to do some good (grammar much?).

Here's a snippet from Under the Mad Hat (I just call her Mad, as in short for a beautiful name, more than Mad like crazy. I digress):

The Just Posts will continue and we'll continue to host all of the terrific writings for social justice in all shapes and sizes. But we are adding a baby and her name is Volunteerism. It's time to put all of our words into action. Collectively, separately. We are committing to writing and doing in whatever form that means for each of us.And this is where all of you come in. A baby deserves a baby shower, and your gifts are your writings about what it will mean to give of your time, what extra steps you will take to give back to your community and to our world, and what commitments we can all hold each other accountable to and how we can cheer each other on as we go.

Isn't that exciting?

I wrote about my own feelings about volunteering my time. There just aren't enough hours in the day. Then Aliki wrote a great comment on Giving More about how she oversees her students' community service projects. Hey! Students! I've got students! I was suddenly inspired (Thanks Aliki).

I teach students with mild to moderate cognitive disabilities and several other categories of disabilities that make it necessary to teach curriculum that is not aligned with our district's general education. It used to be called "self-contained" special ed, but it really isn't. My students take other classes for their electives. I teach reading, English, science, social studies, math, and Work Introduction Network. I teach students in grades 9-12, so get to have kids for four years. The great thing is that I get to teach a lot of life skills and functional skills to the kids. For our Work Introduction Network class (we call it WIN), I get to pick units based on a general guideline, but can create new units. What better thing to teach high school kids than community service? Than the value of giving back? I am going to pool some resources from different online sources to teach these kids the value of volunteerism. Then we will choose a project to do as a group, or split into a few small groups to do a few projects. I AM EXCITED! This topic will be fun, hands-on, and will be something that my students can take home with them and hopefully will multiply.

I've read a lot on how giving back, volunteering, community service, raises a person's self-esteem. It makes people feel better about themselves and gives them something to be proud of. It is something that is often missing in the life of a person with a disability. Many people with more severe disabilities spend their lives being cared for, being served, and aren't given the chance to pay it forward. By giving people the opportunity to serve others, you help their own psyche, as well as provide community service to a local agency.

I haven't decided yet what sort of projects we will do. My plan is to have a list and let kids sign up for what interests them. If anyone has ideas for simple community service projects, I'll take them! It mostly needs to be something we can do on-site at school, but we could possibly do a one day trip if we need to.

I can't wait to read what others have planned in terms of community service. In terms of volunteerism. The whole topic is one that gets me very excited, if you couldn't tell. Time to roll up my sleeves and get out there! I plan to do updates as we get into the unit. This will be a 9 week thing, or maybe even for the rest of the school year. I've got a lot of planning to do.

Giving More

Jen and Mad are expanding their Just Posts with a beautiful challenge for the coming year. Volunteerism.

Which, of course, got me thinking.

My background in social work. I've got a b.s in it. For real. B.S.

I spent four years in my undergrad planning to save my small corner of the world. I learned so much about the field of social work at a individual, group, and community level. I learned how to counsel. How to case manage. I learned about stress management and boundaries. I learned about burn out. About professionalism in human services. About communication. It was a fantastic education and my excitement was huge. I was social work student of the year in 2000. I graduated summa cum laude. I could hardly pick a focus. Medical social work? Government? Homeless programs? Teen moms? Not-for-profit? Corporate?

The possibilities were endless and I was excited!

I ended up working with people with disabilities in a government case management role. It fit my personality and I loved this population of people. What a great feeling it was, to help people and their families get all of the supports that they need.

After several years working in this position, my life had really changed. I had a child. Suddenly, my focus was not on saving people of the world. It was in rearing just this little one. She was my Focus. I realized that I needed a change, that would be better for my family, better for me. I also disliked the hands-off nature of case management. I saw many ill-equipped people trying to educate and assist people with disabilities, and do a crappy job of it. I wanted to get my hands dirty, to get in there and try to make a real difference.

I went back to school and earned a master's of education in special education. It took my two years and eight months. Many tears. Many miles.

Here I am today, now trying to rear two small ones. Two people who have my Focus. And twenty-seven teenagers with special needs, who I am also trying to help out. I am a teacher.

So my focus is on my family and my career. My home and my marriage. We go to church (sometimes). A church that is very service driven. A church that challenges people to help the least of us. A church that is not satisfied with only attendance.

I often have guilt. Over my self-absorption. What about all of those other things I wanted to do? The teen moms? The sick children? The homeless? The aging veterans?

But self-absorption is certainly not the right term. I haven't had a hair cut in 7 months (really). I take care of many others before myself. But there are the "others", the populations of those in need that I wanted to save as a social worker.

It becomes a choice for me. Do I spread myself more thin with a few hours a month at the Children's Hospital or Veteran's Home? Or do I make a commitment to giving more energy and more passion to the things I am already doing?

I will be a better teacher. I will be a better wife. I will be a better mother.

Those are the things that this year, I am volunteering to do. This year, I will do better for those that I am already committed to.

When my children are older, when they are more portable, we will help our community. I will teach my children to give back. I will teach my children to respect and honor difference. We will be a family that volunteers. I will be a retired teacher who possibly starts her own private not-for-profit. Or the teacher/social worker who does something wonderful for our community. Or the one who runs for local office on a platform that speaks up for people with exceptionalities. Something that does make a difference. It will involve my passions and my skills.

But for now, I will be dormant. One who stays sane at home. And who does right by the wee ones in my home. I resolve to do better here. And extend myself perhaps a bit more at church, through the programs that are already established there.

We can give of ourselves more this year than last.
I am going to do that.