My Supports

     Within our daily lives, we all need support of some kind. Some of us require technological supports, such as the use of our electronic devices for telling time, keeping schedules, and staying organized. Others require visual support, such as through the use of glasses or contacts. Other people need the use of assistive devices for physical support, such as walkers, chairs that lift us to stand, wheelchairs, or canes. Like many others, I have supports that extend across many different domains. I am supported by others throughout my day, both at home and at work. I also provide support for others within these environments, in a partnership or collegial manner.
     For example, I rely on the emotional support of my husband and extended family to carry me through difficult days, when things just seem too difficult, too overwhelming, or too many. My family helps me calm down, prioritize, and tackle any task that needs to be done. I am supported daily by my husband helping me around the house, getting the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and just about every other household chore done that is necessary to keep the household going. He even makes lunches! There would be no way I could do everything I need to do without such support.  I would not be able to work full time, complete my school work satisfactorily (to my satisfaction or our professor's), and fulfill my other obligations without him. Thanks honey!!! I rely on the support of my colleagues at work when faced with a challenging situation involving my students. We collaborate on how to best meet the needs of our students when one of us is stuck (and sometimes frustrated). Without the support network of colleagues at school, I would have made many mistakes providing my students with the best possible education. Sometimes the perspective of another person, one who does not work with the students day to day, is the best one because it encourages you to think outside the box, to look at the situation differently, which leads to more creative and sometimes more effective solutions. I would definitely not be so successful in my career as a teacher without my colleagues. I am not talking about status as a teacher, title, or anything else other than providing students with the best possible learning experiences. I measure my success by how I am doing as a teacher, meeting their needs. I have definitely benefitted from the knowledge and expertise of many different professionals along the way, and without them I would not have the knowledge, skills, or attitude necessary to meet their needs. Thank you to all of my colleagues who have offered knowledge, skill trainings, ideas, or support to me throughout my career.

For my current course, I need to choose a challenge to hypothetically face, and to brainstorm the supports necessary to be successful to overcome or manage it.

For this exercise, my challenge would be to use a wheelchair and have difficulty communicating verbally. Within my daily environment, I would need to live and work (or attend school) in an environment that is relatively easy to navigate with my wheelchair. This means that it would be free of obstacles, with space between the furniture for easy turning. Furthermore, I would need to find a system of communication that worked for me, whether it was some kind of visual communication board, assistive technology(such as computer, iPad, or eye gaze system), sign language, or any other means necessary to complete my daily tasks. I would need the emotional support of my family and friends to encourage me to keep going when things get tough, to always do my best no matter what, and to believe in me. Without these supports, my physical, social, emotional and cognitive needs would not be met. Physically, because I would not be able to navigate my environment, I would be unable to be independent, something we all strive for. Socially and emotionally, my needs would not be met because I would have no way of communicating them, and people would have no way of knowing what I need or want. Cognitively, my needs would not be met because often, when someone can't speak, people assume that you are mentally disabled as well, and avoid trying to communicate. Life would be very difficult, and would probably lead to feelings of isolation, frustration, anger, depression and possibly even illness if I fell ill and could not communicate my need to see a physician.

As I end today, think about all the supports you have in your life. Who couldn't you live without? Go thank them. And do it often. What couldn't you live without? Now think of how you would do things without that object. Remember this the next time you encounter someone with a disability. How would you like to be treated?  How can you help that child or person be the best person he or she can be? What can we all do to make each other's lives a little bit easier? Now go do it!

My Connections To Play

My Connections to Play

Quotes About Play

"Play brings joy. And it's vital for problem solving, creativity and relationships. "
Margarita Tartakovsky

"Playology is about waking up our senses, infusing our organs of seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, tasting - and the higher cognitive senses as well, with the spirit of play. Play ignites creativity and spontaneity. Playing together leads to trust and cooperation. "
Ellie Katz

"Play is our brain's favorite way of learning."
Dianne Ackerman

"Serious play is not an oxymoron; it is the essence of innovation."
Michael Schrage

"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. "
George Bernard Shaw

Essential Play Items from my Childhood

       

  

As a young child, I remember spending countless hours building with Tinker toys, playing with my mother's pots and pans, and stacking or making forts out of her Tupperware. In addition, I also remember spending countless hours exploring my neighbor's barn and observing her farm animals- sheep, steers, goats, pigs, peacocks, chickens, and ducks, and playing with the never ending supply of kittens from the barn cats. This type of play utilized no toys at all.  Adults in my life supported my play by asking questions, offering suggestions on how something might work better, and answering my questions about just about anything. While I know that I was a helpful child (my parents and other close family tell me so),I don't remember feeling like helping any of the significant adults in my life was work. As Dianne Ackerman said above, "Play is our brain's favorite way of learning." I feel that my helpfulness to others was a form of play, because it helped me learn new things, feel useful and most importantly, it was enjoyable. I also note that most of the things I played with were used in an open-ended manner, and did not have a specific thing I used them for alone. Imagination was key in my play and was encouraged by the adults who cared for me and about me.

Today I notice that many children have difficulty using toys or materials that are open ended. Their first question about a new toy or material is "what does it do?", not "what can I do with it?" I also notice a trend toward electronic toys. This is very disturbing to me because i notice that children do not seem to have the kind of imagination or deep imaginative play that I remember engaging in as a child. This is very different from the creative play I remember from my childhood. I struggle to find non-electronic toys for my young child, ones that encourage exploration and later, as he begins talking, questioning.

I also notice that children today do not seem to have the same amount of time to play as I remember having as a child. Children today seem overscheduled and tired. They do not have the carefree attitude I remember from my childhood, and I am saddened about this. It also worries me about their lives as they grow up, and the added stress. Play is a natural reliever of stress, and if they do not know how to play, the stress continues to compound, therefore causing more and more problems, physically, emotionally, and mentally. It is my hope that more parents and teachers realize the value of play, and the need for children to engage in open ended, creative play, and how important it is to their development. As a new parent, I hope to provide my son with the most free play time possible, so that he can enjoy the same carefree childhood that his father and I remember enjoying as children. We are only children for a few short years, we are adults for much longer. There is plenty of time for work, children need to play! For that matter, adults need to remember to play too. Play relieves stress!