Learning life lessons

Student teachers gain wisdom from their special students BY MALINDA OSBORNE SVN REPORTER mosborne@svnmail.com DIXON - When students step foot in Sue Buckley's special education classroom, they each have their own reason - some come to learn and others come to teach. Whatever the reason, she knows each will leave more tolerant and patient, virtues not found in your everyday lesson plan. "We're sending out people less discriminating than the rest of the world," Buckley said. Buckley teaches special education classes at Dixon High School through the Lee County Special Education Cooperative. She and fellow special education teacher Jean Bowser work with students on performing basic tasks, such as how to count money and do laundry. Every year they are assisted by Dixon High juniors and seniors in taking a community service course, which earns them one-half of an elective credit. About 125 students are participating in the community service class this semester, said Steve Hodson, high school counselor. Hodson says the class is one of the most valuable at the school, because it teaches them important non-academic lessons, such as learning to interact with people who are different than themselves. Hodson has noticed that students who often find themselves prone to trouble, shine the most in this setting. "It brings out the best in some kids. It's an interesting phenomenon. ... They're given responsibilities they're not used to receiving. It's interesting when they're given that and you see what they can do with that," Hodson said. Hodson's predecessor, Jack Dempsey, started the program more than 10 years ago. After nine years teaching at Dixon, Buckley said the student helpers play an integral role in educating their disabled peers. Because she deals with students who have a wide range of impairments - from deafness to blindness to learning disabilities - giving individualized instruction is important. "The community service helps us teach at the different levels," Buckley said. "You can have someone teaching how to add single-digit numbers and another group learning multiplication." Some of the student volunteers come to the class with some experience; They have a relative with a handicap or their parents who work with people with disabilities. For those who haven't, the initial experience can come as a shock. "Sometimes they're scared. They don't have a clue how to interact with them or what to do in response," Buckley said. Eventually, they all catch on, though, she said. Buckley remembers one former student who, on the first day, picked up an assignment sheet and started teaching their partner. She was amazed. "He later wrote that being in this class brought out skills he never thought he had," Buckley said. That's not uncommon, for students to say they found leadership or teaching skills from the experience. Christopher West, a senior, said he expected the class to be difficult because he would be teaching. Instead, he sound it easy because the kids were smart. In fact, the only intimidating part, he said, was that the class was mostly girls. "You treat others as you want to be treated, even if you don't understand how to," West said. More importantly, Buckley noted, is that student helpers learn about their disabled classmates when they might not have otherwise. "The depth with which they look at my students ..." Buckley said. "They finally come to understand they're just like them, with regular feelings, who get in fights with their friends. They appreciate them as people more than they ever did before." Tyler Miller, a junior, said it brings a smile to his face when he sees people from the life skills class say hello to him in the hallway. "You kind of learn not to judge people," said Miller, whose late aunt worked at Kreider Services. For the kids with disabilities, they have the benefit of interacting with other kids, which helps them learn social skills as well as academic and life skills. Simply being there - not learning, but the regular interaction - is huge, Buckley said. Reach Malinda Osborne at (815) 284-2222 or (800) 798-4085, ext. 526.