Inspiration

I guess when reading the story about Micheal Phelps the whole time I had been looking for inspiration for a goal that I no longer am trying to achieve. When I finished the book I realized that I found a new type of inspiration from this story. Growing up I faced many of the same struggles that Micheal did. He explains that he was always picked on for being really tall, picked on because he could not read, spell or write well. I found that having these same struggles and the same passion for swimming and hard work ethic that he does that we are alike in more ways the one. The main idea that I pulled from all this that I can connect to the classroom and my future classroom is that when it comes to students with learning disabilities sometimes it is not the best idea to single them out in front of everyone but to pull them aside and show them what is wrong with them but on top of that show them what skills they have that are outstanding. In Micheal's case it was swimming and sports. When most teachers (from personal experience I am saying this) deal with students like myself and Micheal they always forget to leave the kids with a positive note about themselves. That I find is most important. Kids who get picked on because of their disability are more apt to quit school or fall into a depression quicker than the average student. Both of my older brothers went to the Gow school, which is a boarding school for dyslexic boys.Being very involved with their lives there. I began to pick up at a very young age what many of the teachers were doing every day that made their students so successful. I actually got to have one on one first hand experience my self by going to their summer school there to hone in on my specific needs to prepare me for high school. What you find at a school like Gow is that the teachers sit right next to you in a class room with no more than 6 kids in it and help you one on one. And no matter what ever if you get the problem or question wrong you will be the one to fix your won mistake because you can. Not because your wrong and wont know the answer because you do not understand math. Modern teachers do not know, feel or understand what it is like to struggle with a disability. Until they have sat in a class room with students who are breaking down the problems and sentences their way. Who knows maybe if Micheal Phelps went to the Gow school he would be leading a whole different life right now because he would have gotten the help and attention he needed in high school growing up. He would not have just passed by. My inspiration that I now took from Micheal Phelps is to not go out there and swim for the gold but just to go out there and make it apparent that kids with learning disabilities no matter the strength of the disability learn 100% different than every other student in the class room and deserve a fair chance to get the grades the deserve and the help they deserve so they do not just pass by.