My Supports

What is support? Is it knowing that someone is there to catch you when you have fallen? It is having someone who you trust to listen to you when you have had a bad day? Or is it team work? Support is all of the things I just listed and many more. Support is need in every day especially in my classroom setting.

There are several factors that I view within my daily environment that are supportive to me. Here are just a few factors I feel are a great deal of importance:

• Effective communication. I need to be able to have meaningful conversations with others. Without effective communication, my life would seem meaningless. I enjoy talking to others. Especially my students and their parents. It would kill me knowing that nothing worthy is coming out of my communication.
• My family. Family means everything to me. I do not know who I would be without my family. I talk to my mom and my sister every day. Blood is thicker than water and I feel that if it was not for my family, I would not be where I am today. There were times when I had to ask my mom for help with my children and she was always there to watch them for me. My life would be a wreck without my family and that is a fact.
• My calendar. I have every appointment to every event that my children are in on my calendar. It also helps me to know what day it is. I feel a calendar is a support for everybody. If I did not have my calendar, how would I know what are the plans for that day? My calendar is very important to me.
• My car. Now I think I can speak for everybody who has a job how important it is to have a car. Gas prices have gone down a tad but still not enough to see people smiling when they have to put $40-$60 worth of gas in their cars. My car supports me to get to wherever I need to go. Without my car, I would have to walk to work and that is not a good thing.
• Team work. I work with my students' parents to reach a common goal: to ensure that every child reaches their full potential in my classroom. There is no "I" in "team." Nobody can achieve anything alone. We always need to lend a hand to others.
• My cell phone. All my contacts are in my cell phone. I think everybody has a cell phone and to some extent that cell phone is ALWAYS with them. Technology has taken a toll on today's generations but cell phones holds a great importance in not only my life but in others' as well. Without my cell phone, to be honest, I might go half crazy.

These are just a few of the many factors that supports me in my daily life. As one can see, many of the factors I had ranged from emotional to physical support. Either way it goes, support is support. I was asked to imagine myself with a specific challenge, one that I do not currently have. The challenge I chose is the inability to speak. How would I communicate with others effectively? How would I support this challenge that I have? These are the questions that sticks in my mind. When I think about what kind of supports I would want and need emotionally, practically, and physically, the first thing that comes to mind is that I would not want people to look at or treat me differently. I would just not have the ability to talk and I know how quick people are to approach those with disabilities. That is basically what this whole blog is about. To show how important support is not only for those without disabilities but those with disabilities as well.

Here are just a few factors I feel that will support me with my new found challenge:

• Patience. I would appreciate it greatly if everybody were to take the time to communicate with me (in this case, ASL (American Sign Language) would be used). One thing I dislike is when people are impatient. That is why I take the time with my students' families to build relationships with them. Without patience, I feel that nothing can be accomplished.
• Languge acquisition. In this case, I would have to learn along with my friends and loved ones sign language. I wouldn't necessarily look at this as a downfall though. Acquiring a new language is always a plus. I feel it would strengthen me as an individual and support me in a tramatic way.

Support comes in all shapes and sizes. Support is getting what you need on a daily basis. In the words of Muhammad, "Four things support the world: the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the good, and the valor of the brave."