Week Nine: Single Stories.. They Have to Stop

Throughout my schooling there were many “single stories” that looking back now I can easily pick out. The main thing that comes to mind is when I attended the public high school, where inclusion was not a thing. The students were completely separate from the other students and had special helpers and teachers to assist them. When we saw them in the hallways, we looked at them as if they weren't even students. We only saw that side of them. We never got the chance to work with them or even get to know them. It was clear, that it seemed they did not matter as much. They were viewed as helpless and not really given a chance to succeed. In this situation it became clear that our truth and view mattered as those students with the disabilities did not really have much of a voice. They were the ones separated and the rest of us were not. I do not agree with this by any means, as I think inclusion should be implemented in every school; however, this is one story that sticks out when I think of a “single story.”

This schooling has shaped in how I view the world as it has caused me to want to make a difference, wanting inclusion. I think it is important to not separate students as it will cause them to be looked at differently, just like in my schooling experience. If we keep the students together, they will have more learning opportunities and more of a chance to get their voices heard.

A bias I might bring to the classroom is how in my school we had inclusion and many of my friends had siblings that had different needs. By always being around different types of people whether in my classroom or in day to day life, I have seen many different sides. Although it might be a bias, I think it is important to look past the bias and make a difference. They did not choose to be the way they are. They are who they are and we cannot change that. We can work against these biases by not singling anyone out and allowing everyones voices to be heard.