"Lost in a Sea of Ink"

Roseanne Slater

Think piece 8

            As I started to read the article, Lost in a sea of ink: How I survived the storm, by Andrew D. Sheehan and Cynthia M.  Sheehan, I was immediately drawn to Andrew’s story and the journey he and his mother (Cynthia Sheehan) traveled. Andrew  was diagnosed with a writing disability, ADHD, hearing loss, and profound learning disabilities.   The section in which a teacher commented on Andrews work left me feeling angry and sorry for this young boy, who was completely misunderstood. The teacher wrote:

            Unacceptable work, Andrew! Andrew was sent to

            the office to do his work. Of course it was done

            poorly, but I wanted to make an "impression" on

            him about doing his work. I must say, I have become

            quite frustrated about his performance in school. N.E.

            (teachers initials) This paper represents  a full day’s work.

            He also managed to squeeze in  math paper.  (pg. 21)

            I believe this comment should leave every teacher cringing in their seats.

Sadly, Andrew was thrown into a system that did not understand his needs, and where Andrews attempts to be successful were deemed “unacceptable”. My heart broke as I read his story, as it related to some of my own experiences in education. The school psychologist even told Cynthia that “Andrew was not disabled and that if we would just leave him alone he would be OK” ( pg 21-22) Once again this story sounds familiar to my own. I do not understand, and maybe I will never understand why is it that people who have the ability to make a difference in a child’s life (or anyone’s life) choose not to? Why don’t they do their jobs, educate? Why don’t they stand up for those who need to be spoken for? What stops them? I know the feeling of overcoming a disability, and it is the most life changing feeling a student can have. It is a feeling that will leave them fighting and wanting more, it allows them to succeed!

            Andrew was also a very gifted student in that he could write a great paper, but had difficulty with a simple sentence; he has high vocabulary, was gifted in science but often couldn’t remember his homework, or seem disorganized. It appeared that Andrew was maybe just lazy? For those teachers who do not take the time to understand a student, or study a disability it would appear that Andrew is indeed lazy, and has no disability. It is extremely important; let me say that again, it is extremely important that teachers are educated in the field of special education, or at least have the desire to educate themselves on disabilities.

            Andrew’s mother spoke of two teachers who made the difference in Andrew’s experience in a public education. Sometimes it only takes a few teachers to make a difference in a student’s life. From my own experience I can recall the few the teachers who made the world of difference in my life. Those few teachers gave me the necessary tools to succeed in school and in finding what works for me. I was able to take my knowledge and experience into other classrooms that did not consider my needs. They gave me the tools to become a self advocate thus allowing me to walk into any classroom. Sometimes it takes just one.

cultural diversity

            Immigrant Students and Literacy: Reading, Writing and Remembering by, Gerald Campano, begins with the compelling story of Gerald’s grandfather, Faustino. Faustino came to America in search of a better life but soon found out that foreigners were seen as inferior. As a sailor in the U.S Navy he “always found people” and a community, he never gave up on his journey in becoming an individual and eventually achieved “solidarity with his fellow sailors” ( pg. xiii). With this story Gerald Campano mentions how it can be a challenge to view the lives of immigrants, and to fully understand their journey in the United States. As educators we need to surpass are own personal boundaries to expand are ability to teach those students who are culturally diverse.

            Campano writes this book to “invite teachers to imagine their own classrooms as collaborative sites of inquiry that may inform their practice and have general relevance to the larger educational community” (pg 5) After reading this book one can see the power of inquiry in a classroom and the power a story holds, as this is how Campano explores what it means to teach in a diverse community. In chapter six a section reads “This was a day that had swollen my heart” (pg 80). This section displays not only how boundaries are broken in classroom but how reestablishing boundaries can allow a classroom to explode with success and excitement. Campano allowed his students to have a voice which allowed the hopes and dreams of the community to flood the classroom. The students adapted the school curriculum to reflect their own worldly views. As a teacher Campano also adjusted the curriculum to better fit his students and their needs. He was also concerned with how a school can transform itself by looking at the knowledge and experiences of the students who walk within the walls of that school. Making students out to be individuals and allowing them to reach out and share their stories allows for empathy for one another.  All of the students wrote stories that centered on their families or friends in other towns. Campano and the class made a global bulletin board that displayed the student work allowing the students to even hang pictures of their friends and family. This created a community and allowed the students to even ask each other about their families. The activity transformed family history into collective inquiry.

            I have been in several city schools, and have viewed the cultural diversity within these schools. While I greatly enjoyed my time at the city schools I was able to witness some of the hatred that ran within the school walls. Students from different cultural backgrounds often had difficulty getting along with one another. I feel that as an educator it is my job to make a community within my classroom. It is my job to allow my students the chance to get to know one another. I feel that if these students were given the chance to share life stories that they would see the similarities that exist among them. Thus giving the students the chance to relate and empathize with each other. I also do not believe that this problem only affects our city schools, or more culturally diverse schools. Even while observing in more suburban settings the students often feared those who were different. Socio-economic status along with ethnicity seemed to be a large dividing factor, even among the younger students.  As a teacher we need to break these barriers that exist in our classrooms and schools. We need to allow our curriculum to cater to the differences that thrive in our schools.