Look around your campus and think about a student – what are they known for?
Maybe your answer to this question is - good values, academic, sporty, smart, great older sibling, kind, caring, compassionate, integrity…..the list could go on for a long time. Now think about the “roles” that some of our students with an IEP have/play. I guarantee that most of them are known for exactly what I just labelled them as – the owner of an IEP! Is that the role we want our students to be known for – IEP student, dumb, slow reader, short-tempered, emotional rollercoaster, too much energy? I know we would never call our students by any of the latter part of this list but this is unfortunately the role they play in the minds of other students on your campus and the negative label that “IEP” can carry – a devalued and underappreciated role. Many of our students are riding a rollercoaster of ups and downs all day just trying to figure out who they are.
Think for a second - if you found the above rocks out in the woods what would you do? Likely leave them - because the value of them is easily seen. Now, the hiker before you kicks the rocks over and you come upon a pile of rocks in the dirt. You'd likely just walk right over them and step on them. Finding that amazing purpose, beauty, and role of our students and helping bring it out to shine and be the focus role they are known for is what we are talking about here.
We need to start helping our students – all students – but those with IEPs shine in the “VALUED” roles they have. Many are amazing, hardworking, big siblings, organized, and focused. A lot are great at collecting printing, group conversation refocusing, sports, honesty, care and compassion, being a good friend, cleaning up around campus, etcetera.
In society – there are many valued roles and we all carry different roles. Maybe “parent”, “Sibling”, “teacher”, “leader”, “adult male/female”, “employee”, “home owner”, “wealthy”. Alternatively, we probably all carry some devalued roles – or roles that are not bad or negative in nature but society does not hold in high value. These roles may be “poor”, “overweight”, “skinny”, “weak”, “old”, “
young”, “high school dropout”, “unemployed”, “widow”, or “unmarried”. Society seems to think less of people that fit into these categories and at some point in everyone’s life – they will find themself carrying one of the roles I just mentioned.
Many of our students are living under the major and devalued role at school of “that kid who meets with the teachers because they do not understand.” I’m not saying we have to give these students fake jobs but rather help encourage them to live out what they already shine at, what they love doing, and what they are good at. Bottom line – school is not for everyone. Some people just do not thrive and are merely trying to survive. However, I would bet those students are really good at something. Can we all help that part of our students shine more this week, month, and/or year? Can we help redefine the focus by giving shoutouts for the things these kids are amazing at? Can we redefine who that student thinks they are, who they are viewed to be, and who they could be?
Let’s try to switch the focus from “He/she has an IEP because he is not good at school” to something valued like “He is such a good leader”, “She is the best basketball player on campus”, or “They are always getting house points for cleaning up after Lunch”.
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