Educational therapy

Before I became a mom, I was a teacher. I loved teaching. There was nothing quite like seeing the light go on in a student’s head to make my day. I loved the impact that I had on these children’s lives. I was awed and humbled by the way they looked up to me and accepted most of what I said as Gospel truth. I was constantly reminded to make sure that what I said and the example that I left them was right. Although I moved many times during my career, I was usually able to find a good teaching job. I have enjoyed the privilege of teaching at five different excellent Christian schools in different cities.

Every year I seemed to have at least one student in my class who would work hard, and yet could not seem to keep up. As a result they were criticized by those who think that they were just giving up, even though each assignment took them ten times longer than any of the other students to complete. They had been told to just work harder, and lost recess, P.E., and the other things they enjoyed about school in order to be tutored or spend extra time on an assignment. I have watched as these children started out the year really trying to give it their all, but soon grew discouraged and gave up, thinking that the tasks given them were impossible. Their self-esteem and social relationships also suffered. I have hurt greatly for these children, because while I knew that their current situation was not helping them, I did not know where to send them for help. I worked with these students and tutored them, but knew that without that tutoring, and sometimes even with it, they were not prepared to succeed independently. I knew that in each case, it would not be long before I would again move, and I did not have time to establish the kind of program that they needed.

Two of the schools at which I taught had wonderful programs where students who needed help for a learning disability could go and get educational therapy which would actually help strengthen the synapses of their brains in the areas of weakness. One student who was in my eighth grade English class was a graduate of this program. She wrote one of the best research papers in the class. At both schools I saw students who were equipped to be independent learners, and who were freed from the frustrations brought on by their learning disabilities. I decided that if I ever had the opportunity to learn how these educational therapies were done, I would take it.

A little over a month ago I learned that the initial training for educational therapists like the ones at the schools with the highly successful programs, was being offered in my area. It was set up to be offered on weekends throughout the fall, and by taking it, one could earn graduate credit. Even though I am not currently teaching, I have seen the value of this therapy enough to want to take the class. So this past weekend, my trek toward learning began. I don’t yet know what I will do with this training, (I am very happy being a work-at-home mom!) but I am confident that somehow, someday God will use it to bring glory to Himself.