The "Normal" Kids

When people ask me what I teach and I tell them Special Ed, the first response is always about how I must be so patient.  Then it is usually followed up by some compliment about how special I must be to work with the "tough kids."  While I appreciate the kindness, I don't feel it is necessary at all.  The truth is, I feel SO lucky to get to work with these amazing kids every day.  They probably teach ME more than I can ever teach them.  I feel so privileged that I get to be the teacher that my sweet little ones rely on.  My school has done a wonderful job of integrating special needs students as much as possible into their classrooms and I am really proud of that, but this video reminds me that "normality overlooks the beauty that differences give us."  I hope that if I teach my students anything this year, they will always remember  "you don't have to be normal, you can be extraordinary!"