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Dear Joey,

I understand where you are coming from when you describe the differences you feel between you and your other classmates. You wrote “I don’t get how they think I’m such a pain.” You do not understand how what you choose to do effects those around you. You’re only doing what comes to your mind. That is the problem. The teachers send you out in the rain to close their windows because they don’t want to deal with you. That is not the teacher I hope to be. I would also never give you an “awesome kid” stamp if you were not in fact being an awesome kid.

I love how Mrs. Maxy was understanding enough when you cut your finger in the pencil sharpener to tell you that it was going to be alright and to keep you calm. I also understand how one little detail can make your mind race a million miles an hour.  You talked about how you cannot wait for a question to finish being asked. You compared it to watching someone draw an elephant starting with the tail but thinking about a million other animals with tails. I can relate to that feeling. A million things go through my head as well as soon as a teacher starts asking a question. Patricia Dunn’s article “Reseeing Disability” talks about how some “disabling aspects of a person’s experience are constructed by society.” The fact that you are able to come up with so many connecting ideas off of a single thought is a skill and not necessarily a disability. However, learning how to ensure your thought process benefits you rather than hurts you is important. That’s why I’m glad you listened to your special education teachers and found your way out of the program.

Another point you made that really got me thinking was how you said most of the people in your special education room were moms. You figured that “these moms had a whole job just taking care of their kids.” I’m sorry that you could not relate to that. My mom was able to be there for me. I may have taken that for granted. I’m glad your mom was still able to be there for you as well despite having to work.

I also understand how you felt after you tripped with the scissors and cut your classmates nose. It can be hard to explain to someone that what happened was an accident. I know you didn’t mean it. I’m glad you were able to express your writing and creative skills through the bumper stickers. Your teacher did a great job allowing you to use your own skills to show your talents. It made you excited! That can sometimes lead to you not thinking clearly. It’s a skill you’ll have to work on. Learning that actions have consequence can be difficult for someone whose mind is always racing. I hope the new medicine helps you to slow down your thoughts just enough to prevent any unnecessary bad decisions.

Overall, I think your journey was one that many kids can relate to. It’s great you were able to put your experience into such colorful words. It will help children, regardless of whether they have a disability, understand what some students are going through in their day to day life. This is a valuable lesson that every student should learn.

Sincerely,

Kevin

Gantos, J. (2010). Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

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Dear Young Ju,

I want to start off by saying your life story is truly inspirational. I cannot fathom how difficult it would be to move to a country where I didn’t know the language. You had to start attending school immediately without being able to understand what any one was saying. I’m glad the teachers and your friends treated you so well. It also must have been challenging to grow up without a lot of money. It was hard to read when you came to realizations that you were in a lower social class than the people around you. I hope now you are able to go to the fair and buy more than 1 line of tickets to split with your family. You had to watch your classmates ride all the rides while eating as much cotton candy as they wanted. I have been luckily enough to not go through such an experience. The way you told your story made me to have a tremendous amount of respect for you.

I also thought the concept of power between your Korean family members was very interesting. Your father held a considerable position of power over you mother. Socially, she was taught to honor and respect her husband no matter what. Apa, your father, ended up being an alcoholic and violent man. He held the power for most of the story. His power slowly diminished as you and your other family members began to move up in society. You had the highest GPA of any one in the school. That’s impressive for someone who grew up not knowing English. Your mother and family were able to save up enough money to buy a house without your father. You all found a way to escape his control. The epilogue about each of the family members hands was especially powerful. It showed that you can accomplish your hopes and dreams even if you start out as a lowly poor immigrant. It was a story of the American dream.

Sincerely,

Kevin Hayes

Na, A. (2001). A Step from heaven. Philadelphia, PA: Front Street Press.