Moments

The other day, I had the opportunity to transfer what I have been learning in class into practice. I was playing volleyball last week with a group of my friends. Halfway through the game, an individual came and wanted to play with us. As is human nature, I judged the individual to be a little bit different and that he possibly might have a learning disability. Everyone on the court had this thought and tried not to pay attention to the individual.

After a few minutes, I went over to the individual, who was now sitting on the bench with a volleyball in his hand. I asked him if he wanted to be on one of the teams and sub into the game. Right away he seemed excited about playing and joined one of the teams. The players on his team were trying to get him involved in the play; however, I could tell they were getting frustrated because his skill level was not the same as the group. He was trying his best but he was always getting into his teammates way when they were playing the ball.

Although it did take patience for the rest of us to include him, the individual was extremely happy that he was able to participate. By the end, he made the game more enjoyable for the rest of us because of his enthusiasm on the court. It is moments like these that remind us of how important inclusion is. We have to make sure we do not have the mentality that students with disabilities are in our way of success. Sometimes, we might be in their way because of our misconceptions and selfishness.