Expanding Relationships

Encouraging all students to expand their relationships with individuals who have disabilities, as well as those who don’t, is another one of the many vital lessons each and every teacher needs to teach their students. Throughout their lifetimes, these young individuals will be faced with a variety of different people. Some of the individuals that these students will encounter will be those with disabilities. It is the obligation of parents and teachers to teach children that these “special” people are not to be feared, but instead embraced. Connections are essential to one’s quality of life. Researchers have proven, time and time again, that individuals cannot survive alone for long periods of time due to the lack of interaction they face. Therefore, communication is the key to success, in that people throughout the world have many things to share, as well as many ideas and concepts to learn. Teachers can help establish these connections in the classroom by providing their students with the opportunity to meet their classmates, peers, school staff, and community members. One way that this aspiration can be easily accomplished with frequent off campus excursions that help students build memories with their classmates, as well as become accustomed to the environment that surrounds them. In helping students to expand their relationships, teachers are also building a world where more and more individuals will be able to live in peace and harmony due to the strong binds they have made through these interactions.