The more I become familiar with the students in my special education classes, the more I discover their different needs that multiply in leaps and bounds in many various areas and degrees.
Some may need to bolster their confidence in reading. Some need help organizing and collecting homework for the day. Some may just need a listening ear to family woes or to their dreams and failures. And some really need help with math and language skills, or a firm hand to guide them through academic rigors.
But the most satisfaction I experience is when I learn that some of them have found jobs that they are most passionate about. These are my kids who may not have passed the Regents but are now successful caregivers, beauticians, electricians, computer technicians, chefs and automotive repairmen. These are the students I taught to read and write, gave counsel when they were down and could not cope with the demands of academic life. Now, I know that the world is kind to people with people like us: we, the mentors and inspirers of this generation.