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Disability is something as a society we view as detrimental to someone’s ability to live their day-to-day life. The fact of the matter is seen within society’s views on disability. From taking classes here at the university, I have learned that prior history of people living with a disability has been very challenging and we have a very long way to go. Disability can look like many things from being paraplegic to mental health, the definition really can vary from person to person. The problem is that people with disabilities feel they are treated differently because of the disability they live their daily life with. From taking ECS 101, I learned that the now FIAP program used to be called the ethically mentally retarded program. The fact that the school board allowed that to be the name is disturbing.  Times were different back in the day; however, this term is simply unacceptable. When we use terms like this, it creates a stigma that seems like these people aren’t good enough to be apart of today’s society.  People with disabilities just want to feel like part of society and have access to everyday needs just like everyone else. Picture yourself as an athlete, you love to train, you work harder then anyone else; however, you have a spinal cord injury that has paralyzed you from the waist down. You want to represent your country in the Olympics; until you learn about the Paralympics that allows athletes with disabilities to represent their country’s and compete against the world.  The problem is the media doesn’t cover the Paralympics like it does the Olympics. The continues with the narrative that people with disability are not seen the same as people without. People with disabilities have been kicked to the side in life by society, and as future educators, it is our job to change the stigma surrounding people with disabilities and show we care!

It was finally time for my favourite time of the school day, physical education time! This time was different, only the boys were allowed to go this time.  As a kid in grade six, I really didn’t understand what was going on; however, I was thrilled to go run around and throw dodgeballs at my friends.  This was the first time in my educational experience that the boys and girls were separated. The school decided for gender based physical education.  Now at the time it flew right over my head, but now looking back at it, I do not think that’s the best decision.                 This was really the first time I was gendered as a boy. At the time I thought absolutely nothing about it; however, I thought class was more fun with all my classmates there.  Every student being in class allowed for you to create relationships with others and see if you had similar interests. Taking that away from students creates a divide within the class room. To me is also gives the “boys are better than girls” mentality putting them into two different groups. Girls can do everything boys can and should be given the same respect within a physical education class.                   The job of school is to provide safe learning environment for all to participate in. Practicing separating the boys and girls does not need to take place within schools. Looking back at the situation, it really bothers me. What if someone didn’t identify as a boy? It isn’t the job of teachers to tell students how to feel. It is the teacher’s job to create a fun, safe learning environment that offers everyone equal opportunity.  Gendering students does the opposite of that. It doesn’t allow students to feel like themselves. Staying away from gendering students allows for a more positive learning environment.                   Many children in school struggle with finding their place. Some find it hard to make friends and to fit in.  As a physical education major, I have learned a lot of do’s and don’t of physical education. One of the first ones is never do boys verse girls.  This creates a divide within the classroom and genders students. Many kids feel uncomfortable in these circumstances because it puts a label on them that they may not identify with.  Being labeled a specific gender has many issues; however, it is not the job of the teacher or school to put labels on the students. Each student has the choice to feel/express themselves however they may like.  Keep school fun for all and a safe place to be, then finally we will see positive results.

I live in a pretty wealthy middle to upper class area. My elementary school had mostly white kids with money, who were not worried about anything. When I got to high school, I decided to go to Martin for the academy baseball program. The school is inner city school that has kids from many different socioeconomic statuses. You had everything from the rich to the poor. This is where I realized how privileged I really am. I got driven to school everyday. It did not matter if it was-30 outside, I had a ride. I didn’t have to worry about food. There has always been more food than I can eat at my house. Last but not least I had more clothes than I ever needed, and could have a different outfit everyday. This leads to my story about my experience knowing my privilege of being a middle upper-class family.             I saw many kids who wore the same clothes everyday, I was shocked by this. It was the first time I have ever seen this coming from my life. I went home to talk to my mom about it, and she began to tear up. She as well couldn’t believe that kids, still to this day, are wearing the same clothes everyday. For me, it was a true eye-opening experience. This is where I learned about poverty first hand. I felt guilty showing up in my parents’ expensive cars, my expensive clothes and being a part of the academy. You see, at Martin, non academy kids do not usually hang out with the academy kids. This creates a divide within the school. It also gives kids like me a bad reputation because I seem “too cool for the other kids”. Also, academy kids only have classes with academy kids, with only of non academy kids. This makes the gap even wider in school division. This is a big reason why I decided to become a teacher. If I could give back what I have been taught and help out families that are living in poverty my life goal would be complete. This is just one of the many reasons society today isn’t perfect; however, if you asked 100 people at Martin to define the school atmosphere, you would get many different answers that would totally view their socioeconomic status. The problems continue to lie on the big picture, people only care about popularity, and not about treating people with respect. For me, my high school experience was good; however, if I was to ask the non academy kids, I guarantee you I will get much different responses.

This story begins during grade six. It was finally the day for the school’s annual Terry Fox Run. Each year my elementary school would raise money for The Terry Fox Foundation, which raises money for cancer research. If the school raised enough money, the entire school would get ice cream! This would create competition amongst classmates, as each one would want to raise more money then the other. This was great because is created a fun, positive, caring environment in the classroom that included everyone. This was the one time where every student put their differences aside, and all worked together with the common goal of working towards the reward of ice cream. From Kindergarten to Grade five, you were only allowed to walk to the near by park called French Park. Grades six to eight you were finally allowed to go for a long run, in honor of Terry Fox. Terry would run a marathon a day, with a goal of running across Canada in his Marathon Of Hope. All though Terry never finished, it was always an honor and a privilege to continue his legacy while doing this run. Terry would run in the rain, snow, or if it was freezing outside, it was the same for us, we were going on the run rain or shine. During the run, my friends and I, always tried to beat one another. We usually ran together, which is why it is such a fond memory of mine. During the first run, my friends and I started to notice that we were ahead of everyone, and going to be the first to complete the run. During the last block or so, we started to sprint, trying to beat one another. I unfortunately got last out of my friends, but that was besides the point. After the run, the school supplied everyone with a delicious freeze, which hit the spot because it was plus thirty outside. During my reflection of the run, I realized that the run meant a lot more than ice cream or a freeze. It meant helping another person fight the terrible disease, it meant a lot more than a twelve year old boy can comprehend. The goal of the Terry Fox run is to carry on his legacy, and continue to raise money for cancer research. My elementary school raised over $8,000 for Terry’s foundation. This was a moment of time that I continue to look back on with a big smile on my face, because it really showed how a whole elementary school can come together, and give everyone hope. Cancer sucks, it takes loved ones from us too soon. Everyone knows someone that has had cancer, the problem is not just a Regina, Saskatchewan problem, it is not a Canadian problem, it is a worldwide problem. Being a proud Canadian, it makes me happy to see people come together to carry on Terry Foxes legacy to this day. My hope is to continue seeing positive change in schools, to better the community, and encourage student involvement outside the classroom.