The following are excerpts taken from the files of a
few of our students with learning disabilities.
“At high school I was a horrible student, I DIDN’t
CARE. I would Banter with my teachers At SO they DECIDED to put ME
Into RSP. I can REMEMBER know so much more than my History
teacher. But throughout ALL of This I was a BAD READER. I Left and
went into the Marine Corp. I had some Authority problems and
Depression.
My Educational Goals ARE to get my BA IN
Philosophy AND my MD in Neurology. I hope to Expaned the sciences
in Metaphysics; Epistomology and quantum-machinics in Neurology. I
Also hope to Disprove the ExistENCE of the soul.”
“I remember public school teachers who ridiculed
and screamed at students. I remember nuns in parochial school who
were far worse, seeming to go out of their way to degradate and
humiliate their students. Since I already felt stupid and unable to
learn, their behavior simply reinforced my belief about myself.
In elementary school, I was instructed to stop
using my fingers to count. I could not count without using my
fingers, so I hid what I was doing, terrified I would be caught.
I high school, I was encouraged to ask
questions, only to be told my question was stupid and that I
belonged in a play pen. Throughout school, I felt that I was held
in contempt by teachers as well as classmates. I felt ashamed of
who I was and of my stupidity.
Only now, after years of effort spent in trying
to overcome the negative lessons I was taught by my parents and
teachers do I believe I am smart and capable. Wth the exception of
math, I have accomplished every goal I have set for myself. I am
Tenacious. I will read, study, and try until I meet my goal. While
enrolled in the PACE program at Glendale College, my classmates
teased me about being an over achiever and a nerd. Those words were
music to my ears. Reading comes easily to me and I can write well.
Math is difficult and I panic when I don’t immediately understand
the concept. I know that I have the ability to learn and that I
will find ways to adapt until I accomplish what I set out to do.”
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