Too Much Change
I really thought we were going to have a great school year, simply because we knew what to expect at Cole's middle school. We had a great special education teacher, but she abruptly resigned 13 days ago. She was one of those rare teachers that taught outside the box and challenged Cole on a daily basis. She was an incredible teacher and pushed him to always do his best in class and in the community. I can only wonder why she left-- an unexpected visit from administration that told her she wasn't following the student's I.E.P.s, no support from staff to relieve her for a break every day, or maybe it was a personal decision to leave. I really think it was a combination of things, but she loved her students. You can't fake unconditional love. We have gone through many emotions these past 13 days, and I don't blame Cole's teacher for leaving. I left mid-semester my teaching job, because I feared for my safety. There are many reasons teachers leave their job, simply because teaching is the hardest job in the world. However, we lost a great teacher and it has affected Cole in ways I can't put into writing.
Fast forward thirteen days and my life has been a roller coaster without a stop button! I have been studying for the TExES test to become a highly qualified special education teacher in the state of Texas. I took a practice test yesterday at SMU (Simmons School of Education) and I passed it with flying colors! I was shocked over what I actually knew, but I think what surprised me the most is that I didn't over-think the questions. I am a perfectionist, so once I realized I only have to make an 80 on this test, I started studying last Thursday. I am very familiar with Special Education law, but one thing I realized is that I am not very familiar with certain terms. What is dygraphia? I had no idea what this was until last night. Domain III, Competency 008, was the only area that I missed. I am not a Math, English or Language Arts teacher, but in order to pass this test, I am slowly becoming an expert in these fields. I wish Common Core did not exist, simply because it doesn't establish a foundation for our children. How is a student going to accomplish AP Statistics in college, when they are not given the tools to do long division? I am one of "those" parents that disagrees with STAAR testing (along with a lot of my friends) and feel it should be thrown out.
Enough about this subject, simply because I was writing today to get rid of the false myth "vaccines cause autism". Vaccines do NOT cause autism. I have lost friends over this issue, simply because they truly believe this crap. The doctor who said vaccines cause autism had his license stripped because it was and is a lie. We now are seeing an outbreak in Mumps and Measles, simply because there are parents that believe vaccines cause autism. Yes, there may be a very small percentage of parents that have cause to say this, but it is because their child has an underlying health issue that they may not be aware of. I blame the media for the hype that says "vaccines cause autism". Just this morning as I was getting ready, Matt Lauer had a taped recording of a mom who said vaccines caused her daughter's autism. What they failed to mention is that her daughter had underlying health issues. I am not questioning the mom about her daughter's health issues, but I know if my child had the option of getting Mumps and Measles vs. Autism, I would take Autism any day. We have had our ups and downs, but autism is not something that is "catchable". I interpret autism as a brain fart. Sometimes autism is funny, like a fart! Sometimes autism stinks-- just like a fart. However, I would rather my son have autism than stand over his death bed and ask "why did I listen to the media? Why is he dying from the Measles?". Don't believe the hype about this myth. Don't let autism scare you.
I hope this blog post helps expel the myth about vaccines causing autism. I know one thing is for sure: if you don't vaccinate your child, your child may be a statistic. That statistic would read: Parents didn't vaccinate their child, so their child died from a disease that was preventable. America, WAKE UP. Vaccines DO NOT CAUSE AUTISM.
No comments:
Post a Comment