I've received a lot of questions since I published my If God Gives a Teacher a Dream post last month. In that post, I shared about a special dream God laid on my heart a while back, to create a class at my school for students with special needs so "severe" they're unable to function 100% of the time in the "regular" classroom. Since then, I've had lots of questions. So I thought I'd take the time to answer a few here...
When will this class start?
We'll be starting this class this coming up school year (2017-2018 school year). So come August this dream of mine will finally become a reality :)
Why are you raising funds? Doesn't your school buy the supplies/equipment you need?
My school does provide a bit of start up funds. But it is very minimal, as we were not planning for this class when the budget was created for this school year. And since we are literally starting this class from scratch, there are a LOT of supplies/equipment I need (and want) to help my students achieve the highest amount of success as possible.
How much more do you need to raise?
Well, when I started my 25 Days of Christmas Giving, I'd set a goal of $5000 to $6000. As of this past Friday, $1400 of that amount has been raised. More has been promised. But that's what's come in so far...
Why raise such a high amount?
I'm sorry to repeat myself, but I am literally starting from scratch. There are a lot of supplies and equipment I will need. Students in a class like this will need things that you or I may not need. They will need to have the regular and adapted supplies. Different sized pencils, crayons, paintbrushes, etc... Flexible seating, more manipulatives for math, adaptive technology, and so much more...
What kind of students will you have?
My students will have academic, physical, and/or behavioral disabilities which prevent them from functioning successfully 100% of the time in a "regular" classroom. I will have students who are the children of missionaries, embassy personnel, and/or other various business men/women. And more than either of those two descriptions... I will have kids who are incredibly awesome!
What's the point?
There's a frustratingly all-too-common epidemic going around the USA and beyond which says that children that would benefit from a class like this simply cannot learn, and in that case, then what's the point in even having them at school? To that I would respond that every single person can learn some thing in some way. I am here to prove society wrong by working with the students who often need it the most. And also I am following the commandment God gave in proverbs 31:8, which says, "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves..." My kids need me to speak up for and advocate for them to get the education they need and they deserve. And I can guarantee you this one thing... I will never stop doing that!
You could teach in America. Why not? You'd get paid more.
That's definitely true. And if God asked me to do that, I would. But I am where God wants me to be. Money is great, but it's not everything. Whether I make $10,000 a year or $50,000, I want to be in the will of God doing what He wants me to do, doing it where He wants me to be doing it. Plain and simple...
This is somewhat new to DA. Have you had any opposition to this class?
Yes. Sometimes when things are new and unknown people just don't understand. When you've never worked with students like this it can potentially be scary. But the benefits and rewards are so incredibly great. When you've never worked, or even interacted, with people like this, sometimes there is a level of ignorance... You truly don't know how amazingly awesome they are. So you make rude comments not realizing what you're doing.
So yes, unfortunately, I have received a few discouraging comments since announcing this class. But that's okay because as I said earlier, I will continue to advocate for students, and people in general, like this. And I will continue to educate people on the amazing opportunity that awaits them if they get to know someone with a disability.
What has been your biggest encouragement through this fundraising process?
I have loved seeing how God's providing so quickly. And even more than that it has been fun to see all of the people who have donated so far. ...some of who I either do not know, or I just barely know them.
How can we donate?
For a tax-deductible donation to my AGWM account, either click HERE and make a one-time donation, using your credit/debit card or you can send me an email at enichols85@gmail.com and I'll get you the form to send in with a check to AGWM
To give an Amazon, Walmart, Target, Dollar Tree, Parent Teacher Store, etc. gift card, send me an email at enichols85@gmail.com and I'll send you my U.S. address so you can mail those to me there, where I can use them to purchase supplies when I'm back in December.
To purchase supplies/equipment, instead of money, to send to me, either here in Senegal, or to my address in the U.S. for me to pick up when I'm there in December, send me an email at enichols85@gmail.com and I'll get you the appropriate mailing address.
To receive a Wish List of supplies and equipment I'll need, send me an email at enichols85@gmail.com and I'll send that to you today.
Which of those ways would help you the most?
Any of those would be helpful. But if I were being honest... At this point, if you sent a donation of money or a gift card to my mom's house in Alabama that is something I could access the quickest.
How can we pray?
Help me pray for the rest of the money to be raised and for me to be a wise steward of that money. Help me pray for open hearts and minds. Help me pray for awareness and acceptance. Help me pray for students and families who will be served by this class. Help me pray for all of the hundreds and thousands of little details that need to be worked out for this class to be successful.
Anything else you want to share with our group?
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