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Parent story: Thank-you Mrs M

My daughter has cerebral palsy and is unable to stand or walk unaided, her speech is impaired and she struggles with handwriting and fine motor skills. But in Mrs M’s classroom she has just blossomed.

My daughter has been transformed from a sad, worried and unsettled little girl into a happy, thriving, sociable child who is achieving well academically. Even before Mrs M became my daughter’s teacher, I became aware of how sensitive, caring and extraordinary she is in so many ways. Mrs M reached out to my daughter and provided help and support when she was having difficulty and, importantly, provided a great model for other teachers.

Of course, Mrs M has extensive teaching experience, is well organised, and provides an interesting and engaging curriculum. But beyond that, she possesses a great ability to treat, and teach, every child as an individual. With her wealth of creativity, sensitivity and insight she is genuinely connected to her class, the children and their families. She makes everyone feel like a special part of her classroom.

Mrs M has an open mind, a sound understanding of disabilities and a willingness to accept the challenge of teaching students who have them. She helps all students succeed in her classroom and is a model of seamless inclusion. To accomplish this she has been willing to question some teaching styles, she has adjusted and modified teaching techniques, and been creative in developing new methods. Her bright, fun and enthusiastic approach has helped every child gain success in her classroom.

Mrs M is able to recognise how fragile we are as parents and is always thoughtful and sensitive in the way she discusses matters. She allows us to be parents first and not responsible for solving the issues of her classroom.

Mrs M always looks at the positives and works endlessly to achieve that which is achievable. She also understands that the world of a child with a disability is not the same as for a regular child, and that the endless frustration and disappointments are hard for a child to deal with. Her classroom is flexible enough to accommodate ‘bad days’. Through these difficult times the other children have learned that they too are innovative, kind, strong and tolerant.

I will be forever grateful that Mrs M invested her time, skill and enthusiasm into my daughter. She has made a positive difference that will last a lifetime.

Parent

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