Longtime Appreciating Differences teacher, Johnnye White, works with students to help them notice and appreciate everyone’s uniqueness. Johnnye and her students hold in-depth discussions, share experiences and listen to speakers who tell what they’ve discovered about being different. Students learn the importance of talking about feelings. They share their struggles of living in a fast-paced world, and they talk about time management, self care and empathy skills.
Students spent some time this week understanding some physical challenges by
- walking up the Mansion stairs with a blindfold
- wearing hearing protection to mimic hearing loss
- using crutches to walk
- wheeling themselves around in a wheelchair
The students could complete some of the challenges on their own for short distances, but gained an admiration for people who face these obstacles daily. Johnnye reminded her classes that we all face different challenges in our lives. Overcoming them takes patience, practice and a willingness to ask for help when we need it.