THE SPIRIT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
The spirit of special education is alive and well. Here at eLuma, we have the privilege of working with so many great people in special education and have come to see that there is a special spirit amongst those who have joined in the cause. We are continually inspired by the never-ending display of compassion, dedication and sacrifice of special educators . . . even when there is little recognition, support or material reward.
ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS
So whenever we go to various special education conferences (CASE, NASDSE, CEC, etc) we try to give a little recognition and we try to make it fun — as sort of a way of giving back. It’s become a bit of a tradition, to hold a Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament at these events and give a cool grand prize (Apple Watch, Big Screen TV, etc.) to the winner.
Typically, these tournaments are well-attended, competitive, but above all else, fun. If but for a moment, it allows all of us to forget all the stress, contention and demands that come with our jobs and just be more like the kids we serve.
TWO WINNERS
This last week, members of the eLuma team attended Arizona CEC/CASE Conference in Phoenix. As per usual, we held the Rock, Paper Scissors event. But this time, something special happened, and we were once again reminded of the goodness of the people we serve.
During the first part of the double-elimination event, Paige Lamb, a resource teacher from Littleton Elementary School District was defeated by Wanda Williams, a Special Programs Director at Tolleson Elementary School District. As luck would have it, Paige was able to win the rest of her matches and in turn, defeat Wanda in the final round. As the final winner, she was awarded and Apple Watch. But Paige, in the true spirit of what we are describing, turned and offered the watch to Wanda, and declared her the winner.
It was a gesture that was both simple and generous, but more than that, it was a reminder to us of the kind of people we get to work with. Thank you for your generosity of spirit. Your impact is greater than you know!